Deciding where to study abroad sets the stage for a successful and productive experience for any student. But when you’re on the pre-med track, finding the right place can be the deciding factor that lets you go abroad at all.
The best places to study abroad for pre-med students let you take courses for your pre-med track or delve into health-related topics through internships or electives you might not get to explore at home. Whether you’re looking for health and science classes taught in English or want to learn about health care perspectives in another language, you’ll get to see the benefits of studying abroad for yourself.
We know it’s tough to figure out when to study abroad with all those pre-med requirements, but it’s so worth it. Think outside the box of a traditional study abroad semester and consider internship or shadowing opportunities. Even short-term programs that you can fit in between standard academic semesters are a great option if you’re short on time.
Can you study abroad pre-med?
With your strict course requirements—not to mention volunteer work, clinical experiences, research, and that pesky MCAT and application process—studying abroad can seem like someone else’s dream. But studying abroad as a pre-med student isn’t just possible. It’s also a big boost to your future career thanks to the confidence, adaptability, communication, and other skills you’ll build.
And there are more options than you might expect. Go-to countries with English-language instruction let you fill pre-med requirements while you’re abroad, but you can also go a bit further off the beaten pre-med path, tap into some language immersion, and still make progress toward graduation. Along the way, you’ll be enhancing your resume for medical school and other applications.
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10 best places to study abroad for pre-med
Getting from daydreaming to really doing it can feel like a big hurdle if you’re wondering where to study abroad pre-med. Fortunately, there are many places where you can stay on the pre-med track while expanding your knowledge and experience. Here are 10 of our favorites:
1. Kenya
Kenya offers some of the best study abroad programs for pre-med students!
Look no further than Kenya to study abroad in one of the best study abroad destinations for pre-med students. If you’re interested in unique disease processes, including tropical diseases like malaria and dengue fever, you’ll get an opportunity to see a side of medicine you can’t get firsthand if you study in other places. Kenya’s health care system is one of the few in sub-Saharan Africa that integrates the physician assistant role, so you can see different roles within a medical team in action, too.
International Medical Aid’s program gives students a chance to work in some of sub-Saharan Africa’s largest and most important teaching and referral hospitals. You can gain experience across all medical specialities—it’s even possible to learn about advanced surgical specialties like neurosurgery, cardiothoracic surgery, and orthopedic surgery through IMA’s program. That’s an opportunity pre-med students can’t find just anywhere.
English is the language of instruction in Kenya, so all health care providers will speak English and you don’t have to worry about a language barrier here. Still, you can build your language skills if you want another career-boosting benefit while abroad since Swahili is the other major language. When you’re not hitting the books, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to enjoy adventure travel to places like the Masai Mara Game Reserve and Watamu in coastal Kenya.
- Recommended program: Global Health & Pre-Medicine Internships Abroad | IMA
2. Peru
Practice language skills while gaining tangible experience in Peru.
Peru stands out as a top study abroad destination for Spanish speakers and adventure seekers, but it also delivers the ultimate pre-med experience. The range of clinical opportunities and approaches to varied health issues make Peru a unique and meaningful choice for aspiring health professionals.
Yes, you’ll have enough adventure travel destinations (think: the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley, Rainbow Mountain) to keep you busy during your down time. But studying in Peru means direct experience working with diverse communities and in diverse languages, a boost to anyone seeking a career in health with a global focus.
IMA’s program lets you participate in initiatives for underserved communities through work with remote populations in the Peruvian Andes. You can practice advanced clinically-oriented Spanish in one of the best places to learn Spanish abroad and get exposure to less common languages like Quechua while you’re at it.
You’ll gain experience beyond your standard classroom as you learn about homeopathic and naturopathic approaches to care, which are common in Peru and play a significant role in the culture. Find yourself in Cusco and you can even learn about working with patients suffering from altitude-related illnesses. Just another reason why Peru is one of the best countries to study abroad for pre-med!
- Recommended program: IMA's Healthcare Internships in Peru
3. Sweden
You’ll find some of the world’s best medical schools in Sweden.
Big cities, friendly college towns, bucket-list natural wonders—there are so many reasons why Sweden is the ultimate study abroad destination. That’s especially true for pre-med students, who get to observe how a largely tax-funded health care system functions while taking classes at some of the best educational institutions in the world.
Just take Karolinska Institutet, a university dedicated to medical and health sciences that consistently finds itself in the top ranks of medical universities in Europe and global universities overall. And that’s not your only option.
Sweden boasts many great universities for international students and a wide range of programs taught in English, making it easy to fill your schedule with applicable courses. You’re bound to find an ideal study spot in this Scandinavian gem.
- Recommended program: DIS Stockholm – Medical Practice & Policy
4. England
England comes through for students looking to fulfill hard-to-find STEM requirements while studying abroad. You can study abroad as a pre-med student here without worrying about a language barrier, making it easy to immerse yourself in another culture and still stay on track for your degree back home.
England’s also the place to go for practical, experiential learning opportunities, a strong research infrastructure, and some of the world’s top colleges. You’ll get an on-the-ground glimpse into the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) and study alongside talented professors and students from around the world.
Opt for a program designed with a focus on health topics, or enroll in a university where you can find courses in everything from biology and chemistry to neuroscience, statistics, and more. You’ll prepare yourself well for the next steps in your education while soaking up the history and culture.
