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what will it take with a 2.5
Started by sumozmom
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well. what are your MCAT scores. your BEST path to go, is to score well on your pre-recs, and then go through a special masters program (private message me if you want me to further explain), then through to medical school. You might be able to score a admissions offer if you do well in your science pre-reqs and with a great MCAT score, but regardless of which, your low UG GPA will still raise flags, and with the ever increasing atmosphere of medical school admissions, only a very well prepared application will win over adcoms (by well prepared I mean submitting early around Early June-July during the admissions cycle through AMCAS), with a great personal statement to perhaps explain why you want to be a doctor despite bad grades. Why 15 years later? Why did you get 2.5 GPA? What have you done in those 15 years that demonstrates your maturity, and your committment to medicine? Why didnt you apply 15 years ago? Things of that nature.sumozmom said:
a Special Masters Program is probably your best bet to get into medical school
You have to do everything possible to make all As. I was coming from a lower GPA (a little less than 3.1) and it was difficult to bring that up even after 60+ hours of classes. Some DO schools apparently will replace older grades with newer ones. That may be your best bet.
You are on a serious uphill battle so you really need to make As if you can. Then do everything possible to kill the MCAT. This includes taking the expensive review courses and doing lots and lots of practice tests.
Good luck.
You are on a serious uphill battle so you really need to make As if you can. Then do everything possible to kill the MCAT. This includes taking the expensive review courses and doing lots and lots of practice tests.
Good luck.
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N
njbmd
sumozmom said:
Hey there,
Shameless plug but head over to OPM (sister site to SDN) Forums and read about Old Man Dave who majored in "partying" and minored in "fraternity" with an original GPA of less than 1.0. He is now a very successful anesthesia resident after growing up a bit. OPM Website
Dave calls himself the poster boy for screwing up the first time around. He ended up getting an entirely new second degree (magna cum laude) but even more important, he identified his goal and took a step toward it every day.
Figure out what is not allowing your to do well in physics and make the necessary corrections. Is your math poor? Are you not understanding the concepts? Do you attend your professor's office hours and get your questions answered? In short, do whatever it takes to stay on track.
Your 2.5 GPA will need a bit of damage control but it is doable. You just need to set your mind on the right track and keep moving forward.
Good luck!
njbmd 🙂
thank you all!
in physics..i't not the math...i'm taking a 5 week course and the info is comming so fast....the instructure teaches right out of the book ....no more no less.
i feel like i am prepared for the test ...but when i get there i blank out 🙁
in physics..i't not the math...i'm taking a 5 week course and the info is comming so fast....the instructure teaches right out of the book ....no more no less.
i feel like i am prepared for the test ...but when i get there i blank out 🙁
jsut keep at it, and keep doing pracitce problems, and then correct it, and then do it over again in a few days to see if you learned it or not. Thats the only way you can see if you learn from your mistakes. Good luck!!!sumozmom said:
I'm not sure I can advise you about the most efficient way to get into medical school, but one of the surest ways would be to get another degree. It worked for OldManDave, apparently, and it worked for me. I had a 2.5 in my two degrees from years ago, and did another degree (this time in science and with a strong GPA), and I start at McGill this summer.sumozmom said:
I started out as an independent student wanting to just do my prereqs. Then three semesters later, I realized that I couldn't enroll in some of my prereqs without being in a biology program, so I joined one. Then, a year after that, I realized that I had no chance at med school without getting another degree, so I did. I'm sure it would have been much more discouraging to know in advance that it would take over three years just to get an acceptance. But I'm not trying to discourage you, and do keep in mind that I'm Canadian: no post-bacc programs, no SMPs, no DO schools, a 20-30% acceptance rate compared to 50% in the US, stricter admissions standards overall. You may have an easier time of it. But even if you do have to get another degree, take it from me: IT'S WORTH IT. That first acceptance is a joy unlike any other!!!
do a one year Special Masters Program, they confer a masters degree in physiology in addition to taking medical school classes with other medical school students AKA if you do well, you allay all adcom fears of your performance in medical school AND you have a masters in ONE year. In addition, all these special masters programs have linkage programs with medical schools that automatically grant you an interview contingent upon the SMP grade. If you want to get to medical school in the shortest amount of time, with a degree, i suggest you go for a SMP.sumozmom said:
Braluk is probably right about this. Just keep in mind that it's gonna be a very intense, one-shot, expensive choice that you CANNOT screw up. I take it from your name that you have a family - just note that combining SMP and family is difficult - but combining SMP, family and job is near impossible.braluk said:
It's quite common for non-trads like us to want it to happen as soon as possible. I spent so much time kicking myself for my youthful stupidity (cost me two extra years of study, to prove myself!). However, the time will fly once you start. Like I said, if I'd known it would be over three years to qualify, I might have reconsidered - and that would have been the biggest mistake of my life. If you really want this - and it seems that you already have kids, so clock is not an issue - what's a few years? (I'm envious. I went back at 26, am turning 30 this summer, and realistically won't be able to start trying to have kids until probably 35-36 at the earliest).
