DO >>> Carib and all that

[Goro]

I was recently asked by an SDNer to comment on why it’s better to go to a DO school than to the Caribbean. I recommend the threads at the bottom for a fuller discussion, but in brief, pay attention to what the wise gyngyn has to say:

“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.

There was a time when folks whose only flaw was being a late bloomer went Carib, but those days are gone. There are a number of spots at US schools with grade replacement for these candidates.”

The dangers of going to a Carib school are as follows:

• High attrition rates (such that a US school that had similar would be closed by US accreditors)
  
  
• Only 50% chance at matching into a US residency
  
  
• Residencies that are matched into are single year sites, or usually only in non-competitive fields. These sites also are poor quality.
  
  
• In contrast, DO matches in AOA+ ACGME are as good as MD matches. Yes, it’s harder for DO grads to match into competitive fields, but just because one has an MD, that doesn’t mean one will waltz into a Derm residency. They’re competitive for a reason.
  
  
• With the AOA/ACGME merger, the number of sites for FMGs will be diminishing. This is one of the main reasons for the merger.

In short, these schools engage in educational malpractice. They can and do, out and out lie about their stats. They prey upon the desperate and the gullible.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/whats-so-bad-about-caribbean-medical-schools.1140696/#post-16561790

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/questions-about-carribean-med-school.1019348/#post-14242055

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/37-mcat-caribbean-school-plastic-surgery-residency.1075141/page-2#post-15292070

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/new-york-times-article-on-caribbean-medical-schools.1089631/page-2#post-15538700

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/in-2011-and-2012-st-georges-university-placed-more-doctors-into-1st-year.983102/#post-13659333

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...an-screw-you-over.905470/page-2#post-12419799

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Endorphins98]

This is a good 1st account story of what a Caribbean school was like for this poor guy.
http://www.milliondollarmistake.wordpress.com/

 

[Gandyy]

I was recently asked by an SDNer to comment on why it’s better to go to a DO school than to the Caribbean. I recommend the threads at the bottom for a fuller discussion, but in brief, pay attention to what the wise gyngyn has to say:

“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, gullibility, 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.

There was a time when folks whose only flaw was being a late bloomer went Carib, but those days are gone. There are a number of spots at US schools with grade replacement for these candidates.”

The dangers of going to a Carib school are as follows:

• High attrition rates (such that a US school that had similar would be closed by US accreditors)
  
  
• Only 50% chance at matching into a US residency
  
  
• Residencies that are matched into are single year sites, or usually only in non-competitive fields. These sites also are poor quality.
  
  
• In contrast, DO matches in AOA+ ACGME are as good as MD matches. Yes, it’s harder for DO grads to match into competitive fields, but just because one has an MD, that doesn’t mean one will waltz into a Derm residency. They’re competitive for a reason.
  
  
• With the AOA/ACGME merger, the number of sites for FMGs will be diminishing. This is one of the main reasons for the merger.

In short, these schools engage in educational malpractice. They can and do, out and out lie about their stats. They prey upon the desperate and the gullible.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/whats-so-bad-about-caribbean-medical-schools.1140696/#post-16561790

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/questions-about-carribean-med-school.1019348/#post-14242055

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/37-mcat-caribbean-school-plastic-surgery-residency.1075141/page-2#post-15292070

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/new-york-times-article-on-caribbean-medical-schools.1089631/page-2#post-15538700

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/in-2011-and-2012-st-georges-university-placed-more-doctors-into-1st-year.983102/#post-13659333

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...an-screw-you-over.905470/page-2#post-12419799

Very true.

Caribbean Schools might have one of the most ruthless business committees ever. Preying on other peoples' lives, hopes and dreams in order to gain their 200k+ tuition and often rendering students' lives asunder.

Pathetic. I will be happy the day every Caribbean school gets shut down.

 

[DetectiveAlonzo]

Ohhh this will be good..

 

[costales]

This is a good 1st account story of what a Caribbean school was like for this poor guy.
http://www.milliondollarmistake.wordpress.com/

TLDR: No ortho match. His life is ruined. He's going to be a PCP. Expect more weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth - along with more denunciations of racism.

