Hello, has anyone considered medical schools in Eastern Europe as an alternative/backup to US medical school? One is University of Nis - Medical School website www.icmnis.com or http://www.medfak.ni.ac.rs/ims/ism.htm
Tuition is only $10K/year; government owned school, since 1960, WHO/IMED listed, gain international experience, prep for USMLE and PLAB (UK).
Sounds like a good option if you are unable to get into US Medical Schools.
Rakhshi R. Akhtar
Administrator FMEA
302-450-4551
rakhtarmd@yahoo.com
info.md.program@icmnis.com
From your username I am assuming you are actually on the FMEA (Foreign Medical Education Advisors) that this particular university lists on its website?
Perhaps you are using your posting as a pseudo-advertisement? Do tell us what this Serbian univeristy offers that makes it a more viable option than perhaps Caribbean or Polish med schools.
I am not impressed with the website. Dead links and not much info. I would be leery of this site and look to the Caribbean over European. It will be hard enough to get a residency at Caribbean school much less European.
Hello, I just tried the website www.icmnis.com and I was able to navigate successfully - no broken links mentioned in your post.
I personally know many graduates of University of Nis - Medical Schools; all who tried passed USMLE; completed their residency and are well placed today.
I don’t believe there are any comparisons between this European traditional medical school that has been around for over 50 years and Caribbean based medical schools most of which are new, risky, under capitalized, not have “proper” clinical rotations and many have already folded. Before considering a Caribbean medical school one should visit the California State website (http://www.medbd.ca.gov/) then click on Applicants and click on Medical Schools that lists approved and unapproved schools with “reports and findings” on some of the Caribbean medical schools that applied for California approval but didn’t make it. There are only 2 or 3 Caribbean medical schools that are worth attending i.e. St. George, Ross and AUC. But these are also private medical schools and very expensive like ~$45,000 per year for tuition only. Compare that with only $10,000 per year tuition, traditional medical school, excellent faculty (MD and PhD required to be a faulty member), teaching hospital that is part of the medical school with 2,000+ bed, owned by the government - you know it is going to be around and all students will be taken care of.
I don’t want to put any school down, but just wanted to clear some key drivers that potential medical students should consider in the proper context.
Not sure if this option would be viable for someone that already has his or her college degree. It looks like this medical school takes students right out of high school. Why would someone that already has a four-year degree go to medical school for six years instead of four, or even three in the Caribbean?
This medical school could be an option for students that do not have a degree.
Here is the dead link I mentioned. Click on the Home tab (top left corner)
http://www.medfak.ni.ac.yu/
- fmea Said:
Hello, I just tried the website www.icmnis.com and I was able to navigate successfully - no broken links mentioned in your post.
I personally know many graduates of University of Nis - Medical Schools; all who tried passed USMLE; completed their residency and are well placed today.
I don't believe there are any comparisons between this European traditional medical school that has been around for over 50 years and Caribbean based medical schools most of which are new, risky, under capitalized, not have "proper" clinical rotations and many have already folded. Before considering a Caribbean medical school one should visit the California State website (http://www.medbd.ca.gov/) then click on Applicants and click on Medical Schools that lists approved and unapproved schools with "reports and findings" on some of the Caribbean medical schools that applied for California approval but didn't make it. There are only 2 or 3 Caribbean medical schools that are worth attending i.e. St. George, Ross and AUC. But these are also private medical schools and very expensive like ~$45,000 per year for tuition only. Compare that with only $10,000 per year tuition, traditional medical school, excellent faculty (MD and PhD required to be a faulty member), teaching hospital that is part of the medical school with 2,000+ bed, owned by the government - you know it is going to be around and all students will be taken care of.
I don't want to put any school down, but just wanted to clear some key drivers that potential medical students should consider in the proper context.
I personally know many graduates of University of Nis - Medical Schools; all who tried passed USMLE; completed their residency and are well placed today.
