Caribbean Med

[Yogi Bear]

anyone considering carribean med schools as backup? how do acceptance to those schools work? i know for usa schools, u can turn one down if u wanted to accept a better school. how does it work for carribean schools if u want it just as a last-resort backup?

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[Jessica]

Be careful! A close friend of mine goes to Ross U (on the island of Dominica) and he had a wild cow chase him home, and he had to live in a shack for a year (the floor was tile sitting on top of dirt) ... there is a bright side to attending Ross though - nothing to do but study! He started in Jan. '01, and he got accepted at age 21/junior in college sans taking the MCAT (from what I understand, you have to take the MCAT now, but it does not matter what you get.) He submitted his app., had an interview almost immediately, and left for school two months later.

 

[lamyers]

I did hear that Carribean students have a hard time with boards. Any validity to that? I think even if it is true, it would depend on one's own determination to pass.

 

[DesperatelySeekingMD]

One of my best friends goes to St. George's in Grenada. The school is very legit. His professors are all from US schools who are taking one semester sabbaticals to teach there. Many of the professors are even from Ivy league schools. Who wouldn't turn down a few months in the Carribean? The school curriculum is just like any US med school. In fact they actually move at a faster rate and cover more material than most US schools. Many of the students there work much harder than most in US schools (this is from comparing the experiences of my friends in US and my friend in Grenada). Also, there rate of passing the boards is higher than many US med schools, so that shouldn't be a concern. Also, a few years back the highest scorer in the country came from St. George's.
I know that if you do well there you can also get good residency matches. And if you excel you have a good chance of transferring out after you second year. 10% of the class transfers into a US school. Students also spend their 3rd and 4th years in the US, rotating through US hospitals. Most of the buildings are brand new, the dorms are nicer than most offered at US schools and the anatomy lab is more tech. advanced than any I have seen here. And on top of all this- you live in a tropical paradise. Complete with both white and black sand beaches and don't forget the rainforests.
Of course there are many obstacles to overcome, but it is a very good option. I work in a top hospital and we have a few residents who attended St. George's and they are just as well prepared as any of the students who went to top US schools. I think it really is what you make of your education.
Hope this helps.

 

[Aoshi]

I wouldn't trust a doctor that couldn't make the cut for a respected US medical school...

 

[nochaser]

I wouldn't trust a doctor that couldn't make the cut for a respected US medical school...

Gimme a break!!! Lots of qualified--and overly qualified applicants don't "make the cut" in US med schools every year, and there are plenty of them here on the SDN to prove it. Ultimately, the name of the game is passing the US boards and completing a good residency. If that isn't enough for you, then what is?

 

[bujji13]

I wouldn't trust a doctor that couldn't make the cut for a respected US medical school...

Wow, what a narrow-minded and conceited thing to say, especially considering how competitive the admissions process is. In case you haven't realized it, there are many, many physicians in this country who have graduated from foreign medical schools. The medical schools in this country cannot on their own provide the number of doctors needed. These foreign medical graduates have to pass the exact same licensing exams as U.S. graduates, and sometimes they are perhaps even more competent. My sister happens to be a foreign medical graduate (St. George's) and she ended up chief resident at a residency program that is ranked #2 in the country for her specialty. And consider this, at some point in time, you have probably been treated by or dealt with a foreign medical graduate in some way or another (gasp!) The U.S. isn't the only country that can produce caring, intelligent, and capable physicians. It's too bad they didn't "make the cut" in your book.....

 

[drdrtoledo]

I wouldn't trust a doctor that couldn't make the cut for a respected US medical school...

What a dumb ass! How many people do you think actually ask their doctor where they graduated from?! Maybe it matters if you want to publish but other wise who cares? When your ass is in an emergency you don't go around asking everyone for their resume...
Jerk.