 

[DetectiveAlonzo]

.

 

[TrueWolverine]

In contrast, DO matches in AOA+ ACGME are as good as MD matches. Yes, it’s harder for DO grads to match into competitive fields, but just because one has an MD, that doesn’t mean one will waltz into a Derm residency. They’re competitive for a reason

Is this comparing DO's to local MD's only? Or both foreign and local? Does a foreign MD have a better shot at derm than a DO?

I'm set on DO so I'm asking more out of curiosity than anything.

 

[Goro]

Local MDs to DOs. IMGs (ie Cuban docs who got their MDs in Cuba) are a completely different subject.

Is this comparing DO's to local MD's only? Or both foreign and local? Does a foreign MD have a better shot at derm than a DO?

I'm set on DO so I'm asking more out of curiosity than anything.

 

[kalat]

I'm not saying I disagree with DO being a safer path, but the sweeping generalizations here make me very wary.

... bad judgment, bad advice, egotism, gullibility, overbearing parents, gullibility, inability to delay gratification, IA's, legal problems, weak research skills, high risk behavior.

That's a lot to say about a diverse group of people who are each living their own lives. I sincerely hope anyone in a position to make decisions on an applicant of any type (professional school, job, or otherwise) wouldn't come to the table with such strong preconceived notions already in place. (NB: I realize this is, in fact, an unfortunate reality.)

We have to accept there are many people that come from distinguished backgrounds in any field (and of course plenty of US graduated physicians) that have many of the traits you described, and unless there's a formal study conducted at some point in time I would not assume something odd like "prestigiousness of education" is a good differentiator for types of traits. Further, even if any of that were true we are not really aware of the relation between whatever extent we want to imagine these traits exist and one's professional ability.

I realize the reality of the situation is everyone has their own opinions they form and act upon, and we all have our notions of other people's education, background, personality, and etc. that we ascribe as we meet them (and maybe more importantly when we decide if we like them), but I can't say, if I could help it, that I would prefer people be so blatant. We can dislike Caribbean schools without vilifying those that attend them as well.

Besides, I cannot imagine this line of thinking is helpful for those that still feel similarly about DOs,

 

[DoctorSynthesis]

So I want to add to this. (For those that are actually curious/under informed and not the trolls who post about this to start flame wars)


So an obvious advantage of going to an osteopathic schools is the additional AOA match. However, a lie that is sometimes told by people who went to the carribean will say is that if you just considered the ACGME match there is no difference between DOs and foreign MDs. This isn't true! DOs not only have the additional AOA match but acgme PDs prefer DOs to foreign MDs. An SDN member (old post) called 40 pds in california. Of those 33 responded responded 31 saying they prefer DOs 2 citing no difference. The report on charting outcomes also repeats that PDs prefer DOs. Its no suprise that GYNGYN an MD tell people to go to a DO school over a foreign one. Also it seems that PDs are preferring DOs more and more. So not only do you have the AOA match to fall back on you also have a leg up in the ACGME match. When MDs are able to get into DO resendecies in 2020 the current indications are that there will still be bias towards DOs in the traditionally AOA spots. There will probably be a huge advanatage for a DO vs carribean MD in those spots. Not to mention DOs are getting into places that were previously unthinkable on the ACGME side.


Even if you took out all the advantages in matching the attriition is tiny in DO schools compared to massive attrition in carribean schools. Also you get to stay in America versus 3rd world countries.


While this is a topic that has been beaten to death and has a clear answer. For anyone that is actually curious for the above mentioned reasons I think it's obvious that an osteopathic school is far superior to a foreign one.


Also I have nothing against people who went to the carribean. I have family and friends who went there. However when I see my friends not get resendecies after graduating and desperately trying to find anything I get sad and I don't want that to happen to anyone. Honestly all of us might be sounding "mean" when we try and tell people not to go there or that we are crushing someone's dream of becoming a physician. In reality we are just trying to help that person and I'm sorry if the smart decision isnt the one they want to hear.


