Got Accepted to Ross-Need some guidance from Skip

[jester1720]

Skip, I got accepted to a Caribbean Medical School and was wondering how you feel about the current climate of Caribbean Medical schools. Based on your posts that I read, it seems that it would be a good thing to enter this year? I am going to enter in the May 2014 class.

My cumulative GPA was a 3.489, science GPA slightly higher about a 3.55. Scored a 28 on my MCAT. The only thing which is really holding me back on applying to US schools is the fact that I would have to wait 4 semesters before starting if I was accepted. That would put the timeline at 2015 entering, 2019 graduating, whereas with Ross I can enter 2014 and graduate in 2017.

Time is a factor, but I am also a UK citizen. I know that if I attended Ross I would be committed to the program. For some reason, whenever I read disparaging remarks on this forum, it makes me doubt the path that I am going to take. Any advice from qualified individuals would be helpful.

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[ewax]

How old are you? Why are you in such a rush to start med school?

With your stats right now, you'd probably get in to almost any DO school you applied to (assuming your ECs, shadowing etc. are in order). If you retake the MCAT and score a 30+ (maybe with some A's in additional upper div science classes to bump up your GPA), I'd say you would have a shot at lower tier allo schools, too.

Trust me, waiting an extra 4 semesters to get in to a US school is much better than going Carrib right now and not matching 4 years from now.

 

[Skip Intro]

I guess it would depend on whether or not you intend to return to the U.K. after you finish. I would think that residency will be more of a challenge to you, no matter where you matriculate, than a U.S. citizen, unless of course you already have a green card or have otherwise established permanent residency in the U.S.

Otherwise, I am with ewax. I think you should work on your application and try to get into a U.S. MD granting school. Just my $0.02, though. Finishing in 2017 seems to be important to you. No one can answer "why" except for yourself. I think, overall though, that more doors will be open to you if you go to a U.S. school.

Also, being in your shoes, I would not get an osteopathy degree (D.O.) in the U.S. if you are ever planning on returning to U.K./EU/Europe, as the connotations and licensing requirements of "osteopaths" are far different than in the U.S. I would seriously look into that before you make such a choice.

-Skip

 

[Top Gun]

With your GPA and MCAT, try for DO and maybe some lower-tier allo schools first. You can even retake the MCAT and try to get above a 30. Apply at least twice to US MD and DO schools. With your stats, I really think you have a shot at getting into one of those schools. After you've tried twice, then consider the Caribbean, and only the big 4 schools.

 

[PteFabulous]

Skip, I got accepted to a Caribbean Medical School and was wondering how you feel about the current climate of Caribbean Medical schools. Based on your posts that I read, it seems that it would be a good thing to enter this year? I am going to enter in the May 2014 class.

My cumulative GPA was a 3.489, science GPA slightly higher about a 3.55. Scored a 28 on my MCAT. The only thing which is really holding me back on applying to US schools is the fact that I would have to wait 4 semesters before starting if I was accepted. That would put the timeline at 2015 entering, 2019 graduating, whereas with Ross I can enter 2014 and graduate in 2017.

Time is a factor, but I am also a UK citizen. I know that if I attended Ross I would be committed to the program. For some reason, whenever I read disparaging remarks on this forum, it makes me doubt the path that I am going to take. Any advice from qualified individuals would be helpful.

Hey, so even though the standard advice is as skip and ewax already stated, there are still many people who do go to the Caribbean and match into their top choice residencies in the US and Canada. 4 years ago when I applied to Ross, I didn't really know about all the issues with getting into residency until after my interview when I started reading things on forums. At that time I personally knew 2 Ross grads that were in residency in the US and I knew I wasn't competitive for Canadian med schools. . The negative posts did make me nervous, however nothing at that point was going to stop me from chasing my dream. This year I matched into my top choice program in Canada for residency, and I have no regrets about any of it.

So while being aware of the situation and hardships involved with going to a Caribbean school is important, sometimes things do work out.

 

[Symmetry11]

Hey, so even though the standard advice is as skip and ewax already stated, there are still many people who do go to the Caribbean and match into their top choice residencies in the US and Canada. 4 years ago when I applied to Ross, I didn't really know about all the issues with getting into residency until after my interview when I started reading things on forums. At that time I personally knew 2 Ross grads that were in residency in the US and I knew I wasn't competitive for Canadian med schools. . The negative posts did make me nervous, however nothing at that point was going to stop me from chasing my dream. This year I matched into my top choice program in Canada for residency, and I have no regrets about any of it.

So while being aware of the situation and hardships involved with going to a Caribbean school is important, sometimes things do work out.

What were your board scores and what specialty did you match into?

 

[PteFabulous]

What were your board scores and what specialty did you match into?

My scores were all very average. USMLE 1 & 2 were 224 & 230. MCCEE 370. Matched into general surgery.

