ADVICE NEEDED: Withdrew from Carib, want to reapply

[AnxiousMia]

I withdrew from SGU as an MS2 due to the mess happening with COVID. Zoom medical school was not for me and I decided to withdraw and start over instead. I realize that I have quite the challenge ahead of me but I desperately need advice. I know I need to retake my MCAT for a better chance and I was considering doing a one-year MS or MA. What else should I do??

Update: So I'm confused. I thought an SMP is the same as an MS/MA (one-year programs that help boost my application and prove to schools that I can handle graduate coursework). Is there a difference I'm unaware of?

Also, I only applied to US schools for one cycle before. I was burnt out from the MCAT and was discouraged from attempting an SMP and a second try by other students who still didn't make it after multiple cycles. That's why I headed to the Caribbean.

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[asmallpremed]

I withdrew from SGU as an MS2 due to the mess happening with COVID. Zoom medical school was not for me and I decided to withdraw and start over instead. I realize that I have quite the challenge ahead of me but I desperately need advice. I know I need to retake my MCAT for a better chance and I was considering doing a one-year MS or MA. What else should I do??

Hi, To be brutally honest, from what you said so far, you have a very small chance, in the single digits, to get into a US MD or DO. Withdrawing from SGU is not a good look to the adcoms. Nurse practitioner programs are not as selective. NP job openings have a 40% growth rate in the next decade. I think that they will possibly give you a chance, and they aren't going anywhere.

 

[Chads2]

Hi, To be brutally honest, from what you said so far, you have a very small chance, in the single digits, to get into a US MD or DO. Withdrawing from SGU is not a good look to the adcoms. Nurse practitioner programs are not as selective. NP job openings have a 40% growth rate in the next decade. I think that they will possibly give you a chance, and they aren't going anywhere.

If OP is not already a nurse, then being an NP is a circuitous route at best. Better off being a PA.

 

[asmallpremed]

If you are dead set on becoming a doctor, consider a premed specific post-bacc instead of a MA or MS. Visit the mcat subreddit, r/mcat, for mcat specific advice for studying. I recommend Anki. Also, there is a good post for re-inventors here: Goro's advice for pre-meds who need reinvention

Good luck!

 

[Dave1980]

I withdrew from SGU as an MS2 due to the mess happening with COVID. Zoom medical school was not for me and I decided to withdraw and start over instead. I realize that I have quite the challenge ahead of me but I desperately need advice. I know I need to retake my MCAT for a better chance and I was considering doing a one-year MS or MA. What else should I do??

It's over. You can't recover from withdrawing from the Caribbean.

Time to consider other careers.

 

[Goro]

I withdrew from SGU as an MS2 due to the mess happening with COVID. Zoom medical school was not for me and I decided to withdraw and start over instead. I realize that I have quite the challenge ahead of me but I desperately need advice. I know I need to retake my MCAT for a better chance and I was considering doing a one-year MS or MA. What else should I do??

MA or MS (research) won't help. Do an SMP

 

[alm414]

I withdrew from SGU as an MS2 due to the mess happening with COVID. Zoom medical school was not for me and I decided to withdraw and start over instead. I realize that I have quite the challenge ahead of me but I desperately need advice. I know I need to retake my MCAT for a better chance and I was considering doing a one-year MS or MA. What else should I do??

GPA? MCAT? Any notable EC's / Publications?

It's kind of a red flag that you went to the Caribbean in the first place. It's even more of a red flag that you dropped out. Knowing your stats would probably help to figure out if your situation is insurmountable or not. A naïve 3.5, 510 applicant who went carib and dropped out probably stands a much better chance at reapplying than a 2.8, 497 applicant who went carib and dropped out.

 

[LondonVibes]

MA or MS (research) won't help. Do an SMP

Would an SMP rememdiate the fact that OP dropped out of medical school? The advice here seems to be that dropping out is the end of one’s medical career, regardless of the school.

