2020-2021 Ponce

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deomnibusdubitandum said:
He's probably referring to the "for-profit status" of Ponce. The only other MD school that is for-profit is CNU which has had a plethora of issues. I think it's a valid question to ask what Ponce is doing that assures they are focused on the wellbeing of their students rather than their investors, make sense?
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This.
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mcvmre7 said:
Puero Rico schools are classified and accredited as any USA school. I don't get where your comment is coming from...
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I second this. Literally just because it’s located in the Caribbean it doesn’t mean it’s international, its students aren’t classified as IMG.
All 4 medical schools in P.R are considered U.S med schools since
P.R is still a colony of the U.S and therefore we abide by their rules and regulations...
The only stigma our schools would get would be the same any other U.S med school that isn’t top-tier would get. Residency program directors know this, since the curriculum follows the same requirements as any mainland med school.

There’s also a stigma attached to Puerto Rico just for being Puerto Rico, which is the product of a decades long unbalanced relationship with the U.S and the constant discriminatory practices that come with it. This, of course, is most likely to affect us Puerto Ricans than US-born students that graduate here.

I honestly don’t know how the Caribbean stigma confusion is related to the “for-profit” status. Maybe it was a typo and meant as two separate questions. Anyhow, If I were you I would call PSHU and ask directly. If you don’t get straight answers then I’d consider it a red flag.

Hope it helps🌟
 
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unbearablelightness said:
I second this. Literally just because it’s located in the Caribbean it doesn’t mean it’s international, its students aren’t classified as IMG.
All 4 medical schools in P.R are considered U.S med schools since
P.R is still a colony of the U.S and therefore we abide by their rules and regulations...
The only stigma our schools would get would be the same any other U.S med school that isn’t top-tier would get. Residency program directors know this, since the curriculum follows the same requirements as any mainland med school.

There’s also a stigma attached to Puerto Rico just for being Puerto Rico, which is the product of a decades long unbalanced relationship with the U.S and the constant discriminatory practices that come with it. This, of course, is most likely to affect us Puerto Ricans than US-born students that graduate here.

I honestly don’t know how the Caribbean stigma confusion is related to the “for-profit” status. Maybe it was a typo and meant as two separate questions. Anyhow, If I were you I would call PSHU and ask directly. If you don’t get straight answers then I’d consider it a red flag.

Hope it help
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Are you a current student at ponce? If so can I message you? I know a little about SJB because I did research with some of them during summer.
 
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Honestly said:
Are you a current student at ponce? If so can I message you? I know a little about SJB because I did research with some of them during summer.
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I’m not, I used ’we/us’ pronouns in regards to being Puerto Rican. I’m applying this cycle too, but feel free to message I can try and help with what I know.
 
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deomnibusdubitandum said:
He's probably referring to the "for-profit status" of Ponce. The only other MD school that is for-profit is CNU which has had a plethora of issues. I think it's a valid question to ask what Ponce is doing that assures they are focused on the wellbeing of their students rather than their investors, make sense?
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for profit s.png
 
Hi everyone, I got in to Ponce and San Juan Bautista. I like Ponce better but the tuition for OOS student like me is crazy. What are your thoughts on Ponce vs San Juan Bautista.
 
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ocond003 said:
Hi everyone, I got in to Ponce and San Juan Bautista. I like Ponce better but the tuition for OOS student like me is crazy. What are your thoughts on Ponce vs San Juan Bautista.
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Same as you lol
 
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Anyone interviewed last Friday? I forgot to ask when we will hear back, but the waiting is the worst part!
 
oos applicant pre interview rejection. good-luck to all of you still in the game !
 
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Probably a little late on the game, but current MS1 here. If you guys have any questions, free to help out! :)

Stay strong, this process is grueling but its worth it!
 
