For many years, if you want to pursue a medical degree in Thailand, it is well-known that you must apply as a high school graduate going into your university career. However, with a brand new program by Chulalongkorn University, anyone with a bachelor’s degree may now apply! So, what is CU-MEDi?
Program Details
CU-MEDi, is Thailand’s first-ever post-graduate MD program by one of Thailand’s top institutes, Chulalongkorn University. CU-MEDi is also an international program that welcomes graduates from all types of majors and countries around the world. Once accepted, students will study for a total of 4 years instead of the traditional 6 years as other schools implement in Thailand.
Who Is It For?
Applicants applying to CU-MEDi must 1) already have their bachelor’s degree or 2) are in the final year of their undergraduate program. An MD degree is demanding, yet very rewarding and so any students who are interested in applying should be prepared to take on the rigorous course load that CU-MEDi hopes will transform their students into the doctors of the 21st century.
Although CU-MEDi does not place any restrictions on fields that a student must come from, another deciding factor is the MCAT score. We highly recommend those who are applying for CU-MEDi to work hard to get the best possible MCAT score as it will be one of the bigger determining factors in your acceptance. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you must be a STEM major to be able to apply to this program, as CU-MEDi are looking for talented students who can combine their knowledge of other fields with medicine for their designated career path.
What am I going to be learning?
This 4-year program can be split into 3 phases:
- The pre-clerkship phase consists of three semesters, set in primarily a classroom where students study a “series of integrated medical science modules” which will prepare them with the skills needed for their clerkship year.
- The clerkship phase is two semesters of rotation in different clinical areas of a hospital such as an inpatient/outpatient wards, operating rooms, labour rooms and the ER. This is where students receive the opportunity to apply what they have learnt in their previous phase to the treatment of patients.
BONUS: The hospital students are rotating in is the Queen Savang Vadhana Memorial in Chonburi. Talk about learning with a seaview!
- The ‘externship phase’ is 3 semesters of preparing students to become professional physicians with the learning of clinical decision making and management skills. Students will have the chance to interact with patients in hospitals abroad (placement determined by CU-MEDi supervisors based on the student’s interest), or if they prefer, students can also enhance their research skills during this phase as well.
Why CU-MEDi?
CU-MEDi is truly unique from any other medical program that you might find in Thailand. Instead of the traditional 6 years, students will study for only 4 years. The internationalness of the program also allows for all of the courses to be taught in English, emphasizing creating global doctors who are knowledgeable on global health issues with great leadership skills. Another unique aspect of CU-MEDi is their emphasis on global knowledge, which provides their students with a platform for additional training and international examinations such as the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) as well as the chance to go abroad during their externship phase with their partner institutions in the US or UK.
After graduating from CU-MEDi, students can pursue medicine by applying for residency in Thai or international programs, or they can look into other careers such as research, healthcare management or physician-scientists.
So…what do I do next?
If this program sounds exciting to you, but you don’t know where to start? Contact us via LINE: @EduSmithGradMBA or Facebook Page to schedule a meeting with our counselors where we can help determine the best fit for medical school for you and answer any additional questions!
