Caribbean Schools!!!!! Why/Why not?

[ashah0224]

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Help them succeed by essentially downplaying the disadvantages of the caribbean route, therefore, maybe encouraging some easily swayed pre-med to go to the caribbean? Ya, thats some amazing logic. Also, yes, you are trying to justify it to yourself, don't be naive. Furthermore, just because you have seen good board scores does not mean jack. It is well known that caribbean schools get far more study time for the boards than US schools.

no. nobody ever said to downplay the disadvantages. help them succeed by making them better physicians... teach people where they are wrong so they can be better... statistically they arent going to transfer back anyways... why step on a dead animal if it cant walk anyways? ...

i've told every pre-med and transfer student i know to never go to the caribbean.

i can not control your perception and interpretation...

maybe i am trying to justify it. doesnt matter. i'm not naive. lol. i know my position.

"its well known" doesnt mean anything, no matter how 'true' it may be... your assumption tells me you like to make false pretenses.

what matters is the board scores. if you think thats false, go ask anybody in a competitive speciality. ... i've been told that by an anesthesiologist (india), gastroenterologist (duke), oncologist (mt sinai), and ENT (NYU)

however good board scores does not make you a good physician... and most us med students i know have a huge ego and most doctors dont even talk to patients properly or for more than 5 mins cuz they wanna cover their costs and make their profit.... this point is moot... can go on and on and give however many examples and it wont change anything.

smh...

 

[ashah0224]

What have I learned?

Caribbean route only if it's your last option.

That's what I thought and I am glad I could get the OP's original question answered.

Good day gentleman.

Yes. Caribbean is last option. Accept the reality and be optimistic. Don't let all these boards make you pessimistic because at the end of the day, those who work smart and work hard get their license and make money. And thats the bottom line.

 

[sylvanthus]

no. nobody ever said to downplay the disadvantages. help them succeed by making them better physicians... teach people where they are wrong so they can be better... statistically they arent going to transfer back anyways... why step on a dead animal if it cant walk anyways? ...

i've told every pre-med and transfer student i know to never go to the caribbean.

i can not control your perception and interpretation...

maybe i am trying to justify it. doesnt matter. i'm not naive. lol. i know my position.

"its well known" doesnt mean anything, no matter how 'true' it may be... your assumption tells me you like to make false pretenses.

what matters is the board scores. if you think thats false, go ask anybody in a competitive speciality. ... i've been told that by an anesthesiologist (india), gastroenterologist (duke), oncologist (mt sinai), and ENT (NYU)

however good board scores does not make you a good physician... and most us med students i know have a huge ego and most doctors dont even talk to patients properly or for more than 5 mins cuz they wanna cover their costs and make their profit.... this point is moot... can go on and on and give however many examples and it wont change anything.

smh...

Your logic is amazing "I agree with you....but...." combined with outstanding grammar, self-denial, and putting words in my mouth means that you are now on ignore. Have fun being the only person this deluded to expound upon the merits of the caribbean.

 

[ashah0224]

Your logic is amazing "I agree with you....but...." combined with outstanding grammar, self-denial, and putting words in my mouth means that you are now on ignore. Have fun being the only person this deluded to expound upon the merits of the caribbean.

I wrote it that way to make my point.

Hmmm I didn't really want to post my score as it would seem too much like bragging. But, guess I can, just so people see that the school doesn't really determine how well you do on boards. I managed a 732 on the COMLEX, which was well above the 99th percentile and a 250 on the USMLE. So, regardless of how well the school prepares you, the bulk of the responsibility is on you. No matter what school you go to, you can do well if you prepare well.

Yes. Caribbean is last option. Accept the reality and be optimistic. Don't let all these boards make you pessimistic because at the end of the day, those who work smart and work hard get their license and make money. And thats the bottom line.

with the massive increase in DO schools the IMG are going to be in a whole world of hate...

graduate ASAP if your are IMG...

in 5-10 years...75% of those schools will close

SGU will end up increasing their classes...doing the ole Ross 3X enrollment with 500-800 students each term.....the class pass rate, carribean USMLE scores to write the actual USMLE will also inflate like no tomorrow...

you will see 70% of the class getting dropped out

DSM-IV would not classify me as delusional.

Good luck in life.

