Failed 1st semester at Ross....Reapply to State Schools?

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Would you repeat a failed semster at Ross?


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I know. Isn't that experience required of all applicants, though?

We act like it's the end of the world because the threshold for having a competitive score is relatively high for a test that is fairly difficult. I'm sure that a high GRE score is required for PA school as well considering the high level of competitiveness, but achieving that high score is arguably easier, I think.

Ehh It depends on the program. Emory requires 2000 hrs, Duke 1000, while some like Nova have no requirement but it's recommended. The schools that have lower end hours tend to have more prerequistes eg organic, biochem, genetics, etc. But regardless, I see your point.
 
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1) You will not be accepted into any US medical school, or PA school for that matter
2) No, seriously, PA school will not take you. PA is hot right now, they don't want carrib rejects
3) The odds of matching anywhere but a very undesirable family medicine program are very low. very.
4) Go to paramedic school, RT school, or fast-track RN, or get out of healthcare. That's what I would do and that is the only reasonable option
 
It's a reasonable suggestion. Your options are basically kill it the rest of your time at ross, or consider other options - PA, maybe DPM?
Thank you for all your advice and words of wisdom! I'm happy for all my friends that worked hard and are able to celebrate tonight, I didn't want to go out, I worked hard but it just didn't pay off, I'm going to def. pray about it over the next 2 weeks and make the best decision, again thanks!
 
Merely judging OP by his logic with this plea for advice paints a picture of his thought process. OP you have failed out of a graduate level training at a school that is notoriously known for accepting below average students willing to foot the bill in order to gain a MD title. Then you have the audacity to respond as you did to a slightly reasonable suggestion to look into other careers. Namely PA (something you obviously know nothing about and which you are NOT competitive for). Let me put it to you this way. Many PA school applicants have very competitive stats. GPAs 3.6 and higher. Some of my friends applying to PA after switching from Med school applicants have MCATs in the 30 range. I doubt any reputable PA program (Example: UF 1400 applicants, 60 seats) would give you the time of day. Private for profit schools. Maybe. I hope you heed the advice of trying to fix your grades and keep your doc dreams alive. Best of luck.
When I said "how about not" I was not meaning to degrade any other profession, it is just my passion to pursue what I feel is my calling in life, at the end of the day numbers mean nothing when God is involved. He's brought me this far, He can turn around any situation, He can shut doors that no man can open and open doors that no man can shut. I wholeheartedly believe that I will reach my dream. I know that the odds are stacked against me but I agree with all of you, it is time that I think long and hard about my future. I'm a 25 year old female that is hoping everything turns out okay. Am I scared? Yes. I realize the situation I am in does not look pretty, this is when my faith has to be bigger than my fear. Merry Christmas to all....yours will def. be merrier than mine, God bless.
 
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Thank you for all your advice and words of wisdom! I'm happy for all my friends that worked hard and are able to celebrate tonight, I didn't want to go out, I worked hard but it just didn't pay off, I'm going to def. pray about it over the next 2 weeks and make the best decision, again thanks!

Praying is not really the solution to the problem. I hate to beat the dead horse especially after everyone has pretty much talked about this but your chances of getting into a US MD or DO program are the same as humans achieving the speed of light.
As harsh as my post might sound, you were below average to begin with and went the Caribbean route. Then you turned out to be below average at the below average programs. I think God gives signs to humans and this might be one to make a different career choice that's more suitable to you.
You worked hard and it didn't pay off in the first semester. Don't take tons of more loans and then get demolished by USMLE Step 1 exam. If you can't handle the first semester, you can't handle the boards and thus you won't be able to be licensed in the U.S
I apologize in advance for my crude nature but it's time to wake up. Good luck to you.
 
When I said "how about not" I was not meaning to degrade any other profession, it is just my passion to pursue what I feel is my calling in life, at the end of the day numbers mean nothing when God is involved. He can turn around any situation, He can open doors that no man can open and shut doors that no man can shut. I wholeheartedly believe that I will reach my dream. I know that the odds are stacked against me but I agree with all of you, it is time that I think long and hard about my future. I'm 25 year old female that is hoping everything turns out okay. Am I scared? Yes. I realize that situation I am and it does not look pretty, this is when my faith has to be bigger than my fear. Merry Christmas to all....yours will def. be merrier than mine, God bless.

