5 Common Mistakes Medical Students Make When Applying Abroad

Fresh out of high school and already feeling like the sky’s the limit, a daunting realisation comes crashing down on you. You remember that you have to begin applying to medical schools abroad to pursue your dream of becoming a doctor or dentist.

Naturally, young international students tend to make mistakes when trying to apply to universities abroad. The reasons for them are often boiled down to inexperience, impulsiveness, and impressionability. With the proper guidance, however, mistakes can be fixed or avoided altogether.

The key takeaways of this blog article are:

• International students often commit 5 common mistakes when applying for foreign medical universities.
• The most common ones include only applying to well-known medical schools, lack of thorough research, procrastination in document submission, underestimating the significance of standardised tests, and inadequate application forms.
• Making these mistakes can lead to getting rejected or picking a university that is completely unsuitable for you.
• Getting professional help can help alleviate these problems and guarantee medical school acceptance.
  

Applying Only to Well-Known Medical Schools 

Many international students will exclusively apply to famous universities that are either advertised online or listed in the top global rankings. Doing this is a mistake since they are seriously limiting their range of universities and missing out on potentially hundreds of excellent yet low-profile rankings.

It is also worth noting that rankings do not correspond to reality and should always be taken with a healthy dose of scepticism. Many factors are not taken into account when ranking universities, many of which are unrelated to the true quality of education and services that the respective universities can offer.

You, as an international student, should expand your scope and create a balanced university list where you can find the universities that are better suited for you. It is optimal that you build your personal rankings based on a combination of factors that include:

• educational quality,
• prestige,
• tuition fees,
• facilities,
• admissions selectivity,
• campus culture, and
• location.

Lack of Thorough Research

International students can pay a hefty price for not doing proper research on the universities that they apply to. With a lack of due diligence, you can end up in a medical school that doesn’t meet your needs and miss out on better opportunities. 

The ideal university and medical programme should align with your academic and personal growth objectives; as mentioned above, don’t go just by reputation or ranking. Ideally, the search for foreign universities should begin the summer before senior year. 

This gives you plenty of time to explore different career development opportunities as well, which can be crucial for an international student.. You should look at the various courses in medicine or dentistry, faculty, campus culture, and career opportunities such as internships and exchange programmes. 

Researching admission requirements and deadlines is equally important. Understanding what each school offers beyond education can enhance your study abroad experience and ensure that you have found the best possible programme to become a successful doctor or dentist.

We know that finding the perfect university on your own can be confusing, exhausting and time-consuming. That’s why we offer free consultations, where you tell us what you’re looking for, and we use our years of experience and expertise to guide you toward your perfect destination.

Procrastination in Document Submission

Procrastination is a common problem. Although it affects all areas of life, it particularly affects students, with an estimated 75% of students being regular procrastinators. 

One of the common things that could be improved when gathering and submitting required documents is procrastination. More often than not, students tend to:

• Overestimate how much time they have left to perform their tasks;
• Overestimate their level of motivation in the future;
• Underestimate how long certain activities will take to complete
• Mistakenly assume that they should be in the right frame of mind to work on a project.

Submissions must be completed on time to ensure your chance of acceptance. Timely submission of the necessary recommendation letters and documentation is not just a formality but an important aspect that can determine the success of your application.

That is why you need to give yourself a head start on collecting the required letters and paperwork. Fortunately for you, this happens to be one of our areas of expertise, and in many ways, we can give you a head start.

You should always insure yourself against unexpected, time-consuming complications that could arise during this period, so contacting us early can help reduce any and all potential time loss. Recognise that timely submissions are a vital step to realising not just your dream of studying abroad but many goals in life.

You can read about our Full Admission Processing here.

Underestimating the Significance of Standardised Tests

Taking standardised tests is often required to apply to medical school abroad. This typically includes language proficiency tests like the TOEFL or IELTS and can include tests such as the SAT, GRE, or GMAT. The scores of these tests play a significant role in the admission decision of your applied universities. Not preparing well enough for these exams can lead to scores that do not reflect your true potential.

The best strategy is to start preparing for the tests well in advance of application deadlines before you’ve even graduated high school. By doing so, you’ll familiarise yourself with the specific tests required by your chosen programme early on. Then, you could allocate the time needed for thorough preparation. 

Always consider retaking the test(s) if you need to achieve a higher score than your initial score(s). Look to enhance your performance by utilising available resources such as test preparation materials and practice exams. 

An alternative approach is looking for universities that don't require standardised testing and instead only care for your high-school grades and/or entrance exam performance. We work with 100+ of the best medical schools in Europe and the Caribbean, and we can help you find your ideal university.

Additionally, if you opt for a med school with an entrance exam, we will provide you with the perfect exam prep material, which is created specifically for the university you will be applying to. We have created the Medlink Students app precisely for this purpose - to help students ace their entry exams. 

Inadequate Application Forms

The journey towards studying abroad is marked by many obstacles, and one critical crossroad where many applicants struggle with is in the proper completion of application forms. Overlooking the significance of accuracy and completeness in such forms can have far-reaching consequences, potentially risking your chances of acceptance into the desired university.

Lacking or incorrectly filled forms create a negative impression on the admissions committee and may lead to rejection or no consideration at all (especially if student admission levels are high). 

Filling out a form on your own can be risky since each university and department has its nuances and requirements that only those who’ve worked with them for a long time can know. So, why waste your one shot by navigating the complicated and confusing procedures when you can seek professional help at an organisation that specialises in student consultancy? 

Medlink Students has one of the best admissions teams in Europe, and we can handle your application from start to finish. This will not only maximise your chances of getting accepted but will also save you time and effort, which you can devote to preparing for your future medical studies.