 

[flatearth22]

if you want a blog that's probably more representative of the caribbean experience:

http://2medschool.blogspot.com/

http://4medschool.blogspot.com/

http://6medschool.blogspot.com/

....i suggest you start with the last link first.

the tl;dr version is that this guy with a GPA in the 2.0s and an MCAT in the low 20s went off to Ross for med school, did 3 semesters (only passing first semester) and was kicked out. now he's wasted time and has a bunch of loans with absolutely nothing to show for it. As you can see the last post from 8 months ago suggests that he's going to try again at one of the lesser known carib schools (AUA), though we can all guess how that's going to end.....

I like how he makes a new blog after he fails out. Maybe he should focus less on blogging and more on studying.

Why would ANYBODY choose Carib. over DO route??? I've seen plenty of DO's practicing in my area, and they seem very successful. It also seems like they have a higher chance of completing their education and actually matching somewhere half-way decent...

With a Carib MD at least you're an MD and have the same title as those who train in the majority of schools in the US and people would have to investigate where you went to find out....some people think of a DO as scarlet letters that follow you around everywhere basically screaming that you weren't good enough to get into an US MD school.

There are much more reputable island-based schools that would give you a stronger answer in similar situations.🙄

It's pretty damn hard to get into UH and the PR schools if you aren't a resident though.

 

[Law2Doc]

...

It's pretty damn hard to get into UH and the PR schools if you aren't a resident though.

the PR schools aren't technically "Caribbean" schools. They are LCME accredited, and thus US schools. They don't enter into this topic discussion.

 

[Law2Doc]

...some people think of a DO as scarlet letters that follow you around everywhere basically screaming that you weren't good enough to get into an US MD school.
...

Coming from a Caribbean school with your MD is at least as big a scarlet letter. You aren't going to snow PDs with an MD and expect them to ignore the FMG component.

 

[ashah0224]

Coming from a Caribbean school with your MD is at least as big a scarlet letter. You aren't going to snow PDs with an MD and expect them to ignore the FMG component.

Unfortunately.

What happens to those students who complete their basic sciences in the caribbean and [by some stroke of sheer luck] manage to transfer to a US school?

 

[ahens23]

Yea but think of all the weed you could smoke for those two years......would be one hell of a run.

You're going to make a great doctor..

 

[Dr Love]

The only pro of going to a Carib school: when a nurse says "so what f***ing island did you go to med school?" to you when you inevitably mess something up during your intern year, you'll actually be able to give a legit answer with a straight face rather than a blank stare that non-Carib grads will.

👍

 

[DipreSantana]

Unfortunately.

What happens to those students who complete their basic sciences in the caribbean and [by some stroke of sheer luck] manage to transfer to a US school?

I'd like to know the answer to this.

 

[druggeek]

Aren't the people who succeed in the carribean and manage to make it back to the US basically the people who had 3.1-3.4 GPAs (and sometimes higher), so they were smart enough for DO anyway? Then you have a long list of drop outs and those are the people with <3.0 GPAs....

in b4 someone says gpa =/= intelligence at all and someone with a 2.0 can be as smart as someone with a 3.8.

 

[1TB4RKSB4CK]

Aren't the people who succeed in the carribean and manage to make it back to the US basically the people who had 3.1-3.4 GPAs (and sometimes higher), so they were smart enough for DO anyway? Then you have a long list of drop outs and those are the people with <3.0 GPAs....

in b4 someone says gpa =/= intelligence at all and someone with a 2.0 can be as smart as someone with a 3.8.

I wish a brotha wouldddd.

 

[flatearth22]

Unfortunately.

What happens to those students who complete their basic sciences in the caribbean and [by some stroke of sheer luck] manage to transfer to a US school?

They're seen as US grads. But it's extremely rare and only a handful of schools even allow Carib students to transfer (Drexel is a notable one). See - http://rumorsweretrue.wordpress.com/

 

[Signifier]

Then again, guys and gals, if you go to Ross, this could happen to you:

http://www.rossu.edu/campusuite/modules/news.cfm?news_id=4203&grp_id=43

 

[druggeek]

Then again, guys and gals, if you go to Ross, this could happen to you:

http://www.rossu.edu/campusuite/modules/news.cfm?news_id=4203&grp_id=43

And someone wins the lottery all the time, could it happen to me if I buy a ticket? 🙄

lol kk I know it's not even that rare to go to a top 4 carribean school and get into a surg res. But considering tons of people don't even finish their MDs... let alone make it to a residency, let alone a surg residency.. not exactly a common rule to base your investment(s) on.