I don't believe there are any comparisons between this European traditional medical school that has been around for over 50 years and Caribbean based medical schools most of which are new, risky, under capitalized, not have "proper" clinical rotations and many have already folded. Before considering a Caribbean medical school one should visit the California State website (http://www.medbd.ca.gov/) then click on Applicants and click on Medical Schools that lists approved and unapproved schools with "reports and findings" on some of the Caribbean medical schools that applied for California approval but didn't make it. There are only 2 or 3 Caribbean medical schools that are worth attending i.e. St. George, Ross and AUC. But these are also private medical schools and very expensive like ~$45,000 per year for tuition only. Compare that with only $10,000 per year tuition, traditional medical school, excellent faculty (MD and PhD required to be a faulty member), teaching hospital that is part of the medical school with 2,000+ bed, owned by the government - you know it is going to be around and all students will be taken care of.
I don't want to put any school down, but just wanted to clear some key drivers that potential medical students should consider in the proper context.
Do you have any graduates who are practicing physicians in the united states, particularly in california? Who is the accrediting body of your school? do you have any recent stats on USMLE and residency acceptances? How do your students take a USMLE so far from the US?
USMLE pass rate is 100% since 1964. For those who want to take USMLE there, they have a center in Belgrade.
Hello, I am a graduate of University of Nis, Medical Faculty myself. I am personally trying to introduce the Medical School to US prospective medical students as another option.
As far as Caribbean schools are concerned, I also attended a Caribbean school and completed my basic sciences there then I transferred to Nis and did my clinicals for 3 years including final year electives at Baylor College of Medicine (Ben Tuab Hospital in Houston).
There are many Medical Schools in the Caribbean, but except for couple e.g. St. George or Ross or AUC others are not comparable to medical schools in Europe and Nis. Nis has a very high standard, every faculty member is an MD and PhD, its own fully equipped medical center ~2,000 bed etc. Many faculty members are very prominent scholars from Europe. This is not the case at most Caribbean schools as far as I know.
Regarding Polish Med schools, there are few offering English program like Jagiellonian, MU Lublin, Pozan. These are all good schools but more expensive than Nis. When I was transferring to Nis I also looked at Hungarian schools - those are good also as far as academic is concerned.
Nis is one of the options I believe prospective studenst should explore. I really learnt a lot there and enjoyed being a student there also. University of Nis Medical Faculty is a GOOD Medical School!
- fmea Said:
USMLE pass rate is 100% since 1964. For those who want to take USMLE there, they have a center in Belgrade.
That's so impressive, it's almost implausible!
Is it too late for me to transfer there?
You used the wrong outdated link, not sure where you got it from. You should use the one I posted earlier i.e. www.icmnis.com or http://www.medfak.ni.ac.rs/ims/ism.htm.
All European Medical Schools are 6 years after high school. If someone has some college or a degree it is even better. Most foreign students from USA and Canada do enter with a lot of college credit or even a degree. I went to Nis with a BS in Biochemistry.
While Caribbean may advertise 4 or even 3 years to complete a medical degree, most students take longer, some even drop out mostly in frustration (just stating based on my personal observation).
Yes - I like to clarify; 100% of all students I know who took USMLE and there are quite a few practicing in USA. Most want to practice in Europe though e.g. Autria, France, UK etc., (UK bound take PLAB).
The school itself does not keep the statistics since it is not very active in the US market like some of the private Caribbean Medical Schools.
They don’t have private accrediting bodies like we have e.g. AMA or ABA etc. They follow the EU standards and medical schools are approved and regulated by Ministry of Health and Education I believe.
Nis is fully approved in California. While I am not sure how many graduates from Nis are practicing is California, but I believe they have been around for over 50 years and there are many graduates practicing in USA, so there has to be some in California, but I don’t have any specific data on California.
These are all very good questions though. I will try to find the answers and post them here as I find them.
- thomasfx10 Said:
I am not impressed with the website. Dead links and not much info. I would be leery of this site and look to the Caribbean over European. It will be hard enough to get a residency at Caribbean school much less European.
You like Caribbean Medical Schools, then go to this link: http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/windsor -univ...