Gotcha. Good luck to you.
 
When I said "how about not" I was not meaning to degrade any other profession, it is just my passion to pursue what I feel is my calling in life, at the end of the day numbers mean nothing when God is involved. He can turn around any situation, He can open doors that no man can open and shut doors that no man can shut. I wholeheartedly believe that I will reach my dream. I know that the odds are stacked against me but I agree with all of you, it is time that I think long and hard about my future. I'm a 25 year old female that is hoping everything turns out okay. Am I scared? Yes. I realize the situation I am in does not look pretty, this is when my faith has to be bigger than my fear. Merry Christmas to all....yours will def. be merrier than mine, God bless.
I think you should leave ROSS and try to get into another branch of healthcare (RT/RN etc...), then work for a few years (2-3) and get back at it again... I think some DO adcoms might be willing to give you a chance if you do that. Don't rush things! It might take you a few years, but I think this is one of your best options...
 
When I said "how about not" I was not meaning to degrade any other profession, it is just my passion to pursue what I feel is my calling in life, at the end of the day numbers mean nothing when God is involved. He's brought me this far, He can turn around any situation, He can shut doors that no man can open and open doors that no man can shut. I wholeheartedly believe that I will reach my dream. I know that the odds are stacked against me but I agree with all of you, it is time that I think long and hard about my future. I'm a 25 year old female that is hoping everything turns out okay. Am I scared? Yes. I realize the situation I am in does not look pretty, this is when my faith has to be bigger than my fear. Merry Christmas to all....yours will def. be merrier than mine, God bless.

Sounds like you would be a good applicant to LUCOM!


I jest, they wouldn't take you.

Alright, here's some serious advice if you are willing to listen. You have 3 options here

1. Change career plans and do something unrelated to medicine entirely.

2. Apply to nursing school and go the RN to NP route.

3. Get a masters in a related field with a high GPA (>3.5), work for a few years in health care, get tons of experience and great recommendations. Study hard for the MCAT and get at least a 25. Then apply to DO and Podiatry schools.

You're not going to continue at ROSS. You will dig yourself into a debt hole you'll never get out of. You're not getting into a US med school the way you are now. Make your choice.
 
Sounds like you would be a good applicant to LUCOM!


I jest, they wouldn't take you.

Alright, here's some serious advice if you are willing to listen. You have 3 options here

1. Change career plans and do something unrelated to medicine entirely.

2. Apply to nursing school and go the RN to NP route.

3. Get a masters in a related field with a high GPA (>3.5), work for a few years in health care, get tons of experience and great recommendations. Study hard for the MCAT and get at least a 25. Then apply to DO and Podiatry schools.

You're not going to continue at ROSS. You will dig yourself into a debt hole you'll never get out of. You're not getting into a US med school the way you are now. Make your choice.
Thank you, great advice, but here's when things get tricky....I receive my masters in medical science before getting accepted to Ross....should I pursue another one? It will be a lot more money or should I just focus on trying to do well on the MCAT?
 
Thank you, great advice, but here's when things get tricky....I receive my masters in medical science before getting accepted to Ross....should I pursue another one? It will be a lot more money or should I just focus on trying to do well on the MCAT?

What was your GPA there?
 
It was a 3.4
When I was accepted to Ross I had a 20 MCAT...I took it one more time just before leaving and got a 23 but never reapplied anywhere, I should have just stayed in the States but I was eager to start
 
What was your undergrad GPA? If it was over 3.0, I'd say you should try to strengthen your application and apply to podiatry schools. If it was under 3.0, you might have to go the RN to NP route.
 
What was your undergrad GPA? If it was over 3.0, I'd say you should try to strengthen your application and apply to podiatry schools. If it was under 3.0, you might have to go the RN to NP route.
OP does not seem to want Pod school... I think OP should do a SMP like LMU-DCOM that gives you an interview as long as you maintain a 3.0 GPA.
 