 

[BrandNewDay]

Then again, guys and gals, if you go to Ross, this could happen to you:

http://www.rossu.edu/campusuite/modules/news.cfm?news_id=4203&grp_id=43

Even though I can't stand how SDN dramatizes the horrors of the Caribbean... Ross is going to publicize their most impressive success and not mention their many failures. It's a nice story, and it sounds as though the sisters were, in fact, excellent potential doctors that were simply passed up by the imperfect admissions system. Everybody else... not necessarily.

 

[AllDaWEI]

How do you view schools like Sackler in Israel? I a Jewish friend who wanted to spend a lot of time in that country. He had great stats.

 

[235009]

Even though I can't stand how SDN dramatizes the horrors of the Caribbean... Ross is going to publicize their most impressive success and not mention their many failures. It's a nice story, and it sounds as though the sisters were, in fact, excellent potential doctors that were simply passed up by the imperfect admissions system. Everybody else... not necessarily.

if you read carefully you see that they never applied to US schools:

“I had just been accepted to a post-bac program in Philadelphia and was planning to go when Amy found out about Ross,” K. Rezak explained. “We decided to go in for an interview and see what it was all about.”

 

[btown8908]

Yes. Caribbean is last option. Accept the reality and be optimistic. Don't let all these boards make you pessimistic because at the end of the day, those who work smart and work hard get their license and make money. And thats the bottom line.

To clarify: I am not going to the Caribbean, not sure how it came out that I was going there.

 

[Law2Doc]

How do you view schools like Sackler in Israel? I a Jewish friend who wanted to spend a lot of time in that country. He had great stats.

It is still going to take a backseat to US med schools, although Sacklers network is better than some offshore options. The discussion of hurdles of Caribbean grads also applies if you go offshore for school in Israel, Ireland, Poland. All these places that cater to folks who couldn't get into US med schools are going to face higher hurdles. If your friend had great stats and wants to practice in the US, he'd be a fool to go outside the US system.

 

[BrandNewDay]

if you read carefully you see that they never applied to US schools:

Well darn. You caught me skimming. In that case, they're both idiots. But whatever works for them, I guess.

 

[gdfernan]

I dont have a dog this fight. My connection to medicine is being a patient and a browser of SDN and value med. Having said that, can someone comment on these figures.

One of the big four Carib schools claim an ~85% match rate. However, SDNers dispute that saying there is a lot of self-selection; ie: lots are kicked out from the school before they can sit for boards so that the Carib school can maintain high match rates. SDNers posit that out of an incoming cohort, only about 50% will match to US residencies.

What are comparable numbers for the less prestigoius US medical schools (MD & DO).

And isn't a 50% match rate somewhat better than the doom and gloom predicted for Carib students on this thread? (So if you discount the party animals and the obvious students who should have not been admitted, you have a 75% chance of a match?)

Of course, one needs to keep in mind that these are historical rates and the situations for all IMGs/FMGs are supposed to become much worse with the increased US med schools and increased US med student graduating numbers...

Look forward to reading others' opinions on the above 4 points.

 

[45408]

That's true. Thats reality though. My perspective is to try to help people succeed and make it work out, rather than pointing and laughing at those who dont, wont, cant, or shouldnt.

Who's laughing? We're just telling it like it is.

 

[45408]

It is still going to take a backseat to US med schools, although Sacklers network is better than some offshore options. The discussion of hurdles of Caribbean grads also applies if you go offshore for school in Israel, Ireland, Poland.

What's special about those three? Coincidentally (not coincidentally?), I know people who went to all three, so are there different types of schools there?

 

[medhope4]

How easy is it really to get into a carribean school? Does someone have any statistics? Ie someone has a 2.1 gpa and a very low mcat and can actually get in?

 

[CopaceticOne]

Aren't the people who succeed in the carribean and manage to make it back to the US basically the people who had 3.1-3.4 GPAs (and sometimes higher), so they were smart enough for DO anyway? Then you have a long list of drop outs and those are the people with <3.0 GPAs....

in b4 someone says gpa =/= intelligence at all and someone with a 2.0 can be as smart as someone with a 3.8.