- Recommended program: IES Abroad London – Health Practice & Policy
5. Ireland
You can both study hard and play hard as a pre-med student in Ireland.
Much like nearby England, Ireland checks all the boxes for pre-med students searching for a wealth of course choices—without a language barrier. Many study abroad programs offer partnerships with top-notch universities, making Ireland one of best study abroad destinations for pre-med students in the mood for a serious resume boost.
Whether you decide to round out your schedule with science classes you need for your pre-med track or use your time abroad to explore elective courses, you can board the plane knowing options abound in Ireland. Choose from longer semester or year-long opportunities or head to Ireland for a short-term program that’s easier to fit into your busy schedule.
Whatever route you take, you can look forward to some breathtaking landscapes when you study abroad in Ireland. With lush hills and striking coastlines befitting a place dubbed “the Emerald Isle” and plenty of student-city perks, there’s something for everyone here.
- Recommended program: IFSA: University College Dublin Partnership
6. Australia
Australia offers another option if you’re searching for English-taught coursework in a range of subjects that’ll keep you on track for graduation. After all, this country isn’t just weird, wonderful wildlife and a paradise of surf spots (though you’ll likely encounter both during your time Down Under).
Australia is also home to world-class universities that welcome international students, so you can study abroad as a pre-med student knowing you’ll feel at home even if you’ve traveled halfway across the globe. Like its Northern Hemisphere counterparts, Australia makes it easy to find classes you need, either during a semester or on a short-term program. The opportunity to skip winter at home for a bonus January summer abroad also doesn’t hurt!
Look for universities that let you sign up for courses in subjects like health sciences, or make your transcript well-rounded by exploring electives you won’t find anywhere else. Considering going into veterinary medicine? Not surprisingly, the land of the wombat, kangaroo, and short-beaked echidna is a great place to do a deep dive into those subjects, too.
- Recommended program: Explore And Learn in Australia with Deakin University
7. South Korea
Want to study abroad pre-med in Asia? Head to South Korea!
The prestigious universities and dynamic cities can make anyone want to study abroad in South Korea. Then there’s the exhilarating mix of the ancient and ultra-modern, the cuisine and the K-pop scene, and the…chance to take pre-med courses?
South Korea might not come to mind first as a top pre-med study abroad destination, but we’re here to place it firmly on your list. Programs at top Korean universities let you fill your schedule with courses in health sciences, math, and more, all while you immerse yourself in the culture and get in on the vibrant student life.
You don’t need Korean language skills to study abroad in South Korea—you’ll have hundreds of course offerings in English—but the opportunity to learn another language will let you make friends abroad as you hone another skill that’ll pay off for your future career.
- Recommended program: IES Abroad Seoul Direct Enrollment - Yonsei University
8. Costa Rica
A distinct health care framework makes studying abroad in Costa Rica an eye-opening experience for pre-med students. The country’s approach to public health, including universal health coverage for citizens and permanent residents and a unique primary health care model that brings health care to communities, sets Costa Rica apart from many other countries in the region and beyond.
Many study abroad programs in Costa Rica also focus on developing skills you’ll use in your future career in medicine. If you’re looking to build your proficiency in Spanish for health care contexts, you’re definitely in the right place!
You’ll also get to compare and contrast public health systems in Latin America, expanding your holistic knowledge of the medical field, and can often sign up for service learning or internship placements with medical professionals doing the work.
- Recommended program: University Programs—Costa Rica | Guatemala | Peru
9. South Africa
Learn about global healthcare practices firsthand during pre-med study abroad in South Africa.
For a window into a wide range of health-related subjects, you can’t beat studying abroad in South Africa. You’ll gain new perspectives on the medical field through both classes and experiential opportunities.
Options here abound. You can take English-taught courses at South African universities in topics like public health and health sciences, or look for a study abroad program designed to let you delve into health issues in a South African context.
From exploring endemic diseases to learning about nutrition to looking at the social side of access to health care in the region, there’s something for everyone. Studying in South Africa means immersing yourself in a developing, multicultural country and its socio-economic challenges. The opportunity for an on-the-ground glimpse into these complex health care issues makes it one of the best countries to study abroad for pre-med.
- Recommended program: IES Abroad Cape Town Summer – Health Studies
10. Chile
If you’re hoping to develop your Spanish-language skills while taking health-related classes abroad, look no further than Chile. Studying abroad in Chile puts you in an immersive, Spanish-speaking environment where you can gain practical knowledge of medicine and different health systems.
Chile is an ideal place to broaden your understanding of global health and approaches to patient care through internships at hospitals and academic coursework. While some programs may require you to already have a background in Spanish, consider this your opportunity to learn alongside local students and level up language skills you can draw on in your future medical practice.
- Recommended program: Future-Focused Study Abroad: IFSA in Chile
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Studying abroad as a pre-med student will support both your academics and future career!
Figuring out where to study abroad pre-med is your first step to a skill-enhancing, perspective-shifting experience. You don’t have to miss out on studying abroad just because you’re on the pre-med track—in fact, your future medical career will benefit from all that intercultural learning and meaningful travel you build into your time as a student.
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This article was written with help from International Medical Aid, who also provided all photos seen above. IMA is a not-for-profit organization that offers medical programs for students in places like East Africa, South America, and the Caribbean through an ethics-based approach to care. They offer summer, fall, and winter programs.
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