My goodness, listen man you don't know me and I don't know you. But except for Witzelsucht and a couple of others, I saw the ****-ton of bad advice here. I am both a current PA and a current medical student. I have taught core basic medical science. I don't know if anyone else here is actually a medical student, PA student, PA, or instructor but I am or have been all 4. Perhaps that puts me in a better position to advise you, or not, you be the judge. So my advice: Your ONLY chance to accomplish your goal is to STAY at Ross and repeat the semester. But please, only do that if you FIXED whatever went wrong at Ross. Otherwise reconsider doing something else with your life.

I think you already know that you won't be doing anything in the US Med school wise. You will not get into DO school. You will not get into American MD school. A failure at another medical school, Caribbean or otherwise is an absolute deal-breaker. I just wont happen. Sure, 10 years from now, you might have a chance if you went on to do other interesting medical things, re-took a bunch of classes, grew as a person and rocked the MCAT, But for now, in the short-term, no way. But, I think you already know that deep down inside.

You might be able to get into a lower tier Caribbean school. But you've been down this road already, right?

What you may not already realize is that you will NOT get into PA school either. Some people gave you bad advice here, so let me repeat: you will NOT get into PA school. The minute they see you failed at Ross, you will be round filed. The academics at PA school are INTENSE, they will see your first semester failure as evidence that you will not succeed at their curriculum either. Perhaps if you had left Ross with good grades and gave a story about being home sick and you had the academic qualifications of a PA applicant, you could get in. But if that were the case, we wouldn't be having this conversation, would we? So please, save yourself the heartache. Fix whatever went wrong and do not drop out of Ross, you will not have the opportunity to do anything else in mainstream medicine in the near future if you do.

As far as RN and NP are concerned, I don't really know, as I am neither. Nursing is an entirely different profession and I don't really know how they would react to the Ross situation. Some say the NP curriculum and clinical rotations are less intense than PA school, and may be easier, others disagree. NP is considered a form of advanced nursing anyway so perhaps a failure in med school may not sink you. I don't know for sure, maybe you could call around and inquire.

As far as becoming a Paramedic, you have a chance. The most important determinant of becoming a Paramedic is being a good EMT who is genuinely interested in doing more in EMS. You have to demonstrate aptitude for pre-hospital care and do a generally good job. Everybody in EMS knows everybody else and your reputation will always precede you. But that's about it for Paramedic.

Good Luck and definitely do Pray, it will help.
 
What was your undergrad GPA? If it was over 3.0, I'd say you should try to strengthen your application and apply to podiatry schools. If it was under 3.0, you might have to go the RN to NP route.
It was over 3.0
 
It was over 3.0

Work a few years and get good recommendations. Also improve your MCAT to prove you're ready for podiatry school. You'll have a shot but it's going to be a long process and nothing is guaranteed.
 
My goodness, listen man you don't know me and I don't know you. But except for Witzelsucht and a couple of others, I saw the ****-ton of bad advice here. I am both a current PA and a current medical student. I have taught core basic medical science. I don't know if anyone else here is actually a medical student, PA student, PA, or instructor but I am or have been all 4. Perhaps that puts me in a better position to advise you, or not, you be the judge. So my advice: Your ONLY chance to accomplish your goal is to STAY at Ross and repeat the semester. But please, only do that if you FIXED whatever went wrong at Ross. Otherwise reconsider doing something else with your life.

I think you already know that you won't be doing anything in the US Med school wise. You will not get into DO school. You will not get into American MD school. A failure at another medical school, Caribbean or otherwise is an absolute deal-breaker. I just wont happen. Sure, 10 years from now, you might have a chance if you went on to do other interesting medical things, re-took a bunch of classes, grew as a person and rocked the MCAT, But for now, in the short-term, no way. But, I think you already know that deep down inside.

You might be able to get into a lower tier Caribbean school. But you've been down this road already, right?

