AUC (Caribbean School)

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verydesperate

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:scared:I am not the strongest candidate statistically (3.40 gpa and 22 MCAT) and I have been told that I will need to interview IN-PERSON. This scares me a little because I have heard that the school doesn't usually interview people and if they do, it is usually a phone interview?
Any insight on this would really help me.
Thanks.
:scared:

GUYS, if I didn't do it, would I be able to even dream of getting into a D.O school????
I mean I know the Caribbean is easier to get into than a D.O. school. and as much as I would like to not think about it, I am not getting any younger.
 
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Save the airfare, retake MCAT and apply DO. You're setting yourself up for a long, difficult climb.
 
Agree with the above. You only need to raise your MCAT 3-4 points to be competitive at DO schools. It will be difficult to get residency in the US from the Caribbean in future (it already is).
 
How old are you?

I know a DO graduate and current resident who is in her 50s.
 
If you go Caribbean and fail to match, you could end up in financial ruin. If you drill down on MCAT and make DO work, you're much better positioned to succeed with only an additional year added on.
 
What kind of study time were you dedicating for that MCAT? I bet you could raise that 22 to at least a 25 and get into a DO school if you gave it another shot. Have to think long term here. Don't just go Caribbean because you think you are running out of time or something.
 
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Mt Kilimanjaro said:
Save the airfare, retake MCAT and apply DO. You're setting yourself up for a long, difficult climb.
Click to expand...

+111111

Retake the MCAT and try to shoot for a 28-30. Your GPA isn't that bad, and if you can get your MCAT close to 30 you should have a good shot for DO. Caribbean should be a LAST LAST resort. How much time did you devot to MCAT studying? Use the airfare money to enroll in a prep course.
 
Honestly I feel like if you've done your research and you know that this is what you want to do then by all means go for it. I know a lot of ppl who have become successful doctors who came from the Big 4 schools. My take is, if u think u can improve on the 22 then do that and go for the DO route cause that will make things easier. However, if you think that 22 is ur limit and you know the risk of going then by all means go. YES, u can still become a doctor but you'll have to work harder and prove yourself but you will still have a chance, a harder chance, but a chance nonetheless to practice medicine in the US if you do well.
 
verydesperate said:
:scared:I am not the strongest candidate statistically (3.40 gpa and 22 MCAT) and I have been told that I will need to interview IN-PERSON. This scares me a little because I have heard that the school doesn't usually interview people and if they do, it is usually a phone interview?
Any insight on this would really help me.
Thanks.
:scared:

GUYS, if I didn't do it, would I be able to even dream of getting into a D.O school????
I mean I know the Caribbean is easier to get into than a D.O. school. and as much as I would like to not think about it, I am not getting any younger.
Click to expand...

Wrong place to ask this question, my friend. If you're looking for Carib school love you need to talk to the folks over at "Valuemd"..
 
Mt Kilimanjaro said:
... If you drill down on MCAT and make DO work, you're much better positioned to succeed with only an additional year added on.
Click to expand...

It might not even be an additional years difference. Because you have internal hurdles at most offshore schools before you can progress, because it's not always easy to line up the core rotations when you need them (the school has contracts with a bunch of community hospitals around the US, all if which can accommodate a certain number, which can lead to logistical issues and people boxed out of things they need to graduate on time), and because now and then some offshore grads need to do a prelim just to prove themselves for a future match into a categorical spot, where they end up repeating an intern year, the offshore path can often be much longer than burning a year to fix your stats. The percentage doing offshore school in just four years is lot worse than at a US program. And that's putting aside the issues you are going to have matching in 4+ years.
 
Ost3oclast said:
This. Don't go carib unless it is literally your last option.
Click to expand...

And by last option, he means not even Podiatry (DPM) programs will consider you AND you flunked the OAT so Optometry's not an option. In other words, if there is literally ANY OTHER PROGRAM you could potentially apply to, it will be better than AUC.
 
Spend one year studying for an MCAT retake while retaking any courses (pre-reqs first if any) that you a C or lower in and apply DO. Do NOT go to the Caribbean
 
ToldYouSo said:
Spend one year studying for an MCAT retake while retaking any courses (pre-reqs first if any) that you a C or lower in and apply DO. Do NOT go to the Caribbean
Click to expand...


