MD Caribbean Medical School Similar to US School

[pharmadentist]

Hello All,

So while I'm not necessarily exploring Caribbean medical schools, there is one question that I am curious about. Basically, it is my understanding through a bunch of research that I did, that Caribbean medical schools have a high admit rate, and then a high rate of attrition due to the need to size down classes and only keep those who have the most potential to succeed.

On the other hand, US med schools have a low admit rate, with a low rate of attrition. Student success seems to be a strong component of med schools in the US, and if they admit you, they for the most part want to see you succeed and do well.

But are there any Caribbean med schools with a US based model, i.e. that they don't try to weed out their students and are dedicated to getting their students through. Basically, is there a "non-weed-out" Caribbean med school?

On my part, I mentor students from time to time - and I don't recommend Caribbean med schools just because the high rate of attrition and investment. Not saying I would recommend one with a low rate of attrition either - but I'm curious.

Thanks!

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[Rekt]

Hello All,

But are there any Caribbean med schools with a US based model, i.e. that they don't try to weed out their students and are dedicated to getting their students through. Basically, is there a "non-weed-out" Caribbean med school?

Thanks!

No because they would make less money.

 

[Psai]

None of them. They take students that no one else wanted and most of those people weren't accepted for a reason

 

[pharmadentist]

No because they would make less money.

True - Thanks for your input!

 

[sliceofbread136]

The big difference is the overall goal. For most us schools it is to produce graduates that fulfil their mission, whether it be primary care, research, etc. They direct funding in order to accomplish this mission. The Caribbean is all about profit. This means significantly less resources devoted to research, lectures, clinicals and a decent education experience in general.

For whatever it seems that many at the Caribbean take pride in the fact that they are being scammed. I've seen many posts boasting about how the study without electricity or running water, or how they score a 240 on step 1 after only studying first aid for 2.5 years since they don't have any other academic responsibilities.

 

[mw18]

They have to line up third/fourth year clerkships. A lot of their students are not going to pass boards. So they wouldn't fill the clerkships. They would lose money and "credibility." They couldn't use the US model because they're not good enough to fill a class of people good enough.

 

[Goro]

Nope. Their business model is, after all, to admit a lot of suckers and fail a whole bunch of them.

But are there any Caribbean med schools with a US based model, i.e. that they don't try to weed out their students and are dedicated to getting their students through. Basically, is there a "non-weed-out" Caribbean med school?

On my part, I mentor students from time to time - and I don't recommend Caribbean med schools just because the high rate of attrition and investment. Not saying I would recommend one with a low rate of attrition either - but I'm curious.

Thanks!

 

[Faustian]

I had a friend who went Carribean because she, like most pre-meds, was uninformed about the value and scope of a DO degree. She ended up performing poorly and returning to the US to continue her SMP program. She did well, applied late to one DO school, and obtained an interview. She was rejected post-interview. Based on her story, advice from practicing physicians, and other medical students, I could never recommend going to a Carribean med school. There are a lot of other meaningful ways to be a part of medicine. Physicians Assistants, Nurse Practitioners, and Anesthesiology Assistants are great professions too. A lot of people don't want to consider those professions and even the DO degree because there isn't enough prestige. However, if you practice within your professional boundaries and do your job well, then you will earn the respect you deserve.

 

[Nucleus Accumbens]

Hello All,

So while I'm not necessarily exploring Caribbean medical schools, there is one question that I am curious about. Basically, it is my understanding through a bunch of research that I did, that Caribbean medical schools have a high admit rate, and then a high rate of attrition due to the need to size down classes and only keep those who have the most potential to succeed.

On the other hand, US med schools have a low admit rate, with a low rate of attrition. Student success seems to be a strong component of med schools in the US, and if they admit you, they for the most part want to see you succeed and do well.

But are there any Caribbean med schools with a US based model, i.e. that they don't try to weed out their students and are dedicated to getting their students through. Basically, is there a "non-weed-out" Caribbean med school?

On my part, I mentor students from time to time - and I don't recommend Caribbean med schools just because the high rate of attrition and investment. Not saying I would recommend one with a low rate of attrition either - but I'm curious.

Thanks!

