Caribbean Medical School or Post-Bacc?

[HeyThere909]

I am 25 years old, and in my last semester of college, but thanks to multiple lay-offs (yes, lay-offs, not fired for any sort of wrongdoings) and helping care for my mother after she was diagnosed, I had quite a few set-backs in college; on top of being exceptionally broke, tired and lazy at some points; but then again, isn't that sort of every college student?

By some sort of miracle, I have found someone who is willing to take on the role of the bread-winner so that I can concentrate on school and MCAT courses over the next year.

I've racked up only about 300 or so volunteer hours within the last year, one of the hospitals being a well known Trauma Center, with hours in Orthopedics, Pediatric Oncology, ER, and Geriatrics. I have also been working on-and-off in the healthcare field for the past 4+ years.

Question: If I plan on retaking courses that were not Bs or better over the next year (2 summer semesters, 1 spring and 1 fall semester), do I have a shot at a US Medical School? Or should I just go to the Caribbean? What else should I do to improve my resume and make myself stand out?

Bio 1/L: C+/B
Bio 2/L: B/B
Chem 1/L: C+/C
Chem 2/L: D/C+
Physics 1/L: C/B
Physics 2/L: C/A-
O Chem 1/L: D+/B
O Chem 2/L: D+/B-
Anatomy/L: B/C
Physiology/L: C/C
Microbio/L: D+/C+
Cell Bio/L: C/B
Genetics: D+

Please let me know if you think this is the route to go. I'm not getting any younger, so I'm hoping to get in ANYWHERE in the US by the end of 2017. If you have a story to tell, I would love to hear it! Thanks.

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[Love4many]

No Caribbean school look in to an academic enhancing post bacc

 

[Love4many]

Also must take over Chem 2

 

[HeyThere909]

Love4many that's what a lot of people say, not to go to the Caribbean. And yeah, both O Chem and Chem 2 need to be retaken. Thank you for your input. I really want to be an MD, so I don't want to give up. But I also don't want to be the oldest student in medical school either. A lot of the US schools that I looked at had an average age of 24 or 23. I feel like I should have my life together by the age of 30, not just starting my career; but I still don't think that that is a good enough reason to quit.

 

[Love4many]

I'm old too just got accepted to a post bacc ... So you will be a few years behind SO WHAT in the long run it won't matter. Would you prefer to hurry up and do something that you don't want to do for the rest of your life will or just take a few extra years to live your dreams

 

[Love4many]

Also you will not be the oldest one at ALL!!

 

[Law2Doc]

Love4many that's what a lot of people say, not to go to the Caribbean. And yeah, both O Chem and Chem 2 need to be retaken. Thank you for your input. I really want to be an MD, so I don't want to give up. But I also don't want to be the oldest student in medical school either. A lot of the US schools that I looked at had an average age of 24 or 23. I feel like I should have my life together by the age of 30, not just starting my career; but I still don't think that that is a good enough reason to quit.

Pretty much every med school will have someone older than 30 these days, many will have more than one. It's not as uncommon as it was twenty years ago. And I'm not sure what's the big deal about being the oldest person in your med school class -- someone has to be.

Also you might look into DO schools as the grade replacement aspect will let you fix your credentials much faster. Going to school offshore is low yield and becoming worse in odds every year as US enrollment is increasing faster than residency slots, so I would take that option out of serious consideration.

 

[heartsink]

I am 25 years old, and in my last semester of college, but thanks to multiple lay-offs (yes, lay-offs, not fired for any sort of wrongdoings) and helping care for my mother after she was diagnosed, I had quite a few set-backs in college; on top of being exceptionally broke, tired and lazy at some points; but then again, isn't that sort of every college student?

By some sort of miracle, I have found someone who is willing to take on the role of the bread-winner so that I can concentrate on school and MCAT courses over the next year.

I've racked up only about 300 or so volunteer hours within the last year, one of the hospitals being a well known Trauma Center, with hours in Orthopedics, Pediatric Oncology, ER, and Geriatrics. I have also been working on-and-off in the healthcare field for the past 4+ years.

Question: If I plan on retaking courses that were not Bs or better over the next year (2 summer semesters, 1 spring and 1 fall semester), do I have a shot at a US Medical School? Or should I just go to the Caribbean? What else should I do to improve my resume and make myself stand out?