Edit: Actually, Braluk, don't you need an overall 3.0 to qualify for admission to an SMP in the first place? Same with post-bacc, no?
Yeah, but c'mon. 36 MCAT, and the low grades were because of your mom, and look at all those accomplishments!!! Not everyone is going to have that. Is it realistic for the OP to follow in your footsteps?RxnMan said:
If it's Caribbean or a few extra years, I'd choose the few extra years (which should be obvious, because I did). Especially if you have a family not too keen on relocating to Granada or whatever. Greater problems with residency applications, and let's be honest - less respect from your peers (not that I agree with that, but that's the way it is). And the expense! Lordy.sime0n said:
Some postbacs do, some dont, most smps are designed for students with bad grades but great mcat scores, so he would definitely qualify for it. services.aamc.org/postbactrustwomen said:
and since hes doing prerecs now and doing wlel in them, i would expect the SMP adcoms to use those as their criteria for giving him a chance at admissions or not, not UG grades that were some 15 years ago, when the MCAT itsled was radically different.
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i agree with that. DO schools are also more prominent for allowing applicants in with more forgiving numbers. Granted a DO degree is seen as less "prestigious" as an MD, but surely the salary is the same, and trends nowadays are favoring DO philosophy more then anything (especially in cardiovascular sciences with systemic drugs like clopidogrel etc)
i agree with that. DO schools are also more prominent for allowing applicants in with more forgiving numbers. Granted a DO degree is seen as less "prestigious" as an MD, but surely the salary is the same, and trends nowadays are favoring DO philosophy more then anything (especially in cardiovascular sciences with systemic drugs like clopidogrel etc)trustwomen said:
First, I suspect the OP is a she, with a kid. And I gather she hasn't taken the MCAT yet, or she would have included that in her posts - and she is just starting her prereqs. It's not clear whether she is doing the full-time work, part-time school thing, like I did when I started my prereqs (which turned out to be a huge mistake).braluk said:
Sometimes I wonder if I should have gone to the States for an SMP or postbacc... would have saved two years (my MCAT was kinda great). But would have meant a whole lot more debt, and I wouldn't have gotten in to my current "dream" school... so I have no regrets. 🙂
i agree with that.Its ridiculously hard to be successful out of match programs when you are foreign degrees. even folks from oxford med, or other prestigious names have a difficult time getting into US schools. DO schools are also more prominent for allowing applicants in with more forgiving numbers. Granted a DO degree is seen as less "prestigious" as an MD, but surely the salary is the same, and trends nowadays are favoring DO philosophy more then anything (especially in cardiovascular sciences with systemic drugs like clopidogrel etc)trustwomen said:
DO is definitely more appealing than Caribbean IMO. But they don't take 2.5 - even 3.0 is not a sure thing for DO schools (but they do let you retake classes and just use the new grade - and that is HUGE).braluk said:
I think of myself as a person who doesn't care about prestige (generally true), but a small niggling part of me is still glad I'm going MD - not like there's any choice up here - a DO in Canada, or anywhere outside the US really, is NOT a physician and does not have a physician's training like they do in the US. DO is rapidly gaining equality and recognition in the US, but I don't think that'll spread internationally, because of this.
Wups - sorry - I just saw the title of the thread and posted.trustwomen said:
What is it going to take? Its different for everyone; always remember that. Youre going to have to retake all the premed requirements, get As, get some clinical exposure, and knock the MCAT out (>34). Now if you're the daughter of a multimillionare or a physician, the MCAT hurdle could be lowered a bit.
Its going to be really difficult and there isnt any room for doubts about your intellectual hp.
Dont be discouraged! Adversity makes victory sweeter.
Its going to be really difficult and there isnt any room for doubts about your intellectual hp.
Dont be discouraged! Adversity makes victory sweeter.