Recommend as you will or won't... at the end of the day it's neither your business or our business what anyone decides to do with their life. Carib to MD to Match or not, good luck to everyone.


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[pharmadentist]

The big difference is the overall goal. For most us schools it is to produce graduates that fulfil their mission, whether it be primary care, research, etc. They direct funding in order to accomplish this mission. The Caribbean is all about profit. This means significantly less resources devoted to research, lectures, clinicals and a decent education experience in general.

For whatever it seems that many at the Caribbean take pride in the fact that they are being scammed. I've seen many posts boasting about how the study without electricity or running water, or how they score a 240 on step 1 after only studying first aid for 2.5 years since they don't have any other academic responsibilities.

This makes a lot of sense. Thanks for the insight

 

[pharmadentist]

I had a friend who went Carribean because she, like most pre-meds, was uninformed about the value and scope of a DO degree. She ended up performing poorly and returning to the US to continue her SMP program. She did well, applied late to one DO school, and obtained an interview. She was rejected post-interview. Based on her story, advice from practicing physicians, and other medical students, I could never recommend going to a Carribean med school. There are a lot of other meaningful ways to be a part of medicine. Physicians Assistants, Nurse Practitioners, and Anesthesiology Assistants are great professions too. A lot of people don't want to consider those professions and even the DO degree because there isn't enough prestige. However, if you practice within your professional boundaries and do your job well, then you will earn the respect you deserve.

Well said.

 

[pharmadentist]

Recommend as you will or won't... at the end of the day it's neither your business or our business what anyone decides to do with their life. Carib to MD to Match or not, good luck to everyone.


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That's true. Wish everyone the best.

 

[Ho0v-man]

A guy I knew from work texted me asking what I thought about his Caribbean acceptance last year. This was what I texted back to him.

 

[Goro]

Recommend as you will or won't... at the end of the day it's neither your business or our business what anyone decides to do with their life. Carib to MD to Match or not, good luck to everyone.

Except for those annoying things I have called scruples that make me want to prevent people from committing career suicide. But that's just me.

 

[Nucleus Accumbens]

Except for those annoying things I have called scruples that make we want to prevent people from committing career suicide. But that's just me.

Here's the thing, the information is out there. You nor I are responsible for their actions. If they really come to SDN for advice related to IMG-route for themselves or a "friend," then they must be masochistic.


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[pharmadentist]

Here's the thing, the information is out there. You nor I are responsible for their actions. If they really come to SDN for advice related to IMG-route for themselves or a "friend," then they must be masochistic.


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I agree. Its sometimes hard (at least as a mentor) when you have a personal connection to someone though - especially when you're looked up to. I agree with your point ultimately though.

 

[bannie22]

Its a money making machine. I doubt there is a Carribean school happy to take less students. However, if you are a solid student you will have no problems coming back to the US. And at least the degree is worth much more than the DO.

All the best.

 

[pharmadentist]

Its a money making machine. I doubt there is a Carribean school happy to take less students. However, if you are a solid student you will have no problems coming back to the US. And at least the degree is worth much more than the DO.

All the best.

Good points. I'm sure the competition in these programs is insane so being a solid student is a tall order - but if you can make it with outstanding scores, I'm sure that coming back to the US should be no trouble.

 

[Faustian]

I agree. Its sometimes hard (at least as a mentor) when you have a personal connection to someone though - especially when you're looked up to. I agree with your point ultimately though.

Might I suggest directing your students to shadow physicians (DO & MD)? As a pre-med I was bombarded with a lot of stereotypes and dogma about the medical school admissions process and opportunity prospects. It wasn't until I shadowed or was treated by DOs that I understood the kind of opportunity I almost passed up. For the record my PCP is a DO (Note: I've never been treated using OMM. I just go for wellness check-ups and physicals. However, I have shadowed DOs that perform OMT). My former pediatrician and former PCPs are MDs. My dermatologist is a DO. I have been treated by 2 previous MD dermatologists as well. There was no difference in treatment methods. I have also worked extensively with EMPs (DO & MD) as a scribe. I also perceived no difference in patient treatment and prognosis.