Another thing I wanted to bring up is that patients don't care about your initials. Most treat Nurse practioners and PAs as physicians as they don't realize there is a difference. DOs are actual physicians and they probably won't even realize that you are a DO

 

[ZedsDed]

In reality we are just trying to help that person and I'm sorry if the smart decision isnt the one they want to hear.

This should be the pre-allo disclaimer, jeez.

 

[DoctorSynthesis]

This should be the pre-allo disclaimer, jeez.

I feel that statement could extend way beyond pre allo. It's human nature to take the easy way out and not look at the long term consequences.

 

[0dee]

My friend attended St. George, and now he is in a residency program in Atlanta. However, he still regrets dropping so much money on those greedy schools even though he matched into an internal medicine program here.

 

[DetectiveAlonzo]

You'll end up in primary care. In a crappy location with probably crappy training. Nothing wrong with PC, as I want to do family med at the DO program I'm attending. But training quality matters. As do clinical rotations. But dang all that fresh juice on the islands was probably worth it.

 

[ZedsDed]

I'm not saying I disagree with DO being a safer path, but the sweeping generalizations here make me very wary.



That's a lot to say about a diverse group of people who are each living their own lives. I sincerely hope anyone in a position to make decisions on an applicant of any type (professional school, job, or otherwise) wouldn't come to the table with such strong preconceived notions already in place. (NB: I realize this is, in fact, an unfortunate reality.)

We have to accept there are many people that come from distinguished backgrounds in any field (and of course plenty of US graduated physicians) that have many of the traits you described, and unless there's a formal study conducted at some point in time I would not assume something odd like "prestigiousness of education" is a good differentiator for types of traits. Further, even if any of that were true we are not really aware of the relation between whatever extent we want to imagine these traits exist and one's professional ability.

I realize the reality of the situation is everyone has their own opinions they form and act upon, and we all have our notions of other people's education, background, personality, and etc. that we ascribe as we meet them (and maybe more importantly when we decide if we like them), but I can't say, if I could help it, that I would prefer people be so blatant. We can dislike Caribbean schools without vilifying those that attend them as well.

Besides, I cannot imagine this line of thinking is helpful for those that still feel similarly about DOs,

The reality is that kids who go to Caribbean schools are judged very harshly. The reality is also that the stigma against DOs is much, much less severe.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

This is a good 1st account story of what a Caribbean school was like for this poor guy.
http://www.milliondollarmistake.wordpress.com/

I started reading it out of curiosity. I started feeling bad for this guy because he seemed to have had decent scores and been motivated for the right reasons. Then I read this "I was offered an early acceptance to the following years class at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine" and loss all sympathy because he was a *******.

 

[Endorphins98]

I started reading it out of curiosity. I started feeling bad for this guy because he seemed to have had decent scores and been motivated for the right reasons. Then I read this "I was offered an early acceptance to the following years class at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine" and loss all sympathy because he was a *******.

Right??? I would have been amped to have gotten that acceptance. The MD>DO mentality really seems to have screwed him. Granted he still landed a residency, but not after putting up a huge fight.

 

[DetectiveAlonzo]

You live and you learn.

 

[Gandyy]

This is a good 1st account story of what a Caribbean school was like for this poor guy.
http://www.milliondollarmistake.wordpress.com/

What a disgusting scenario. With scores like that and an application like his, I would bet money that he would match into ortho even if he went to Touro-CA (which is supposed to be a top tier DO anyways)

A 270 step 1 score?!

 

[tennerd]

This is a good 1st account story of what a Caribbean school was like for this poor guy.
http://www.milliondollarmistake.wordpress.com/

this really hurt to read, but why was there an assumed racial discrimination? he said his family is italian. i didn't know italians were discriminated against in admissions.

 

[Endorphins98]

What a disgusting scenario. With scores like that and an application like his, I would bet money that he would match into ortho even if he went to Touro-CA (which is supposed to be a top tier DO anyways)

A 270 step 1 score?!

I know!! I was jaw dropped at how awful the situation was. But again, at least he got into a residency. Could you imagine that kind of debt without being able to practice....

