I think that if you don't do better on your May MCAT, and you get accepted to a Caribbean program, you will never be a physician and will have a mountainous debt load. Please spend some time in the MCAT forum, do a few searches, and ask a couple of strategic questions and figure out how to get your MCAT score competitive for DO programs. The trends for funded residency slots is getting less and less favorable for the fraction of matriculating Caribbean students who actually make it past the boards. Do yourself a favor if you want to be a physician and stop thinking of throwing in the towel and figure out what is going wrong.
In my short tenure in these forums, this is probably the most absurd thing I've read thus far. Most Caribbean grads do become physicians and practice in the states. I know several people who have gone the route of the Caribbean and are doing fine right now. Are they competitive for the most elite residencies (radiology, neurosurgery, dermatology etc)? Usually they aren't, but that doesn't mean those residencies are out of the question. If the OP just wants to be a general practitioner and is fine with doing any internal medicine residency, the Caribbean might be a good option.
To the OP, please, PLEASE do not let this one exam break your spirit. It's a test, that while is important for admission into medical school, does not define you in any way or reflect on what you are capable of. If your goal is to become a doctor, I think your EC's will carry you a long way. Your GPA is probably competitive for most osteopathic medical schools. If you retake the MCAT and score between a 27-30, you would be in good shape for many DO programs. If you get an MCAT score well into the 30's, you might be in contention for some low-mid tier allopathic medical schools.
If you actually want to go medical school in the Caribbean (which may be the case, although for most people it is their last option) then I would recommend you just apply, you would probably get in somewhere. But if you want to go to a US MD/DO school, I don't think you should turn to the Caribbean just yet without giving this thing everything you got. The MCAT is a miserable exam, but it is beatable. There are many people like you who have scored <20 on their first run, and then eventually get into medical school after a retake.
I don't know what your financial circumstances are, but if possible you might want to turn to a commercial test prep company, or a tutor if you can afford it. If you can't, try to study with some friends and provide encouragement for each other, maybe help each other out where you have your respective weaknesses.
The road to medical school is very challenging for almost everyone. For me, my GPA is something that is hurting my application and I'm working to improve that. For others, its personal matters that have prevented them from investing all their time into this endeavor. For some, like yourself, its the MCAT. For many, its poor interview skills. I mean, think of it this way... You have all the other elements of a decent application, you just have this one last hurdle and by conquering it you put yourself in good position to go to medical school in the US. Just one more hurdle! Again, it's not easy, but doable? Absolutely.
Best of luck to you my friend. Don't lose heart.