As a general recommendation, I cannot stress enough the value in meeting people who live the life you would like to have one day. It was invaluable to see that in the real world where patients matter that your reputation and degree are measured by the patients you help and by your professional treatment of the people you work with. It also helped me to start transitioning from thinking like a pre-med to focusing on the big picture. If you pop into other forums such as Physicians/Residents [MD/DO], you find that there are very few posts that talk about MD vs. DO. They're all talking about SLOEs, Step, and how to ace their rotations in order to match. My mentors encouraged me to stop thinking like a pre-med and start thinking like a medical student who is looking to match in a certain specialty.

I would also like to respectfully disagree about coming to SDN for advice. I would encourage people who are indecisive to extensively look into SDN. There are thousands upon thousands of posts that go into the MD vs. DO debate ad nauseam. Every individual who chooses to risk going to any medical school, going into debt, and submitting themselves to the Match should do their due diligence in empowering their decision with information. Should SDN be the sole resource? Ideally no. It's up to each applicant to do the leg work and find people who have traveled the route they are considering to see how they ended up on the other side.

I'm not in medical school yet, but I will be come August. Just wanted to share what was valuable to me in the decision-making process. Best of luck to your students!

 

[caseyjones]

Its a money making machine. I doubt there is a Carribean school happy to take less students. However, if you are a solid student you will have no problems coming back to the US. And at least the degree is worth much more than the DO.

All the best.

Unfortunately, it doesn't work quite like that. Match results show that to match into any given US specialty, the average step-1 score for matched Caribbean students is always higher than that of USMD students. Meaning there still remains an implicit bias against them, regardless of their individual success / achievement. As far as DO applicants, I don't know how the step scores of matched applicants compare. But I can say there is far more social "stigma" against the caribean route than the DO route.

But I agree, it's someone else's life. They will live it as they see fit. Good luck.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

Don't worry. All you need to do is be a wizard of the wards and then you can match derm easy.

 

[Rads312]

I'm a current resident. I'm a DO.

the rule of thumb is american MD>> american DO>>american IMG>>FMG ( depending on scores).

Why? because about 50% of caribbean MD's are failed /kicked out of schools. It's a rough system. Part of that is because they accept weak applicants. Moving forward, nobody wants FMG's that don't have Visas

Of my own school and all other american DO schools, less than 10% of our class was kicked out, those that were weak and didn't match got help getting positions - you can't expect this of caribbean schools.

Just my .02 cents.

 

[Rads312]

Its a money making machine. I doubt there is a Carribean school happy to take less students. However, if you are a solid student you will have no problems coming back to the US. And at least the degree is worth much more than the DO.

All the best.

wtf are you talking about?

 

[sliceofbread136]

Its a money making machine. I doubt there is a Carribean school happy to take less students. However, if you are a solid student you will have no problems coming back to the US. And at least the degree is worth much more than the DO.

All the best.

Lol no. Not only does DO have ~40% higher match rate, a degree from the Caribbean carries by far more stigma than a DO degree. You are basically a leper in the medical community.

 

[speedyxx626]

Unfortunately, it doesn't work quite like that. Match results show that to match into any given US specialty, the average step-1 score for matched Caribbean students is always higher than that of USMD students. Meaning there still remains an implicit bias against them, regardless of their individual success / achievement. As far as DO applicants, I don't know how the step scores of matched applicants compare. But I can say there is far more social "stigma" against the caribean route than the DO route.

But I agree, it's someone else's life. They will live it as they see fit. Good luck.

Part of that bias is because Caribbean students are given months and months to study for USMLE versus the usually 4-5 weeks the average US med student is given. There's a couple Caribbean students I see at my school now on a regular basis because they're studying for 6+ months before they take the real thing. I'm sure that's something program directors give consideration to when they evaluate Caribbean students that score very high (which are usually the ones that end up matching).

 

[Nucleus Accumbens]

Lol no. Not only does DO have ~40% higher match rate, a degree from the Caribbean carries by far more stigma than a DO degree. You are basically a leper in the medical community.

Lol no... after matching no one knows where you went to school man. My preceptor did not have his school listed online. He just listed his residency hospital and fellowship. Was a good doc. One day I asked where he went, his reply was "studied abroad." That was the end of that.


