To obtain an MBBS degree in the USA is one of the most prestigious degrees. One can practice anywhere around the world after they pass out with  MBBS in the USA. The medical course curriculum in the USA highly practical oriented. After successfully obtaining a medical degree, medical students can immediately start practicing. It is a very enriching experience to be a part of medical training in the USA. The medical faculty at US medical schools are well-renowned and have their global benchmarks in the medical domain. 

Apply for MBBS in USA

The medical degree from the USA is recognized by all major medical bodies. These include:

• MCI - Medical Council of India
• Ministry of Education, USA
• WHO -World Health Organization
• WFME - World Federation for Medical Education
• ECFMG - Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates
• FAIMER - The Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research

List of Top Medical Colleges In USA

1. Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

2. Harvard Medical School

3. Stanford University School of Medicine

4. University of California, San Francisco

5. Duke University School of Medicine

6. Columbia University

7. Washington University in St. Louis

8. University of California, Los Angeles

9. Yale University

10. University of Michigan

11. Mayo Medical School

12. University of Washington

13. University of Chicago

14. Baylor College of Medicine

15. New York University

16. University of Pittsburgh

17. North-western University

18. Vanderbilt University

19. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

20. Boston University

 

Average Fees in top medical colleges in USA

 

University	Course Fee (Yearly)
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine	$78,739
Harvard Medical School	$61,535
Stanford University School of Medicine	$61,236
University of California, San Francisco	$64,132
Boston University	$54,720
Duke University School of Medicine	$61,032
Columbia University	$59,364
Washington University in St. Louis	$66,501
University of California, Los Angeles	$65,545
Yale University	$71,290
University of Michigan	$29,000
Mayo Medical School	$49,990
University of Washington	$36,549
University of Chicago	$80,034
Baylor College of Medicine	$24,363.
New York University	$7700
University of Pittsburgh	$46,475
North-western University	$22,456
Vanderbilt University	$55,608
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	$52,026

 

The expenses all along the journey for medical education

Many common costs need to be be taken into consideration when one decides to take medical education in the USA. These essential educational expenses include: 

• Medical College Admission Test® (MCAT®)/American Medical College Application Service® (AMCAS®) Fees – In order to apply for medical schools the aspirants must first take the MCAT test. The average fee for MCAT/AMCAS is approximately $315.
• Living Expenses – It is highly recommended to take into account a budget financial plan to plan out the most economical living expenses.
• USMLE Exams- A separate fees amount needs to be paid to take USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 tests during medical school. You may need to travel for Step 2 Clinical Skills, as it is administered at only several sites throughout the U.S. Students. Hence, travel costs needs to be added to the account. Apart from that the students need to purchase several different study resources to help them prepare for these tests.
• Residency Application Fees and Travel to Interviews –These include a cost per program for each program you apply to, plus other expenses, such as USMLE transcript reports.
• Conferences and Meetings – While conferences and meetings are not necessary to attend, but attending them will help you explore specialties, build a network, and meet residency programs. Many medical conferences offers scholarships for students who want to attend, and medical schools may provide stipends to students in some cases.

Undergraduate and Premedical School Loans

Federal loans are provided to undergraduate as well as aspirants applying at pre-medical stage. The federal loans have a short-grace period post-graduation to repay the loans. Some private aided loans have a longer period.

Federal student loans are popular with US students studying in the US, but they are not available to international students. Private education loans are also available to international students studying in the US.

International Student Loans are a very realistic way to get loans. The loans given to international students are quite flexible, offer loan amounts which are enough to pay for your entire medical education. The loans provide an extended repayment terms and low interest rates, so that one can afford the repayment after medical graduation.

Everyone tries to get into the best and top trending universities in USA for medical training. The universities in USA is quite expensive and to meet the financial needs many banks have a tie-up with USA medical universities to offer educational loans to the students.

 

But before you proceed, it is essential to know these loan options available to take loans for medical education. These are the list of some of the Indian banks which provide educational loans to students to study in the USA. The Indian banks offer loans that provide much lower interest rate compared to the USA.

But to be able to compare one bank to another, you must have the basic understanding of how banks charge interest on education loans.

Basic Banking jargon

Fixed-Rate vs. Variable (Floating) Interest Rate: In a Fixed interest rate, you will have a constant rate of time and the payment amount will never change during the course of your repayment. Whereas, variable interest rate is subject to market risk and hence the interest rate (and your periodic payment) goes up or down over the course of your repayment.

Immediate or Deferred Repayment: In this you have the choice to either start repaying the loan immediately after taking it or wait until after the completion of your degree. The interest rate of your education loan varies as per market conditions.

Options for Education loan from Indian Banks to study in USA

Credila

A Subsidiary of HDFC Ltd. Credila is a one of a kind Non-Bank Finance Company that focuses exclusively on lending education loans to students. It has a Study Abroad scheme that covers the total tuition fees of the study program along with covering up to 100% of other expenses like living and hostel expenses, examination fees, library/laboratory fees, purchase of study material, travel fare and more.