 

[DesperatelySeekingMD]

Aoshi-
Sorry that you are so closed minded. I hope that you keep many of these opinions to yourself in medical school because I can guarantee that some of your brilliant professors will have attended international schools.
Just to let you know my friend went to one of the best undergrad schools in this country. Graduated near the top of his class- including honors, lots of extracurriculars, worked in one of the best labs in the world and has even published and just didn't do well on the MCAT. I know they will make an excellent doctor, better than many of my friends who go to Hopkins, Harvard and other big name schools.
I personally would rather be treated by a physician who is competent, kind, caring, compassionate, open to new ideas, works well with a team of other medical professionals, does not judge on outward appearances and really listens.
It is the doctors who have big egos, can't admit they make mistakes and are too busy to really take time to listen that I don't trust. I don't care where they went to school or how "smart" they are…

Anyone who is considering applying to Carribean med schools- please don't let Aoshi's comments discourage you. There are some great schools, they may not be your first choice, but they provide just as good an education as US schools. Good Luck to all of you.

 

[rajneel1]

Hello. well, I think the caribbean medical school option is a very good thing. I know four people who went there (to Ross). the application is easy. there are like 3 application cycles per year because so many people who get accepted drop out or fail the first semester. also you can defer for a semester in case you are waiting for american medical school waitlists. so if you were new to the country, did not do that well on MCATs, didn't have a good GPA, were making like a career change, or didn't have enough volunteer experiences, then some of the caribbeans would be good. You hear from them quickly, you interview most of the time, acceptance rate is high (so is drop out rate because some people get accepted who just shouldn't go to medical school...i think at Ross i've heard the dropout rate is like 33%), and you can matriculate before graduating college. You just have to work super hard there. i heard the curriculum is hard and but definitely up to par to the American medical schools. Board passage rates are higher than some American medical schools. And yes, your rotations are in the US and sometimes in England and that depends on like your performance. BUT, foreign school graduates are sometimes not competitive for some residencies in things like surgery and radiology. i know the guy who broke academic records at Ross....was not able to do radiology. but for like family practice and peds...you should be okay coming from a caribbean school. if you don't want to reapply to american medical schools or just can't pull your MCATS up which is the only reason that you didn't get in....then the caribbeans is a good choice for you. it is intense however. people just study, the food is ameri-caribbean, yet the surroundings are beautiful (if you have the time). hope that helps. and i don't agree with that mean guy. if i didn't get into medical school this year or next....then i would definitely go caribbean. my goal is to be a physician....not to go to medical school.

 

[Thewonderer]

There a major major distinction that needs to be made between foreign medical graduates from, say, England, India, etc. and from St. George's and Ross. The ones from England, India and others are the BEST from their countries and they are attracted to the environment here, in the US and fight to get their chance to practice here. The ones from Ross and St. George's also fight for their chances to come here but most of them were rejected from all US med schools and more than half of them don't make it back to the mainland because Ross and St. George's decide to fail them before they even get the chance to take the board. Thus, for any average student going to St. George's or Ross, I have a hard time giving them the respect they deserve and half of them fail their courses there and don't get the chance to come back to the mainland. HOWEVER, for the ones who survive and even strive to gain a spot back home, they deserve respect just like all other qualified doctors.

That being said, I would personally be a little wary of the posts that paint all rosy pictures about Carribean schools, like some of the posts here. There could be some recruiters roaming around. Plus, getting into top residency programs back in the US is plain hard. I don't care about the one person who made it because how about the rest?

 

[deleted4401]

Can anyone back up the last poster? I don't believe the drop out rate for SGU is anywhere near that. My cousin's class lost 10-15% out of over 200. Granted, that is a huge amount compared to most US schools, but not near 50%. And the ones who do make it seem to pass the boards and if they do that, they are all good for most primary care residencies. Nothing wrong with that.

I don't get what the difference is really. They learn what we learn (with the added stress of fear of not making it back), and they take USMLEs. Then they do residencies in U.S. hospitals alongside M.D. and D.O. students. What's the difference? If they aren't intelligent or not cut out for the job, it will show on their rotation evaluations. We aren't competing with them for spots - think about it - we have spots set out for us. FMGs are just filling up the gap.