 

[LondonVibes]

For other readers reading this, once you matriculated into the Carribean, usually your best shot by far is to survive the gauntlet, keep yourself from being kicked out (harder than most think at Carib), and match successfully into the places that take Carribean. While over half of the Big4 Carib who apply to US residencies make it, there are reasons why Carib is still ill advised, and almost all main ADCOMs on here will tell you to stay away.

 

[Goro]

Would an SMP rememdiate the fact that OP dropped out of medical school? The advice here seems to be that dropping out is the end of one’s medical career, regardless of the school.

It works at my school, even though I personally don't like Carib refugees in our program, as I feel that they had their chance. But I keep getting shot down on this in our admissions meetings.

 

[Hotshy]

Dropping out of carib med school, and applying US MD/DO. That application is most likely DOA or extremely unlikely to be successful. OP should consider back up plan ASAP, especially if low GPA, low MCAT. Would be very hard to erase Adcom doubts.

 

[LondonVibes]

It works at my school, even though I personally don't like Carib refugees in our program, as I feel that they had their chance. But I keep getting shot down on this in our admissions meetings.

That’s interesting. It seems based on other responses to the thread that they may have issues with other schools entirely, but this is likely one of those ADCOM dependent things.

 

[Goro]

That’s interesting. It seems based on other responses to the thread that they may have issues with other schools entirely, but this is likely one of those ADCOM dependent things.

I suspect much more for MD than for DO

 

[cali-native86]

Why didn't you take a 1 year leave of absence and just return after classes returned in person? All med schools were zoom-based this past year, so I don't see how your experience would have been any different at another school. I would forget med school at this point and look into other career paths, unless of course you are willing to just do Caribbean again--- I am pretty sure Caribbean will gladly take your money again

 

[Redpancreas]

I withdrew from SGU as an MS2 due to the mess happening with COVID. Zoom medical school was not for me and I decided to withdraw and start over instead. I realize that I have quite the challenge ahead of me but I desperately need advice. I know I need to retake my MCAT for a better chance and I was considering doing a one-year MS or MA. What else should I do??

Update: So I'm confused. I thought an SMP is the same as an MS/MA (one-year programs that help boost my application and prove to schools that I can handle graduate coursework). Is there a difference I'm unaware of?

Also, I only applied to US schools for one cycle before. I was burnt out from the MCAT and was discouraged from attempting an SMP and a second try by other students who still didn't make it after multiple cycles. That's why I headed to the Caribbean.

You have a long road ahead of you.

1.) Take an SMP and outperform the medical students.
2.) Retake the MCAT and score decent.

Both will be challenging, especially the second thing but this will be the only way to get back in and don't turn your head at a DO school especially given your history.

 

[Isoval]

Your chances are abysmal, but not zero, to get into a US MD or DO school after withdrawing from the Caribbean.

Your best chance at this point is to pursue an SMP + MCAT retake and fully reinvent yourself. But, before doing that, make sure you’re okay with the prospect of spending 15,000$ that may result in absolutely nothing, since your chances are very poor.

 

[AnxiousMia]

Thanks, everyone for your advice. I understand that it's a terrible situation to be in but I have to try since I don't want to live with what-ifs. My plan is to prioritize the MCAT retake over the summer. If I can't improve my score then I will close that chapter of my life and pursue a different career.

 

[Doc_Ock]

I would just go to PA school imo.

 

[LondonVibes]

I would just go to PA school imo.

Seconded I would go PA, if they even accept OP

 

[cali-native86]

Seconded I would go PA, if they even accept OP

Or consider NP / DNP programs. The barriers to entry are far less than med schools and even less competitive than PA schools. The OP is wasting his time, money, and energy on med school

 

[LondonVibes]

Or consider NP / DNP programs. The barriers to entry are far less than med schools and even less competitive than PA schools. The OP is wasting his time, money, and energy on med school

Make sure they’re quality programs though. You don’t want to have an online NP degree and get hired by a place that basically gives you a doctor’s practice job.