😀
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=11972963&postcount=44

 

[ashah0224]

How easy is it really to get into a carribean school? Does someone have any statistics? Ie someone has a 2.1 gpa and a very low mcat and can actually get in?

Easy? Debatable.

(In order of preference: sgu/ross/aua/auc --> saba --> mua --> other schools)

Do statistics exist? not that I am aware of.

2.1 GPA and low mcat - To get into an upper school like SGU/ROSS? These days, probably not.

Is it worth it, even if you can? No.

But you're thinking you can become a doctor and make money and buy a lexus and a million dollar house. Um, no.

You can get into Windsor, probably SMU and a few others (i.e. lower end schools).

If you manage to get in to the Big 4 schools, there is nothing saying you will succeed. No school talks about their drop out rate. However the big schools have a residents match list. People are succeeding because they work extremely hard (for the most part).

Good rule of thumb: if you do not make the cut for a US Medical School, be prepared to have ALOT of difficulties in a Caribbean school. You have to mature really fast or else you will just be one of those that loses out on alot of money.

Avoid Caribbean. I'm telling you from experience.

Why can I say all of this? I'm in a Caribbean school right now. I've seen successes and failures from other schools too.

If you decide to go, accept the fact there is a good possibility you will be throwing away money. Be prepared for it.

You are playing poker. You only have one pair - a pair of 5s. Do you know what other players have? Probably not. [Unless you are an expert card counter, even then you cant know for sure.] Do you go all in? Probably not. Can you go all in? Yes. The risk is high. Rewards are less. If you win the hand, good for you! Statistically you wont.

But is it possible to succeed? Yes. I know residents from my school. In fact, from all the schools I've mentioned.

You know what the successful people (that I know) did? Locked themselves away and studied.

To be practical, if you would have done that in undergrad, you would be qualified for a US school... because you probably would have a higher gpa and mcat.

 

[1TB4RKSB4CK]

How easy is it really to get into a carribean school? Does someone have any statistics? Ie someone has a 2.1 gpa and a very low mcat and can actually get in?

Really? If you were that dedicated you would've had a higher GPA than that. 2.1 is BARELY passing. I don't think I can fathom a situation in which one's gpa can drop so dangerously low. Sorry to bust your chops but medical school is not for everyone.
I wouldn't gamble on a carib school.
Even if accepted, can you handle the coursework? Even under stress or problems?
That's what the importance of a high GPA is.

 

[medhope4]

Thanks for the response. Just to clarify, I have not yet taken the mcat nor have I prepared for it. I just asked if I were to score a low MCAT score, just for clarification. Yes I did have a GPA around 2.1 but that was from extreme laziness during undergrad. When I put my mind to something, I can do very well. For example, I studied my ass off for the LSAT and got a 168. So intelligence is not the problem here.

 

[1TB4RKSB4CK]

Thanks for the response. Just to clarify, I have not yet taken the mcat nor have I prepared for it. I just asked if I were to score a low MCAT score, just for clarification. Yes I did have a GPA around 2.1 but that was from extreme laziness during undergrad. When I put my mind to something, I can do very well. For example, I studied my ass off for the LSAT and got a 168. So intelligence is not the problem here.

Well then what are your stats now?
2.1 in usually hopeless and you'll be spending time and money than you have too.
If it's around a 2.6-7 and up you can retake classes and go the DO route once it's up around a 3.3+ with retakes. Assuming you are nearer to a 2.1, MD is out of the question, no matter how high an MCAT score you have.
The thing is, how focused can you be and how long can you maintain it.
Btw, LSAT isn't really a good indicator for comparison for the MCAT. Totally different material tested, but I see what you are trying to say.

 

[medhope4]

Well then what are your stats now?

Btw, LSAT isn't really a good indicator for comparison for the MCAT. Totally different material tested, but I see what you are trying to say.

I understand what you are saying. When I took my first practice LSAT, I scored a 138 on it. Its something I naturally had a difficult time with so I think I had the hard work and dedication and intelligence to improve.

My GPA is probably close to a 2.1, but I took quite a few classes elsewhere so I don't know what it would exactly be. Is there a site where I can enter all my grades and they can give me an exact gpa? Would my law school grades factor into this.

Supposing it is around a 2.6 or 2.7, despite the many F's and W's I had during my lazy undergrad days, and I score high on the MCAT, any shot at a DO?