What's "intellectual hp"? The only context I know for hp is "hit points" and I'm pretty sure that's not it. 😕chrisjohn said:
Absolutely agree about the adversity/victory combination. And don't be discouraged, even if it will mean another degree - just take it one semester at a time, have a full and interesting life along the way, and it won't even seem like work - in hindsight. 😛
Forgot to mention the clinical exposure and ECs, good catch chrisjohn. Also very very important, OP.
hp = horsepowertrustwomen said:
Ah, I see! (Can you tell I don't drive?) 😳RxnMan said:
So you have to trust that you have a Ferrari brain to go to med school (or that you have a really reliable Honda Civic and know how to put a lot of work in?) 😉
trustwomen said:
Lets be Honest, You do not really know that there is a Respect problem nor a residency problem by going to the Caribbean. I know there is no such respect problem except from premeds and some medstudents but that doesn't exist once you graduate. There may be some problems with getting certain residencies but for the most part doing well on step one and two will go a long way to avoid any troubles. This not opinion but facts. As far as cost, in some cases it costs no more than in the US.
Is it better for someone to stay in the US? Yes it is. Should someone not go to medschool at all cause the only other choice is the Caribbean? Well I think that is silly. 😱
oldpro said:
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/site/free/prl10116.htm
Let's be honest, Caribbean medical schools do not provide the level of preparation for the boards that domestic schools do.
Carribean schools are a very personal decision IMHO.
Suzemom, I understand your frustration. I have a 2.5 GPA with around 90 credits right now because of a horrific freshman year, and average grades at a CC. I am going to have to start all over, and even if I do kick some serious butt on undergraduate I doubt my GPA will ever be competitive. But I am going to try because people like OldManDave and RxnMan have shown that it can be done if you really, really want it.
So your options are this:
Do a whole new degree.
A special masters program.
Additionally, do fantastic on the MCAT, some research, impressive EC's, etc. No matter what route you choose it's going to take time and committment. You're 38 now, I understand your impatience, but it goes back to the cliche, how old are you going to be if you don't do it?
Suzemom, I understand your frustration. I have a 2.5 GPA with around 90 credits right now because of a horrific freshman year, and average grades at a CC. I am going to have to start all over, and even if I do kick some serious butt on undergraduate I doubt my GPA will ever be competitive. But I am going to try because people like OldManDave and RxnMan have shown that it can be done if you really, really want it.
So your options are this:
Do a whole new degree.
A special masters program.
Additionally, do fantastic on the MCAT, some research, impressive EC's, etc. No matter what route you choose it's going to take time and committment. You're 38 now, I understand your impatience, but it goes back to the cliche, how old are you going to be if you don't do it?
It's all about persistence. Intelligence is great, but when it comes down to it, persistence will beat intelligence every time. This holds true through med school. I've spoken with many engineers who went into medicine, and they unanimously stated that ugrad was more difficult conceptually. For them, med school was swallowing the fire hydrant - easy material, just tons of it. ADCOMs need to know you can understand the subject matter, and the way you do this is to do well in classes covering similar material, and do so consistently.trustwomen said:
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This is best decided by looking at USMLE pass rates, since those scores are one of the primary gatekeepers to residency and it is a standardized exam. Does anyone have these?chrisjohn said:
My $0.02 is that those who work hard and take advantage of the opportunities available in med school, and that is ANY med school, will do well getting US residencies.
Wow, thanks!Empress said:
OP, I wish now that I had looked at things more long-term. When I first thought about getting an MD, I had 1.8 GPA (90 hours) and I had just been kicked out of school. I wasn't even sure of my major - I was taking night classes in a different major just to see what out there. To save myself a lot of heartache from failed applications (and reapplications), I should have accepted that I had to start over and either do my ugrad classes in a different (easier) school, or just not applied until I had a PhD. I should have had a better plan, and more and better pre-med advising. From deciding to go pre-med to matriculation this fall, I will have spent six years of my life on this process. That's plenty of time to start over, get a bachelors, do the MCAT, and still have time for the rest of the people in your life.
Or not. Sometimes things don't fit with the rest of your life. I've lost relationships because of my desire to be a doc. I missed out on a lot of fun things my friends did while I was studying. I've missed out on lots of $$$ that I could have been making. There are costs to everything, and you have to decide whether doing what you're doing now is 'right enough' for you, or do you want something else?
chrisjohn said:
I did not say they were the same, I really take offense to anyone who trys to say I'm inferior for going to the caribbean though. I think there are a lot of myths too. I have known a lot of grads during my practice from the caribbean. They were very well respected and successful.