The Interest rate is calculated by summing up Credila's CBLR and Spread, i.e. (Credila's CBLR + Spread) % per annum. Currently the rate of interest is 12.3% per annum the Spread is determined by calculating a number of factors.

HSBC

The British multinational banking and financial services company, HSBC is one of the famous options for students in India looking to study in USA.  This bank provides loan to fund for full-time and part-time students to study in USA.

State Bank of India

A government-owned corporation, SBI is a multinational banking and financial services company based in India. According to the SBI education loan for abroad scheme, a loan of upto 30 lakhs is provided for medical education for well-known universities. The SBI education loan interest rate varies from 11.75% per annum to 13.50% per annum.

List of Top education loan providers in USA:

USC Credit Union

The Sallie Mae Smart Option Student Loan by USC Credit Union is an education funding solution which helps students save money, build their credit and pay off the loan in 3 different repayment options, Fixed Repayment Option, Interest Repayment Option and Deferred Repayment Option. International students need to apply with a creditworthy cosigner, (needs be a US citizen or permanent resident) and appropriate U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service documentation.

Features:

• Easy to apply for loan
• E-sign for your loan application
• No hassles of pre-payment
• 24/7 online account management

 

Discover

Discover provides education loan to students for under-graduate and post-graduate courses. The international students need to be above 16 years to avail this loan. They must have a social security number and cosigner. This loan has three repayment terms which include automatic in-school deferment while enrolled at least half-time, 6-month grace period and 15-year repayment period for undergraduate loans and 9-month grace period and 20-year repayment period for graduate and post-graduate loans.

Features:

• The interest rate is fixed at 5.47% APR
• The variable interest rate is as low as prime index + 0.00% (currently 3.25% APR)

Citizens Bank

Citizens Bank offers Citizens TruFit student loan to international students who have secured an admission seat in any USA university. Applicants need to apply with a creditworthy U.S. citizen or permanent resident co-signer to benefit the very low interest rates offered by the bank.  The bank sends the funds of the loan directly to the university that the student is attending. This makes the entire loan process hassle-free for students.  

Features:

• Flexible repayment options
• No application, origination or disbursement fees
• Applicants eligible for a choice of fixed and variable interest rates as low as 2.66% APR1
• Lower your interest rate by up to 0.50 percentage points with available discounts

 

Wells Fargo

The Wells Fargo Collegiate Loan a loan orovider for international students which offers low=cost options. It is majorily given to medical applicants who have secured admission to a medical school in USA. the loan funds covers the amount for books, tuition, housing and computers. Apart from this, students have to make no payments until six months after leaving school and can also reduce their loan cost with Wells Fargo’s interest rate discounts.

Features

• Variable interest rates range from 3.75% APR (with discount) to 8.75% APR (without discount).
• Fixed interest rates range from 7.24% APR (with discount) to 12.29% APR (without discount).

 RISLA

RSLA refers to the Rhode Island Student Loan Authority. These loan services offer students Loan to study in universities in the USA. it is available to the international students. RISLA offers a  fixed-rate student loan with a social security number and cosigner who is a US citizen.

Features:

• The loan repayment period is rather long
• The interest rate is variable
• No prepayment penalties
• Instant credit decision
• Loan forgiveness for qualifying interns

Top universities in the USA which offers Financial Assistance

Medical education in the USA is quite expensive. Hence, we have put together the scholarships one can avail to pursue Medical education in USA. All of these universities are accredited and ranked highly in the list of Best Medical Schools in the US. Some of these universities offer scholarships for international students and US students too.  The bellow mentioned scholarships are available for medical students which varies between $2000 and $60000. These are:

1. The HYMS Msc. Scholarships

The Hull York Medical School in the USA offers a three year M.Sc Scholarship for international students. The MSC in Clinical Anatomy is a world-class education program which is designed in the medical university to provide advanced post-graduate degree. The applicants should have previous training in human anatomy such as graduates from medical, biomedical, zoology, anatomical sciences and zoology backgrounds.

Provided By: Hull York Medical School (HYMS)
Course: Human or mammalian biology
Award:£10,150 total
Eligibility: International students
Deadline: July annually.
 

2. VCU SOM Medical Education Symposium

The VCU School of Medicine offers an opportunity for learners, leaders and educators to join a growing community of medical scholars. The School of medicine offers a complete coverage of the entire fees.

Provided By: VCU School of Medicine
Course: Medical education
Award: Varies
Eligibility: Educators, leaders, and learners
Deadline: April annually.
 

3.Harvard Medical School Postdoctoral Research Fellowships 2020, USA

The Harvard Medical School offers Post-doctoral research fellowships to all learners who hold a background in science education such as physics, computer science, electrical engineering or any other related fields. The candidates applying for this scholarship from medical backgrounds are also eligible. This scholarship is provided for post-doctoral and research programs.

Provided By: Harvard Medical School
Course: Postdoctoral, Research
Award: Varies
Eligibility: International
Deadline: 1st June annually.
 

4.CAMS Medical School Scholarship Program

The Chinese medical school scholarship program is offered to outstanding medical students who are in need of financial assistance. Throughout the years since the inception of the scholarship, the funding has been quite generous from the CAMS.