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[Nucleus Accumbens]

Part of that bias is because Caribbean students are given months and months to study for USMLE versus the usually 4-5 weeks the average US med student is given. There's a couple Caribbean students I see at my school now on a regular basis because they're studying for 6+ months before they take the real thing. I'm sure that's something program directors give consideration to when they evaluate Caribbean students that score very high (which are usually the ones that end up matching).

Time does not increase your score man. In fact the general consensus + data available online will support that taking your exam earlier following your exit of second year basic science correlates to higher scores.


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[libertyyne]

Time does not increase your score man. In fact the general consensus + data available online will support that taking your exam earlier following your exit of second year basic science correlates to higher scores.


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Could you please link to said data. Most schools are transitioning to curricula where step is taken in year three, and they cite improved scores for this change.

 

[Nucleus Accumbens]

Could you please link to said data. Most schools are transitioning to curricula where step is taken in year three, and they cute improved scores for this change.

That's because they have 1 whole year of shelf exams relating to clinical management, step-2 style questions. A while back someone on this forum posted data that showed people who took less than 6 weeks to study were clustered in the 70-90 percentile. I'm inclined to purchase step 2 UWorld hahaha!

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[speedyxx626]

That's because they have 1 whole year of shelf exams relating to clinical management, step-2 style questions. A while back someone on this forum posted data that showed people who took less than 6 weeks to study were clustered in the 70-90 percentile. I'm inclined to purchase step 2 UWorld hahaha!

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Idk what else was in that article but maybe that's because the ones who took it in less than 6 weeks felt better prepared sooner? (ie students that already do well in the first place). Not saying you're wrong, but that doesn't mean that longer studying doesn't yield higher scores. Why else would so many Caribbean students study for 6+ months?

 

[Nucleus Accumbens]

Idk what else was in that article but maybe that's because the ones who took it in less than 6 weeks felt better prepared sooner? (ie students that already do well in the first place). Not saying you're wrong, but that doesn't mean that longer studying doesn't yield higher scores. Why else would so many Caribbean students study for 6+ months?

More than likely it's because the caliber of education wasn't as good. They sacrifice quality for quantity in some of those schools


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[shifty_ut89]

This is an argument that will probably continue for many years, but it seems weird to have it at all. Deep down I think we all know the degree itself (or where it was received) means very little compared to the caliber and capability of the person holding the degree. MDs educated inside and outside the US are practicing physicians here, as are DOs. I have been treated by fantastic MDs and I've been treated by less-than-fantastic MDs. Same for DOs. The family physician I went and saw last week studied in the Caribbean and he was awesome. One of the physicians here at work received her medical degree in her native India and she is also awesome and well-respected. Each group harbors a minority of biased practitioners and students with the majority of us having a "WGAF?" attitude.

 

[libertyyne]

This is an argument that will probably continue for many years, but it seems weird to have it at all. Deep down I think we all know the degree itself (or where it was received) means very little compared to the caliber and capability of the person holding the degree. MDs educated inside and outside the US are practicing physicians here, as are DOs. I have been treated by fantastic MDs and I've been treated by less-than-fantastic MDs. Same for DOs. The family physician I went and saw last week studied in the Caribbean and he was awesome. One of the physicians here at work received her medical degree in her native India and she is also awesome and well-respected. Each group harbors a minority of biased practitioners and students with the majority of us having a "WGAF?" attitude.

I don't think anyone cares once you finish residency. That however does not reflect the issues of attrition,and failure to match that carribean schools have. Having a 30-50 % chance that you will not be able to even match in fp in North Dakota after 200k + in non dischargeable debt is a crazy and should not be minimized.
People should go into this with their eyes open.

 

[shifty_ut89]

I don't think anyone cares once you finish residency. That however does not reflect the issues of attrition,and failure to match that carribean schools have. Having a 30-50 % chance that you will not be able to even match in fp in North Dakota after 200k + in non dischargeable debt is a crazy and should not be minimized.
People should go into this with their eyes open.

That was the point I was trying to make. You're right: post-residency the bias mostly disappears.

