Is the Caribbean really THAT bad?

[Temperature101]

For example, a student that I know had 250+ on both S1 & S2 and he did not match into EM, Surgery, OBGYN. The other students that I know that didn't match had average or below average Step scores and they only applied to IM/FM. They still were not able to match into FM.

Wow! 250+ on S1/S2 and did not match EM/OBGYN? Average/below average S1 did not match FM? Did you see those scores. I would have a hard time believing if I did not see the scores...

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From Ross alone in this Match cycle, there were 27 Matches into Emergency Medicine and 25 people who Matched into OB/Gyn. Of those 52 people who Matched, I seriously doubt that everyone scored 250+ on both Steps.

https://www.rossu.edu/medical-school/residencyappointments.cfm

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[AKLbinky]

I'll be graduating from AUC in June 2014. Thankfully I matched and tomorrow hopefully I will get my #1 university program.
Some statistics:
1. top 10 of my class
2. Step 1: 233, Step 2 CK: 242, Step 2 CS: Pass -- all first attempts

This year seem particularly competitive. I only applied to IM programs broadly with no back up since I have no interest in Family nor Psychiatry.
I received a lot of interviews, went to half of them (cost prohibitive), and ranked everywhere that I interviewed at.
Half of my interviews were from university programs and the other half were from quality community programs.

I'm sweating it right now because I will be devastated if I don't get my #1 -- but I am grateful that I will be employed in July.

I know a handful of Caribbean students that did not match (Ross, AUC, SGU). The SOAP this week was pointless for them.
There seems to be enough AMGs to fill the SOAP positions. The Caribbean students that did not match -- some I think was because
the specialty applying to was too competitive. For example, a student that I know had 250+ on both S1 & S2 and he did not match into EM, Surgery, OBGYN. The other students that I know that didn't match had average or below average Step scores and they only applied to IM/FM.
They still were not able to match into FM.

If you look at NRMPs data for 2013 -- approximately 60-70% of students from SGU, Ross, AUC matched. Overall USIMG match rate was about 52%.

There is going to be an ever increasing number of AMGs -- and many of them will HAVE to take community hospital positions. Just check the 2014 SOAP thread. There are a lot of AMGs that did not match. Last year I believe about 900 AMGs did not match. Everything is screaming "Do NOT go to the Caribbean". It's not like it used to be where there were plenty of primary care residencies available relative to graduating seniors. The gap has shrunk to the point that you have to be outstanding to even get a mediocre position. Yes there are definitely outliers that get phenomenal residencies but the majority of us have to pick up scraps leftover from AMGs.

Remember, if you're considering the Caribbean you will be entering the 2018 match and it's only going to be exponentially more difficult to match.
You will have $250,000 - $350,000 in student loans with no job -- it's no joke -- do not take this decision lightly.
As the new US allopathic & osteopathic put out more seniors in the years to come it spells doom for USIMGs/FMGs.

US DO students are matching far better than Caribbeans. A DO buddy of mine got very high quality anesthesia interviews -- Cleveland Clinic, U of Michigan, etc. The best Caribbean students can attain Northeast university programs but they will be the low tier university programs.
If they are residents of a particular state like Nebraska, Oklahoma, Kentucky (rural) they have a better chance of getting interviewed there.
As far as community programs -- the Caribbeans can definitely get a lot of them -- but it's very difficult to get on an academic university track graduating from these type of programs -- as well as fellowship placement is difficult.

From the point of view of attaining residency -- try to do everything possible to get into a US MD school -- then US DO.
If you decide to go Caribbean -- please be aware that you will have very little support during your clinical years -- not much variety in terms of where you can do rotations -- and most likely will be doing primary care in a community hospital.

Now having said that -- do I regret going to AUC. Hell no. I loved my time in St. Maarten. The island, my profs, my friends. I did all my rotations in NYC and had a blast meeting students from Einstein, Downstate, SGU, Ross, NYCOM, AT Stills, along with all the residents & attendings that taught us. I did well enough to get a lot of interviews from university programs across the country and excited for July.

Hi mpnyc,

I am actually creating my path to medical school to fits for me, but I am first doing a master's in biomedical sciences Caribbean Medical School would be my very very drop dead last option. ;-) I have a friend that is in Ross Medical University and she would be finished medical school in 2018. Also, I have another friend trying to go to AUA this coming fall. When my two lovely friends apply to residency match for the year 2018 (or maybe 2019) it will be "exponentially more difficult to match" back in the US. I know that the residency programs are not developing fast as building medical school programs...which it sounds like a system of making profit off of education, but would Ross and AUA still match their students at a high percentage???? Personally 60-70% is somewhat low, especially someone like my friend trying to go into medical school with 10 MCAT (all three sections combine) score and don't do well on standardized testing.

Another question, It's possible that US DO students matching rates to be the same in the next four to eight years or do you think the increasing DO schools appearing will increase the want of a US medical graduate over USIMG?

Thank you