Does anyone actually go to a Caribbean medical school? Help.

[someadvice_x]

Hey guys, I had some questions about Caribbean medical schools. If anyone here actually goes to/has gone to one can you post 1. where did you go? 2. how did you like it? 3. did you get your top choice for clinical rotations? 4. do you feel at a disadvantage for residencies?

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[EsotericAlchemy]

Hey guys, I had some questions about Caribbean medical schools. If anyone here actually goes to/has gone to one can you post 1. where did you go? 2. how did you like it? 3. did you get your top choice for clinical rotations? 4. do you feel at a disadvantage for residencies?

Here's a blogger with a reality check: http://thescurlockscene.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-match-soap-reality-of-being-img.html

 

[DermViser]

Here's a blogger with a reality check: http://thescurlockscene.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-match-soap-reality-of-being-img.html

That was heartbreaking to read.

 

[BrCo]

Bet the "jump off the bridge" option started sounding like a good one.

Here's a blogger with a reality check: http://thescurlockscene.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-match-soap-reality-of-being-img.html

 

[DermViser]

Bet the "jump off the bridge" option started sounding like a good one.

 

[FutureSurgical]

Don't do it OP. If you're not getting into an MD/DO school, then take gap year(s) to work towards getting in. Don't consider IMG schools.

 

[EsotericAlchemy]

Bet the "jump off the bridge" option started sounding like a good one.

Indeed. Top 25% of class, above average board scores, strong letters..145+ applications later and no residency match. That had to be so hard for that young family.

 

[HopesandDreams]

Here's a blogger with a reality check: http://thescurlockscene.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-match-soap-reality-of-being-img.html

If you read the "about us" section of her blog it states he did end up getting a surgery spot at @ U of Mass. Looks like he started school in 2010 and started as a pgy-1 in 2014, so no gap year or anything. If anything, it seems like a success story? Although to be fair if he cut it that close and is graduating now it would make one apprehensive about how things might be in 2018.

Edit: its actually right there on the side of the page you don't even need to click the our story tab to see it

 

[NYCdude]

Doesn't SGU match 80% of its students or something like that?

 

[FutureSurgical]

Doesn't SGU match 80% of its students or something like that?

Yes, but compared to DO schools that most don't consider if they don't get into an MD school, it's really bad. If you get matched from an IMG school, great. If you don't good luck with getting one. Like I've seen before on this forum, some programs would rather leave empty seats than fill them with IMGs. The DO school in my state matches 100% of its students each year in and around the state, and it's relatively new.

 

[darkjedi]

Doesn't SGU match 80% of its students or something like that?

Of people that don't drop out, and of the people SGU allows to take Step 1 and Step 2. The attrition rate of these schools are astronomical.

 

[mysdnhandle]

For-profit schools are currently under a microscope in congress after sadly proliferating under Dubya's great great pro-business/stupidity-ridden presidency. Mainly at issue is their huge fees and lower chance of getting a residency spot. Also under fire is how they get federal loan money to operate and how graduates are burdened with debt they cannot shed when they can't get a residency. It's really messed up and I don't think anyone should support those schools. They need to die in my opinion. I would recommend not recommending them to your family too and also not investing in their corporate parents.

 

[SignOftheTiger]

Here's a blogger with a reality check: http://thescurlockscene.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-match-soap-reality-of-being-img.html

You have to keep in mind that he was trying for a SURGERY residency spot. These are already difficult for US grads. Most IMGs don't have as difficult a time matching into a residency that is less competitive with Josh's stats. I'm not encouraging going to the Caribbean by any means, I'd actually advise against it. But there are many factors that play a part in the match and his story has it's own caveats.

 

[darkjedi]

You have to keep in mind that he was trying for a SURGERY residency spot. These are already difficult for US grads. Most IMGs don't have as difficult a time matching into a residency that is less competitive with Josh's stats. I'm not encouraging going to the Caribbean by any means, I'd actually advise against it. But there are many factors that play a part in the match and his story has it's own caveats.

General surgery is far from competitive... even if you are pretty sub-par, as long as you are willing to train in undesirable locations.

The issue was that this candidate was categorically screened out simply due to the fact that he was an IMG, a very common practice for many residency programs.

 

[tantacles]

You have to keep in mind that he was trying for a SURGERY residency spot. These are already difficult for US grads. Most IMGs don't have as difficult a time matching into a residency that is less competitive with Josh's stats. I'm not encouraging going to the Caribbean by any means, I'd actually advise against it. But there are many factors that play a part in the match and his story has it's own caveats.

General surgery spots aren't terrible to match into as an AMG. The real problem was that he applied to no backups. Even at MD schools like mine administrators always encourage students to apply to a less competitive specialty if they're applying to a competitive one because that kind of safety net is key to having an anxiety-free application process.

 

[deejaymd]

If you read the "about us" section of her blog it states he did end up getting a surgery spot at @ U of Mass. Looks like he started school in 2010 and started as a pgy-1 in 2014, so no gap year or anything. If anything, it seems like a success story? Although to be fair if he cut it that close and is graduating now it would make one apprehensive about how things might be in 2018.

Edit: its actually right there on the side of the page you don't even need to click the our story tab to see it

Success story, yes, but a pretty rare outcome after grabbing at straws.

 

[Doug Underhill]

Don't go to the Carribbean, otherwise known as the Isle of Misfit Premeds. If you can't do MD, go DO, if you can't do DO, do PA, nurse practitioner, or podiatrist

 

[ridethecliche]

No Doug, no.

 

[Uafl112]

you never go full caribbean

 

[Law2Doc]

If you read the "about us" section of her blog it states he did end up getting a surgery spot at @ U of Mass. Looks like he started school in 2010 and started as a pgy-1 in 2014, so no gap year or anything. If anything, it seems like a success story? Although to be fair if he cut it that close and is graduating now it would make one apprehensive about how things might be in 2018.

Edit: its actually right there on the side of the page you don't even need to click the our story tab to see it

If you read further down the page in the comments, it was just a prelim surgery spot. So he will likely be back on the market looking for a spot in a year. Prelims in surgery are notorious for being dead end paths for offshore grads so it's unclear whether this will end well. Not yet a success story by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[MattSmith45]

If you read further down the page in the comments, it was just a prelim surgery spot. So he will likely be back on the market looking for a spot in a year. Prelims in surgery are notorious for being dead end paths for offshore grads so it's unclear whether this will end well. Not yet a success story by any stretch of the imagination.

Just stumbled across the blog and here's the update: Josh matched categorical! Success story for sure.

 

[samsunimomo]

Just stumbled across the blog and here's the update: Josh matched categorical! Success story for sure.

Read that! I'm really happy for the Scurlocks

 

[Catalystik]

Just stumbled across the blog and here's the update: Josh matched categorical! Success story for sure.

 

[Law2Doc]

L2D mentioned it and apparently the blog author read it.

So I think it is worth noting that not all surgery prelim spots are a dead end. This gets repeated as an SDN truism a lot that prelim = dead end.

Not all prelim spots are created equal, and a good number of them actually try to do the right thing for their prelims.

Glad to hear this guy landed a spot - sounds like he's doing well there.

I agree but make no mistake, lest someone else is using this success story to decide on an offshore education, this guy beat odds that weren't stacked in his favor at multiple points. He's an outlier. Someone had to be.