 

[Lawpy]

No Caribbean school is like the US. US schools for the most part want their students to succeed, and high attrition rates are a fast way to get dinged by LCME and lose accreditation. Caribbean schools have a predatory business model that requires failing out a large fraction of students, and send those who didn't get weeded out to often poor clinical training sites. Even after all this, the match rate is alarmingly low.

If the LCME standards are applied to Caribbean schools, their entire business will be wiped out.

 

[Goro]

Part of that bias is because Caribbean students are given months and months to study for USMLE versus the usually 4-5 weeks the average US med student is given. There's a couple Caribbean students I see at my school now on a regular basis because they're studying for 6+ months before they take the real thing. I'm sure that's something program directors give consideration to when they evaluate Caribbean students that score very high (which are usually the ones that end up matching).

Quoting the wise gyngyn:

The pool of US applicants from the Caribbean is viewed differently by Program Directors. The DDx for a Caribbean grad is pretty off-putting: bad judgment, bad advice, egotism, gullibility, overbearing parents, inability to delay gratification, IA's, legal problems, weak research skills, high risk behavior. This is not to say that all of them still have the quality that drew them into this situation. There is just no way to know which ones they are. Some PD's are in a position where they need to, or can afford to take risks too! So, some do get interviews.

Bad grades and scores are the least of the deficits from a PD's standpoint. A strong academic showing in a Caribbean medical school does not erase this stigma. It fact it increases the perception that the reason for the choice was on the above-mentioned list!

Just about everyone from a Caribbean school has one or more of these problems and PDs know it. That's why their grads are the last choice even with a high Step 1 score.

 

[speedyxx626]

Quoting the wise gyngyn:

The pool of US applicants from the Caribbean is viewed differently by Program Directors. The DDx for a Caribbean grad is pretty off-putting: bad judgment, bad advice, egotism, gullibility, overbearing parents, inability to delay gratification, IA's, legal problems, weak research skills, high risk behavior. This is not to say that all of them still have the quality that drew them into this situation. There is just no way to know which ones they are. Some PD's are in a position where they need to, or can afford to take risks too! So, some do get interviews.

Bad grades and scores are the least of the deficits from a PD's standpoint. A strong academic showing in a Caribbean medical school does not erase this stigma. It fact it increases the perception that the reason for the choice was on the above-mentioned list!

Just about everyone from a Caribbean school has one or more of these problems and PDs know it. That's why their grads are the last choice even with a high Step 1 score.

That's very interesting. Thanks for sharing!


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[sliceofbread136]

Lol no... after matching no one knows where you went to school man. My preceptor did not have his school listed online. He just listed his residency hospital and fellowship. Was a good doc. One day I asked where he went, his reply was "studied abroad." That was the end of that.


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Anyone whose opinion matters will know where you went to school (i.e. employers and those who promote you) and being from the carib is forever a black mark especially in academics. I have yet to personally see one with position above "instructor". DO hurts you in the same way but to an extent that can be overcome.

Just go to any school's page and look at where the influential faculty went. Also look at what position is being given to entry level faculty. US MDs>DO>IMG>Caribb

 

[LutGholein]

Time does not increase your score man. In fact the general consensus + data available online will support that taking your exam earlier following your exit of second year basic science correlates to higher scores.


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Pretty sure i've seen medical schools transitioning into taking Step 1 in 3rd year or for those schools that compress the basic sciences into 1.5 years--after some clinical exposure in rotations.

edit: the school administration on interview days said that there was evidence that taking it in your 3rd year versus your 2nd year raised scores for whatever reasons.

 

[Ho0v-man]

^^Shouldn't there be a standardized time to take it so everyone is on the same footing? Especially since Caribbean students are chastised for being able to push it back.

 

[LutGholein]

^^Shouldn't there be a standardized time to take it so everyone is on the same footing? Especially since Caribbean students are chastised for being able to push it back.

Consider that many successful matching IMGs who were attendings in their own country for many years are able to take Step 1,2,3 after med school+training --I don't see anything wrong ethically/morally if an accredited U.S school chooses to make their students take it later in their 3rd year. If anything--I expect this to be more of a norm after a few years kinda like how most schools use a systems-based curriculum.

