Hong Kong’s medical schools are highly competitive. So, if their grades fall short of the stipulated requirements, students will have to look at other options. Fortunately, there are several possibilities for students who don’t get in the first time around.
1. Apply to overseas universities which welcome international students
According to Jennifer Ma of ARCH Education, it is not necessarily easier getting a place to study medicine in Britain, the US or elsewhere, but the broader range of options makes applying overseas a great alternative. Some schools are more willing to accept international candidates than others, and some make a point of having flexible criteria for admissions.
“St George’s is a specialist medicine and health sciences institution, sharing its site with one of the UK’s largest teaching hospitals. We believe a diverse student cohort enriches the learning experience for everyone, and we actively recruit international students. We offer additional spaces for non-EU students; in fact, we anticipate that around 25 per cent of those enrolling in 2016 will be from outside the European Union. Students from over 100 countries are now part of our cosmopolitan community.
We offer a six-year international medicine programme for undergraduates, and a four-year version for graduates, which includes clinical practice in the UK and the US. Students will take the US Medical Licensing Exam, allowing them to apply for a residency placement in the US, while also gaining a UK medical degree. International undergraduates can apply for either the UK-based medicine programme, or the international version. Graduates from overseas can apply for the international graduate medicine degree.”