Any Ross University Students?, please advise

[nthstar]

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Hello,

I was recently accepted to Ross for Fall 2009. I am feeling a bit nervous about starting there, just because I have had some concerns that had arisen recently. So, I would greatly appreciate any feedback.

1. Do you feel that Ross has prepared you well for the USMLE? I looked at the FAQs on the website, and they had said that students with a particular GPA has had a high first time pass rate. I wanted to know from the students, if they feel this is true?

2. Regarding clinical rotations, I have heard that the spots are actually limited and that students may not be adequately prepared for this step? What do some students in clinical rotations feel about this aspect?

3. What are some of the biggest challenges that students face at Ross?

4. How do students feel about Ross placing their students into residencies?

5. If you had a choice to redo med. school, would you choose to go to Ross?

I am just concerned because I have heard certain things or read certain thing recently about Ross, but there is not better source than hearing from a student who actually goes to Ross. Any feedback or advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[takeaguess]

I went to Ross for a semester, dropped out, then started fresh at a D.O. school. The main reason was that I became interested into really competitive specialty which was almost impossible for ross grads to attain.

1. Ross does a great job preparing you for the USMLE. They have a well-organized curriculum and great professors. Ross will tell you they have +90% pass rate but don't be fool by this number. The reason is that the school does not allow you to take the USMLE UNLESS you pass their comprehensive exam at the end of the 5th semester. The comp exam is very similar to the boards so it's a way for them to make sure that if you take the USMLE you'll pass. Essentially that percentage doesn't mean much. I know there were students stuck on the island because they couldn't pass their comp.

2. From what I heard from many students, you will get the clinical rotations you need. The only problem is that you might be moving around the country a lot. I even heard sometimes students won't even know where they're going for their next rotation until a few days before it starts. But they are getting better at it. You may also have a hard time getting the elective and location you want.

3. The biggest challenge I think Ross students faced is getting used to the 3rd world environment (I have friends that have been on the island for 4 semesters and still hate it), and of course getting into a competitive residency.

4. Primary care residencies in the US are having the hardest time every year to fill up their spots. Most US grads don't want to do it; therefore there will always be spots open for IMGs. It is very possible for IMGs to get into specialties but just know that the competition will be higher for you compare to US med students. Also if you're trying to get into plastic, derm, ENT or ophtho, I think no one in the history of Ross has ever matched into it.

5. Most Ross graduated students I spoke to said they're confident about their education and pretty happy with their decision.

Here's what I think. Ross will definitely give you the opportunity to practice in the US but you have to work really hard on your own. They'll help you less then US med schools. That's why about half the 1st semester students fail out. With Ross, you haven't proven anything until you pass the USMLE step 1. Also, Dominica is a 3rd world country to get used to. The water from the sink is not drinkable; everything in town from rent to food is overpriced (you're being quite exploited); if you want to buy food at reasonable price you have to take a 45 min cab ride to the main city; there has been robberies and even a few rapes happening when people walk home at night (even though the school does everything it can to cover it up). These are just a few examples of things that made it harder for me to study and focus on school. However if you put in the work, Ross will give you an internationally respectable MD that will allow you to practice in all 50 states. The island is also very beautiful, you will have good times there with your classmates, and it is a lifetime experience that will change you.

Honestly I've been to Ross and I say go to DO school instead if you can even if that means you have to wait a year. DO schools are getting more and more competitive and it's only a matter of time until they get the same respect as MD schools. I know plenty of people that denied US MD schools for a DO school. Also, you will have a way better shot at choosing which medical specialty you want, you will be more respected as a medical student, you’ll have a more pleasant med student life, and less headaches dealing with being an IMG during rotations, licensing, and residency. However if you know for a fact you want to do primary care and really really care about having an MD vs DO (which I’ve never heard of any DOs in practice complain), then Caribbean med school could be the answer.

PS I would choose SGU over Ross. SGU is less 3rd world, has more of a campus and has a more impressive match in my opinion.

