Why you chose a caribbean medical school?

I recently saw a presentation that showed the majority of applicants not being accepted to allopathic medical schools choose Foreign/Caribbean medical schools over osteopathic medical schools. I believe it was like 2/3 to 1/3. If any of you did just that, could you share what influenced you to do so? Thanks

dokmark said:

I recently saw a presentation that showed the majority of applicants not being accepted to allopathic medical schools choose Foreign/Caribbean medical schools over osteopathic medical schools. I believe it was like 2/3 to 1/3. If any of you did just that, could you share what influenced you to do so? Thanks

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The SDN consensus is that DO = MD.

However... My reasons:

1. Many people still do not know what a DO is.
2. I do not agree with some of the teachings of osteopathic medicine. (Some parts of OMM)
3. I can possibly transfer back to a US school from a Caribbean MD program, but not from a US DO program.

Aphtalyfe said:

The SDN consensus is that DO = MD.

However... My reasons:

1. Many people still do not know what a DO is.
2. I do not agree with some of the teachings of osteopathic medicine. (Some parts of OMM)
3. I can possibly transfer back to a US school from a Caribbean MD program, but not from a US DO program.

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1. Most people don't care MD or DO, you're a doctor
2. No one uses OMM, it's given lip service
3. Yes you can, GWU, Georgetown, IU, LSU, NU, UNM, Wright State, Drexel, U Central Caribe (PR), UW, LLU, SUNY and Baylor consider DOs for transfer. RFU, IU, Dartmouth, UNM, Drexel, San Juan Batista, U Central Caribe, SUNY Upstate and Ponce accept FMGs from WHO listed schools. However you are unlikely to transfer. People who do usually have above average USMLEs and GPAs. Your stuck.

DOs will find it easier to transfer. Also they have better residency options. Look at SGU, Ross, AUC or Saba most grads are in community programs in primary care. There are usually only 1 or 2 a year in hyper competitive specialties like ophtho, NSX, Derm etc. This 1 or 2 is total not per specialty.

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FutureCTDoc said:

1. Most people don't care MD or DO, you're a doctor
2. No one uses OMM, it's given lip service
3. Yes you can, GWU, Georgetown, IU, LSU, NU, UNM, Wright State, Drexel, U Central Caribe (PR), UW, LLU, SUNY and Baylor consider DOs for transfer. RFU, IU, Dartmouth, UNM, Drexel, San Juan Batista, U Central Caribe, SUNY Upstate and Ponce accept FMGs from WHO listed schools. However you are unlikely to transfer. People who do usually have above average USMLEs and GPAs. Your stuck.

DOs will find it easier to transfer. Also they have better residency options. Look at SGU, Ross, AUC or Saba most grads are in community programs in primary care. There are usually only 1 or 2 a year in hyper competitive specialties like ophtho, NSX, Derm etc. This 1 or 2 is total not per specialty.

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I was unaware about #2, thanks for enlightening me.

As for #1, I know many people who don't know what a DO is. That is a fact. Maybe my sample population is skewed, but the fact remains that personally I have met many people that do not know what a DO is. I would rather not have to explain my credentials.

As for #3, I do realize it is very difficult to transfer. Which is why I have been working extra hard and thus am in the top 1% of my class at AUC. It's true only a minority of students will be able to even consider transferring, but the OP was asking for personal reasons. I had no idea that DOs could transfer at all to LCME schools.

I didn't post my opinion to argue... its just my personal preference. I want a MD not a DO. I want to learn stuff in medical school that I truly believe in. I don't want to go through the motions learning OMM when I believe a majority of it is a farce. Whether or not I use OMM when I finish is not my concern. It's just the principle of the matter.

(BTW Thanks for listing all those schools that take transfers, I was only planning on applying to NEOUCOM and Drexel... also IU does not take transfer anymore. I spoke to one of the faculty members)

Thank you for you input. I know a lot of osteopaths and can assure you that many of them do use OMM. It does vary across the spectrum. Those DO's who do specialty residencies often do not use OMM, however, the more you move into primary care, the more frequently it is used, even to the point of some practices beign exclusively manipulation.

FutureCTDoc said:

1. Most people don't care MD or DO, you're a doctor
2. No one uses OMM, it's given lip service
3. Yes you can, GWU, Georgetown, IU, LSU, NU, UNM, Wright State, Drexel, U Central Caribe (PR), UW, LLU, SUNY and Baylor consider DOs for transfer. RFU, IU, Dartmouth, UNM, Drexel, San Juan Batista, U Central Caribe, SUNY Upstate and Ponce accept FMGs from WHO listed schools. However you are unlikely to transfer. People who do usually have above average USMLEs and GPAs. Your stuck.

DOs will find it easier to transfer. Also they have better residency options. Look at SGU, Ross, AUC or Saba most grads are in community programs in primary care. There are usually only 1 or 2 a year in hyper competitive specialties like ophtho, NSX, Derm etc. This 1 or 2 is total not per specialty.

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Aphtalyfe said:

I can possibly transfer back to a US school from a Caribbean MD program, but not from a US DO program.

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Not true. I know people that abandoned their DO school at the end of MSII for U.S. MD transfer.

Scottish Chap said:

Not true. I know people that abandoned their DO school at the end of MSII for U.S. MD transfer.

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I already stated in my previous post that I stand corrected.

Aphtalyfe said:

I already stated in my previous post that I stand corrected.

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..and I posted to guarantee that I know it's not true. I hope it was helpful to many posters. I assume that's why you asked the question - for several people to answer.

Scottish Chap said:

..and I posted to guarantee that I know it's not true. I hope it was helpful to many posters. I assume that's why you asked the question - for several people to answer.

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Um... I didn't ask a question.

Aphtalyfe said:

The SDN consensus is that DO = MD.

However... My reasons:

1. Many people still do not know what a DO is.
2. I do not agree with some of the teachings of osteopathic medicine. (Some parts of OMM)
3. I can possibly transfer back to a US school from a Caribbean MD program, but not from a US DO program.

Click to expand...

You made some good points. I agree with most. I haven't gone and read past your post but I feel as though a troll war is brooding hahaha. Which school did you choose to attend?