DO vs. Caribbean?

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I just wanted to revive this thread because I recently had a discussion about MD Caribbean vs DO with my family/relatives, and wanted to get some opinions from the SDN community.

My family knows two MDs who got their degrees from Caribbean schools and they seem to be doing phenomenal in life (lifestyle, job wise). Now when I tell my family how this is only n=2, they tell me that "if we know of 2 people like this, there has to be many out there!"

I am going to be an applicant who will be borderline for MD schools in the US(3.5/31). Though I'm also applying to DO schools, if a DO school doesn't work out also, I'm now considering the Caribbean (I really hoped I didn't have to).

So I guess my question is, on SDN do we patronize the Caribbean MD degree too much? Are they more successful than we think?

This is why I hate SDN.

You have a 31 on your MCAT! You will be fine!

 

[Lucca]

I just wanted to revive this thread because I recently had a discussion about MD Caribbean vs DO with my family/relatives, and wanted to get some opinions from the SDN community.

My family knows two MDs who got their degrees from Caribbean schools and they seem to be doing phenomenal in life (lifestyle, job wise). Now when I tell my family how this is only n=2, they tell me that "if we know of 2 people like this, there has to be many out there!"

I am going to be an applicant who will be borderline for MD schools in the US(3.5/31). Though I'm also applying to DO schools, if a DO school doesn't work out also, I'm now considering the Caribbean (I really hoped I didn't have to).

So I guess my question is, on SDN do we patronize the Caribbean MD degree too much? Are they more successful than we think?

There are good decisions and there are bad decisions and then there is paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for a return of investment that is either marginal or non-existent. Apply US you are fine.

 

[gumdrops]

I just wanted to revive this thread because I recently had a discussion about MD Caribbean vs DO with my family/relatives, and wanted to get some opinions from the SDN community.

My family knows two MDs who got their degrees from Caribbean schools and they seem to be doing phenomenal in life (lifestyle, job wise). Now when I tell my family how this is only n=2, they tell me that "if we know of 2 people like this, there has to be many out there!"

I am going to be an applicant who will be borderline for MD schools in the US(3.5/31). Though I'm also applying to DO schools, if a DO school doesn't work out also, I'm now considering the Caribbean (I really hoped I didn't have to).

So I guess my question is, on SDN do we patronize the Caribbean MD degree too much? Are they more successful than we think?

You are more than okay for US schools. Grab an MSAR and apply to schools all over the country with your stats and you should be set for a US MD program.

It is important to reiterate that DO and Caribbean MD's are not remotely comparable options anymore. Twenty or thirty years ago there were fewer medical students and roughly the same number of residency spots. Competition wasn't as fierce so IMG's could still set up shop and do very well. Even then, they were consigned mostly to podunk practices in flyover states but their earning potential was the same.

Now with the recent residency merger and the closing perception gap, IMG's have it harder than ever. I think residency programs would ask "Why not DO?" when they saw a Carib grad before they would fall all over themselves to admit some MD from a for-profit school. Whether MD's would like to admit it or not, we're rapidly approaching the era of MD = DO. For the Carib grads out there, it's a dog-eat-dog world and they're wearing Milkbone underwear.

 

[music2doc]

Apply Caribbean and it's Game Over at this point. DO remains a viable alternative.

 

[knv2u]

That's sad. No, I have not met one of those people. My friend did pretend she got a 30+ on her MCAT and chose Caribbean. Now THAT I don't buy.

Maybe she had a 2.0 GPA.