Carribbean (Ross University) or Post Bacc

[Raptor]

I am having a BIG dillemma concerning either going to Ross U. or a reputable pos bacc. I am 23 years old btw. I have friends at Ross University that was tired of waiting for US acceptance. I am starting to undersand their sentiments. While Ross U. offer the shortcut of not having to deal with pulling your GPA up (in my case) or improving your MCAT (I earned a 29). However, there are some drawbacks such as non-competitive residencies and few limited options. The problems is that I would like to do a competitive residency i.e. orthopedic surgery. Should I spent 1 or 2 years of improving my GPA or go to Ross U? I know there are people in my predicament or those pondering going to the carribbean. Please le me know how you feel if you was in my position? Thank you and please be honest (no sugar coat).

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[Sundarban1]

I am having a BIG dillemma concerning either going to Ross U. or a reputable pos bacc. I am 23 years old btw. I have friends at Ross University that was tired of waiting for US acceptance. I am starting to undersand their sentiments. While Ross U. offer the shortcut of not having to deal with pulling your GPA up (in my case) or improving your MCAT (I earned a 29). However, there are some drawbacks such as non-competitive residencies and few limited options. The problems is that I would like to do a competitive residency i.e. orthopedic surgery. Should I spent 1 or 2 years of improving my GPA or go to Ross U? I know there are people in my predicament or those pondering going to the carribbean. Please le me know how you feel if you was in my position? Thank you and please be honest (no sugar coat).

You'd have a better chance as a DO than FMG from what i've seen. If you're serious about ortho surg you'd be digging your grave by going out of the US.

 

[USArmyDoc]

I would go DO. If you do not want to go DO, spend your time and money pulling up your GPA. I wouldn't go overseas.

 

[hyperglycemia]

I suggest you spend one year in postbac program and get your US MD and be all you can be. Just one or two year, fly by pretty fast and it's worth it. Most schools offered postbac programs that guarantee admission or pull up your GPA and will get accepted somewhere with 29 MCAT including DO. Go check out the aamc website for these schools. Also do some medical related research and extracurriculum activities to strengthen your application.

 

[Law2Doc]

I am having a BIG dillemma concerning either going to Ross U. or a reputable pos bacc. I am 23 years old btw. I have friends at Ross University that was tired of waiting for US acceptance. I am starting to undersand their sentiments. While Ross U. offer the shortcut of not having to deal with pulling your GPA up (in my case) or improving your MCAT (I earned a 29). However, there are some drawbacks such as non-competitive residencies and few limited options. The problems is that I would like to do a competitive residency i.e. orthopedic surgery. Should I spent 1 or 2 years of improving my GPA or go to Ross U? I know there are people in my predicament or those pondering going to the carribbean. Please le me know how you feel if you was in my position? Thank you and please be honest (no sugar coat).

Your odds of landing an orthopedic surgery residency are not all that good coming from a non-US school. Going carribean saves you some work at this end of the process, but creates a much more uphill battle at the other end. You would need superior board scores and a lot of luck to give yourself a very small shot at your dream residency via that route-- a low percentage play. If you can get your GPA to a decent level with a postbac and get in someplace in the US, that would keep more residency doors open to you.

 

[Law2Doc]

Most schools offered postbac programs that guarantee admission or pull up your GPA and will get accepted somewhere with 29 MCAT including DO.

I don't know if I understand your post, but if you are suggesting that most postbac's guarantee admission, you are mistaken.

 

[Orth2006]

I am having a BIG dillemma concerning either going to Ross U. or a reputable pos bacc. I am 23 years old btw. I have friends at Ross University that was tired of waiting for US acceptance. I am starting to undersand their sentiments. While Ross U. offer the shortcut of not having to deal with pulling your GPA up (in my case) or improving your MCAT (I earned a 29). However, there are some drawbacks such as non-competitive residencies and few limited options. The problems is that I would like to do a competitive residency i.e. orthopedic surgery. Should I spent 1 or 2 years of improving my GPA or go to Ross U? I know there are people in my predicament or those pondering going to the carribbean. Please le me know how you feel if you was in my position? Thank you and please be honest (no sugar coat).

I hear ya. Them Ross University keep sending me application packets. I get excited when I get the mail only to open it and its Ross University - darn it. Anyway I would rather get into DO program than to go to a non_US school. But patience is a virtue. The sacrifice now will pay off later. I would try to pull the GPA up first. And if it is not too low already you might not even need to spend 2 years. In the long run you will be glad you made that choice. Good luck

 

[Dr Trek 1]

If you truly believe in the DO philosophy, apply to some DO schools.

If you really want to be a MD and do ortho., do a post-bacc or just spend a year taking tons of science classes at CCs (and even online science classes, from real schools that will not have the word "online" on your transcript) to boost your science GPA. Your MCAT is fine.

Good luck!

 

[remo]

I am having a BIG dillemma concerning either going to Ross U. or a reputable pos bacc. I am 23 years old btw. I have friends at Ross University that was tired of waiting for US acceptance. I am starting to undersand their sentiments. While Ross U. offer the shortcut of not having to deal with pulling your GPA up (in my case) or improving your MCAT (I earned a 29). However, there are some drawbacks such as non-competitive residencies and few limited options. The problems is that I would like to do a competitive residency i.e. orthopedic surgery. Should I spent 1 or 2 years of improving my GPA or go to Ross U? I know there are people in my predicament or those pondering going to the carribbean. Please le me know how you feel if you was in my position? Thank you and please be honest (no sugar coat).

You are only 23 so take it from a non-trad like me that spending a couple of years to get in a US school will not be a big deal and will be well worth it. Even the worst US school is much better then Ross, et al. Ross will get you the MD but you are better using it as a last resort if all else fails. If you got a 20 on the MCAT it might be a different story but it sounds like you are in the ballpark to make a run for a US school.

 

[NRAI2001]

I would say that you could get most residencies out of the carribean if you work hard except for ortho surg, neuro, and derm. With those your chances are really low, but not impossible.

 

[Law2Doc]

I would say that you could get most residencies out of the carribean if you work hard except for ortho surg, neuro, and derm. With those your chances are really low, but not impossible.

I wouldn't even limit it to just these couple of residencies. Rads, optho, rad onc. etc. would also be hail mary longshots. Not impossible, but just not likely. Your odds coming from the carribean will be lower in ANY competitive residency, and you will have to put up really stellar board scores to have a shot at matching anyplace competitive. Sure, there will be a handful of examples you can find of carribean grads who did well, but I think it is fair to say that the odds just aren't as good, and it tends to be a harder road. Luck and personal contacts tend to need to play more of a role in finding a soft landing. It's a good last resort, but if you go that route, expect that in general, you will really need to bust your hump just to end up at the same kind of place where the typical low end, bottom of the class US allo med school grad will end up.

 

[Raptor]

thank you for all your replies. i will take all replies into consideration.