Caribbean School Guidance

[op_ovale]

I am a Canadian student and I have extremely low GPA and MCAT. I got granted an interview at SGU for the Charter Foundation Program and Ross. I have been reading posts about the difficulty in residency matching post 2017. Can anyone give me advice on what to do? Or if I should consider Caribbean at all?
I am a hardworking student with unfortunate circumstances during my undergrad which lead to my low GPA. I would appreciate helpful feedback!

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[kenjixshadow]

First, you posted in wrong thread buddy, but you should consider yourself lucky since ppl here give great advices.
Second, no, you shouldn't consider Caribbean schools at all. Retake the MCAT, bring up your GPA, and apply to DO schools.
This will save you 4 years of your life, give you an actual chance to match, and have a career in which you can pay back your student loans.

You're welcome.

 

[hallowmann]

I am a Canadian student and I have extremely low GPA and MCAT. I got granted an interview at SGU for the Charter Foundation Program and Ross. I have been reading posts about the difficulty in residency matching post 2017. Can anyone give me advice on what to do? Or if I should consider Caribbean at all?
I am a hardworking student with unfortunate circumstances during my undergrad which lead to my low GPA. I would appreciate helpful feedback!

Have you applied DO? Seeing as you are Canadian, you will be at a slightly higher advantage going DO than Carib MD, because I believe in some provinces (might only be 1) US DOs are treated the same as AMGs/CMGs and not like IMGs (Carib and others), who only go through the second tier of matching. Given that you are considering a very expensive school (SGU tuition is ~$60k/yr), you really should consider applying US DO.

Also, as opposed to going to the CFP or whatever it's called at SGU, you could probably just do a year of do it yourself post-bac at a local university, and you'll probably do it for cheaper.

 

[sunealoneal]

I have extremely low GPA and MCAT

How low? What proof do you have for yourself that you'd be successful once you got in? I've met people (me included) who had poor stats on one of the metrics and was able to convince schools that they would be successful. How about you?

 

[ConfusedChemist]

no!!!!
never go carib if you are Canadian, if you think it's hard to be an IMG in the US, its 20x worse as a canadian. We have like, 100 residency spots or something in the second matching round for unmatched canadians and IMGs per year with 1000's applying
go DO, even if it takes a few more years. to get it

 

[zedssssssss]

if youd like more information on what it means to be a Canadian and a DO lol
I suggest you check out:

http://www.studentdo.ca/drupal_beta/

and you can join the FB page

https://www.facebook.com/groups/COMSA/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/COMSA.premed/

there many MANY students that have been in the same situation as you, at least now ull be connected! and get the best response for your needs
goodluck

 

[justin1390]

Do NOT consider SGU. Don't get me wrong, the location is great, but I got a chance to work with SGU students during medical school. It's a rough, rough life. They accept somewhere like 800 students into their 1st year class. The bottom half is cut out after the first year. You must work very hard to be in the top 50%, or that's it in terms of your medical career chances.

First, you posted in wrong thread buddy, but you should consider yourself lucky since ppl here give great advices.
Second, no, you shouldn't consider Caribbean schools at all. Retake the MCAT, bring up your GPA, and apply to DO schools.
This will save you 4 years of your life, give you an actual chance to match, and have a career in which you can pay back your student loans.

View attachment 193431

You're welcome.

Only a 50% match rate? That's terrible! Is this 50% of seniors? As I mentioned above, I worked with SGU students who said after 1st year 1/2 the class is dismissed. It's pretty sad if these numbers are true and only 25% of students who attend SGU ever get to practice medicine.

 

[Goro]

Be realistic and consider another career. The Carib diploma mills prey upon gullible and desperate people.

I am a Canadian student and I have extremely low GPA and MCAT. I got granted an interview at SGU for the Charter Foundation Program and Ross. I have been reading posts about the difficulty in residency matching post 2017. Can anyone give me advice on what to do? Or if I should consider Caribbean at all?
I am a hardworking student with unfortunate circumstances during my undergrad which lead to my low GPA. I would appreciate helpful feedback!

 

[tephargas]

If your GPA is between a 2.8-3.2 consider entering a post program in the US. UC Davis has a really good program, for example. They prioritize their post bac's students once their done and they easily get accepted to their med school there. However, you have to kill it and get all A's and a couple of B's in program.

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

If your GPA is between a 2.8-3.2 consider entering a post program in the US. UC Davis has a really good program, for example. They prioritize their post bac's students once their done and they easily get accepted to their med school there. However, you have to kill it and get all A's and a couple of B's in program.

Easily? I highly doubt that.

 

[tephargas]

Easily? I highly doubt that.

as in much more easily is exactly what I meant. Two of my best friends got into UCD and UCLA. One under grad GPA 2.9 and post bacc GPA 3.8 and is now attending UCLA med school. Other had a 3.0 and post bacc 3.6 and is now in UCD. However, what I believe got them in was their strong personal statement letter and health experience. California State med schools are being a little more lenient now (not all) because they realize that in order to made a good doctor one must be more well rounded in all aspects of life.. our admissions director speaks of this all the time. I attend UCD and I know a lot of students that went through this. But you don't have take my word for this... just don't give up because it can be done. Try DO schools in the US after you've done the post bcc program is another option. Or PR med schools are American US schools as well but you must know spanish:/

 

[TheOther]

I am a Canadian student and I have extremely low GPA and MCAT. I got granted an interview at SGU for the Charter Foundation Program and Ross. I have been reading posts about the difficulty in residency matching post 2017. Can anyone give me advice on what to do? Or if I should consider Caribbean at all?
I am a hardworking student with unfortunate circumstances during my undergrad which lead to my low GPA. I would appreciate helpful feedback!

Don't do the Caribbean. It's hard to gauge your chances at DO programs without actual numbers...can you provide them? It would help in directing you.

 

[Jlaw]

I would avoid the caribbean. As a non trad with a low MCAT I half heartedly considered it and at one point actually thought the idea of studying on an island sounded kind of fun. I ended up taking SDN's advice and applying DO and being accepted to a great school. Now as a 4th year I'm worrying about the upcoming match despite coming from a well known school with a 100% match rate and a lot of those being to MD programs. I would be freaking out if I was a caribbean student because the hard truth is that an average or below US med student will most likely match, but you need to be a well above average IMG to match. You don't want to put yourself into a situation where you need a 240 Step 1 to match into something that a US student could do with a 220.

As an undergrad its easy to see being accepted to med school as the end of the road. Unfortunately it is not, and you can get yourself into a lot of debt and a lot of trouble if you go for the easy way in.