Really .. One year... >?? OP DO NOT take this advice.

One year is wayyyy too long to study for the MCAT-- OP will burn out. Take 3-4 months to study for the MCAT. You may not even need that long. Retake MCAT, get a 27+ and if possible try taking a few classes to raise your gpa a bit more.

Good Luck!
 
verydesperate said:
:scared:I am not the strongest candidate statistically (3.40 gpa and 22 MCAT) and I have been told that I will need to interview IN-PERSON. This scares me a little because I have heard that the school doesn't usually interview people and if they do, it is usually a phone interview?
Any insight on this would really help me.
Thanks.
:scared:

GUYS, if I didn't do it, would I be able to even dream of getting into a D.O school????
I mean I know the Caribbean is easier to get into than a D.O. school. and as much as I would like to not think about it, I am not getting any younger.
Click to expand...

Just retake the MCAT and apply DO. That should answer your question and resolve any controversy in this thread.

ToldYouSo said:
Spend one year studying for an MCAT retake while retaking any courses (pre-reqs first if any) that you a C or lower in and apply DO. Do NOT go to the Caribbean
Click to expand...

Nice sarcasm dude.
 
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VinceViegel said:
Nobody is suggesting podiatry? OP is a shoo-in to get accepted and it's a pretty good profession too. You still get to practice medicine and even surgery.
Click to expand...

See below:

music2doc said:
And by last option, he means not even Podiatry (DPM) programs will consider you AND you flunked the OAT so Optometry's not an option. In other words, if there is literally ANY OTHER PROGRAM you could potentially apply to, it will be better than AUC.
Click to expand...
 
Dportorreal said:
Really .. One year... >?? OP DO NOT take this advice.

One year is wayyyy too long to study for the MCAT-- OP will burn out. Take 3-4 months to study for the MCAT. You may not even need that long. Retake MCAT, get a 27+ and if possible try taking a few classes to raise your gpa a bit more.

Good Luck!
Click to expand...

Agent B said:
Just retake the MCAT and apply DO. That should answer your question and resolve any controversy in this thread.



Nice sarcasm dude.
Click to expand...

Woops. What I meant was spend the next year retaking classes while studying for an MCAT retake; NOT study 1 year for the mcat.
 
With only two or three more points it would be rather easy to get into one of the three new osteopathic schools. With luck, even a much better one. Just retake the test.
 
music2doc said:
And by last option, he means not even Podiatry (DPM) programs will consider you AND you flunked the OAT so Optometry's not an option. In other words, if there is literally ANY OTHER PROGRAM you could potentially apply to, it will be better than AUC.
Click to expand...

And even then......it would be sketch.
 
TriagePreMed said:
With only two or three more points it would be rather easy to get into one of the three new osteopathic schools. With luck, even a much better one. Just retake the test.
Click to expand...

What are the 3 new osteopathic schools you speak of? What states?
 
pre med 2014 said:
What are the 3 new osteopathic schools you speak of? What states?
Click to expand...
CUSOM - North Carolina, MUCOM - Indiana, and ACOM - Alabama. In addition, there are other schools with low MCAT averages (but may depend more on your state of residence).
 
Go to an osteopathic school. Caribbean should only be your very last resort.
 
Take a year to improve your GPA. Is that your cum GPA or your science BCPM GPA? Take easy courses and retake some of your bio/chm/phy classes. STUDY HARD FOR YOUR MCATS.
 
caribbean schools are tough. it gets harder and harder every year to match in the US. my friend is currently a 3rd year at AUC and shes doing well (campus is amazing!! ... so jealous of that) but she kicked butt on her step 1 (>255) and she knew she needed to do extremely well to even have a chance of getting back to the US. shes still a year away from aplying and hopefully she matches but its a tough tough road and you need to be willing to work even harder than you would at a US school to have similar opportunities or else its just a waste of money.. unless you just want the degree and no residency
 
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ar2388 said:
caribbean schools are tough. it gets harder and harder every year to match in the US. my friend is currently a 3rd year at AUC and shes doing well (campus is amazing!! ... so jealous of that) but she kicked butt on her step 1 (>255) and she knew she needed to do extremely well to even have a chance of getting back to the US. shes still a year away from aplying and hopefully she matches but its a tough tough road and you need to be willing to work even harder than you would at a US school to have similar opportunities or else its just a waste of money.. unless you just want the degree and no residency
Click to expand...