It makes sense to me that these schools exist. The math doesn't add up - 16,000 US medical students graduate a year for 20 some thousand spots. Either increase the # of spots in med school, or accept the fact that we will have FMGs (who will generally be competent, seeing that they will have to pass the USMLEs) who take the spots that aren't as attractive to US grads.

If SGU is your only option (US DO/MD have said no), and you've already applied a couple times, I say board that plane to Grenada and work hard.

Simul
Tulane Med '05

 

[lilninja]

I have a friend who went to St. Georges in Grenada, and he took the MCAT with me, because he wanted to try and start all over in a US med school (it is quite difficult to transfer) after two years in the Caribbean. He says that you have to be at the top of your class (which he was) and it was still difficult. He said they had good boards stats, but that in retrospect, he feels he should have held out a year or two to reapply to a US school. (he didn't get into a US one, but got into St. Georges and jumped at the chance). This is just one person's story, but I have a feeling there are a lot of obstacles that you have to deal with if you go to a foreign school. On the other hand, if you really want to practice medicine, and it is the only way you can do it (ie: you just didn't get into any US schools), then by all means, do what you want to do because in the end, you will still be a doctor.

 

[Thewonderer]

No, I don't really have the stat to back-up the claim of >50% dropping out. In fact, I don't think anyone can because the administrators at Roos and St. George's will most likely not give you the full story of exactly how many students have paid their expensive tuition for 1 or 2 years and end up with nothing. another poster claims 33%.... I guess that we just have to guess.

I just think that people on this board jumps to the Carribean's too fast. This is a huge change! You will literally be leaving this country and study in a 3rd-world country with lots of less amenities you find here, where crime is very very high, where your chance of coming back is up in the air (maybe most eventually come back but some don't), where you give up some chance to match into competitive specialty, etc.

If I had not gotten into med school, I would have done something else before coming back to the application cycle. there is no magic number of application failures that you need to have before jumping to the Carribeans. But that number seems to be pretty low for some of the people on this board.

 

[lilninja]

For the question about a Caribbean school as a backup... I do know that St. Georges has a similar kind of deposit type acceptance, though I do not know if it is binding... also, for those of you who are thinking about it, they have 2 classes per year, one that starts in the spring.

I would strongly recommend doing the research necessary before "jumping" on the Caribbean bandwagon - I have heard of people doing fine and coming back to the US, but the people I know firsthand have advised me about their feelings... besides, hasn't there been a shortage of residency spots for US residents anyways? It sure would be hard for someone to match at a top choice if you're coming form a foreign school (unless you are just awesome, which is possible). I have another friend who just finished his pathology rotation, and said that all the residents were foreign (PROC being the most popular, then Caribbean). And when he asked them how they ended up in pathology, they said it was the only residency that would take them - one guy had even been trying for 5 years - which was kind of good for my friend, since he likes pathology and is considering it (the attendings really like him because he is a US student), but kind of disappointing to hear that the pathology department he worked in had no shortage of spots.

Anyhow, I digress... but it is not a snap decision - they are not "exactly" the same thing - sure, the education might be, but that doesn't necessarily count for everything. If you want to be a doctor, and a foreign school is the only place that accepts you, you have to weigh how much you want to be a doctor, and be willing to bear whatever burdens (or not) that come with that sacrifice. Also, someone also posted a question about DO or caribbean? It's not really the same thing... you should go to a DO school if you want to practice a more holistic kind of medicine... you shouldn't go just because you didn't get into an allopathic school... there are plenty of medically related jobs that are available if you are not able to go to an allopathic school - PAs, RNPs, etc...

Sorry for rambling, I just get a bit concerned when I hear people speaking so generally and validating everything with an easy answer. The rule about everything is: if it is so easy, why aren't more people doing it? (that goes for just about everything in life that appears to be easy)

 

[chica]

Just a little trivia for ya'll:

1/4 of practicing physicians in the US graduated from foreign medical schools.

There are approximately 24,000 residencies yearly in the US and only 16,000 to 18,000 students are produced by US medical schools yearly, so where do you think the other approx. 8,000 students come from?