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Yepamedstudent said:
Probably a little late on the game, but current MS1 here. If you guys have any questions, free to help out! :)

Stay strong, this process is grueling but its worth it!
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Hey! I'm curious as to how they handled virtual learning and COVID last year and what their plans are for the upcoming academic year? I believe they used to be/still are a school that requires attendance (mandatory attendance for a grade)?
 
saipraram said:
Hey! I'm curious as to how they handled virtual learning and COVID last year and what their plans are for the upcoming academic year? I believe they used to be/still are a school that requires attendance (mandatory attendance for a grade)?
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Hiya! In my opinion they were very fair. Attendance is "mandatory" in the sense that you get points for attending to class through iClicker system, most classes it ends up being around 5% of your grade. It really is up to you whether that 5% is worth it, meaning whether you are willing to wake up early for it or you'll rather be doing sth else with your time (like sleep, very important). Other classes like small group discussions are worth a bigger chunk of your grade 10-20%, so those you def do not want to miss, and they are much harder for you to go under the radar given that you have to have your camera on...you have to participate..., etc etc.

For the upcoming semester, they are planning on going back to regular classes. All of the student body is vaccinated (you have to show proof and submit it to student body in order to be given permission to participate in in-person activities) and I am assuming that everyone being accepted will either be asked to be vaccinated before-hand, or will be given the option to get vaccinated by the school.

Lmk if that answered your question :) happy to help!
 
rseof said:
WL here!
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Congrats! Would you mind telling us when did you interview and when did you receive the WL email? Also, your stats?
 
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Yepamedstudent said:
Hiya! In my opinion they were very fair. Attendance is "mandatory" in the sense that you get points for attending to class through iClicker system, most classes it ends up being around 5% of your grade. It really is up to you whether that 5% is worth it, meaning whether you are willing to wake up early for it or you'll rather be doing sth else with your time (like sleep, very important). Other classes like small group discussions are worth a bigger chunk of your grade 10-20%, so those you def do not want to miss, and they are much harder for you to go under the radar given that you have to have your camera on...you have to participate..., etc etc.

For the upcoming semester, they are planning on going back to regular classes. All of the student body is vaccinated (you have to show proof and submit it to student body in order to be given permission to participate in in-person activities) and I am assuming that everyone being accepted will either be asked to be vaccinated before-hand, or will be given the option to get vaccinated by the school.

Lmk if that answered your question :) happy to help!
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Thank you for this! It helps. That's interesting though that all students must get vaccinated in order to participate. What does your schedule look like for in-person classes?
 
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saipraram said:
Thank you for this! It helps. That's interesting though that all students must get vaccinated in order to participate. What does your schedule look like for in-person classes?
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Just to clarify further, last semester and this semester have/has been completely online, when I was referring to attendance I meant through Zoom. The only in person activity we had was Anatomy Labs and Standarized Pts, with very very strict protocols. Individuals who for x, y, z reason are not vaccinated have to present negative PCRs tests prior to attending to the activities. We have several activities that include populations that are at-risk and as a result those had to be modified for my class but I am hoping/assuming that they will be reinstated for the 2025 class.

Yeah, vaccination is mandatory given that otherwise you are a risk to patients. The schedule basically looks the same as now, the only difference is that it wont be on zoom and we have like an extra 9 exams more than this semester that we are in. Second year is crazy scary hahah!
 
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Anyone know when we're supposed to hear back post-interview? I interviewed in mid-March- Not trying to be too impatient :/
 
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saipraram said:
Anyone know when we're supposed to hear back post-interview? I interviewed in mid-March- Not trying to be too impatient :/
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I interviewed in mid-february and still haven't heard anything... good luck!!
 
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fofomed said:
I interviewed in mid-february and still haven't heard anything... good luck!!
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I interviewed late December lol I winnnnn jk

STILL haven’t heard back. If it’s a rejection I think I’ll take it but why the limbo of uncertaintyyyyyyyy geeez
 
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Any recent interview invites? I'm starting to give up hope on Ponce at this point
 
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Got accepted yesterday! II two weeks ago and I'm OOS
 
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Hola, saben cuales fueron los resultados del Match de PHSU este año? Inicial y final (after SOAP)?

He llamado a la escuela y nada...
 
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bmar21 said:
Hola, saben cuales fueron los resultados del Match de PHSU este año? Inicial y final (after SOAP)?

