Best School In The Caribbean That DOES NOT Require The MCAT?

[Confused 20]

I am going to apply to the Big 4 in the near future and my stats and extracurriculars are pretty good but I scored pretty low on the MCAT and therefore am thinking about a school that doesn't require the MCAT if I am unable to get into the Big 4 with my low MCAT score. Could anybody who is knowledgeable in the are give me an idea of what they feel is the best school in the Caribbean that doesn't require the MCAT? Is there one school (like AUA for example) or a few schools that is/are pretty much unanimously considered as the best school(s) that do not require the MCAT?

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[Mars41]

Most of the decent schools require the MCAT now but they don't necessarily have a major impact on admissions decisions. For instance, SABA and AUA are good schools (by Caribbean standards) and only require that the MCAT is completed before matriculation.

 

[Mars41]

If you don't mind me asking... what are your stats?

 

[mspeedwagon]

While I support the Caribbean more than most on SDN (as a VERY last resort option after trying to bring your up MCAT up and applying broadly MD and DO for multiple cycle)... I wouldn't touch anything that is NOT the Big 4 with a ten foot pole. Raise your MCAT to about 23-24 and look into spending a year in a masters program. You'll be grateful down the line.

Having known folks that struggled out of the Big 4, I don't think there is such a thing as a "good" non-Big 4 Caribbean school. In my opinion, Ross remains the worst of the Big 4, but I'd go there before AUA, SMU, MUA, St. James and the others.

 

[heartsink]

I don't think there is such a thing as a "good" Caribbean school. .

Fixed that for you, probably was an auto correct.

 

[smpbound]

how low is your MCAT? You know that there's a strong correlation b/w MCAT and Step 1 scores, right?

You don't want to be one of those poor bastards with low MCATs who go to the Caribbean and spend $250,000: only to end up getting a low Step 1 score and forever dooming their residency chances, right?

Have you thought of law school?

 

[Law2Doc]

how low is your MCAT? You know that there's a strong correlation b/w MCAT and Step 1 scores, right?

There's an even stronger correlation between going to a poorly regarded offshore school and not getting a residency...

 

[Pons Asinorum]

OP's post history is...colorful. There is more backstory to this question as noted elsewhere. Also, this:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/ind...-To-Become-a-Hair-Transplant-Surgeon?.651922/

Also, OP you've been asked before not to double post. Please don't.

 

[DocWinter]

the best school in the Caribbean that doesn't require the MCAT?

I think that's a contradiction in terms....it's like asking for the best failing grade possible. Seriously, before you start rummaging down there, try to get something else working elsewhere.

 

[allojay]

how low is your MCAT? You know that there's a strong correlation b/w MCAT and Step 1 scores, right?

You don't want to be one of those poor bastards with low MCATs who go to the Caribbean and spend $250,000: only to end up getting a low Step 1 score and forever dooming their residency chances, right?

Have you thought of law school?

From my perusing of the allo forums at least, it has been clearly shown that there is a minor correlation (not strong) between the MCAT and step 1. A low MCAT score isn't a sure sign someone will bomb the step, just an indication that it is more likely.

But nonetheless, I completely agree that school selection plays a big role. Getting into med school is tough to begin with, and you want to make sure you're going to a school that will give you the adequate tools to perform strongly on the step 1, especially if you're attending overseas. The bias for oversea medical schools is immense and you want to make sure that if you're going that route, that you attend a school with a proven track records. Also, it has to be said but if you prep efficiently for the mcat, there's no reason why you can't get at least a 24/25.

 

[princekc]

From my perusing of the allo forums at least, it has been clearly shown that there is a minor correlation (not strong) between the MCAT and step 1. A low MCAT score isn't a sure sign someone will bomb the step, just an indication that it is more likely.

But nonetheless, I completely agree that school selection plays a big role. Getting into med school is tough to begin with, and you want to make sure you're going to a school that will give you the adequate tools to perform strongly on the step 1, especially if you're attending overseas. The bias for oversea medical schools is immense and you want to make sure that if you're going that route, that you attend a school with a proven track records. Also, it has to be said but if you prep efficiently for the mcat, there's no reason why you can't get at least a 24/25.

I will have to agreed with you on this.

 

[Law2Doc]

... Also, it has to be said but if you prep efficiently for the mcat, there's no reason why you can't get at least a 24/25.

To be fair, the average for US med school matriculants is much higher than this, so I'd hope a 24 isn't really anyone's target. If that's the best you can do, you deal with it, but it shouldn't ever be the goal.