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

I understand what you are saying. When I took my first practice LSAT, I scored a 138 on it. Its something I naturally had a difficult time with so I think I had the hard work and dedication and intelligence to improve.

My GPA is probably close to a 2.1, but I took quite a few classes elsewhere so I don't know what it would exactly be. Is there a site where I can enter all my grades and they can give me an exact gpa? Would my law school grades factor into this.

Supposing it is around a 2.6 or 2.7, despite the many F's and W's I had during my lazy undergrad days, and I score high on the MCAT, any shot at a DO?

A 2.6-2.7 is below the cut off for DO schools. However if employ the DO grade-replacement policy you retake some of the F's you'll be able to easily get your gpa into a competitive realm within a year, also W's don't count in gpa calculations.

 

[medhope4]

A 2.6-2.7 is below the cut off for DO schools. However if employ the DO grade-replacement policy you retake some of the F's you'll be able to easily get your gpa into a competitive realm within a year, also W's don't count in gpa calculations.

What is the cut off for DO? MD? Carib?

 

[flatearth22]

What is the cut off for DO? MD? Carib?

Many US MD and DO schools screen at 3.0 but others don't have an official cutoff. Big 4 Carib stats are probably closer to DO than DO is to US MD.

 

[Skinceutical]

SDNers posit that out of an incoming cohort, only about 50% will match to US residencies.

What are comparable numbers for the less prestigoius US medical schools (MD & DO).

Every American graduate who wants a residency position gets one, either through the match itself (>94% of MD applicants get positions through the match) or by scrambling after the match.

Typically, the American graduates who go completely unmatched fall into 2 categories:
1. People who decide that they don't want to practice clinical medicine, and are instead planning on pursuing business or research careers after medical school.
2. People who failed to match into highly competitive specialties and, rather than scrambling into an available position in a less competitive field, opt to stay unmatched and try again.

And isn't a 50% match rate somewhat better than the doom and gloom predicted for Carib students on this thread? (So if you discount the party animals and the obvious students who should have not been admitted, you have a 75% chance of a match?)

Two things to keep in mind:

1. The 50% figure includes a sizable number of people who only matched into 1 year, preliminary positions. These are essentially dead-end internship positions that do not automatically lead to full-residencies and board eligibility. People who only match into preliminary programs will have to apply for full residency positions again.

2. The 50% who don't match are still saddled with hundreds of thousands of dollars of unsubsidized educational debt, and in many cases will not have sufficient income from whatever jobs they can get to pay off their loans.

 

[Law2Doc]

What's special about those three? Coincidentally (not coincidentally?), I know people who went to all three, so are there different types of schools there?

After the Caribbean, these historically were the most popular fallback options for US college grads who couldn't get into US programs.

 

[Law2Doc]

Aren't the people who succeed in the carribean and manage to make it back to the US basically the people who had 3.1-3.4 GPAs (and sometimes higher)...

First, if you have a B average and end up going to the caribbean then you didn't follow the right path -- an SMP or a postbac is the right move if you are in this range.

But as to your suggestion, actually, the folks who got 3.1 probably were trying all along and so you wouldn't expect them to be able to really crank things up and turn their lives around. The folks who succeed offshore are probably some subset of the folks who never put in any effort in undergrad and finally got scared straight and put things into high gear. My bet is the smart person who was an underachiever in college is able to become the guy who aces med school tests and the boards over the guy who was working hard all along but never cracked a 3.1. Med school doesn't get easier, and these offshore places don't grade on a curve, you either prove you know your stuff or they pocket your money for another year, and don't let you advance.

 

[45408]

After the Caribbean, these historically were the most popular fallback options for US college grads who couldn't get into US programs.

I also know a guy who went to dental school in Prague. Other than that, South America, Mexico, India and Pakistan are the only places that come to mind for FMGs.

 

[ashah0224]

I also know a guy who went to dental school in Prague. Other than that, South America, Mexico, India and Pakistan are the only places that come to mind for FMGs.

I do not know of anybody who goes to study in India and Pakistan. On the contrary, many who study there and get their MBBS ace the USMLE and apply for the match.

According to ValueMD and another physician I know, for allopathic pre-med, the Philippines is sometimes more reputable than the Caribbean. But neither should be a first option for anybody who wants to become a licensed physician in USA.

 

[Law2Doc]

...