Also I have known some US Medical students who did not pass Step One the first time, so don't tell me it's all the school, it's not, it the individual too. 🙄
Oh and by the way the AMA has never ever been pro Caribbean I see that source as biased, it lumps all the schools together including internet MD programs. ( there are over 30 schools some are outright disasters, so is it fair to judge all the schools on the few bad ones?) I think the Caribbean schools do prepare, maybe not as well but it is up to me right?
oldpro said:
I'm with OldPro on the Carib thing. You guys are definitely underestimating this very, very viable option. Of course, you could spend years and years, and tons of$$$$$$$$$$ on doing some second degree, and in the end still wind up not getting in. You should also consider your age, health etc. The longer you wait, the more difficult it gets to go through the "hell" of med school and residency. At this point 2.5 will even be low for some major Carib players (SGU,AUC, ROSS,SABA,SMU etc). But you could try MUA (Nieves), AUA, St. James etc, and may be able to get going soon. I went to ROSS. But I was grossly unprepared at a time after being out of school for over 15 years, even though I'm an RN for 15 yrs. But I've met so many allied health folks (RNs, NPs, PAs, PTs, chiro etc). I think you guys are sweating it too much. Of course, it's better to be 20 y.o clueless premed with perfect grades, and MCAT and getting in US med school. But...sometimes life "gets" in a way. I think the OP was asking about her shot at med school....Well, I'd say don't discount Caribbean just yet. There are plenty of ppl who took that chance, and are now very, very happy.
Anyway, just one man's opinion
Good Luck
I just wanted to clarify that I do NOT think Caribbean grads are inferior. I admire their dedication to their goals! I just said that, for me, it was better to get another degree (i.e. spend a few more years to qualify for a Canadian school) than to go Caribbean. The expense was also a difference (my tuition is just over 22K for all four years, plus I am working through the first half of school - which I could not have done in the Caribbean). I do think that there is some bias against Carib grads (I've met doctors that have expressed these views) but there is also bias against women, minorities, non-trads, etc. -- so it doesn't mean that the bias is VALID.oldpro said:
I agree that a second degree won't be an "MD guarantee", whereas a Carib acceptance is (assuming one doesn't flunk out). However, if (like Old Man Dave and I) your first degree really sucked just because you were slacking off - and not because that's actually your ability level! - it's worth finding out whether you can get those As and stay here, no?billydoc said:
If the OP has a family, and kids, I'm not sure how viable it would be to move them all to the Carib - or spend two years (minimum) away from them. She doesn't even seem to want to leave Vegas, after all!
All in all it's a personal decision, and everyone will have their reasons for their choice. It's all good and we all wind up in the same place anyway. 😀
OP, check out what this other guy did in a similar situation.
I feel it borders on irresponsibility to recommend going the Caribbean route. Not to say that every person from those schools are terrible, nope there are some who can rock with the best of them, but for the average student who is having difficulty matriculating to a domestic medical school, foreign schools aint the best option. Tuition is generally high at these institutions and more importantly, since they are not subsidized like state medical schools, their administration has no vested interest in seeing students pass the various boards.
Used to work with a nurse who went to St. Matts, graduated, and could never pass step 1. Hes 70K in debt and scrambling looking at CRNA programs.
Let me use the Ranger Indoctrination Program as an example. Any soldier assigned to a Ranger unit has to pass this course and its mainly for the soldiers benefit. Any troop not physically or mentally up to the standard shouldnt be thrown into an environment in which they havent developed the ability to function. That is not to say that with a couple of months of dedicated physical training and land navigation they couldnt become outstanding members of a Ranger unit. Not passing RIP says, not yet PVT. No one wants to be a medical school bolo. ADCOMS do their best to admit successful candidates. Yes, they screw it up a lot, but theyre the best shot if you want to be a physician in the U.S. If you want something badly enough, youll work for it and do it, without taking potentially harmful short cuts.
This post probably sounds callous but thats not the intention. Every single thing I just wrote was told to me at one time or another and I decided to persevere. So thats what I did. You can also, just do it with open eyes and be ready for the work.
Used to work with a nurse who went to St. Matts, graduated, and could never pass step 1. Hes 70K in debt and scrambling looking at CRNA programs.