 

[Goro]

PubMed is your friend. There a lot of decent data showing poor MCAT performance (<25) is predictive of failing out of medical school or failing Step I. Here's just one example; search for "Step I and MCAT" or Step I and MCAT score"


Acad Med. 2013 May;88(5):666-71.
The predictive validity of the MCAT exam in relation to academic performance through medical school: a national cohort study of 2001-2004 matriculants.
Dunleavy DM1, Kroopnick MH, Dowd KW, Searcy CA, Zhao X.

Abstract
PURPOSE:
Most research examining the predictive validity of the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) has focused on the relationship between MCAT scores and scores on the United States Medical Licensing Examination Step exams. This study examined whether MCAT scores predict students' unimpeded progress toward graduation (UP), which the authors defined as not withdrawing or being dismissed for academic reasons, graduating within five years of matriculation, and passing the Step 1, Step 2 Clinical Knowledge, and Step 2 Clinical Skills exams on the first attempt.
METHOD:
Students who matriculated during 2001-2004 at 119 U.S. medical schools were included in the analyses. Logistic regression analyses were used to estimate the relationships between UP and MCAT total scores alone, undergraduate grade point averages (UGPAs) alone, and UGPAs and MCAT total scores together. All analyses were conducted at the school level and were considered together to evaluate relationships across schools.
RESULTS:
The majority of matriculants experienced UP. Together, UGPAs and MCAT total scores predicted UP well. MCAT total scores alone were a better predictor than UGPAs alone. Relationships were similar across schools; however, there was more variability across schools in the relationship between UP and UGPAs than between UP and MCAT total scores.
CONCLUSIONS:
The combination of UGPAs and MCAT total scores performs well as a predictor of UP. Both UGPAs and MCAT total scores are strong predictors of academic performance in medical school through graduation, not just the first two years. Further, these relationships generalize across medical schools.

From my perusing of the allo forums at least, it has been clearly shown that there is a minor correlation (not strong) between the MCAT and step 1. A low MCAT score isn't a sure sign someone will bomb the step, just an indication that it is more likely.

But nonetheless, I completely agree that school selection plays a big role. Getting into med school is tough to begin with, and you want to make sure you're going to a school that will give you the adequate tools to perform strongly on the step 1, especially if you're attending overseas. The bias for oversea medical schools is immense and you want to make sure that if you're going that route, that you attend a school with a proven track records. Also, it has to be said but if you prep efficiently for the mcat, there's no reason why you can't get at least a 24/25.

 

[jl lin]

PubMed is your friend. There a lot of decent data showing poor MCAT performance (<25) is predictive of failing out of medical school or failing Step I. Here's just one example; search for "Step I and MCAT" or Step I and MCAT score"


Acad Med. 2013 May;88(5):666-71.
The predictive validity of the MCAT exam in relation to academic performance through medical school: a national cohort study of 2001-2004 matriculants.
Dunleavy DM1, Kroopnick MH, Dowd KW, Searcy CA, Zhao X.

Abstract
PURPOSE:
Most research examining the predictive validity of the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) has focused on the relationship between MCAT scores and scores on the United States Medical Licensing Examination Step exams. This study examined whether MCAT scores predict students' unimpeded progress toward graduation (UP), which the authors defined as not withdrawing or being dismissed for academic reasons, graduating within five years of matriculation, and passing the Step 1, Step 2 Clinical Knowledge, and Step 2 Clinical Skills exams on the first attempt.
METHOD:
Students who matriculated during 2001-2004 at 119 U.S. medical schools were included in the analyses. Logistic regression analyses were used to estimate the relationships between UP and MCAT total scores alone, undergraduate grade point averages (UGPAs) alone, and UGPAs and MCAT total scores together. All analyses were conducted at the school level and were considered together to evaluate relationships across schools.
RESULTS:
The majority of matriculants experienced UP. Together, UGPAs and MCAT total scores predicted UP well. MCAT total scores alone were a better predictor than UGPAs alone. Relationships were similar across schools; however, there was more variability across schools in the relationship between UP and UGPAs than between UP and MCAT total scores.
CONCLUSIONS:
The combination of UGPAs and MCAT total scores performs well as a predictor of UP. Both UGPAs and MCAT total scores are strong predictors of academic performance in medical school through graduation, not just the first two years. Further, these relationships generalize across medical schools.

Interesting. Makes sense. Thanks for posting this!

 

[Pre-Dr. H]

There are some nice Ireland medical schools that don't look at grades. A couple of them don't look at MCAT either and you can still get into a US residency.

 

[jakeislove]

In today's climate, starting out in the Caribbean is too risky.

 

[xffan624]

There are some nice Ireland medical schools that don't look at grades. A couple of them don't look at MCAT either and you can still get into a US residency.

Irish medical schools have the same problem as the Caribbean. You will still go to the match as an IMG that will be on the bottom of the rung when it comes to matching. OTOH, Ireland has fresh Guinness daily (they deliver it daily to all the pubs in the country), so there's that.