I don't think you should be worried at all about finding a residency. It won't be Harvard, but it won't be some podunk middle of nowhere program either. Med school is what you make of it. I know great residents from foreign schools and awful residents from US schools. And the other way around. A 35 on the MCAT and Ivy education does not guarantee that someone is a good physician. Okay, time to get off my soap box now...

 

[jimjones]

lilninja: Have you looked at the curriculum from DO schools lately? Its the same damn stuff. Except for OMT, I think the difference is negligable... the philosophy that is so overstated can be adopted by an MD just as much as a DO, its up to the individual, the training is the comparable.

 

[Werry]

Don't give me this DO holistic crap. They learn the same damn thing. There are good and bad MD's and DO's. This holistic nonsense is just justification for people's inferiority complexes. The merits of OMT are very controversal. There is very little evidence and besides, only about 5% of DO's use it!

 

[lilninja]

Is it just me or are people hypersensitive on this site? When I said that DO's practice a holistic kind of medicine, I did not mean that to be inferior - in fact, most doctors (including MDs) nowadays would agree with a "holistic" approach to healing - treat the person, not the disease, remember? And I am not talking about holistic, as in hocus pocus magic stuff - but treating the individual as a whole.

Here's an excerpt from the AACOM website:
D.O.s are trained to look at the whole person from their first days of medical school, which means they see each person as more than just a collection of body parts that may become injured or diseased. This holistic approach to patient care means that osteopathic medical students learn how to integrate the patient into the health care process as a partner. They are trained to communicate with people from diverse backgrounds, and they get the opportunity to practice these skills in the classroom with simulated patients.

Now, I realize that many DO's disagree with the traditional DO profile, and believe they function in society in exactly the same manner as MDs. But many DO's believe the medicine is different, with a different philosophy. So obviously, it is up to the individual to do what they wish with their degree, in whatever philosophy.

There are several DO students who live in my parents' neighborhood, and we even rented our house out to six of them (three at a time). All of them believed that they practiced a medicine that was more holistic than that of an MD and thus believed it to be superior, in treating the whole patient. While I may or may not agree, I doubt that all DO's would like to be classified as exactly the same as an MD, as many people probably choose to go specifically to DO school (and not as a back-up as this thread questions).

Let's remember that everyone is entitled to their own opinions, and that jumping to conclusions (especially in the lack of context found on internet posts) can be premature.

 

[lamyers]

I have something to say about alternative medicine. And I am not lumping DO in with this. I went to the student health center to ask about something for my migraines. The nurse practioner told me to get regular massages, start yoga, (so far, not bad) if those don't work, try acupuncture, and if all else fails, she happens to be a certified hypnotist and she would see me! She gave me nothing for my migraines, so I am still swallowing handfuls of ibuprofen and waiting on a neuro appt. I thought she might suggest an exorcist next.

 

[drdrtoledo]

I cannot argue the fact that top residencies would be difficult for a foreign graduate, if not impossible. If you want to enter plastic surgery or radiology then you might as well forget about it. But I would venture to say that, in general, most people who want to be doctors are more interested in patient contact. Of course, some people want to publish and be scientists. But I am talking about being a direct health care provider. There are many US residents that did not enter their choice residencies and had to fall back on primary care or surgery. If you want to be a physician, in the clinical aspect of the term, then I see no problem with foreign schools.
Yes, there is a huge life change. Quality of life will not be the same. But it is only for 2 years! You will take the same stupid intro courses as your US med school peers. Same books in some cases. You return to the US and do your rotations here. If medicine is truly your calling then I feel it is a viable option. Not an easy one, but will get you practicing medicine. I often debate whether I want it bad enough or not. I just want you to make a smart decision. Follow your heart, not someone elses arrogance.

 

[Mr. Eastern Medicine]

Oh~ Wow~
So, going to these foreign med schools (Ross, St. George) are not a bad idea after all, huh?
I was thinking about these schools also, because the tuition is much cheaper and felt like as if these schools actually treat you as a student, not a number.
Well, if anyone has any more info or more personal experiences about these Caribbean schools, I would really really appreciate it.
Thanks~

Question 1: If I am planning to attend one of those foreign med schools, and planning to practice Internal medicine, how hard is to get a US residency in internal medicine?

