Why is the Caribbean a bad decision?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
Because they accept basically anyone with a pulse. If your incoming class is three times larger than any US school and you're not putting more students into US residencies there is a massive problem
Your wrong bud they dont just accept anyone with a pulse, I entered with a 3.0 GPA and 33 on the MCAT. My GPA suffered because I was an Engineer Major. Don't compare SGU to many other Carib Schools. It also sounds like your a little upset at the quote. A doctor is a doctor, and they put thousands into our field.

Members don't see this ad.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Your wrong bud they dont just accept anyone with a pulse, I entered with a 3.0 GPA and 33 on the MCAT. My GPA suffered because I was an Engineer Major. Don't compare SGU to many other Carib Schools. It also sounds like your a little upset at the quote. A doctor is a doctor, and they put thousands into our field.

Why on earth would I be upset? I was simply pointing out the error in logic.

Finally, the sentiment that a doctor is a doctor- is wrong. Where and how you are trained is quite important as to the quality of care you deliver. Having no hospital of their own causes a med school to scatter their students to the wind and leads to variable training.
 
I'm finding that when I speak to Caribbean students, not being able to get a residency is a myth however it is true that getting a GOOD residency is tough.
Actually, I do know someone who went to the Caribbean and didn't match. I imagine she could try again next year, but she says she's looking into alternate careers.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Actually, I do know someone who went to the Caribbean and didn't match. I imagine she could try again next year, but she says she's looking into alternate careers.

At this point, she should look into off-cycle outside-the-Match positions. These are places that have had residents drop for a variety of reasons (health, performance, hate the field, etc.) She should look broadly at any field. Getting into something, then transferring to a different program, is better than having nohing at all.

If she goes through the Match next year, she should apply broadly both geographically and specialty-wise. At this point, she needs to maximize her chances for getting into any program. You can swap positions later. Internal medicine somewhere is probably going to be the best bet. Most flexibility as far as specializing down the road.

-Skip
 
Your wrong bud they dont just accept anyone with a pulse, I entered with a 3.0 GPA and 33 on the MCAT. My GPA suffered because I was an Engineer Major. Don't compare SGU to many other Carib Schools. It also sounds like your a little upset at the quote. A doctor is a doctor, and they put thousands into our field.

laricb said:


You jumped 7 points on MCAT yet went down .5 on your GPA between here and ValueMD. Hard to keep track of all the stories, eh, @laricb? I'm sure the truth lies well below any numbers you've posted.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user


You jumped 7 points on MCAT yet went down .5 on your GPA between here and ValueMD. Hard to keep track of all the stories, eh, @laricb? I'm sure the truth lies well below any numbers you've posted.
I'm not going back and forth with you on this again
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
First, the "tide turning" may or may not be wholly true. As I stated before, the fact that more U.S. spots in medical school are opening for U.S. undergraduates means that those who were forced to go to the Caribbean because they barely didn't get into a U.S. school will now have a shot at a U.S. spot. Good for students; bad for Caribbean schools.

As far as being "forced" to go into primary care, I think that this is the sole reason why there will always be more ACGME spots available than there are people to fill them. It will never be a 1:1 situation. The fact is that, yes, there is a hierarchy. There always has been. Those pretty-girl programs can choose who they want to date. But, there will always be the ugly little sister out there. If you look like Lurch, don't expect to date Heidi Klum.

But, there is an excess of spots to provide choice for those graduating seniors from U.S. schools so they're not "forced" into any program. Fact is, no one wants a resident who's going to be unhappy.

Furthermore, the programs have a distinct advantage over the applicants. I saw this in residency. They have a long track record of knowing exactly the type and caliber of med school graduate who is (a) interested in their program and (b) likely to come there. A good, but rural, program is just not going to get the Harvard/Duke/Hopkins grads going there unless by some fluke the person who went to med school there finds that same program, for instance, in their home town where they've always planned to return. On the whole, however, those stud GME candidates skip those ugly little sister programs on the interview trail.

But, there are some great programs in big cities that will offer you great training... despite being "less desirable" places to train. And, in the end, all you will need is a certificate that you completed an ABMS-certified program and ultimately to be board-certified. That's all that's really going to matter when you've completed this journey.

