Attending Ross after withdrawing from a US med school

[SunnySmile]

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Background:
2006-2007 : started M1 year at my state school and took a leave of absence due to poor grades.

2007-2008 : Restarted my M1 year (while on the "academic achievment plan" AAP) and passed with a 3.3 GPA

2008-2009 : Started my M2 year while still on the AAP and failed the first set of exams. My school would not let me take leave, but I am guaranteed to fail one course which is not taught in the summer, which means I will fail the M2 year. My school gave me two options: withdraw or go in front of the executive faculty committee. If I go to the executive faculty and they vote to dismiss me, it goes on my permanent record that I have been dismissed. If I withdraw, it goes on my record that i withdrew. The dean told me that if anyone called the school, that her only response would be that I withdrew facing disciplinary action.

I plan on withdrawing because I have one professor on the committee that is not on my side about staying, and because I am not risky. I would rather take the education I have and go somewhere else than to have a dismissal on my record. Also, I have been told that very few people successfully make it through the committee and stay at school.

I called Ross University about transfering. They were very encouraging about applying, but the more I read, the more worried I am about getting a residency after going to Ross with my past record.

What I want to know is - do you think it is possible to salvage my education by going to Ross? Do you think I would be able to get a residency? (I would like to go into EM, FM, or IM)

Thanks!

 

[McGillGrad]

Ross AUC annd SGU would probably take you but you would probably have to start over at SGU and AUC but I am not on the admin committee.

Those three you listed are realistic goals as long as you score okay on the step.

 

[tkim]

Ross AUC annd SGU would probably take you but you would probably have to start over at SGU and AUC but I am not on the admin committee.

Those three you listed are realistic goals as long as you score okay on the step.

EM is actually about as competitive as general surgery, ob/gyn, and anesthesia. So, mid-tier. IM, FM, peds, more likely.

 

[McGillGrad]

EM is actually about as competitive as general surgery, ob/gyn, and anesthesia. So, mid-tier. IM, FM, peds, more likely.

To the OP: It changes year to year so the IM, FM and Peds spots will be there.

GAS, EM and OB/Gyn weren't that competitive a few years ago. Who knows what will be competitive in 4 years from now (besides the usual suspects, of course)

 

[tkim]

To the OP: It changes year to year so the IM, FM and Peds spots will be there.

GAS, EM and OB/Gyn weren't that competitive a few years ago. Who knows what will be competitive in 4 years from now (besides the usual suspects, of course)

Right, which is why you look at what's competitive now. And mid-tier up it's gsurg, anesthesia, EM, and OB.

 

[digitalising]

If you haven't already done so, you may want to figure out why you're doing so poorly. The worst thing that can happen is for you to withdraw from a med school, go somewhere else, and repeat the same pattern at a school which may be less inclined to let you stay with poor grades.

 

[dragonfly99]

I strongly agree with digitalising...
you need to figure out why you are failing. Your school already gave you one second chance, and then you failed another exam. Don't think I am totally unsympathetic, because I flunked an exam once as a 1st year med student, and it totally sucked I remember. It's just that you can't think that just by changing geographic locations, that things will be different and better. You are going to have to work at whatever med school you end up at, and if you go to the Caribbean then you will have 2 strikes against you in the residency Match - being from a Caribbean school and having left and/or failed out of your original US medical school.

I think that whatever you do (withdraw or try to stay) is a gamble. However, from my point of view I think you should try like hell to stay in your current med school. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I honestly don't see much difference between having "withdrawn facing disciplinary action" and having been "let go/failed out". To me there isn't much difference. HOWEVER, if it is as you say and almost nobody gets through this disciplinary committee, then it might be better to actually withdraw. I'm not sure we have enough information to tell you what to do. Did you fail the test just from not studying, or not being able to understand the information? Has there been any cheating/academic dishonesty or other issues that they are unlikely to forgive you for? If you do decide to go before the academic committee, I would have a definite plan to present, one that you have discussed with the dean or a friendly faculty member that you know. Show them that you have a plan for academic remediation, so that this won't happen again. It will probably be tough to convince them but perhaps they will be swayed if they are convinced of your passion for medicine and that you are committed to doing what you need to do to stay there.

I think ER residency in the US will be hard to get from a Caribbean school. IM or FP not so much. I don't really know how Carib grads who have initially withdrawn or failed from US med school are viewed in the Match...that's just another wrinkle. If your problem in the US med school was passing tests, I would worry a little that your problem down in the Caribbean would be getting a good enough USMLE score to match well in the US.

If you are super stressed and/or depressed, you may need to get some counseling as part of your plan of figuring out what you need to do academically...don't know where you go to school or whether they are supportive vs. not, but you may want to go either within or outside your school for help. I'm sure this is a very stressful situation...

 

[silas2642]

I second what dragonfly has to say-- before you make any decisions as to whether or not to attend a Caribbean school, you need to take a serious look at yourself and figure out why you are failing. Are you simply not comprehending the material? Are the classes moving too quickly for you? Are you not studying enough?

I would definitely speak with your dean/student services extensively as to what ALL your options are in terms of staying in your current school. Is there any way you can take another leave of absence and remediate your second year? Can you take a block off during your third year and repeat the classes next year? What would actually happen if you placed the academic disciplinary committee? (not based on school rumor). Caribbean may be an option, but I wouldn't go there unless I had to, and even then...

Things at a Caribbean school are only going to be harder, not easier. If you're not making it at a US school, than I think you're more likely to struggle at Ross. It's okay if you don't make it through med school; it's hard and there is more to life than practicing medicine.

 

[Skip Intro]

Things at a Caribbean school are only going to be harder, not easier. If you're not making it at a US school, than I think you're more likely to struggle at Ross. It's okay if you don't make it through med school; it's hard and there is more to life than practicing medicine.

Heed this advice. It is very good. The worst possible scenario for you is to waste another two years of your life, and be an additional $60-80 thousand dollars in debt.

The other concerns raised on this thread are equally valid. If you get through, you will get a residency somewhere. But, I'd expect it to be in FP at probably a less-than-desirable location, unless you go to Ross absolutely rock, and kill the boards (I mean, totally destroy them - 230+ on both of the first two parts of the Steps). Only you can answer whether or not you're capable of that.

Good luck, whatever you choose.

-Skip