Question 2: This question is irrelevant, but what's the difference between Family medicine, and Internal medicine?

Question 3: What is a fellowship? (I was reading some of other people's posts, and read so many terms that I really don't know about. Sorry~)

 

[lilninja]

Is the tuition much cheaper? I have heard that it is the same or more expensive (plus the extra costs to travel, etc).

But of the Caribbean schools, I have heard St. Georges is most reputable - I guess some people have already mentioned that.

 

[DesperatelySeekingMD]

About the $ qustion- doesn't it always seem to be about the $? I know that SGU is just as expensive(it not more so) than US schools. And remember to factor in travel back and forth, buy food, housing and many other expensives that I can't even think of right now. I also don't think that Grenada (where SGU is located) is not that cheap of a place to live.

 

[FLY]

NO.. Tution is not any cheaper.... Its much more expensive than an in-state public school... You are looking at around 90,000+ for 8 semesters.. and considering you usually spend the last 2 yrs in US or Europe it may not be a bad deal...

 

[spinestudent]

There are A LOT of incorrect statements and assumptions throughout this thread. A few points:

1) Tuition: Total tuition costs at SGU will be about 150k. Total tuition costs at Ross will be about 100k. So SGU is a little more expensive than most private US med schools and Ross is a little less expensive. One difference between Ross(and maybe SGU too?) and US private medical schools, however, is that the US will only fork out 18.5k a year for stafford. You are going to have to come up with another 15k or so for living expenses from alternative loans, which usually isn't that hard. A person that goes to say...Tufts with no aid will also have to come up with alt loans to make up the difference between their total cost(~50k/year) and the 38.5k they get from stafford. Either way though(Ross or SGU), it will be a good deal more expensive than a state school.

2) Rotations at Ross are not in europe and you don't have to fight to "get a spot" for your clinical rotations. You may have to fight to get a spot in California or Chicago rather than NY, but there are more than enough spots for people to do all their core clinical rotations at one place at both Ross and SGU. This is one of the biggest advantages Ross and SGU have over other carribean schools, as well as schools in Ireland and Australia. While it may be less embarressing to tell friends and family you to to med school in Australia or Ireland instead of Ross/SGU, the system in Ireland/Australia isn't as tailored to getting back to the US. You'll have to do a lot more legwork on your own and perhaps work harder to set up your own US rotations. You'll also have to certainly travel from one US rotation to another. At Ross if you are assigned to Bakersfield or Chicago you can do all of your 3rd and 4th year in that one place, just like a US student could.

3) Based on match lists and scanning the web sites of various programs, it appears that Ross and SGU grads have the following residency options for the most part:

-really good students(> 220, good grades and LOR's) have a chance to match into mid-level university IM programs, categorical community surgery programs, and perhaps have a shot at anesthesiology at low-level programs.
- ok students(205-215, decent grades and LOR's, decent personality) have a good chance to match into solid community IM/FP programs where you can get decent training and the atmosphere isn't malignant. There may also be a mix of IMGs and AMGs.
-poor students(barely passing step 1 scores, maybe decelerated at ross/sgu, failed step 1 prev etc) have a good shot to wind up at a malginant IM/FP program with all IMG's. But they WILL get a US residency.

The above options applies to US IMGs. Things like ortho, urology, optho are pretty out of the question in almost all cases. Maybe 1-2/300 at ross will match into each of these fields, and it's a safe bet they either had unreal step 1 scores(> 250), had a key connection, or probably both. Top SGU grads probably do a bit better in the more competitive fields, maybe getting 10 really competitive overall matches instead of 5 at Ross.