Let me use the Ranger Indoctrination Program as an example. Any soldier assigned to a Ranger unit has to pass this course and its mainly for the soldiers benefit. Any troop not physically or mentally up to the standard shouldnt be thrown into an environment in which they havent developed the ability to function. That is not to say that with a couple of months of dedicated physical training and land navigation they couldnt become outstanding members of a Ranger unit. Not passing RIP says, not yet PVT. No one wants to be a medical school bolo. ADCOMS do their best to admit successful candidates. Yes, they screw it up a lot, but theyre the best shot if you want to be a physician in the U.S. If you want something badly enough, youll work for it and do it, without taking potentially harmful short cuts.
This post probably sounds callous but thats not the intention. Every single thing I just wrote was told to me at one time or another and I decided to persevere. So thats what I did. You can also, just do it with open eyes and be ready for the work.
Ok, for someone witha 2.5 GPA I do know a few people who got in with at least 50-60 credits of UPPER level course work. Since you have a degree already, you can work towards another degree in all sciences but core classes were already taken (english, etc). If you want to retake some lower course (C or lower) I would suggest you do that.
I graduated with a 2.3, right now I have a 2.7 including my MBA gpa of 3.4. I'm not including the 2.7 as my calculation *my current undergrad gpa is a measly 2.54* but for my state school I require a CUM of 3.0 for addmission, including any other degrees. I should have started from the beginning and retaken all my sciences which I'm working on now. I didn't do so hot last year in my first year of classes because I tried to do too much. I'm going to take my time and get it right. I might also do a masters in biomedical sciences in a year or two (which take classes with the med students for some classes) to prove to schools I can handle the course work. I will hopefully get my undergrad GPA above a 3.0 within the next two years by taking more classes while I'm in this masters program as well.
If you can do a 2nd degree in chemistry/biology/microbiology it would help. I realize that being 38 you feel that time is ticking but I know of 3 people 35+ who are starting med school this year. It can be done.
If you can move your family to an area where there are more SMP programs. If you go to to http://services.aamc.org/postbac/ there are a list of post-bacc programs and SMP's. The SMP's are labeled SMP.
If you don't think you can put in the effort maybe you should consider other career options. I know I have and I'm 10 years younger than yourself. Its a long road and its a tough decision to have to make. Good luck and remember there are many different options you can take.
I graduated with a 2.3, right now I have a 2.7 including my MBA gpa of 3.4. I'm not including the 2.7 as my calculation *my current undergrad gpa is a measly 2.54* but for my state school I require a CUM of 3.0 for addmission, including any other degrees. I should have started from the beginning and retaken all my sciences which I'm working on now. I didn't do so hot last year in my first year of classes because I tried to do too much. I'm going to take my time and get it right. I might also do a masters in biomedical sciences in a year or two (which take classes with the med students for some classes) to prove to schools I can handle the course work. I will hopefully get my undergrad GPA above a 3.0 within the next two years by taking more classes while I'm in this masters program as well.
If you can do a 2nd degree in chemistry/biology/microbiology it would help. I realize that being 38 you feel that time is ticking but I know of 3 people 35+ who are starting med school this year. It can be done.
If you can move your family to an area where there are more SMP programs. If you go to to http://services.aamc.org/postbac/ there are a list of post-bacc programs and SMP's. The SMP's are labeled SMP.
If you don't think you can put in the effort maybe you should consider other career options. I know I have and I'm 10 years younger than yourself. Its a long road and its a tough decision to have to make. Good luck and remember there are many different options you can take.
N
njbmd
oldpro said:
Hi there,
First point: The bias against offshore medical school graduates is very, very real. As a person who has been a part of residency candidate selections, I can tell you from experience that many program directors will NOT take an offshore graduate into their program regardless of board scores or anything else. This is very, very real.
Second point: I have seen too many offshore medical school graduates driving cabs, working as pharmacy techs etc. because they have not been able to pass boards and get into a residency here in the United States. The selection process for many residency programs is very competitive and getting more competitive every year even for US grads (surgery and surgical specialties). You can end up out of a huge amount of money with a degree that you cannot use in the United States.
Third point: If you are not in medical school at this point or in the pre-clinical stages of medical school, you cannot predict what rules will be in place when you graduate from an offshore school. The rules for practice in this country change yearly and they have become tighter each year. Just because an offshore medical school points to a current graduate in residency today, is no guarantee that your will do the same (Buyer beware).
Last point: There are many people out there who had dismal GPAs and MCAT scores who took the time and improved their applications to achieve success in getting into medical school in this country. It can be done but you have to be willing to figure out what got you into the hole in the first place, correct it and move forward.
