Puerto Rico vs. St George

[laurasanchezr]

Hello,

I know there are some threads abotu Puerto Rico but i have some questions about the EDUCATION specifically between St. Georges and the accredited american schools in PR.

I'm applying to St. Georges and am also considering Puerto Rico since I would be considered an american MD and that would be favorable for residency.

I am Cuban fluent in Spanish and English language is not an issue. Im studying for the MCAT so taking it is not an issue either, my concern is where I would get the BEST education versus the best placement during residency.

I hope someone can shed some light into it, i dont know much about the schools in PR, im wondering why more people don't consider going there.

Thanks!!

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[jackets5]

Hello,

I know there are some threads abotu Puerto Rico but i have some questions about the EDUCATION specifically between St. Georges and the accredited american schools in PR.

I'm applying to St. Georges and am also considering Puerto Rico since I would be considered an american MD and that would be favorable for residency.

I am Cuban fluent in Spanish and English language is not an issue. Im studying for the MCAT so taking it is not an issue either, my concern is where I would get the BEST education versus the best placement during residency.

I hope someone can shed some light into it, i dont know much about the schools in PR, im wondering why more people don't consider going there.

Thanks!!

Go to the Puerto Rican School LCME >>>>>>>>>>> St. George or any out of the country school. From an education perspective and residency prospective you will be much better off. You will be an AMERICAN Medical graduate much better.

 

[laurasanchezr]

Go to the Puerto Rican School LCME >>>>>>>>>>> St. George or any out of the country school. From an education perspective and residency prospective you will be much better off. You will be an AMERICAN Medical graduate much better.

Do you know you know the match rate for any of the puertorican medical schools or USMLE match rate... cause that would be the best way to know...
i tried looking for it and cant find it.

 

[jackets5]

Do you know you know the match rate for any of the puertorican medical schools or USMLE match rate... cause that would be the best way to know...
i tried looking for it and cant find it.

Puerto Rico's schools are US, LCME accredited medical schools. US students (which you would be) match at like >95% rate. USIMG's match at a shade under 50%. As an AMG (which you would be going to school in Puerto Rico) every speciality is open to you. Ortho, Derm, Optho, Urology etc. You have .000001% chance at those from a Caribbeam school. Anesthesia, Radiology, General Surgery and a few others you need to be a far above average student to have a chance at those and even then you not talking about great programs.

This is not even a debateable decision you have here. You go to the US LCME Accredited school in Puerto Rico.

 

[laurasanchezr]

Puerto Rico's schools are US, LCME accredited medical schools. US students (which you would be) match at like >95% rate. USIMG's match at a shade under 50%. As an AMG (which you would be going to school in Puerto Rico) every speciality is open to you. Ortho, Derm, Optho, Urology etc. You have .000001% chance at those from a Caribbeam school. Anesthesia, Radiology, General Surgery and a few others you need to be a far above average student to have a chance at those and even then you not talking about great programs.

This is not even a debateable decision you have here. You go to the US LCME Accredited school in Puerto Rico.

Yes it does seems non debatable, but im getting some conflicting advice considering the pass rate and match rate. Ill be calling the schools. Do you mind telling me where you got your statistics? I've been looking for information online and I cant find much. It seems like St. George has a higher pass rate than the students in PR which doesnt say much about the schools.

You seem to know what youre talking about and so do the people that say St. George... also St. George is in the process of getting accredited and theyre hoping within the next year or two. Ill keep researching thanks for your input though

 

[jackets5]

Yes it does seems non debatable, but im getting some conflicting advice considering the pass rate and match rate. Ill be calling the schools. Do you mind telling me where you got your statistics? I've been looking for information online and I cant find much. It seems like St. George has a higher pass rate than the students in PR which doesnt say much about the schools.

You seem to know what youre talking about and so do the people that say St. George... also St. George is in the process of getting accredited and theyre hoping within the next year or two. Ill keep researching thanks for your input though

St. George people for some odd reason have a superiority complex. Maybe it's the exorbitant tuition they pay. St. George is not EVER getting accredited by the LCME, EVER. LCME ONLY accredits US and Canadian schools. I have heard this St. George/accrediation rumor since i started school. I'm pulling the average stats for US Medical Graduates which is what the Puerto Rican schools are. St. George is a Caribbean school, news flash they all "manipulate" their stats. They forget to mention how many people never make it to step 1 or how many people fail to pass the qualifying exam to even take step 1. There is no one to regulate what stats they say, so they can say whatever they please.

When you apply to residency and go to school in Puerto Rico at the top of your ERAS application it's going to say "US Medical Graduate". If you go to St. George it's not going to say "awesome, amazing, St. George", its going to say "US Citizen/International Medical Graduate". Believe me the words "US Medical Graduate" mean more than anything when applying to residency. US MD > US DO >>>>>>>>>>>>>> St. George. Whoever is telling you different is I'm sorry to say it is a F'ing *****.

