Flying to US Interview from Carib

[WTTL]

I was accepted to SGU for the January class.

What I am currently planning on doing (I am a borderline applicant) is attending SGU. If I am called up for an interview in the states while in Grenada, could this cause any problems?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Top Gun]

If you think there is a chance you'll get an interview at a US medical school during that time, don't even attend SGU in January. Wait at least until you've received any letters of rejection or acceptance from US schools before deciding to attend SGU.

 

[PteFabulous]

There are also US school that will not accept you after you've started at another med school. This happened to a friend of mine who was called up for an interview at a US med school, but when they found out that she already started at Ross they told her she was no longer eligible.

 

[dragonfly99]

Agree with above...if there's a chance you'll get interviews at US schools, just wait, at least until next summer. SGU and the other Carib schools will still be there in 6 months or 1 year and they'll still accept you at that time, if necessary.

 

[WTTL]

Thanks for the replies.

Is US schools not accepting Caribbean attendees more of the rule or exception?

 

[Buzz Me]

More of the rule.

 

[dragonfly99]

Yes. I've never even met anyone who transferred from a Caribbean school to a US school, though I know it happens very occasionally...probably more common to transfer to a DO school or one of the larger US MD schools, if a spot opens up. You should assume your chances of being able to do this are vanishingly small...like <1% I would assume. You should therefore exhaust all reasonable avenues to get into a US schools, and then consider Irish/Australian/caribbean AFTER that. If you are reasonably young, like 20's, and this was only your 1st shot at US schools and you got even 1 interview, or your application was borderline to be able to get into a US school, you should seriously consider trying again even for at least 1 more year before you bail for Caribbean. It's going to take you 7-11 years of training after you enter/start med school to finish your training, so waiting 1 extra year to attend a US school would be more than worth it in the pain and expense and aggravation you would save later...not to mention better chance of being able to do a specialty that you prefer versus maybe being forced into one of a handful of specialties (primary care, psych, peds, etc.) even if you decide you don't like it.

 

[oybello]

I was in this exact same conundrum. I had below average stats for US MD schools and average for D.O. I was convinced I was not going to get any interviews, so I applied and got accepted to AUC. I even paid the $1600 deposit. A couple of months before I started, I decided that I was going to take the risk and differ my admission (even though I had not received any interviews. A couple of months after I was supposed to start, I got an osteopathic interview and I just finished with an allopathic interview. Point is, I still have my bird in hand at the Caribbean and I am doing all I can to get in here. It is well worth it, you don't want to find yourself wishing you would have been more patient. Having said all this, I am still without an acceptance yet from a U.S school, but I gave myself the chance, and I think you should do the same.