What you may not already realize is that you will NOT get into PA school either. Some people gave you bad advice here, so let me repeat: you will NOT get into PA school. The minute they see you failed at Ross, you will be round filed. The academics at PA school are INTENSE, they will see your first semester failure as evidence that you will not succeed at their curriculum either. Perhaps if you had left Ross with good grades and gave a story about being home sick and you had the academic qualifications of a PA applicant, you could get in. But if that were the case, we wouldn't be having this conversation, would we? So please, save yourself the heartache. Fix whatever went wrong and do not drop out of Ross, you will not have the opportunity to do anything else in mainstream medicine in the near future if you do.

As far as RN and NP are concerned, I don't really know, as I am neither. Nursing is an entirely different profession and I don't really know how they would react to the Ross situation. Some say the NP curriculum and clinical rotations are less intense than PA school, and may be easier, others disagree. NP is considered a form of advanced nursing anyway so perhaps a failure in med school may not sink you. I don't know for sure, maybe you could call around and inquire.

As far as becoming a Paramedic, you have a chance. The most important determinant of becoming a Paramedic is being a good EMT who is genuinely interested in doing more in EMS. You have to demonstrate aptitude for pre-hospital care and do a generally good job. Everybody in EMS knows everybody else and your reputation will always precede you. But that's about it for Paramedic.

Good Luck and definitely do Pray, it will help.

thank you for taking the time to help me, I really appreciate it
 
Well then she want's something she is extremely unlikely to obtain. Given the constraints that MD is the only way to go, then there's only one choice left - stay at Ross. But boy is it a terrible choice.
It is actually the worst choice, but I think OP can get into DO school in a few years if he plays his cards the right way...
 
It was a 3.4
When I was accepted to Ross I had a 20 MCAT...I took it one more time just before leaving and got a 23 but never reapplied anywhere, I should have just stayed in the States but I was eager to start

Well here lies the problem: the MCAT. GPA would have been OK for DO schools, but with that GPA, someone really needs to be in the 26+MCAT range for DO school.

You made one bad call, and while one bad decision shouldn't ruin your life, it seems that it will make this really hard for you. It is called a gamble for a reason. Not everyone becomes a winner. I've been on both ends and the losing end is not fun.

My advice is to play the hand that you decided to mulligan and make the smart plays.

The most important factor is trying to figure out how grades turned so south. It won't matter if a school gives you a chance here if you are just going to fail out again. Be a doctor, diagnose the root of your study problems and fix it. Stay at Ross and Hit the rest of your academics out of the PARK! Hit the boards out of the park.

Praying will help, don't lose faith, but don't go blindly either.
 
Praying will help, don't lose faith, but don't go blindly either.


This. Maybe you should consult a clergy member/pastor about this. My mom is a pastor and I can tell you I don't think she would give you the advice to continue on the path you are on without AT VERY LEAST taking a leave of absence to reassess things. Think really hard about this one...
 

This. Maybe you should consult a clergy member/pastor about this. My mom is a pastor and I can tell you I don't think she would give you the advice to continue on the path you are on without AT VERY LEAST taking a leave of absence to reassess things. Think really hard about this one...
Prayers do work. If you don't believe in something stfu and don't be a bitch
 
Please just stop.
Would you advise OP to stay at ROSS? I don't see how my advice is worse than others who say OP should stay at ROSS and spend 300k+ when they know his/her chance to match is VERY slim even he/she will do better from now and on...
 
Would you advise OP to stay at ROSS? I don't see how my advice is worse than others who say OP should stay at ROSS and spend 300k+ when they know his/her chance to match is VERY slim even he/she will do better from now and on...
If you see my above post, I don't. His ability to get into medical school in the United States, MD or DO, is effectively over.
 
Returning to Ross makes no sense without correcting the underlying issues that lead to failing out.

PA school may be doable, especially a certificate program.

US MD/DO school is very unlikely.

Praying is good but doing an honest self-assessment about study habits/skills and areas that need improvement would be more beneficial.
 