He llamado a la escuela y nada...
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They didn't answer after you asked? That sucks. I couldn't find it online either.
 
bmar21 said:
Yes, I’ve called twice... Me dijeron que aún no lo tenían disponible 🤷🏽‍♀️🧐
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I went to the virtual open house that they had recently and one of the moderators mentioned 82% match rate. During my interview someone also asked and I had the feeling that they weren't trying to say what it actually was. I think it's important to keep in mind that this past year was something of an anomaly. I cant imagine what MS4s went through with all the restrictions. Maybe that influenced it ? Do you guys know what the match rate is for the other PR med schools? Would be nice to compare

Also, from those who recently interviewed and got accepted, what were your stats? Would really appreciate it
 
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klkqlqh said:
I went to the virtual open house that they had recently and one of the moderators mentioned 82% match rate. During my interview someone also asked and I had the feeling that they weren't trying to say what it actually was. I think it's important to keep in mind that this past year was something of an anomaly. I cant imagine what MS4s went through with all the restrictions. Maybe that influenced it ? Do you guys know what the match rate is for the other PR med schools? Would be nice to compare

Also, from those who recently interviewed and got accepted, what were your stats? Would really appreciate it
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I'd like to know the match rate for other PR schools as well. I also know that this match cycle, high tier US mainland schools that had 95% match rates came down to 90%, so it seems like there is a huge impact across schools.
 
II just now, complete end of January! The email says it’s a group interview. Any interview advice, especially with this type of interview setup, would be greatly appreciated!
 
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klkqlqh said:
I went to the virtual open house that they had recently and one of the moderators mentioned 82% match rate. During my interview someone also asked and I had the feeling that they weren't trying to say what it actually was. I think it's important to keep in mind that this past year was something of an anomaly. I cant imagine what MS4s went through with all the restrictions. Maybe that influenced it ? Do you guys know what the match rate is for the other PR med schools? Would be nice to compare

Also, from those who recently interviewed and got accepted, what were your stats? Would really appreciate it
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2020-2021 match cycle was quite difficult due to limited MS4 rotations in the island, so don't be surprise if the match rate of all 4 schools went down. The only school that made their stats public was SJB school of medicine which was 88% initially and 90% after SOAP, but take into consideration that their class is small in size ( 38 seniors made match). In comparison UCC, Ponce and RCM have more people participating in the match so it would not be surprising that their match rate was below 90%. Also, all four PR schools have a good representation in a wide variety of specialties and US territory.
Ponce match is quite a mystery but usually they have a good representation in the US territory. The following are 2021 match results made public by schools or social media:
SJB match in places like University of Nevada, GW, Miami, New Mexico, etc...
UCC match in places like Harvard, Yale, NIH, UCLA, Mayo Clinic, GW, Columbia, etc...
RCM match in places like Baylor, Stanford, Emory, Duke and as usual dominated RCM residency programs.
Hope this info can help.
 
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VAM58 said:
2020-2021 match cycle was quite difficult due to limited MS4 rotations in the island, so don't be surprise if the match rate of all 4 schools went down. The only school that made their stats public was SJB school of medicine which was 88% initially and 90% after SOAP, but take into consideration that their class is small in size ( 38 seniors made match). In comparison UCC, Ponce and RCM have more people participating in the match so it would not be surprising that their match rate was below 90%. Also, all four PR schools have a good representation in a wide variety of specialties and US territory.
Ponce match is quite a mystery but usually they have a good representation in the US territory. The following are 2021 match results made public by schools or social media:
SJB match in places like University of Nevada, GW, Miami, New Mexico, etc...
UCC match in places like Harvard, Yale, NIH, UCLA, Mayo Clinic, GW, Columbia, etc...
RCM match in places like Baylor, Stanford, Emory, Duke and as usual dominated RCM residency programs.
Hope this info can help.
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How does UCC manage to match at such impressive places?
 