This is scary. I need to make sure my brother reads this thread.
 
Jumoke said:
Wherever he goes, im sure his ride will be alot smoother than yours 😀
Click to expand...

I'm sure the carib beaches and their drinks with little umbrellas are very SMOOTH
 
To echo nearly everyone else. Retake and apply DO. Please don't go Carib!
Edit: Apply to the 3 new DO schools and schools with lower stats. That'll help you. But you really need to retake the MCAT to have a decent shot.

To go back to your original question regarding the interview: I know people who interviewed carib and their interviews were in-person at a regional site (like if you live in WI/MN/IL/IA/IN you interview in Chicago or something like that). Never heard of someone having to fly to the carib to interview. Sounds like a waste of money IMO.
 
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BuddyTheElf said:
To echo nearly everyone else. Retake and apply DO. Please don't go Carib!

To go back to your original question regarding the interview: I know people who interviewed carib and their interviews were in-person at a regional site (like if you live in WI/MN/IL/IA/IN you interview in Chicago or something like that). Never heard of someone having to fly to the carib to interview. Sounds like a waste of money IMO.
Click to expand...

So does driving to the next town over to interview... or attending medical school in the Carib for that matter. :laugh:
 
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I see a lot of Carib folks go IM or FP but never hear about any other specialty.. I would study for a month or two and try DO. You can be a derm DO , but probably not a derm from Carib
 
Im not liking what im hearing about Carrib these days
 
verydesperate said:
:scared:I am not the strongest candidate statistically (3.40 gpa and 22 MCAT) and I have been told that I will need to interview IN-PERSON. This scares me a little because I have heard that the school doesn't usually interview people and if they do, it is usually a phone interview?
Any insight on this would really help me.
Thanks.
:scared:

GUYS, if I didn't do it, would I be able to even dream of getting into a D.O school????
I mean I know the Caribbean is easier to get into than a D.O. school. and as much as I would like to not think about it, I am not getting any younger.
Click to expand...

Have you looked into Ponce School of Medicine? It is a US MD program in Puerto Rico. It is not a Caribbean school. I am applying there as a back up. I have friends who went there and are now in residency,

Also, has anyone heard about the program in Australia? I want to find the success of these outside US schools. I would rather stay in US but I thought I would do some investigation just in case. I haven't gotten my MCAT but I expect it to be high 20's low 30's unless I bombed it. I pre-emptively scheduled a MCAT test date in July just in case. I am sure that I am capable of a 34.

to me... MD=DO
 
verydesperate said:
:scared:I am not the strongest candidate statistically (3.40 gpa and 22 MCAT) and I have been told that I will need to interview IN-PERSON. This scares me a little because I have heard that the school doesn't usually interview people and if they do, it is usually a phone interview?
Any insight on this would really help me.
Thanks.
:scared:

GUYS, if I didn't do it, would I be able to even dream of getting into a D.O school????
I mean I know the Caribbean is easier to get into than a D.O. school. and as much as I would like to not think about it, I am not getting any younger.
Click to expand...

I think you should also try to re-take the MCAT... take time off work if you can and bring that score up!
 
tinylilron said:
Have you looked into Ponce School of Medicine? It is a US MD program in Puerto Rico. It is not a Caribbean school. I am applying there as a back up. I have friends who went there and are now in residency,

Also, has anyone heard about the program in Australia? I want to find the success of these outside US schools. I would rather stay in US but I thought I would do some investigation just in case. I haven't gotten my MCAT but I expect it to be high 20's low 30's unless I bombed it. I pre-emptively scheduled a MCAT test date in July just in case. I am sure that I am capable of a 34.

to me... MD=DO
Click to expand...

From what I hear PR schools are very selective to PR residents or PR people. Thats what I HEAR at least.

Also, if you want to practice in the US stay in a US school, there's NO better option. Placement for residency in the US seems to go as follows:

US MD > US DO >> Anywhere else
 
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