Every year scores of Indian students aspire to study MBBS in US and wish to establish their medical career in the US. But many of them don’t have a very clear idea on what it takes to study MBBS in US.
Here is a list of things that that Indian students looking to study MBBS in US should be prepared with.

Eligibility

What are the eligibility requirements for an Indian student to study MBBS in US?

1. Academic Requirements
Indian student looking to apply to top med schools in US have to set aside a period of 8 years of study plus another 3-7 years for residency depending on the specialization.
The basic qualification for Indian students to start on their medical pathway is 10+2 or equivalent with Physics, Chemistry and Biology as subjects.
The minimum percentage needed is 60% aggregate in these subjects. However, it is recommended that students should have better percentage in order to cope up with the rigors of the academics in the US universities.
Students also need to take up the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) and the TOEFEL / IELTS to be eligible for the Bachelors degree program.

2. Pre-Medical Degree or A 4 year Bachelor’s Degree
Unlike in India and many other countries where students can enroll for MBBS program after 12th grade, students cannot directly enroll for the MBBS admission in US. The US med schools offer the Undergraduate M.D. (Medical Doctor) or D.O (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) degree. Students who wish to enroll for this undergraduate medical program have to complete a 4 year bachelors’ degree or a Pre-Medical Degree.
Although the top med schools in US do not specify the bachelor’s degree that is needed to pursue the undergraduate medial program, many students opt for the Pre-Medical degree program as it covers the subjects that are needed for the med schools in US.
Here is the list of subjects that the Pre-Medical program covers.

  1. Chemistry with the necessary laboratory courses
  2. Organic Chemistry with the necessary laboratory courses
  3. Biology along with the necessary laboratory courses
  4. Physics along with the necessary laboratory courses
  5. English
  6. Calculus, including advanced math classes and statistics

3. Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)
Students seeking admission in any medical college in the US should take up the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and have a valid MCAT score. MCAT is a computer-based, standardized examination for students looking to study medicine in US.
Students who take up MCAT will receive a percentile rank along with their MCAT score. The higher the MCAT percentile, the better is for admissions to medical school of their choice.
It is recommended that a student should have a total score of at least 509 or above. This would approximately translate into 80 percentile.

4. Fees in US Medical Colleges
Below is the fee structure for some of the top medical schools in US for the undergraduate medical program.

5. US Student Visa
Indian students who have received acceptance at any US med school will have to obtain the F-1 visa.
The following documents are needed to process the F-1 visa:

  1. Valid passport and previously issued passports
  2. Recent passport size photograph with a white background (50mm x 50mm)
  3. DS-160 confirmation page with barcode
  4. HDFC visa application fee receipts
  5. VFS appointment letter
  6. SEVIS receipt and I-120

This broadly covers the requirements for Indian students who aspire to study MBBS in US.