Chances, options, etc.

[HSUReddie]

First off, the reason I am mainly posting is because I used the search function to find some of the SDN member's opinions of Caribbean schools (such as Ross and SGU, which were on my list of schools I was interested in). I got the vibe from most that Ross is nothing like they say it is, while SGU is pretty decent. Unlike most, my initial motivation for going to school in the Caribbean was purely cultural because eventually I would like to practice medicine overseas. Feel free to butcher my motivations all you want because I myself am beginning to question them.

So the problem... I'm about to go into my senior year next fall and was going to start the application process this summer as well as take the MCAT (I know, I know, you can't really judge much without my MCAT score). Problem is, I haven't had physics yet. I go to a small liberal arts college in Arkansas, and I opted for cell biology over physics last year. I was going to attempt to teach myself this summer, but I've heard that can kind of be a fail sometimes.

I visited UAMS on Friday, and to my surprise, I liked it. I know, however, that they have an average MCAT of around 29. Currently, I guess I'm debating if I should study for the MCAT and take it at the end of the summer and go ahead and apply to UAMS (and a few other schools) - also wondering if I should still consider the Caribbean...? Or should I wait and take it next summer? I'm a bit concerned about the prospect of taking a year off. I have considered applying to UAMS's (or another university's) MPH program because that's another thing I am very strongly interested in, and then after I finish that applying to medical school.

Just a few tidbits about my academia to help with your opinions I suppose...
GPA: 3.83
Science: 3.77
Roughly 30 hours shadowing (plan on more this summer)
Hold offices in a few honors/service societies on campus
Consistently made Dean's List or Honor Roll
Traveled to Panama and Belize with our bio dept
Currently researching health of several coral reef sites in Panama
Who's Who Among American Universities and College Students
Outstanding Freshman Academic Achievement in Biology
Outstanding Creative Achievement in Research in Biology
Undergraduate Teaching Assistant (basically, I teach my own intro bio lab)
Participating in an undergrad research internship at Arkansas Children's Hospital this summer

Hopefully that's a good explanation of my situation. Thanks for taking the time to read.

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[Catalystik]

A rare SDNer has reported successful self-study for Physics, but if you're like most of us, the solid understanding of the topic that comes from a year of classwork would be the more-likely-to-be-successful approach to getting a competitive MCAT score.

With your strong GPA, you can have every expectation of doing well on the MCAT once you complete the prerequisites and give 2-3 months to test preparation.

Considering the low statistics that go along with the Caribbean schools for completing the course of study, passing the Steps with competitive scores, and matching into the residency of choice, I'd suggest that spending an extra year buffing up your application will be far more productive in the long run than attending a Caribbean school.

 

[HSUReddie]

Thanks so much! I am really starting to feel this is truly the best option.

 

[LegendaryPunk]

From what I've learned during my short time here at SDN, attending Caribbean medical school only serves to close doors and make things more difficult for you in the future. Short of it being a last ditch attempt for some people, I don't think I've actually read a single positive comment or reason for somebody to attend Caribbean over US.