Sure going offshore is an option but beware that it may be a very poor and very expensive option. Be sure that you know all of the implications of doing an offshore program before you opt for this.
njbmd 🙂
trustwomen said:
Thanks, I have heard that bias and it is really overstated as a factor cause there has been some grads from top US schools who were not chief resident while a SGU or Ross grad was for instance. If it made that much of a diff then there would never be Caribbean grads in these positions. I think it is individual.
Generally though, the US is a better option, the caribbean should be for those circumstances that call for it ( mine really did) To be honest, the hard work to get into a US medical school negates the harder work I have to do at times to get through my classes here, the hardship of being on an island to live and the FMG status I will have.
One thing keeps me going is, in the end I will be a Doctor.
To address the Original poster, come up with a realistic plan and look at all options, I did, to be honest I never thought I would be in the caribbean just was my best option after I "put my cards on the table at 40".
Good Luck to all.
njbmd is absolutely correct. I just finished interviewing for residencies last year. Many of the residency directors that I know won't accept FMG (foreign medical grads) no matter what their board scores may be.
It seems that most of the FMGs are limited to residencies in primary care (internal medicine, family practice, psych, OB) because these are the least competative. Sure there are exceptions to this but they are exceptions.
Carribian is a viable option but do some serious research before going that route. You may get fine training at one of these places but you most definately will have a tougher time obtaining residency once you're done espeically if you want one of the more competative fields such a anes, surg, radiology, etc.
I'm a nontrad and let me tell you, once you get older those more competative lifestyle jobs (anes, derm, rads, etc) start looking really nice!! For me it was better to spend a few years making myself a better US applicant and getting a residency in something I liked than going to Carrib and having to settle for something else. You really need to consider this if you have your heart set on a certain field. Not every physician specialty is "fun". I would truely quit being a physician and find something else if I had to do some of them. I would have never thought this before going to medical school but in the end its just a job and some jobs are just not worth it.
Good luck guys. With some serious hard work and persistence it can be done!!!
It seems that most of the FMGs are limited to residencies in primary care (internal medicine, family practice, psych, OB) because these are the least competative. Sure there are exceptions to this but they are exceptions.
Carribian is a viable option but do some serious research before going that route. You may get fine training at one of these places but you most definately will have a tougher time obtaining residency once you're done espeically if you want one of the more competative fields such a anes, surg, radiology, etc.
I'm a nontrad and let me tell you, once you get older those more competative lifestyle jobs (anes, derm, rads, etc) start looking really nice!! For me it was better to spend a few years making myself a better US applicant and getting a residency in something I liked than going to Carrib and having to settle for something else. You really need to consider this if you have your heart set on a certain field. Not every physician specialty is "fun". I would truely quit being a physician and find something else if I had to do some of them. I would have never thought this before going to medical school but in the end its just a job and some jobs are just not worth it.
Good luck guys. With some serious hard work and persistence it can be done!!!
njbmd said:
I understand an respect your advice and experience, In the area of the country I'm from there are a lot of FMG's and IMG's. I do not think everyone should go to a school outside the Country. It is hard for me. I do think there are plenty of programs in IM, FP, OB that take FMG's all the time. Yea I'm in 2nd semester and I will be in clinicals next Sept. so for now it looks okay.
As far as the driving cabs thing, you said it, couldn't pass boards, I think that is the individual more than the school. You have to study your butt off for the boards and I know some in my class who don't get it. Residencies? You have to apply for the less competitive ones and go for it. Sure there are FMG's who don't match but you have to settle for a residency someplace you may not like. Thats the price to be a Doctor when you don't go to a US school. 😎
As far as I can tell things will not change before I graduate but things change.
Good Luck to everyone.
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WHY? How come so many DR. have come up threw the caribbean way?
tell me about your carribean experience....are you done now?Thanks, I have heard that bias and it is really overstated as a factor cause there has been some grads from top US schools who were not chief resident while a SGU or Ross grad was for instance. If it made that much of a diff then there would never be Caribbean grads in these positions. I think it is individual.
Generally though, the US is a better option, the caribbean should be for those circumstances that call for it ( mine really did) To be honest, the hard work to get into a US medical school negates the harder work I have to do at times to get through my classes here, the hardship of being on an island to live and the FMG status I will have.
One thing keeps me going is, in the end I will be a Doctor.
To address the Original poster, come up with a realistic plan and look at all options, I did, to be honest I never thought I would be in the caribbean just was my best option after I "put my cards on the table at 40".
Good Luck to all.
Looks like DO might be your best bet...
There are plenty of excellent DO schools.
There are plenty of excellent DO schools.
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