 

[Paul Darlington]

Think about this. You will most likely do well in a US med school. You will also most likely do well at Ross. This is your dream, nothin in life comes easy and even in US schools you will still have to study ur buff off. That said, stop coming on sdn, chase your dreams, do work hard and after you become successful come back on sdn and silent the critics.

 

[Medstart108]

My scores were all very average. USMLE 1 & 2 were 224 & 230. MCCEE 370. Matched into general surgery.

Nice, congrats. Do you know what a MCCEE 370 is? Is there a chart somewhere that gives out percentile-score conversion?

 

[PteFabulous]

Nice, congrats. Do you know what a MCCEE 370 is? Is there a chart somewhere that gives out percentile-score conversion?

There is no chart, basically 271 is the mean out of 500. 370 is 2 std dev above mean so 97%ile.

http://mcc.ca/examinations/mccee/scoring/

 

[Medstart108]

There is no chart, basically 271 is the mean out of 500. 370 is 2 std dev above mean so 97%ile.

http://mcc.ca/examinations/mccee/scoring/

2 std dev is 95%, but thanks. Have you heard of a cutoff for Ontario's residencies regarding the MCCEE?

Also, how come you had 40-50% percentile USMLE scores and suddenly a 95% MCCEE score? Could it be that the average IMG applying to Canada is just no where near as qualified as the average USMD student applying in the US?

 

[PteFabulous]

2 std dev is 95%, but thanks. Have you heard of a cutoff for Ontario's residencies regarding the MCCEE?

Also, how come you had 40-50% percentile USMLE scores and suddenly a 95% MCCEE score? Could it be that the average IMG applying to Canada is just no where near as qualified as the average USMD student applying in the US?

From what I've heard you need at least a 300 to be considered for an interview.

The exams are not comparable. The MCCEE is an exam only for IMG's. When you compare the Canadian board exam everyone has to take, the MCQE1 &2, the MCQE 1 from what I've heard it is a harder exam then the USMLE's because it covers both pre clinical and clinical information, and includes MCQ's and short answer questions.

It is extremely difficult to match in Canada, I have friends from my school who matched into competitive programs in the US who didn't even get an interview in Canada. I don't think Canada puts as much emphasis on exam scores since Canadian med grads don't write MCQE1 until after the match, instead they focus more on clinical skills.

If you would like to discuss this further please feel free to PM me or start a different thread, I don't believe it's fair to hijack the OP's thread.

 

[Skip Intro]

Also, being in your shoes, I would not get an osteopathy degree (D.O.) in the U.S. if you are ever planning on returning to U.K./EU/Europe, as the connotations and licensing requirements of "osteopaths" are far different than in the U.S. I would seriously look into that before you make such a choice.

According to wikipedia...

In 2005, after one year of deliberations, the General Medical Council announced that U.S.-trained DOs will be accepted for full medical practice rights in the United Kingdom. According to Josh Kerr of the AOA, "some countries don’t understand the differences in training between an osteopathic physician and an osteopath."[63] The American Medical Student Association strongly advocates for U.S.-trained D.O. international practice rights "equal to that" of M.D. qualified physicians.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osteopathic_medicine_in_the_United_States#International_practice_rights

So, it appears at this time that the U.K. allows U.S.-trained D.O.s to get full licensure to practice medicine as osteopathic physicians. Again, you might have more of an uphill battle if you return to England because, as you probably already know being a dual-citizen (?) jester1720, being an "osteopath" has a different connotation to most British citizens.

Either way, good luck!

-Skip

 

[premed1001]

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[Skip Intro]

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Why do you do this?

-Skip

 

[Qester]

My guess is that they are either trying to boost their post count (over 200 posts since February), or they are trying to bump the thread to get more information.

 

[Skip Intro]

He/she posts questions. Sometimes they are quoted. Then he/she goes back and does this. Not sure why. Maybe you're right. Or, maybe this person simply doesn't want what they said memorialized in posterity and perpetuity.

-Skip

 

[Mark it zero]

Skip, I have read several of your posts. Thanks for the good insight in reference to Ross. I have been contemplating a Caribbean med school vs. US for quite sometime now. Like you I wish to pursue anesthesia. Did you find it particularly difficult to find a US residency? Thanks again for the advice.

 

[DoctorSynthesis]

Skip, I have read several of your posts. Thanks for the good insight in reference to Ross. I have been contemplating a Caribbean med school vs. US for quite sometime now. Like you I wish to pursue anesthesia. Did you find it particularly difficult to find a US residency? Thanks again for the advice.

Go to the us school

 

[Mark it zero]

Thank you .

 

[Skip Intro]

Did you find it particularly difficult to find a US residency? Thanks again for the advice.

No. But, that was (literally) 10 years ago.

-Skip