 

[Jeffrety]

Sage advice Dr. Goro.

I don't believe that 1 million dollar mistake guy entirely since he hasn't shown proof of his board scores but the argument against foreign med schools is undeniably strong. You're betting $400,000 plus interest on a 50% chance to land a job that makes $175, 000 (for the time being, your pay might drop with the ACA).

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

What a disgusting scenario. With scores like that and an application like his, I would bet money that he would match into ortho even if he went to Touro-CA (which is supposed to be a top tier DO anyways)

A 270 step 1 score?!

He would have easily matched Ortho with the equivalent COMLEX.

 

[GypsyHummus]

This is a good 1st account story of what a Caribbean school was like for this poor guy.
http://www.milliondollarmistake.wordpress.com/

I am surprised he did not get ANY love

 

[GypsyHummus]

I started reading it out of curiosity. I started feeling bad for this guy because he seemed to have had decent scores and been motivated for the right reasons. Then I read this "I was offered an early acceptance to the following years class at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine" and loss all sympathy because he was a *******.

Why would someone do such a thing? On the plus side, maybe that let someone else who was waitlisted get on the early acceptance train.

 

[kalat]

The reality is that kids who go to Caribbean schools are judged very harshly. The reality is also that the stigma against DOs is much, much less severe.

With all due respect, that's using a fair two sentences to say absolutely nothing interesting in regards to the point I'm trying to make. There are obviously plenty of people that have already expressed your sentiment elsewhere in the thread, so I am not sure what it is adding to the conversation.

I am not a Caribbean student, I don't know anyone who has or will attend a Caribbean school, and I am not acting out of some sort of personal interest, but working against sweeping generalizations about the type of education people receive and how it relates to their individual professional ability should be important to anyone who is interested in real people and not caricatures...

The post is obviously not just about Caribbean schools but also about the people that go to them. I said DO was a safer bet than the Caribbean. My point is clear. These Caribbean schools might be getting worth rid of, yes, but that's not my point. You may think "DO school criticism is less severe," but it certainly wouldn't be that way if everyone took the stance you do. What was the saying about "First they came..." and "Then they came for me..." We're talking about people as well as institutions. You can dismantle the institutions without doing the same to the people.

 

[Goro]

What kind of thin-skinned, hyper offendable, politically correct, everybody gets a trophy, nobody's bad, everybody gets to play mindset is this???

There is a particular mind-set going on in someone who doesn't look before they leap. They're not Jews in 19390's Berlin, for cryin' out loud!

The post is obviously not just about Caribbean schools but also about the people that go to them. I said DO was a safer bet than the Caribbean. My point is clear. These Caribbean schools might be getting worth rid of, yes, but that's not my point. You may think "DO school criticism is less severe," but it certainly wouldn't be that way if everyone took the stance you do. What was the saying about "First they came..." and "Then they came for me..." We're talking about people as well as institutions.

 

[kenjixshadow]

Where can I vote for this thread to be pinned? @AlteredScale @Bacchus @ShyRem

 

[kenjixshadow]

Another thing I wanted to bring up is that patients don't care about your initials. Most treat Nurse practioners and PAs as physicians as they don't realize there is a difference. DOs are actual physicians and they probably won't even realize that you are a DO.

This is true and even if the patients did ask, which is rare, about the initials. A DO should take time to educate the patient and plus that will spread the knowledge of the degree by mouth-to-mouth. I didn't know what DO was until a family member was treated by a DO and I asked the physician about the initials. Probably the only ppl who care about initials nowadays are neurotic pre-meds.

 

[Gandyy]

He would have easily matched Ortho with the equivalent COMLEX.

Yea he seems like he would have been boss. I'm curious why his MCAT score wasnt ridiculously high if he did that well on Step 1.

Although I"ve heard from many medical students they personally thought the MCAT was harder for them than Step 1 was.

Maybe he was one of those.

 

[mathnerd88]

Yea he seems like he would have been boss. I'm curious why his MCAT score wasnt ridiculously high if he did that well on Step 1.