As far as RN and NP are concerned, I don't really know, as I am neither. Nursing is an entirely different profession and I don't really know how they would react to the Ross situation. Some say the NP curriculum and clinical rotations are less intense than PA school, and may be easier, others disagree. NP is considered a form of advanced nursing anyway so perhaps a failure in med school may not sink you. I don't know for sure, maybe you could call around and inquire.

I can speak to the RN to NP route, as I am a nurse who has evaluated that path and decided to pursue medical school instead.

Getting into a nursing school will be no challenge for you at all. Nursing is the infantry of healthcare... the work is hard and dirty and underappreciated, and everyone who can is looking for a way out. So, it isn't so hard to find an entry point, as nursing programs are ubiquitous. I recommend a diploma school or two year associates program. You don't need another bachelors program. There are accelerated programs that will let you earn a BSN quickly if you already have a degree. However, the hospital based diploma programs tend to involve the most concentrated clinical experiences, and will make you a more competent graduate nurse than the other routes. Nursing school is not as intense as medical school, but it is no joke, either. My nursing school operated like a Caribbean medical school... one of their quality metrics was whether they were failing enough students each term. Started with 80+, graduated with 40. Be prepared to work, and to study more than the minimum if your eventual goal is NP.

Once you pass the first hurdle and get the RN, getting into a NP program is going to be pretty straightforward. They've proliferated like dandelions and if you have a pulse and an RN, they will be trying to recruit you. Choose wisely. Some NP programs are probably fairly good and clinically focused. However, several of the ones that I rejected were really disappointing. They assume that you learned all the pathophysiology you will need in your initial training for the RN, so they mostly teach statistics and paperwork. Friends of mine in DNP programs have said that they wished they had gone to PA school, because their program was preparing them to be an administrator, not a clinician, and they feared that they would have to teach themselves/learn on the job in order to provide competent patient care.

So, yeah.

You are at Ross. It is probably your only chance to become a physician, slim chance though it may be. People have mentioned debt burden, but I figure you are already in this deep. You may as well double down for one more semester and see what you can accomplish. If you knock it out of the park, keep going. If you blow it, too, you can quit knowing you did everything you reasonably could and that you don't have any more chances at an MD. Or a DO. And you will have had some time to consider your other options.
 
Prayers do work. If you don't believe in something stfu and don't be a bitch

So God is doubling as santa now? Good, because it's not what God wants, but what you want that's important.

Edit: .....and an accepted med. Student. A little part of me died when I read that, it's not coming back
 
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why all this talk about doing allied health professions? my recommendation would be to leave the medical field entirely if you don't have the brains or willpower to, at a bare minimum, pass. there are other industries out there besides healthcare. and the dollars you earn in them are accepted everywhere equally as well as those earned by medical workers.
 
If you insist on becoming a MD/DO I'd would say leave school for an absolute minimum of 3 years, preferably more.
Work your ass off at a job you really like(or hate) then if you still feel the pull of medicine enter one of those special masters programs (ie RFU, VCU, Toledo, etc) to prove you can now handle med school work.
Other than that, PA or NP route like everyone is suggesting is another way into the field.
Good luck
 
Drop out of medical school, do an accelerated BSN program, and go to CRNA school after 3 years of ICU/NICU experience. You'll come out making nearly as much as an FP physician -- pretty much all you can hope to match with a failed year and Ross pedigree under your belt -- with a fraction of the debt.
 
Greetings,

I need sound advice and quick! Currently, I'm at Ross, My final exam is tomorrow, its already to late to pull my grade up. I have 2 weeks back in the States for the holiday break and I must make a decision.....return back to Ross in January and repeat the entire semester OR retake my MCAT, hope to do well and reapply to Sate osteopathic and allopathic schools.

I did not do well for various reasons, to many to name really and I know admission committees do not care about why I failed. I don't know what angle I should approach this situation. I want to be a doctor more than ANYTHING else! I know that I am capable.