While we are at it-- I want flipped-classroom style teaching to be the next big shift in medical education---I'm very jealous UCR is trying this out among other schools.

 

[Faustian]

Consider that many successful matching IMGs who were attendings in their own country for many years are able to take Step 1,2,3 after med school+training --I don't see anything wrong ethically/morally if an accredited U.S school chooses to make their students take it later in their 3rd year. If anything--I expect this to be more of a norm after a few years kinda like how most schools use a systems-based curriculum.

While we are at it-- I want flipped-classroom style teaching to be the next big shift in medical education---I'm very jealous UCR is trying this out among other schools.

Admittedly, my M.O. for success is pretty traditional (i.e. go to class, takes notes), so I'm a bit skeptical of a lot of the fancy progressive ideas such as moving the Step exams to third year. The purpose of the Step 1 exam is to demonstrate that you have a handle on pre-clinical knowledge as a foundation, so that you understand the significance of what you're learning on rotation. I feel like students that did well on Step 1 are more likely to impress residency programs on their rotations. Also Step 1 and even sometimes Step 2 CK (I think) is needed for PDs to assess your candidacy for residency. I don't really see how moving Step 1 to third year would help students.

 

[pharmadentist]

Might I suggest directing your students to shadow physicians (DO & MD)? As a pre-med I was bombarded with a lot of stereotypes and dogma about the medical school admissions process and opportunity prospects. It wasn't until I shadowed or was treated by DOs that I understood the kind of opportunity I almost passed up. For the record my PCP is a DO (Note: I've never been treated using OMM. I just go for wellness check-ups and physicals. However, I have shadowed DOs that perform OMT). My former pediatrician and former PCPs are MDs. My dermatologist is a DO. I have been treated by 2 previous MD dermatologists as well. There was no difference in treatment methods. I have also worked extensively with EMPs (DO & MD) as a scribe. I also perceived no difference in patient treatment and prognosis.

As a general recommendation, I cannot stress enough the value in meeting people who live the life you would like to have one day. It was invaluable to see that in the real world where patients matter that your reputation and degree are measured by the patients you help and by your professional treatment of the people you work with. It also helped me to start transitioning from thinking like a pre-med to focusing on the big picture. If you pop into other forums such as Physicians/Residents [MD/DO], you find that there are very few posts that talk about MD vs. DO. They're all talking about SLOEs, Step, and how to ace their rotations in order to match. My mentors encouraged me to stop thinking like a pre-med and start thinking like a medical student who is looking to match in a certain specialty.

I would also like to respectfully disagree about coming to SDN for advice. I would encourage people who are indecisive to extensively look into SDN. There are thousands upon thousands of posts that go into the MD vs. DO debate ad nauseam. Every individual who chooses to risk going to any medical school, going into debt, and submitting themselves to the Match should do their due diligence in empowering their decision with information. Should SDN be the sole resource? Ideally no. It's up to each applicant to do the leg work and find people who have traveled the route they are considering to see how they ended up on the other side.

I'm not in medical school yet, but I will be come August. Just wanted to share what was valuable to me in the decision-making process. Best of luck to your students!

I appreciate this message, and agree with you fully. I wish you the best in your medical school journey and thanks for your great and thought-provoking input

 

[pharmadentist]

Quoting the wise gyngyn:

The pool of US applicants from the Caribbean is viewed differently by Program Directors. The DDx for a Caribbean grad is pretty off-putting: bad judgment, bad advice, egotism, gullibility, overbearing parents, inability to delay gratification, IA's, legal problems, weak research skills, high risk behavior. This is not to say that all of them still have the quality that drew them into this situation. There is just no way to know which ones they are. Some PD's are in a position where they need to, or can afford to take risks too! So, some do get interviews.

Bad grades and scores are the least of the deficits from a PD's standpoint. A strong academic showing in a Caribbean medical school does not erase this stigma. It fact it increases the perception that the reason for the choice was on the above-mentioned list!

Just about everyone from a Caribbean school has one or more of these problems and PDs know it. That's why their grads are the last choice even with a high Step 1 score.

Thanks for the input.