Although I"ve heard from many medical students they personally thought the MCAT was harder for them than Step 1 was.

Maybe he was one of those.

MCAT and Step 1 are very different. One tests you on your ability to critically analyze based on passage reading, the other tests you on your ability for memorization and application of scenarios in medicine.

I know plenty who do badly on MCAT and do well on Step exams.

 

[Gandyy]

MCAT and Step 1 are very different. One tests you on your ability to critically analyze based on passage reading, the other tests you on your ability for memorization and application of scenarios in medicine.

I know plenty who do badly on MCAT and do well on Step exams.

As do I friend. I have a friend who studied his ass off for the MCAT and only made a 28 which is pretty mediocre for our mid tier State MD school. (Which is where he attends now)

Hes at the top of his class (rank 6 or 7), and scored a 260 something on his step 1.

I think that after a certain cutoff on the MCAT there might actually be no correlation between MCAT scores and Step 1 scores.

While I understand that adcoms have to have a standardized test to select applicants, I believe the MCAT is largely used as the final pre-med weed out tool.

 

[mathnerd88]

As do I friend. I have a friend who studied his ass off for the MCAT and only made a 28 which is pretty mediocre for our mid tier State MD school. (Which is where he attends now)

Hes at the top of his class (rank 6 or 7), and scored a 260 something on his step 1.

I think that after a certain cutoff on the MCAT there might actually be no correlation between MCAT scores and Step 1 scores.

While I understand that adcoms have to have a standardized test to select applicants, I believe the MCAT is largely used as the final pre-med weed out tool.

Yep. Agreed.

 

[ChrisMack390]

A large part of being a doctor is research skills and the basic ability to look up answers to questions you don't know the answers to.

Someone who signs up for a Caribbean MD program without typing "Caribbean MD program" into google is hopelessly naive.

 

[Iridescent]

I started reading it out of curiosity. I started feeling bad for this guy because he seemed to have had decent scores and been motivated for the right reasons. Then I read this "I was offered an early acceptance to the following years class at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine" and loss all sympathy because he was a *******.

Yea, he could've matched anywhere with those scores had he went to touro. It's incredible how much your pride can destroy you. And for no good reason

 

[ChrisMack390]

That guys story doesn't really add up to me. If he had really done so well in college and gotten a 30+ MCAT, on top of all that CNA and scribe experience, I find it incredibly hard to believe that he applied to nearly 100 medical schools and got nothing but 1 acceptance at Touro CA....

 

[AwayFromReality]

.

 

[costales]

That guys story doesn't really add up to me. If he had really done so well in college and gotten a 30+ MCAT, on top of all that CNA and scribe experience, I find it incredibly hard to believe that he applied to nearly 100 medical schools and got nothing but 1 acceptance at Touro CA....

He had the wrong last name or some such.

 

[Iridescent]

He had the wrong last name.

Lol the sarcasm is strong with this one.

He also said he had 5 publications in ortho research. With all that moving around for your clinicals, not to mention you being physically separated by an ocean for 2 years, how do you manage that.

 

[becomingdoctor]

That guys story doesn't really add up to me. If he had really done so well in college and gotten a 30+ MCAT, on top of all that CNA and scribe experience, I find it incredibly hard to believe that he applied to nearly 100 medical schools and got nothing but 1 acceptance at Touro CA....

He said top 33%, that's 28. A 30 is 75% (top 25%)

 

[Iridescent]

100 medical schools

Holy crap that just sunk in. Could you imagine completing 100 secondaries. That is straight up bull ****

 

[GypsyHummus]

So we have someone with a 3.7, 28 MCAT and three years of scribbing experience. Something else is still not adding up. He must have been from California or something, but he said he applied to 100 schools.

I think there is a missing element he is not telling us about.

 

[68PGunner]

Given his supposedly mcat, gpa, ECs, and writing ability, I don't believe his bs story. He probably has a red flag somewhere, possibly a criminal conviction over something.

Anyway, MCAT and Step scores have little correlation after a certain cutoff. Anyway, I hope that he is happy with his MD initials.