According to ValueMD and another physician I know, for allopathic pre-med, the Philippines is sometimes more reputable than the Caribbean. But neither should be a first option for anybody who wants to become a licensed physician in USA.

I think a lot if stuff on valueMD is what people on there want to be true, rather than what is true. When looking at IMG/FMG applicants, PDs turn first to the places they have the most familiarity with, and that usually puts the better Caribbean schools well ahead of the Philippines.

 

[Stumpyman]

I do not know of anybody who goes to study in India and Pakistan. On the contrary, many who study there and get their MBBS ace the USMLE and apply for the match.

According to ValueMD and another physician I know, for allopathic pre-med, the Philippines is sometimes more reputable than the Caribbean. But neither should be a first option for anybody who wants to become a licensed physician in USA.

I know of a few Pakistani-Americans/Indian-Americans who go back to India/Pakistan for medical school. A couple of the "top" schools in those countries actually produce quite a few people who come back to the US. I've never heard of anyone that's not at least somewhat Pakistani/India go to either of those countries for med school though.
Some kids go straight out of (American) High school to med school in Pakistan/India, since they don't have undergrad requirements.

 

[mmmcdowe]

I wonder if a lot of US FMGs end up in business doing consult work for places like McKinsey?

 

[235009]

I wonder if a lot of US FMGs end up in business doing consult work for places like McKinsey?

absolutely not. i would be shocked if any of them end up there. consulting firms want the cream of the crop and recruit from "top" US MD schools. just like they want the cream of the crop college graduates and therefore recruit heavily at "top" colleges including ivy league schools.

 

[druggeek]

I dont have a dog this fight. My connection to medicine is being a patient and a browser of SDN and value med. Having said that, can someone comment on these figures.

One of the big four Carib schools claim an ~85% match rate. However, SDNers dispute that saying there is a lot of self-selection; ie: lots are kicked out from the school before they can sit for boards so that the Carib school can maintain high match rates. SDNers posit that out of an incoming cohort, only about 50% will match to US residencies.

What are comparable numbers for the less prestigoius US medical schools (MD & DO).

And isn't a 50% match rate somewhat better than the doom and gloom predicted for Carib students on this thread? (So if you discount the party animals and the obvious students who should have not been admitted, you have a 75% chance of a match?)

Of course, one needs to keep in mind that these are historical rates and the situations for all IMGs/FMGs are supposed to become much worse with the increased US med schools and increased US med student graduating numbers...

Look forward to reading others' opinions on the above 4 points.

Let's not forget any stats at the moment are for those who did undergrad several years ago. Not even close for someone in 3rd/4th year undergrad right now....Tons more IMGs = much harder.

How easy is it really to get into a carribean school? Does someone have any statistics? Ie someone has a 2.1 gpa and a very low mcat and can actually get in?

yep you can. hell I've even heard just having a degree and the money can get you in...somewhere anyway 😉

😀
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=11972963&postcount=44

Nah not really, if someone gets a 2.1 cause they were too lazy then they're absolutely not intelligent at all. You don't go through 4 years of getting low marks and not changing your habits and being "intelligent."

Really? If you were that dedicated you would've had a higher GPA than that. 2.1 is BARELY passing. I don't think I can fathom a situation in which one's gpa can drop so dangerously low. Sorry to bust your chops but medical school is not for everyone.
I wouldn't gamble on a carib school.
Even if accepted, can you handle the coursework? Even under stress or problems?
That's what the importance of a high GPA is.

lol @ anyone wanting to do med with a 2.1

First, if you have a B average and end up going to the caribbean then you didn't follow the right path -- an SMP or a postbac is the right move if you are in this range.

But as to your suggestion, actually, the folks who got 3.1 probably were trying all along and so you wouldn't expect them to be able to really crank things up and turn their lives around. The folks who succeed offshore are probably some subset of the folks who never put in any effort in undergrad and finally got scared straight and put things into high gear. My bet is the smart person who was an underachiever in college is able to become the guy who aces med school tests and the boards over the guy who was working hard all along but never cracked a 3.1. Med school doesn't get easier, and these offshore places don't grade on a curve, you either prove you know your stuff or they pocket your money for another year, and don't let you advance.

Correct, though someone with like a 3.3 is obviously 100x better trying for 2 years for DO than going carribean .