4) Time spent in Dominica at Ross is 16 months if you pass everything. It is an accelerated science program. Then you head to miami for 9 weeks for an introduction to clinical medicine stint. Then you take step 1 and wait for your scores and rotation placement. I'm not as familar with SGU but I know that at SGU you spend a lot more time in the West Indies. Living conditions at SGU are supposedly better than at Ross. It is impossible to find many items we take for granted here(steak, washing machines, cleanliness everywhere), but it's only 16 months and you should spend those 16 months in the library anyway.

SGU has some advantages over Ross and Ross has some advantages over SGU.
SGU advantages
1) You will probably feel more like a US med student. The student body will have a slightly higher level average student, you will be coddled more, the administration might be more responsive to student needs.
2) Less attrition
3) Higher usmle pass rates(94%)
4) Perhaps more prestige than Ross amongst some residency directors, although many probably just lump all carribean US IMGs in one category and put all the emphasis on rotations and board scores
5) better living conditions in grenada than the Dominica

Ross advantages
1) Cost is 50k less than SGU, assuming you aren't held back and can get to miami in 16 months. And 50k is a good bit of money when you consider the fact that most all Ross and SGU grads do IM, FP, psych, or path.
2) Spend less time away from the US. It's easier to see the "light at the end of the tunnel"
3) Ross claims to have more clinical rotations than SGU, but the quality of the clinical rotations is constantly debated between Ross and SGU students. For Ross students who are fortunate enough to go to Bakersfield or Chicago their rotations might be better, otherwise SGU rotations are probably better.

It really just depends on what kind of student you are. Either way your options will be pretty similar. My opinion is that SGU isn't worth the extra money and that 220k+ interest coming out of SGU is just too much because you are probably going to match IM/FP from either place. AUC is the only other real choice in the carribean, but I would rule them out because the clinical rotation sites in the US aren't as plentiful and there are stories of students not getting the right clinical sites or being forced to choose between going to the UK for some of their rotations or talking more than 2 years to finish their rotations in the states. If a carribean school isn't 100% sure all students who pass step 1 will be allowed to do all of their clinical rotations in a consecutive manner at teaching hospitals, then they just aren't worth considering IMO.

 

[DoubleOSeven]

spinestudent- do u go to ross? if so, i was wondering if u know how hard it is to place in an ob/gyn residency? also, do students from ross end up doing fellowships after residency or does coming from a carib school hinder your chances of getting a fellowship...how have you liked ross so far?

 

[spinestudent]

nO i DONT go to ross but my parents both did. I also know a lot about the school and have some friends who go there.

Obgyn?? its possible now. 10 years ago not so much. You are going to have to do well though and possible settle for a community program. If you are super lucky and good you may sneak into a uni program. OBGYN is a doable but tough match for carribean imgs.

fellowships? Depends on which one, but OF COURSE in general it will hurt your chances. Your only chance for a cards or GI fellowship will be to do really well at ross so you can match into a mid level university IM program. Then do well there and make some connections and you might be able to swing a decent cards or Gi fellowship. At this point I would say ALL/IMM is pretty impossible, because you won't be able to get into a top university IM program, which is where most IMM/ALL fellows come from. Other fellowships like geriatrics are very possible even from lesser programs. So in summarize:

cards/GI- tough but work hard and try to get into a decent university IM program
onc/hem- Im not sure overall but the big name programs(Sloan, JH) would certainly be out of the question
All/IMM- no real chance
geriatrics/neph/prev med- good chance

 

[AUC Alumni]

First a little background:
UCLA B.S. Biology, AUC M.D., Currently PGY4 Anesthesiology