To be eligible for this scholarship, the candidate must be in the first, second, third year or final year of medical education or dental school. Recipients of this scholarship will receive a one-time scholarship in the amount of $5000.

Provided By: Chinese American Medical Society
Course: Medical course
Award: $5000
Eligibility: Medical students
Deadline: April 30th, annually.
 

5.The International Guest Scholarships

The American Colleges of Surgeons offers the international guest scholarship to all young surgeons from United States or Canada. The scholarship is offered to students who demonstrate a strong interest in teaching and research.

In these scholarships, an amount of $10,000 each is provided, with an opportunity to visit clinical, teaching, and research activities in the U.S. and Canada. It also gives them the opportunity to attend and participate fully in the educational opportunities and activities of the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress.

Provided By: American College of Surgeons
Course: Varies
Award: $10,000 each winner
Eligibility: Must be graduates of schools of medicine, at least 35 years old, but under 50
Deadline: July annually.
 

6.Dr. James L. Hutchinson and Evelyn Ribbs Hutchinson Medical School Scholarship

The Silicon Valley Community Foundation offers Dr.James L.Hutchinson and Evelyn Ribbs Hutchinson Medical school scholarship for the students who are enrolled in medical school. The students in final year who are enrolled in full-time accredited medal programs are eligible to apply.

Provided By: Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Course: Medical school program
Award: Up to $2,000
Eligibility: College senior, medical school students
Deadline: May 10, annually.
 

7.The Zoetis/AAVMC Veterinary Student Scholarship Program

Zoetis and the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges for the Zoetis Veterinary Student Scholarship Program. The program is open to all stydents who are performing well in a veterinary, medicine school in the United States. They can be either in the 2^nd year or 3^rd tear as a veterinary students in the U.S.

There will be approximately 300 student scholarships available at $2,000 each in grant scholarships.

Provided By: Zoetis and the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC)
Course: Varies
Award: $6,00, 000 total
Eligibility: Veterinary students. (300 student at $2,000 each)
Deadline: November annually.
 

8. The AUC Medical School

American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC) offers all its students an opportunity to explore and apply for the AUC scholarships regardless of where you stand in the medical school.

Provided By: American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC)
Course: Medical education course
Award: Multiple awards
Eligibility: Medical students
Deadline: July 28th, and November 24th, annually.
 

9. The AMA Medical School Scholarships

The American Medical Association (AMA) offers several fellowships and scholarships named AMA Foundation Physicians of Tomorrow Scholarship, AMA Foundation Minority Scholars Award, The Arthur N. Wilson, MD Scholarship, and Medical Student Section (MSS) Fellowship for medical students.

Provided By: American Medical Association (AMA)
Course: Medical course
Award: Multiple awards
Eligibility: 2nd-, 3rd- or 4th-year medical students.
Deadline: Varies
 

10. Sherry R. Arnstein Minority Student Scholarship

Every year, The American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) offers a financial scholarship to at least two osteopathic medical students. One student which is newly accepted and one a continuing student. This award is given to recognize the underrepresented minority students who attend one of the member colleges of the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine. An amount of up to $2500 scholarship award will be given to the winning candidates.

Provided By: American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM)
Course: Medical course
Award: $1,500 – $2,500 award money
Eligibility: An underrepresented minority student (medical students)
Deadline: The time duration varies annually. 

 

The Professional Student Exchange Program

The professional Exchange Program (PSEP) allows the students in 10 western countries to receive financial support when they attend the medical professional programs. While both MDs and DOs are included in the Professional Student Exchange Program, other professions such as veterinary medicine, podiatry, PA, physical therapy, pharmacy, optometry, dentistry, and occupational therapy are also supported.

On an average the amount of financial support given each year for allopathic medicine (MD) is $32,070 and $21,300 for osteopathic medicine (DO). Many states have a contractual “service payback” obligation in which you must return to your home state after graduation to practice for a certain number of years.

It is highly recommended to apply early for PSEP before you plan to attend medical school. The deadline annually is before 15^th October and only the applicants who have processed their application before deadline have a realistic chance to avail the scholarship. 

Affordable medical universities on the USA

All medical universities in USA is not expensive. The U.S News & World Report’s lists down the least expensive public medical schools in the USA which includes:

• Texas A&M Health Science Centre 
• University of Texas Health Science Centre-San Antonio,
• Texas Tech University Health Sciences Centre
• University of North Texas Health Science Centre
• University of New Mexico
• University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre

The in-state tuition and fees at these institutions have remained less than $20,000 per year.

Apart from these if you are not able to get into Texas medical schools then one can consider:

• Baylor College of Medicine ($31,663 per year)
• Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine ($32,985 per year)
• University of Pikeville ($41,320 per year).

The most expensive medical schools in USA

The following universities are considered to be the most expensive medical schools in the USA.

• Tufts University $61,190 yearly
• Columbia University $61,146 yearly
• Dartmouth University $63,080 yearly
• Northwestern University $44,693 yearly
• Case Western Reserve University$63,262 yearly

The reputations of these schools may be worth the premium, but only if it seems like a reasonable financial investment for your financial con