 

[costales]

I believe he's an underappreciated genius.

https://milliondollarmistake.wordpress.com/first-day-of-residency-wishing-it-was-my-last/

Struggled through my first day of internship today. Managed my patients within the expectations of what a first day intern should.

But comparing my performance to my co-interns : well it made me want to cry. Interns who trained on EPIC during medical school were asking me how to do things. I didn’t have a fancy rotation with EPIC, save for the ortho rotation that I fought for 2 years to secure. I went to a crap med school and rotated in joke hospitals (for the most part) all but one of which did NOT have epic.

“What’s your secret to being so fast ” remarked the socially awkward Asian from University of Iowa SOM in her thick accent.

“How do you know all this stuff” said the other the only intern in a combined program.

“I don’t know – I guess I’m just smart”

And so begins the next three years of lies. Lying to co-interns about why I am an intellectual misfit. Lying to attending about what I want to go into. Lying to my patients when I smile and build rapport.

I need help, these meds are not cutting it.​

 

[Iridescent]

I believe he's an underappreciated genius.

https://milliondollarmistake.wordpress.com/first-day-of-residency-wishing-it-was-my-last/

Struggled through my first day of internship today. Managed my patients within the expectations of what a first day intern should.

But comparing my performance to my co-interns : well it made me want to cry. Interns who trained on EPIC during medical school were asking me how to do things. I didn’t have a fancy rotation with EPIC, save for the ortho rotation that I fought for 2 years to secure. I went to a crap med school and rotated in joke hospitals (for the most part) all but one of which did NOT have epic.

“What’s your secret to being so fast ” remarked the socially awkward Asian from University of Iowa SOM in her thick accent.

“How do you know all this stuff” said the other the only intern in a combined program.

“I don’t know – I guess I’m just smart”

And so begins the next three years of lies. Lying to co-interns about why I am an intellectual misfit. Lying to attending about what I want to go into. Lying to my patients when I smile and build rapport.

I need help, these meds are not cutting it.​

Plot twist. He is suffering from a mental illness because of a past trauma. He's still currently in a psych ward.

 

[becomingdoctor]

Desire minus ability equals happiness. This guy wants MD, Ortho and/(or) desirable location. I am sure he has academic skills (given the USMLE scores), which was not good enough to gain admission to US MD schools. He is supposed to adjust his desire (ortho) based on his credential (Caribbean graduate). I agree caribbean medical schools are messed up, but being realistic can make his life much easier and happier. He should have no hard time in matching into programs such as internal medicine and make six figures for the rest of his life.

 

[tennerd]

Plot twist. He is suffering from a mental illness because of a past trauma. He's still currently in a psych ward.

no surprise. he is dreadfully unhappy and the only reason he is continuing in a field he doesn't like is to pay back debt to a school he despises.

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

I have a friend that is thinking about going to SGU. I have warned him/her multiple times to not go there, but they have offered him/her a scholarship and it seems like he/she is gonna do it anyways.

They scored in the 32-35 MCAT range, went to a top 15 undergrad, and have a 3.5+ GPA. Was lacking in the volunteer department and didn't receive MD interviews after applying to over 40 schools.

Won't apply DO, though.

 

[nRomaleos]

I have a friend that is thinking about going to SGU. I have warned him/her multiple times to not go there, but they have offered him/her a scholarship and it seems like he/she is gonna do it anyways.

They scored in the 32-35 MCAT range, went to a top 15 undergrad, and have a 3.5+ GPA. Was lacking in the volunteer department and didn't receive MD interviews after applying to over 40 schools.

Won't apply DO, though.

How did he or she lack THAT MUCH volunteer experiences???

 

[osteohack10]

So we have someone with a 3.7, 28 MCAT and three years of scribbing experience. Something else is still not adding up. He must have been from California or something, but he said he applied to 100 schools.

I think there is a missing element he is not telling us about.

Looks like he was from San Diego. The "racial" aspect to why he didn't get into medical school was a little baffling to me because he later described himself as coming from an Italian family.... I was pretty unaware of any "bias" against students of Italian heritage?