 

[CopaceticOne]

Nah not really, if someone gets a 2.1 cause they were too lazy then they're absolutely not intelligent at all. You don't go through 4 years of getting low marks and not changing your habits and being "intelligent."

You really need to look up the definition of the word "intelligence".

Per Merriam-Webster:
Intelligence = the ability to learn or understand or to deal with new or trying situation; the ability to apply knowledge to manipulate one's environment or to think abstractly as measured by objective criteria

Just because someone has the ability doesn't mean that they use it. Think outside of the med school gunner world for a second and you will find plenty of intelligent people that really don't give a crap about school and their grades reflect it. Get it right and I'll stop correcting you.

 

[ashah0224]

You really need to look up the definition of the word "intelligence".

Per Merriam-Webster:
Intelligence = the ability to learn or understand or to deal with new or trying situation; the ability to apply knowledge to manipulate one's environment or to think abstractly as measured by objective criteria

Just because someone has the ability doesn't mean that they use it. Think outside of the med school gunner world for a second and you will find plenty of intelligent people that really don't give a crap about school and their grades reflect it. Get it right and I'll stop correcting you.

lol.

Your point has no direct relation to this thread.

However, anybody who is lazy and expects a walk-in-the-park with Caribbean medical school entrance is only fooling themselves, regardless of intelligence. They probably should not be in medical school in the first place.

However, the cost of SGU and ROSS, in some twisted way, is justified by the for-profit psychology (e.g. Devry that now runs ROSS).

Most students only hope they are not an example of this, by going to the Carib.

 

[nicgb24]

Everyone is different and an off shore school might be perfect for some... like possibly for me.
I have received (really early... like September 2011 notice for an August 2012 start) admission to a DO program yet am still looking at AUC because it would allow me to finish my degree in 38 months.
I am a 30 year old health care attorney with a history degree from Johns Hopkins with a 27 MCAT and below average science grades at best. I sat for the MCAT with only a few med school pre reqs, all taken over 7 years prior.
I have spoken to physicians across the country (including those at my former employer Cleveland Clinic) and all feel that board scores, rotations and extras might make up for attending a foreign med school. Unless you are at Harvard or Chicago or the like or are top of the class with USMLE scores to match, you will find it difficult to match to super selective programs, even more so if you are a DO. This coming from the faculty at the DO school I where I was accepted. As a DO, you also must sit for the COMLEX.
For me, the time factor and the high USMLE pass rate makes AUC a good option for me. The pass rate is higher than it is for the DO school (both COMLEX and USMLE) I was accepted in to for admission.

 

[EBTrailRunner]

Everyone is different and an off shore school might be perfect for some... like possibly for me.
I have received (really early... like September 2011 notice for an August 2012 start) admission to a DO program yet am still looking at AUC because it would allow me to finish my degree in 38 months.
I am a 30 year old health care attorney with a history degree from Johns Hopkins with a 27 MCAT and below average science grades at best. I sat for the MCAT with only a few med school pre reqs, all taken over 7 years prior.
I have spoken to physicians across the country (including those at my former employer Cleveland Clinic) and all feel that board scores, rotations and extras might make up for attending a foreign med school. Unless you are at Harvard or Chicago or the like or are top of the class with USMLE scores to match, you will find it difficult to match to super selective programs, even more so if you are a DO. This coming from the faculty at the DO school I where I was accepted. As a DO, you also must sit for the COMLEX.
For me, the time factor and the high USMLE pass rate makes AUC a good option for me. The pass rate is higher than it is for the DO school (both COMLEX and USMLE) I was accepted in to for admission.

You need to think long term. How is finishing your degree a few months earlier at an offshore medical school going to place you in a stronger position for residency?

 

[druggeek]

You really need to look up the definition of the word "intelligence".

Per Merriam-Webster:
Intelligence = the ability to learn or understand or to deal with new or trying situation; the ability to apply knowledge to manipulate one's environment or to think abstractly as measured by objective criteria

Just because someone has the ability doesn't mean that they use it. Think outside of the med school gunner world for a second and you will find plenty of intelligent people that really don't give a crap about school and their grades reflect it. Get it right and I'll stop correcting you.

I'm talking about a bit more than simple intelligence. I meant being all-around smart, something an extremely lazy person who's paying tuition money to get a 2.1 gpa doesn't have, regardless of their book smart potential.