SGU vs UK vs Korea

[Koreanmedic2002]

Hello! I recently graduated from an international high school in Germany (IB school) currently undergoing the application for Korean medical schools. In the long run, I have the goal of practicing in the US. As a Korean citizen with no green card nor bachelor's degree, US medical schools are not really an option. Which universities would be best for a non-US IMG like me for practicing in the US? My current options are SGU, UK, and Korean med schools. I heard many negative things about SGU such as the price and quality of education, but for me, UK and SGU are pretty much the same price and I never really got affected by quality of education. ("Teachers" were quite incompetent in my high school and middle school)

Also, regarding applications, I got into SGU's 5 year MD programme with a scholarship; have to apply for UK med schools for the 2021-2022 school year; and currently applying for Korean med schools for the 2022 school year.
Korean med schools are quite tough to get in with only the best students in the country applying so idk what my chances of getting in would be. UK med schools are relatively easier to get in and I am quite confident I can guarantee myself a spot in the 2021-2022 school year.

Here are the pros and cons of each school
SGU
- Pros: USCE, recognition in the US, less time consuming for US entry, USMLE prep
- Cons: Expensive, risk of failure, possibly inability to match, location

UK
- Pros: Taught in English, very little risk of failure, easier to get in than Korean schools
- Cons: Expensive, no USCE, no USMLE prep

Korea
- Pros: Cheap!!, located in my home country
- Cons: No USCE, taught in Korean, no USMLE prep (have to relearn everything in English)

Thank you!

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[gyngyn]

Half of non-US IMG's who attended medical school in Korea did not match.
This does not include those who did not get an interview. Page 22: https://www.ecfmg.org/resources/NRM...atch-International-Medical-Graduates-2014.pdf
The reference above is the only available data regarding outcomes for countries that had at least 50 active applicants.

SGU is not recognized by any US accreditation agency.

 

[Wolvvs]

If you want to practice in the US, you should follow the pathway that most US students follow: get a bachelor's degree first and apply to a US medical school. You do not need a green card to do this. You will be more limited in the medical schools you can apply for as a non-citizen, but this option is very much open to you.

SGU is a bad idea IMO because there are no backup options. If you graduate from SGU but fail to match then that's it, whereas if you graduate from the UK or Korea at least you will be able to work there. Also coming from SGU as a non-US citizen it will be hard to match outside of family medicine or internal medicine.

Is there a particular reason you want to work in the US? Have you considered Australia?

 

[Doctogo]

Half of non-US IMG's who attended medical school in Korea did not match.
This does not include those who did not get an interview. Page 22: https://www.ecfmg.org/resources/NRM...atch-International-Medical-Graduates-2014.pdf
The reference above is the only available data regarding outcomes for countries that had at least 50 active applicants.

SGU is not recognized by any US accreditation agency.

SGU is recognized by NCFMEA and GMDC for ECFMG certification. SGU is the largest source of physicians for the US at 11,627 physicians followed by Indiana School of Medicine at 11,500 physicians according to the FSMB Physician Licensure Data 2019.
Koreanmedic2020, your best option is a US medical school but failing that, SGU is the next best route.

 

[Pseudoprofound]

SGU is recognized by NCFMEA and GMDC for ECFMG certification.

SGU is not accredited. Quoting the ECFMG website:

"The WFME Recognition Programme is the only program accepted by ECFMG at the current time for the recognition of medical school accrediting agencies. Thus, beginning in 2024, medical schools will need to be accredited by a WFME-recognized accrediting agency if they wish to ensure their students and graduates are eligible for ECFMG Certification".

Furthermore, GMDC is not recognized by WFME. SGU has stated they will try to get GMDC recognized in early 2022, whatever that means.