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deomnibusdubitandum said:
How does UCC manage to match at such impressive places?
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The match is going to depend on the commitment and hard work of the student, also results vary from class to class. Having a high MCAT score or entering to RCM does not guarantee you 4 years later a top residency. Also, remember that many students who end up in UCC or Ponce had the potential to be in RCM, but the difference was their below range MCAT scores. So attending to any of the 4 schools in PR is fair game depending of what specialty you want and also what connections can the school/former students can provide. In terms of UCC is their second consecutive year having impressive matches, so something they are doing right in their selection criteria, in addition from what I heard, they help/encourage students to fulfill their potential something that smaller schools usually do.
So my advice is to look for recent match results, in general the private schools have good matches. In addition, you should ask in what hospitals the students do their clinical rotation and what are the existing connections in terms of away rotations. Hope it helps!
 
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VAM58 said:
The match is going to depend on the commitment and hard work of the student, also results vary from class to class. Having a high MCAT score or entering to RCM does not guarantee you 4 years later a top residency. Also, remember that many students who end up in UCC or Ponce had the potential to be in RCM, but the difference was their below range MCAT scores. So attending to any of the 4 schools in PR is fair game depending of what specialty you want and also what connections can the school/former students can provide. In terms of UCC is their second consecutive year having impressive matches, so something they are doing right in their selection criteria, in addition from what I heard, they help/encourage students to fulfill their potential something that smaller schools usually do.
So my advice is to look for recent match results, in general the private schools have good matches. In addition, you should ask in what hospitals the students do their clinical rotation and what are the existing connections in terms of away rotations. Hope it helps!
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To add to this, remember that if you want competitive specialties, RESEARCH is a must and excelling in your clinical years.
 
Any accepted students or current students from the Mainland who plan to move/already moved down to Ponce? I'm trying to plan the entire moving to PR process and it would be helpful to talk to other people in the same boat.
 
VAM58 said:
The match is going to depend on the commitment and hard work of the student, also results vary from class to class. Having a high MCAT score or entering to RCM does not guarantee you 4 years later a top residency. Also, remember that many students who end up in UCC or Ponce had the potential to be in RCM, but the difference was their below range MCAT scores. So attending to any of the 4 schools in PR is fair game depending of what specialty you want and also what connections can the school/former students can provide. In terms of UCC is their second consecutive year having impressive matches, so something they are doing right in their selection criteria, in addition from what I heard, they help/encourage students to fulfill their potential something that smaller schools usually do.
So my advice is to look for recent match results, in general the private schools have good matches. In addition, you should ask in what hospitals the students do their clinical rotation and what are the existing connections in terms of away rotations. Hope it helps!
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I loved UCC and the interview I felt more comfortable was with them. Unfortunately their accreditation is on probation, and I personally didn’t want to risk it and decided to reject the acceptance. If they didn’t have the probation, I would have probably choose them over the rest.
 
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ocond003 said:
I loved UCC and the interview I felt more comfortable was with them. Unfortunately their accreditation is on probation, and I personally didn’t want to risk it and decided to reject the acceptance. If they didn’t have the probation, I would have probably choose them over the rest.
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Their accreditation is no longer under probation
 
PRdoc12 said:
Their accreditation is no longer under probation
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As per LCME Website, they still are on probation, and when i asked during my interview they confirmed it.
 

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ocond003 said:
As per LCME Website, they still are on probation, and when i asked during my interview they confirmed it.
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Had the same doubt and recently talked to someone in the directive. They recently had a meeting regarding the LCME accreditation. They told me that the meeting went favorable and that they will not be in probation. I don't know why they haven’t made it public yet.
 
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PRdoc12 said:
Had the same doubt and recently talked to someone in the directive. They recently had a meeting regarding the LCME accreditation. They told me that the meeting went favorable and that they will not be in probation. I don't know why they haven’t made it public yet.
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Hopefully it is true, and it’s a shame for me because I rejected them when I liked them, but I didn’t want to risk it. Thanks for letting us know.
 
Yepamedstudent said:
To add to this, remember that if you want competitive specialties, RESEARCH is a must and excelling in your clinical years.
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I can confirm Research years are a most in PHSU, UCC or SJB. If you want a competitive specialty, from UCC two of the 5 student that match in competitive fields did research years. My friend from PHSU that match in derm did a research year. He tells me a couple of other people did too.
 
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