Please help, don't bash me! 🙁

Another option if you're set on doctor is stay at Ross, fix the reasons you failed and practice medicine in South America, Central America or the Caribbeans. Definitely do some resarch on it first. Many of those countries are desperate for doctors and it is life-changing to work with those patients and provide healthcare to them. But make sure you fix whatever caused you to fail and that you actually understand the material before you atempt to apply what you've learned in med school to a real person. You can retake a failed semester of school, you can't just say "oops" when you make those same mistakes on a patient. Not saying you would but the material in med school is not fluff like in undergrad, it's all relevant material and if you're failing to understand the concepts then you will not be able to be a good physician.

I like the idea of taking some time off as well. Come back to the states, get your RN or Paramedic or something similar in healthcare. Work for 5-10 years get some experience. Maybe retake some of the basic science classes that are tested on the MCAT to retake. I would also use the time to evaluate why you want to become a physician. If you balk at the ide of PA or NP or another mid-level type provider than maybe it's the status or "money" from being a doctor that is appealing to you and not providing healthcare which can be accomplished with many other medical professions. Passing along some advice someone gave me when I was dead set on MD and refused to apply DO, "if you're not open to being anything other than an MD than you're wanting it for the wrong reasons". Just something to think about. Good luck in whatever you decide.
 
OP, are you staying with family over break? Now is good time to be around supportive people. I mean emotionally, because you're going to have to accept the fact that med school is not an option at this point in your life. You're not a bad person for failing med school. I think everyone understands why you went to the Caribbean, and no one hates you for it. This is simply a sink or swim profession and those are the rules. My advice, is to pray, sure. Do whatever's going to help you bounce back from this. Medicine isn't going to happen. Good luck!
 
Drop out of medical school, do an accelerated BSN program, and go to CRNA school after 3 years of ICU/NICU experience. You'll come out making nearly as much as an FP physician -- pretty much all you can hope to match with a failed year and Ross pedigree under your belt -- with a fraction of the debt.
Some people can only see themselves as physicians. I think many have already given OP similar advice, but he/she is not into any other careers. I think it's better to tell OP what he/she can do if want to be back on track on his/her pursuit. Most in here think it is (quasi) impossible for OP to gain a US (MD/DO) acceptance after failing 1st semester at ROSS; I am (probably the only one) on the camp who think there are specific things OP can do which might give him/her another chance at DO, but that probably will take OP 3-4 years.
 
Some people can only see themselves as physicians. I think many have already given OP similar advice, but he/she is not into any other careers. I think it's better to tell OP what he/she can do if want to be back on track on his/her pursuit. Most in here think it is (quasi) impossible for OP to gain a US (MD/DO) acceptance after failing 1st semester at ROSS; I am (probably the only one) on the camp who think there are specific things OP can do which might give him/her another chance at DO, but that probably will take OP 3-4 years.

The thought that all I can be is a physician (or any other career) before actually working in as a physician is immature and not productive. I would caution anyone from getting stuck in that mindset, as you'd live a life of regret. Same goes to medical students who can only see themselves being a certain kind of doctor. The fact is, you really don't know what it means until you're already there…

Otherwise, I agree. The OP has **a** chance of attending a US med school. Much like our severe TBIs have **a** chance of making a full recovery.
 
So then an 18 on the MCAT was predictive of him not doing well. Surprise, surprise.
That is not cool to go back and look at his/her previous post so you can say that OP's MCAT was the reason for his/her failure... I am passing my courses and my MCAT score was only 28... stupid verbal! I think the reason some med students fail it's because they have poor study habits...
 
The thought that all I can be is a physician (or any other career) before actually working in as a physician is immature and not productive. I would caution anyone from getting stuck in that mindset, as you'd live a life of regret. Same goes to medical students who can only see themselves being a certain kind of doctor. The fact is, you really don't know what it means until you're already there…

Otherwise, I agree. The OP has **a** chance of attending a US med school. Much like our severe TBIs have **a** chance of making a full recovery.
It's a mindset that I have trouble understanding as well, but a friend that I took classes with has that mindset and consequently will start med school at AUC in January. I have tried to tell him that PA is a better and safer choice than going to the Caribbean, he would not even entertain that idea...
 
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