Open AccessA Comparison of Australian and American Medical School Admission Experiences
Author(s) -
Jack B. Ding,
Xin L. Xiao,
Zachary I. Merhavy,
David Fahim,
Cheney E. Merhavy,
Thomas Varkey
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
international journal of medical students
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2076-6327
DOI - 10.5195/ijms.2022.1345
Subject(s) - medical school , narrative , medical education , entrance exam , psychology , family medicine , medicine , pedagogy , curriculum , philosophy , linguistics
Attaining admission into medical school has been described as a very competitive process by successful matriculants. The processes that medical schools use to stratify applicants can greatly differ between institutions. These systemic differences flow over onto the applicant level, such that individuals from different geographic regions can have varied and diverse application experiences depending on local medical school admissions protocols. This piece compares the medical school admission processes of Australia and the United States of America, in the form of a narrative recount of a successful medical school matriculant in each country, with the individual experiences of matriculants from alternative pathways blended into the piece. The authors discovered significant differences in admissions protocols between the two countries, with the greatest differences revolving around admissions exams, applicant profile (high school students versus college students), degree types and alternative entrance pathways.