My experience as a caribbean grad:
Back in the mid 1990s when med school apps were at their historical highs, I was walking through the halls at UCLA a bit down about the prospects of getting into med school. GPA 3.22, MCAT 29. Didnt get a single interview. I happened upon a bulletin board and saw a few posters for graduate school, podiatry school, and then one that said "Do you want to go to medical school?". Though I had never heard of caribbean med schools, I sent out the information request and browsed through the catalog when it arrived. I decided, heck, why not apply. I applied, and as soon as my check cleared, I got an acceptance letter without any interview. I thought to myself, jeez, what kind of school is this? But since my only other option was to go to pod school, I decided to head to St. Maarten and try it out. To this day, I've never regretted that decision. When I tell people where I went to school, they say "wow, that must have been fun!". And let me tell you, it was!!! What better place to live and study medicine than down on a beautiful caribbean island? Yes, it takes some adjusting to, but the experiences I had were wonderful. I opted to go to England for my third year because I love to travel. I lived in England for almost a year and again got to experience their culture. I passed all steps of the USMLE on my first try ( I took review courses for step 1 and 2 ), and matched in a wonderful anesthesia program. Now, as I'm about to complete my residency with $120k in school loans, I am being hounded by physician recruiters offering starting salaries in the $250-275k/year. If I decided to stay an extra year and do a pain fellowship, the earning potential will more than double!! So do I regret going to AUC??? Also, one must realize that interest in certain fields of medicine cycles. For instance back in the mid 90s, no one wanted to go into anesthesia because there were no jobs. Therefore, up until a couple of years ago, you could just walk into almost any anesthesia program in the nation despite where you went to school. Now, the result is that there is a humongous shortage of anesthesiologists, thus the high salaries. Same was the case for radiology. Today, surgery and ob/gyn, are in a similar state. High malpractice insurance premiums and long work hours are driving people away from these specialties. A caribbean grad coming out now could probably land a decent spot without much problem at all given that your numbers and personality are acceptable. IM, FP, and peds are no brainers... just apply, you'll get in (harder for well known academic programs). As far as fellowships, all the caribbean grads I did my internship with all got fellowships that they applied for (cardiology, gastro, nephro, and critical care).

Overall, if the caribbean is your best alternative and you really want to be a doctor, I think it is a very viable choice. The main competition caribbean grads will have is the growing numbers of DO grads. DO schools for most part are no different than caribbean schools. They are mostly private for-profit institutions. Few have their own hospitals so they send the students to small community hospitals or to other medical school's hospitals... sound familiar? And as far as all that DO holistic stuff... OMM is a bunch a garbage... my wife even says so and she is a D.O. doing anesthesia too.

Good luck to you all. Dont let the rumor mills get you down. These are all the same rumors I heard about when I was down on the island. Most are untrue and are spread by students who want others to quit so they will have less competition.

 

[WonderBoy]

Originally posted by Thewonderer
There a major major distinction that needs to be made between foreign medical graduates from, say, England, India, etc. and from St. George's and Ross. The ones from England, India and others are the BEST from their countries and they are attracted to the environment here, in the US and fight to get their chance to practice here.

That is a gross overgeneralization.

I am not attacking you wonderer, just want clear up this misconception.

I am not sure abount England but MD's who come from India aren't the best India has to offer. There is a wide range of people who come from India. Many of my former high school classmates, who are US Citizens, went right to India right after High School because they knew they wouldn't be able to get into med school here.

Furthermore, they got their admissions into the program not by merit, but depending upon their "donations" to the school. Most of the kids I know paid around $75,000. Which is a lot when you convert it into rupees.

These individuals are hardly the "best" India has to offer, they were simply able to pay bribes to get into med school. Furthermore, most of them who do comeback have a difficult time past the boards.

 

[October88]

Oh~ Wow~
So, going to these foreign med schools (Ross, St. George) are not a bad idea after all, huh?
I was thinking about these schools also, because the tuition is much cheaper and felt like as if these schools actually treat you as a student, not a number.
Well, if anyone has any more info or more personal experiences about these Caribbean schools, I would really really appreciate it.
Thanks~

Question 1: If I am planning to attend one of those foreign med schools, and planning to practice Internal medicine, how hard is to get a US residency in internal medicine?

Question 2: This question is irrelevant, but what's the difference between Family medicine, and Internal medicine?

Question 3: What is a fellowship? (I was reading some of other people's posts, and read so many terms that I really don't know about. Sorry~)

Just don't overextend because it is hard and costly to fix a GPA

 

[Giemsa]

Just don't overextend because it is hard and costly to fix a GPA

 

[Amba]

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[Brain Bucket]

Wasn't there a recent post about a 279?

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