 

[libertyyne]

Admittedly, my M.O. for success is pretty traditional (i.e. go to class, takes notes), so I'm a bit skeptical of a lot of the fancy progressive ideas such as moving the Step exams to third year. The purpose of the Step 1 exam is to demonstrate that you have a handle on pre-clinical knowledge as a foundation, so that you understand the significance of what you're learning on rotation. I feel like students that did well on Step 1 are more likely to impress residency programs on their rotations. Also Step 1 and even sometimes Step 2 CK (I think) is needed for PDs to assess your candidacy for residency. I don't really see how moving Step 1 to third year would help students.

The argument that I heard from these schools was that STEP 1 is more focused on clinical application and reasoning compared to years past. Having the exposure on rotations helps solidify that reasoning and allows you to do better. The harvard's of the world are quickly transitioning to it as well as some of the schools with newer curricula.

 

[neoevolution]

Lol no... after matching no one knows where you went to school man. My preceptor did not have his school listed online. He just listed his residency hospital and fellowship. Was a good doc. One day I asked where he went, his reply was "studied abroad." That was the end of that.

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The issue is that matching will be tougher. I'd rather take a few years off before applying than be limited to picking between only FM and psych to do for the rest of my life.

Idk what else was in that article but maybe that's because the ones who took it in less than 6 weeks felt better prepared sooner? (ie students that already do well in the first place). Not saying you're wrong, but that doesn't mean that longer studying doesn't yield higher scores. Why else would so many Caribbean students study for 6+ months?

I know a couple people who moved their Step 1 dates up and used only a few weeks of dedicated time because their scores were already in the top few percentiles. Pretty much everyone else took the standard 5 to 7 weeks.

 

[Goro]

Yes. Since the competition has increased for medical seat. Today many students opt to do their medicine in Caribbean medical schools. Another reason why Caribbean medical schools are chosen is because they follow US curriculum and abide to the latest technologies in the medical field.

 

[atomi]

Yes. Since the competition has increased for medical seat.

Which medical seat? Can you please be specific? Are we talking first row or last row here? Huge difference, you know. Are you trying to set us up the trick?

Another reason why Caribbean medical schools are chosen is because they follow US curriculum and abide to the latest technologies in the medical field.

Latest technology is important. Good point. When I was a first year medical student, I had to learn to remove prostates with the DaVinci X surgical robot because my school was too cheap to spring for the Xi.

 

[Mass Effect]

Lol no... after matching no one knows where you went to school man. My preceptor did not have his school listed online. He just listed his residency hospital and fellowship. Was a good doc. One day I asked where he went, his reply was "studied abroad." That was the end of that.

You understand once you're licensed, your med school is a matter of public record? It IS online. You just haven't searched for it well. Also, "after matching" implies you got through school and you matched. I wouldn't hang my hat on that.

 

[936943]

Hello All,

So while I'm not necessarily exploring Caribbean medical schools, there is one question that I am curious about. Basically, it is my understanding through a bunch of research that I did, that Caribbean medical schools have a high admit rate, and then a high rate of attrition due to the need to size down classes and only keep those who have the most potential to succeed.

On the other hand, US med schools have a low admit rate, with a low rate of attrition. Student success seems to be a strong component of med schools in the US, and if they admit you, they for the most part want to see you succeed and do well.

But are there any Caribbean med schools with a US based model, i.e. that they don't try to weed out their students and are dedicated to getting their students through. Basically, is there a "non-weed-out" Caribbean med school?

On my part, I mentor students from time to time - and I don't recommend Caribbean med schools just because the high rate of attrition and investment. Not saying I would recommend one with a low rate of attrition either - but I'm curious.

Thanks!

So I am a Ross student, form my perspective it is WAAAAYYY harder than US schools, thats because we do 3 semesters a year, and we have to work harder to prove that we are as good as US students. We also got stuck with going the whole anatomylab in 4 months (one semester). I am almost through my second year and ready to do rotations, but before you get to pay an additional 23K to make sure youre ready :/ .... As of people who make it is very low, my class started with ~350 people, there are ~120 of us left. SO yes they take almost everyone, but a lot of them dont make it.. BUT hell this is an awesome opportunity and im taking it, and I have survived so far ...