Bio 1/L: C+/B
Bio 2/L: B/B
Chem 1/L: C+/C
Chem 2/L: D/C+
Physics 1/L: C/B
Physics 2/L: C/A-
O Chem 1/L: D+/B
O Chem 2/L: D+/B-
Anatomy/L: B/C
Physiology/L: C/C
Microbio/L: D+/C+
Cell Bio/L: C/B
Genetics: D+

Please let me know if you think this is the route to go. I'm not getting any younger, so I'm hoping to get in ANYWHERE in the US by the end of 2017. If you have a story to tell, I would love to hear it! Thanks.

I am also struggling with GPA and currently am half way through my diy posbac, though im not struggling quite as much as you. I am constantly reevaluating what is working, whats no working, and why im getting the grades i want or dont want to get. I discovered i cannot study at home whatsoever, as i get too distracted by all the comforts of home, which means i am consciously aware that I need to go to a coffee shop to get real work done and that when I come home no more work is getting done that night.

You now need to turn this lens onto yourself. Why were you getting these grades? What will change when you do a postbac? Also, what is your current cGPA and sGPA ? The caribbean is just not a viable option for the above mentioned reasons so you can scratch that out.

 

[Goro]

Some of my all time best students have been in their 30s and 40s. Last year I graduated one at 50!

Of the 20,343 matriculants to US allopathic schools in 2014, the oldest 5% were 30 or above. That is 1000 students sitting in first year seats.

 

[TheShowGoesOn]

Hey there,

In my opinion you're best bet would be taking a post-bacc and getting some better grades; you have some volunteer experience which will come in handy. At this point in time you need to focus your effort for the upcoming courses and improve those grades! It's totally do-able; and if you find yourself with extra time, continuing your volunteer work will further benefit you.

 

[indebtmd]

I mean unless you're concerned about how you'll manage a family or kids or something along those lines, I don't really see a downside to being "older" when you apply to medical school. If anything, being an older candidate gives you an edge both in terms of maturity and life experience. While the 21 year olds may be able to compete with you in terms of GPA and MCAT scores, I'm sure a 30 year old has a better life story.

 

[heartsink]

Some of my all time best students have been in their 390s and 40s. Last year I graduated one at 50!

Were some of your best students 17th-century vampires?

 

[Goro]

Mummies, actually.

Were some of your best students 17th-century vampires?

 

[doctorold]

Mummies, actually.

Lol.

 

[DepressedEngineer]

lol at this "Being a Caribbean MD, is like being a Jew. People won't know unless you tell them. Being a D.O., is like being black. You don't need to tell people, they can see it for themselves"
- a Caribbean MD Student (ValueMD forums)

 

[doctorold]

lol at this "Being a Caribbean MD, is like being a Jew. People won't know unless you tell them. Being a D.O., is like being black. You don't need to tell people, they can see it for themselves"
- a Caribbean MD Student (ValueMD forums)

Yeah. I was laughing so hard when I read that the first time. I had to put it in my signature. Very true too.

 

[DocWinter]

Question: If I plan on retaking courses that were not Bs or better over the next year (2 summer semesters, 1 spring and 1 fall semester), do I have a shot at a US Medical School?
Please let me know if you think this is the route to go. I'm not getting any younger, so I'm hoping to get in ANYWHERE in the US by the end of 2017. If you have a story to tell, I would love to hear it! Thanks.

I was 25 when I started my post-bac. Just go and retake those C/Ds. So what if it takes 2 years? You'll be doing what you want and you're on a far, far safer path than Caribbean.

 

[Law2Doc]

lol at this "Being a Caribbean MD, is like being a Jew. People won't know unless you tell them. Being a D.O., is like being black. You don't need to tell people, they can see it for themselves"
- a Caribbean MD Student (ValueMD forums)

Doesn't even make sense, racism and antisemitism aside. You'll always have to tell everyone that matters career wise. Nobody of import won't stop the inquiry at the letters behind your name. I'd say if that guy needs an analogy, it's more analogous to being a discriminated against minority (offshore grad) versus a non discriminated against minority.

 

[Love4many]

Doesn't even make sense, racism and antisemitism aside. You'll always have to tell everyone that matters career wise. Nobody of import won't stop the inquiry at the letters behind your name. I'd say if that guy needs an analogy, it's more analogous to being a discriminated against minority (offshore grad) versus a non discriminated against minority.

Its not that serious it was just a joke get your panties out of a bunch

 

[dorothyntoto]

I have been looking at plenty of FM residencies. Several of them refuse to take applicants who graduated off-shore. They say right in their requirements "must be a graduate of a US MD or DO program, we do not accept applications from FMGs" and that is NOT referring to a J-1 Visa. DO is better than Caribbean.