Caribbean School Help

[martix]

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I'm thinking about applying to a Caribbean school, and one that doesn't require the MCAT. It's been a while since my last science class; I went to college from 2001-2006. I never took the MCAT, nor did I finish taking all the premed requirements. I believe my school was partially responsible for the poor grades I received. I knew that it wasn't me when several genius students cried about how incredibly unfair the professors were. The profs would begin the first lecture by offering their "words of encouragement": forget about becoming a doctor cause you'll never make it past this week. I went to other schools (even Harvard) for the summers and did incredibly well and retook some of the classes, but my record is screwed up. After years of putting the idea of going into medicine behind me, I can't get on with my life and still want to pursue it. Medicine is in my blood. I now have that hunger to do whatever it takes and am willing to go to a Caribbean school. However, something I've read online scares me:

You need to very careful about the school you attend. Your first step should be to contact the medical boards in the states where you might want to practice to see if they will license a graduate from those schools. Many will not. Most will also tell you that in order to obtain a license to practice medicine that you have to submit all of your education credentials and if they think any aspect of your education is substandard--poof--no license. I know people right now who are being denied access to Clinical Rotations because of the school they attended, so the lesser Caribbean schools can be like walking through landmines.

Is it really true? I would really love to hear from people who went to schools other than the Top 4 in the Caribbean and have had success gaining clinical rotations, residencies in the U.S. and what their experiences were like?!?!

Any input would be highly appreciated!

 

[bambi]

I'm thinking about applying to a Caribbean school, and one that doesn't require the MCAT. It's been a while since my last science class; I went to college from 2001-2006. I never took the MCAT, nor did I finish taking all the premed requirements. I believe my school was partially responsible for the poor grades I received. I knew that it wasn't me when several genius students cried about how incredibly unfair the professors were. The profs would begin the first lecture by offering their "words of encouragement": forget about becoming a doctor cause you'll never make it past this week. I went to other schools (even Harvard) for the summers and did incredibly well and retook some of the classes, but my record is screwed up. After years of putting the idea of going into medicine behind me, I can't get on with my life and still want to pursue it. Medicine is in my blood. I now have that hunger to do whatever it takes and am willing to go to a Caribbean school. However, something I've read online scares me:



Is it really true? I would really love to hear from people who went to schools other than the Top 4 in the Caribbean and have had success gaining clinical rotations, residencies in the U.S. and what their experiences were like?!?!

Any input would be highly appreciated!

You say you are willing to do whatever it takes but you wont take the MCAT?

You blame your school for your bad grades? Are you kidding?

 

[dragonfly99]

Agree w/above.
Don't take shortcuts. Take the MCAT.

 

[Groove]

It would be unwise to apply to a Caribbean school other than the big 3, all of which require an MCAT. Graduates from those schools can practice in every state and have solid and grounded clinical rotation hospitals for the last 2 years of medical school. Besides, the MCAT is a good prognosticator of how well you do on standardized exams and how well you might do on your USMLE board exams which will be many times more arduous and grueling in your preparation. Trying to find a school that doesn't require one speaks more about your "lack of willingness" to do whatever it takes, which is completely contrary to the required attitude of any matriculating student to an overseas medical school which carries inherent risks.

Just study and take the test. I was 30 and years out from pre-med courses with a masters in a completely unrelated field. I just bought a review course at the time, spent a few weeks studying and then took it. I might have been unwilling to take the time to fix some of my pre-med GPA deficiencies, but certainly not unwilling to take the MCAT, even that far out from science courses. I was also unwilling to go to any of the overseas schools that had licensing issues in any of the states.

Don't blame anyone for your GPA deficiencies. I could come up with a million reasons why I had a subpar GPA, or a "D" in tennis of all things for that matter, but the simple fact of it was that I was young, partied too much, and was not mature or disciplined with my academics. I was finally able to realize my dreams but certainly learned the things the hard way.