 

[laurasanchezr]

St. George people for some odd reason have a superiority complex. Maybe it's the exorbitant tuition they pay. St. George is not EVER getting accredited by the LCME, EVER. LCME ONLY accredits US and Canadian schools. I have heard this St. George/accrediation rumor since i started school. I'm pulling the average stats for US Medical Graduates which is what the Puerto Rican schools are. St. George is a Caribbean school, news flash they all "manipulate" their stats. They forget to mention how many people never make it to step 1 or how many people fail to pass the qualifying exam to even take step 1. There is no one to regulate what stats they say, so they can say whatever they please.

When you apply to residency and go to school in Puerto Rico at the top of your ERAS application it's going to say "US Medical Graduate". If you go to St. George it's not going to say "awesome, amazing, St. George", its going to say "US Citizen/International Medical Graduate". Believe me the words "US Medical Graduate" mean more than anything when applying to residency. US MD > US DO >>>>>>>>>>>>>> St. George. Whoever is telling you different is I'm sorry to say it is a F'ing *****.

well the person who told me is the teacher for residents at hackensack medical center and 7/17 residents come from st. george. He's a faculty member for st george and thats how he knows about the accreditaion and they want to make it an american school. He spoke to the assistant program director at UMDNJ and she said that now a days what they look at most is the score on the USMLE so its about the same, but she said that people from st. george seem to have more resources. For example since st. george students do their rotations here, in hackensack and in other hospitals, they also make connections and are more likely to get letters of recommendation so shes saying as far as the two go then St. George is a better option. I'm getting this from very credible sources... and also I have alll of student dr network saying PR is better because of the title. I see both sides, im still torn.

 

[jackets5]

well the person who told me is the teacher for residents at hackensack medical center and 7/17 residents come from st. george. He's a faculty member for st george and thats how he knows about the accreditaion and they want to make it an american school. He spoke to the assistant program director at UMDNJ and she said that now a days what they look at most is the score on the USMLE so its about the same, but she said that people from st. george seem to have more resources. For example since st. george students do their rotations here, in hackensack and in other hospitals, they also make connections and are more likely to get letters of recommendation so shes saying as far as the two go then St. George is a better option. I'm getting this from very credible sources... and also I have alll of student dr network saying PR is better because of the title. I see both sides, im still torn.

You do know Hackensack is a crappy community program, it's not good. SGU will NEVER be an American school, no matter what the guy who is PAID by SGU tells you, I don't want to call him a liar but if he is telling you SGU will become LCME accredited he is a liar. The LCME will not accredit them so get it out of your head about this silly accreditation issue.

As someone who just matched into residency let me tell youthey look at where you go to school. AMG >>>>>>>>>> Caribbean grad. I have solid board scores etc. went out of my way to rotate at a large university program, got great LOR's, had the chief of cardiology at this university make a phone call on my behalf. Guess what the BEST interviews I got were at places AMG's consider back-up safety places, places AMG's cancel their interviews late in the season. Also, I'm not talking about a lot of places I got 8 interviews out of 80 applications. Only 3 out of the 8 place had a significant number of AMG's (MD and DO) in their program. If I was an American grad my application would likely have been competitive at pretty much all places not named Harvard, Hopkins, UCSF, Columbia etc.

Your not getting the whole story since if you look at UMDNJ pretty much ALL of their residents are American Medical Graduates. Look at the University Programs they are super high percentage of American Medical Graduates. The fact this argument is still going on is absurd. This isn't a debate it would be a very poor, idiotic decision to go to SGU over the LCME Puerto Rican school. Do you see the only person saying SGU is just as good is someone who is employeed and is paid by SGU, not really an objective source.

 

[prefontaine]

Going to SGU over any LCME school would be the worst decision you could possibly make re becoming a physician.

SGU will never become LCME accredited.

Why don't you read the requirements to become LCME.

You are receiving extraordinarily bad advice.

 

[tracheatoedoc]

Puerto Rico....Not even a close decision. And, the women in PR are AMAZING !!!!

 

[Top Gun]

As an SGU graduate, even I would say to go with Puerto Rico. You will be an AMG, and you will have more options for residency. If you decide you want something like derm, plastics, or ENT, you will have a much better chance of matching into one of those fields coming from Puerto Rico rather than SGU. SGU will give you a solid education, provided you study hard, but you will not have as many doors open to you when it comes to residency matching.

 

[HirsuteAnthony]

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[tartesos]

Do you know you know the match rate for any of the puertorican medical schools or USMLE match rate... cause that would be the best way to know...
i tried looking for it and cant find it.

Most of Puerto Rican graduates stay home and the ones that decide to come here, can go wherever they want as long as credentials are there to make them competitive.
You would be an American grad and education is considered as par with us schools( they are us schools. )
No ecfmg certificate, no fmg status and bs.