Send me a message if you have any questions. Good luck

 

[Gavanshir]

I don't agree with some of the points in the above points although I have not been to Ross myself. I would suggest to the TS to take a look at www.valuemd.com and the Ross forum there for a better idea of what it's like there. But it would be great if we could get more answers on here as well.

 

[RussianJoo]

most people on valuemd are very unhappy with Ross. it's a pretty negative forum when compared with SGU's. that's one of the main reasons i picked SGU over Ross and i am very happy i did. of course if i know what i know now about DO schools i would go there instead of both of those schools, but it's too late for that now. do your research.

 

[Gavanshir]

I know enough about DO schools and I would still choose to go Carib over them. Do you know something I don't?

 

[Gavanshir]

most people on valuemd are very unhappy with Ross. it's a pretty negative forum when compared with SGU's. that's one of the main reasons i picked SGU over Ross and i am very happy i did. of course if i know what i know now about DO schools i would go there instead of both of those schools, but it's too late for that now. do your research.

BTW I've been on ValueMD for some years now and would definitely disagree that most people are unhappy with Ross. Of course there are always a few sour ones with bad expectations but they seem to be the minority to me.

 

[RussianJoo]

everytime i see a Ross Vs. SGU thread on there everyone always says don't be stupid go to SGU. people constantly complain about the unfair practices of Ross like rising passing grades unannounced and thus causing more people to fail the class. also what about all those people that have a tough time finishing their 3rd year rotations cause Ross doesn't have enough spots for everyone? like peds.... and having to take step2 without having done all your rotations or even not finishing your core rotation till the end of 4th year.

you guys do what you want, but i would never recommend ross to anyone, unless i wanted that person to be misirable on the island and not graduate on time or not at all.

 

[RussianJoo]

I know enough about DO schools and I would still choose to go Carib over them. Do you know something I don't?

then have fun getting a useless degree. because in a few years it will be almost impossible for IMGs to get any residency yet alone something other than FM, IM, Peds or Psych.

book mark this post and in 4 years when you're applying for a residency come here and see that my advice is spot on.

 

[Gavanshir]

C'mon buddy stop being vague and get right down to it. You think Obama's healthcare will put more focus on the need for family physicians to the point that they will make it almost impossible for IMGs to specialize? I think if that does happen it will affect ALL medstudents, not just IMGs.

 

[RussianJoo]

C'mon buddy stop being vague and get right down to it. You think Obama's healthcare will put more focus on the need for family physicians to the point that they will make it almost impossible for IMGs to specialize? I think if that does happen it will affect ALL medstudents, not just IMGs.

no i am sorry, not everything revolves around our "great" president. the reason I said what i did is because the number of US grads is increasing at a much faster rate than the growth of residency spots. the government told med schools to increase their class size by at least 30%, and new med schools are opening up as well, not just DO but also MD schools. With the economic crisis and the financial problems that medicare is having (Medicare is who funds residencies), it's not very likely that anything will be done any time soon about residency spots. this means as more US grads graduate from med school less IMGs and FMGs will be accepted into residencies. Remember that IMGs and FMGs are there to fill the extra spots left over. in the 2009 Match according the NRMP, 47% of IMGs/FMGs matched into a residency and 97% of US grads matched. So when the number of US increases to equal the number of residencies (which my program director states will happen in around 2012) what do you think will happen to all the FMGs? They'll simply not match and without completing a US residency you can't be licensed in the US to practice medicine, thus i said you won't be able to match into any residency including primary care.

 

[RussianJoo]

please read other posts, all this has been discussed at length with specific examples sited.

 

[takeaguess]

people constantly complain about the unfair practices of Ross like rising passing grades unannounced and thus causing more people to fail the class.

It's pretty common for students to fail a semester and thus having to pay another tuition to retake it on the island. As I remember if you fail only one class they make you retake the entire semester for it. It seems to me Ross likes doing this to make more money off of you. People have to understand that Ross needs to graduate qualified physicians, have good residency placement, and high USMLE pass rate in order to build a reputation, but in the end this school is purely business and all about making money from students. You will feel this as soon as you start orientation