Any pleasant experiences or regrets?

[ordinaryguy]

For those of you who are attending or have attended Caribbean medical schools like St. George?s University and Ross University, are there any unexpected positive experiences or regrets that you have experienced? I think that this pathway to obtain a M.D. is a great pathway for those determined to become a physician.

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[awdc]

You're probably not getting any responses because everyone is studying for finals and/or shelf exams. I'll post after all the madness is done.

 

[DATtaker]

Post this on the Ross and SGU forums at www.valueMD.com.

both of those boards get a lot of traffic.

 

[stephew]

good education, great memories and friends., unexpected.

 

[Bevo]

none thus far.

 

[Skip Intro]

Scuba diving. That was tops in Dominica. Something I probably otherwise would never have done, but now will do as much as I can whenever I can.

Great friends. I've met some incredible people who will, without a doubt, be lifelong friends.

Personal growth. If I had gone in the U.S., there's a chance that, up to this stage in my career, I'd have been one of those "holier-than-thou" U.S. students who automatically thought that I was somehow better, smarter, more deserving, more privileged (etc.) over my non-U.S. counterparts. (Of course, I had a lot of experience with both U.S. and foreign-trained doctors before I made my decision to go and who helped me make my decision to go.)

Going to Ross is not a walk in the park. I can only speak for my experiences, but I know that they've made me a stronger, better, more enriched person because of them. And, part of growth is learning to accept what you can't change as well as realizing that you will never be able to please everyone. In other words (and in the words of 311), "f*ck the naysayers because they don't mean a thing." If someone doesn't want to come to me because I'm a "Caribbean doctor", then fine. Go see someone else.

So, to answer your question about pleasant experiences and regrets in a more indirect way: if I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't change a thing.

-Skip

 

[Stephen Ewen]

Originally posted by Skip Intro
Personal growth. If I had gone in the U.S., there's a chance that, up to this stage in my career, I'd have been one of those "holier-than-thou" U.S. students who automatically thought that I was somehow better, smarter, more deserving, more privileged (etc.) over my non-U.S. counterparts.

....

Going to Ross is not a walk in the park. I can only speak for my experiences, but I know that they've made me a stronger, better, more enriched person because of them.

....

If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't change a thing.

-Skip

 

[ALMD2B]

For those of you who are attending or have attended Caribbean medical schools like St. George?s University and Ross University, are there any unexpected positive experiences or regrets that you have experienced? I think that this pathway to obtain a M.D. is a great pathway for those determined to become a physician.

Unexpected? Yes, of course.
-The plane trip to the island is a starter.
-Meeting so many crazy people.
-i have now become cold intolerant (it was about 100F each day on the island)...what's snow???
-oh those wonderful fruits and fruit juices. (I miss them!)
-able to pass my boards (so far).
-i have acquired excellent clinical examination skills!
-safety for females is always an issue on the island. (buyer beware!)
-regrets: not going to SGU

Hope it helps!

 

[Brian Pavlovitz]

Amen, Skip Intro!

I had a rather positive experience in Grenada. It also wasn't easy, but it's one heck of an experience! Besides, isn't it nice to hit the beach after your exams?? (I say this as it's about 10 with the wind chill here in Rochester)!

All levity aside, I feel that my education has been exceptional thus-far (I'll let you know after the Step this summer)! There are, of course, positives and negatives, but I'm happy that I made the decision to study at SGU. Dominica also sounds lovely, by the way!

--Brian

 

[soopa]

Originally posted by ALMD2B
-regrets: not going to SGU

Could you comment a little more on this one? Seems like you had success where you are now..........SGU for reputation?

 

[ALMD2B]

Originally posted by soopa
Could you comment a little more on this one? Seems like you had success where you are now..........SGU for reputation?

Well, since i'm doing my clinical rotations now, i'm referring more to the Clinical Rotations part of med school.
Yes, reputation wise, SGU has a better name among clinicians, but also, SGU has more clinical sites than Ross. SGU has gained some (but not all) of Ross's clinical sites (esp. in NY)...for example, Ross used to have clinical rotations at Jamaica Hospital, but now it is solely for SGU students. (this is a downside for Ross).

Ross will make you into a doctor and get you into a good residency.

I hope this helps.