-Skip


What residencies are more open minded in your opinion to International Medical Grad.?
I am just asking for your opinion, to those of you who are reading this post and might follow the recommendation ( remember, it is recommendation)
 
What residencies are more open minded in your opinion to International Medical Grad.?
I am just asking for your opinion, to those of you who are reading this post and might follow the recommendation ( remember, it is recommendation)

Depends on what you mean by "International Medical Grad". There are the true IMGs who are foreign-born, foreign-trained physicians trying to come to the U.S. Then, there are the U.S. citizens who go abroad (the majority to the Caribbean) to get their medical degree.

The former have all manner of regulatory battles trying to get a spot. They have to sit for the USMLE, which is offered in only select foreign countries at select locations. They have to get a visa. And, they have to understand the fundamentally different culture and hierarchy here in the U.S.

The latter are already U.S. citizens and the difference is that some programs will automatically look down their noses at them. However, there are many programs that have a good track record of accepting these Carib grads into their program.

Here are the top ten for Ross, SGU, and AUC in 2014 (i.e. this latest Match cycle) as posted on their respective websites.

Ross (N=783)
UAMS-Regional Programs (AR)
SUNY Upstate Med University (NY)
Drexel Univ COM/Hahnemann Univ Hosp (PA)
St John Hospital (MI)
U Massachusetts Med School (MA)
Carilion Clinic-Virginia Tech Carilion SOM (VA)
St Joseph Mercy-Oakland (MI)
Stony Brook Teach Hosps (NY)
SUNY HSC Brooklyn (NY)
U Connecticut School of Medicine (CT)

SGU (N=769)
Maimonides Medical Center (NY)
New York Medical College (NY)
New York Methodist Hospital (NY)
Drexel University College of Medicine/Hahnemann University (PA)
University Hospital-SUNY at Stony Brook (NY)
Lincoln Medical & Mental Health Center (NY)
University at Buffalo School of Medicine (NY)
Newark Beth Israel Medical Center (NJ)
SUNY Health Science Center at Brooklyn (NY)
SUNY Upstate Medical University (NY)

AUC (N=197)

Providence Hospital (MI)
Baton Rouge General Medical Center (LA)
Nassau University Medical Center (NY)
University of Alabama - Tuscaloosa (AL)
University of Toledo (OH)
Bridgeport Hospital (CT)
Eastern Virginia Medical School (VA)
Florida Atlantic University (FL)
Kern Medical Center (CA)
Pinnacle Health Systems (PA)

[Disclaimer: I am not responsible for any errors of reporting. Check the schools website yourself to verify information presented.]

-Skip
 
Hey @Skip Intro ,

Just wondering how you think Canadians who go abroad to a Caribbean school are viewed when matching to residencies? Are they viewed as true IMGs, as American IMGs or somewhere in between?
 
Hey @Skip Intro ,

Just wondering how you think Canadians who go abroad to a Caribbean school are viewed when matching to residencies? Are they viewed as true IMGs, as American IMGs or somewhere in between?

Guess it depends on where they try to Match. And I don't have that information, except for the schools that also post who matched into Canadian programs.

SABA had graduates this year, for example, who matched into Orthopedic Surgery, Neurosurgery, and Urology in Canada. Those are all pretty much impossible to get in the U.S. as a Carib grad.

https://www.saba.edu/images/Forms/2014_Saba Residency.pdf

-Skip
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Hey @Skip Intro ,

Just wondering how you think Canadians who go abroad to a Caribbean school are viewed when matching to residencies? Are they viewed as true IMGs, as American IMGs or somewhere in between?

Do you mean for Canadian residency programs? Or American?

For American programs, Canadians are not considered equal to American IMG's because we need a visa for residency. So when applying for American programs, you have to apply to programs that are willing to sponsor a visa.

For Canadian programs, generally CSA's (Canadian studying abroad) do better then other IMG's in the match mostly because we "fit in" easier.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
Thanks for the replies. I was wondering about the comparison of Canadians applying to American residencies in comparison to other IMG who also need a visa.
 
Top