 

[tartesos]

well the person who told me is the teacher for residents at hackensack medical center and 7/17 residents come from st. george. He's a faculty member for st george and thats how he knows about the accreditaion and they want to make it an american school. He spoke to the assistant program director at UMDNJ and she said that now a days what they look at most is the score on the USMLE so its about the same, but she said that people from st. george seem to have more resources. For example since st. george students do their rotations here, in hackensack and in other hospitals, they also make connections and are more likely to get letters of recommendation so shes saying as far as the two go then St. George is a better option. I'm getting this from very credible sources... and also I have alll of student dr network saying PR is better because of the title. I see both sides, im still torn.

After reading this it really seems to me that you are trolling.
That is the only explanation to even consider sgu over a Puerto Rican medical school.
And believing an employee of sgu at a non competitive program full of img's that they can get good lors on the programs they rotate( that are mediocre as Well for the most part, trust me I'd know.) is a good reason to consider sgu over pr med school It escapes reason I tell you.
The reason you don't find much statistic about Puerto Rican schools is because they are batched with amg( which they are) and they all match into whatever they want for the most part( although maybe not wherever they want).
If you have any chance in Gods green earth of getting into a pr med school please do not even look or think of sgu anymore until they tell you no!
Carajoooo!!!!
Ooshhaaaa!

There I vented.

 

[BestDoctorEver]

Sorry for reviving this thread since OP never received a direct answer about his/her question regarding step 1 1st time passing for PR schools.

SGU may have a better step 1 passing rate than PR schools or even many US mainland schools if the 98% they put on their website is true... However, you have to understand that a good 30%+ don't even make it to take the board... For anyone who is reading this thread, if you have acceptance at a LCME accredited school or a DO school, don't even entertain the idea of going to the Caribbean because you might have a hard time when it comes to the match... As far as PR schools 1st time passing rate, I know a couple of them (UCC and SJB) that are at 90%+ and these 2 schools are probably not better ones in the island according to some...Therefore, one can extrapolate that UPR and Ponce should be above 90% as well since they are consider the top 2 schools in PR.

On a side note: I happen to know 2 med students from San Juan Bautista who score 250+ on step 1...

 

[bedevilled ben]

Sorry for reviving this thread since OP never received a direct answer about his/her question regarding step 1 1st time passing for PR schools.

SGU may have a better step 1 passing rate than PR schools or even many US mainland schools if the 98% they put on their website is true... However, you have to understand that a good 30%+ don't even make it to take the board... For anyone who is reading this thread, if you have acceptance to a LCME accredited school or a DO school, don't even entertain the idea of going to the Caribbean because you might have a hard time when it comes to the match... As far as PR schools 1st time passing rate, I know a couple of them (UCC and SJB) that are at 90%+ and these 2 schools are probably not better ones in the island according to some...Therefore, one can extrapolate that UPR and Ponce should be above 90% as well since they are consider the top 2 schools in PR.

On a side note: I happen to know 2 med students from San Juan Bautista who score 250+ on step 1...

SGU's attrition rate is nowhere near 30%. It is higher than the 1-2% for US schools, certainly, but that is the price you pay for accepting low-scoring students and having class sizes of 800+ students.

I'm not sure what point you were trying to make with the Step 1 scores. I know of at least 4 students from SGU that got >250 on Step 1 this cycle. I also know a few who dropped out in Term 1. The spectrum for students' success is quite broad at Caribbean schools, 19 year old Ivy Leaguers pass and fail alongside 50 year old retirees starting a 2nd career.

 

[BestDoctorEver]

SGU's attrition rate is nowhere near 30%. It is higher than the 1-2% for US schools, certainly, but that is the price you pay for accepting low-scoring students and having class sizes of 800+ students.

I'm not sure what point you were trying to make with the Step 1 scores. I know of at least 4 students from SGU that got >250 on Step 1 this cycle. I also know a few who dropped out in Term 1. The spectrum for students' success is quite broad at Caribbean schools, 19 year old Ivy Leaguers pass and fail alongside 50 year old retirees starting a 2nd career.

The point I was trying to make with the step was that it probably does not have too much to do with a school; it is more like an individual thing... I was not trying to take a shot at SGU, I was just pointing out what I have heard about their attrition rate. How high do you think the attrition rate is at since you seem to be a student there? Class size of 800! Don't they accept students 3x/year?

 

[bedevilled ben]

The point I was trying to make with the step was that it probably does not have too much to do with a school; it is more like an individual thing... I was not trying to take a shot at SGU, I was just pointing out what I have heard about their attrition rate. How high do you think the attrition rate is at since you seem to be a student there? Class size of 800! Don't they accept students 3x/year?

Rolling admission with two classes a year, yeah. They have an August class that was about 900 students this past term and there's also a January class that is usually smaller. It makes it difficult to estimate the attrition rate since students are always coming and going. Further, because SGU allows students to decel a class, the class sizes fluctuate kind of a lot throughout the first two years. I would guesstimate that we lost about 15% from our class overall. A significant number of those are from the first few weeks of Term 1 from people that couldn't adjust to the schedule and the island.

 

[Skip Intro]

There's no comparison, as others have said, between the two. Always go with the LCME-accredited school, be it here in the U.S. or Canada. No debate needed.

-Skip