Hello Fam! I just got accepted to SMU & AUC but don't really know which one is more advantaggeous from basic science to clinical rotation .

[DocMichael]

I believe the pros and cons of each school will definitely helps to determine where to go! Every piece of advice here will be highly appreciated.

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[DrStephenStrange]

My advice would be not to go to the Caribbean for medical school, but who am I kidding? You're going anyway. Choose the one you like, it really doesn't matter.

 

[Gambino.]

These threads just scream "too lazy to do my own research." With that being said, AUC and Ross are the only two that should even be considered if you have decided to definitely go Caribbean.

 

[BLTCOOL]

When I go to AUC accreditation page AUC School of Medicine Accreditation , at the bottom of the page. It said "AUC is accredited through 2021 by the Accreditation Commission on Colleges of Medicine (ACCM, www.accredmed.org), which is the accreditor used by the country of St. Maarten." You sure you want to go to a uncredited school starting 2022 ???? Please be very careful!!!!! and do the research like other experience posters had said!!!!!!

 

[Gambino.]

When I go to AUC accreditation page AUC School of Medicine Accreditation , at the bottom of the page. It said "AUC is accredited through 2021 by the Accreditation Commission on Colleges of Medicine (ACCM, www.accredmed.org), which is the accreditor used by the country of St. Maarten." You sure you want to go to a uncredited school starting 2022 ???? Please be very careful!!!!! and do the research like other experience posters had said!!!!!!

They are given 6 years of accreditation at a time by ACCM. All that means is that they are up for renewal lmao...

 

[lowstats2021]

Hi! Current AUC student here. The accreditation committee visited campus in November 2021 and we received an email that we were accredited for an additional 6 years...so no issues here! If you have any other questions, feel free to ask!

 

[Damson]

My advice would be not to go to the Caribbean for medical school, but who am I kidding? You're going anyway. Choose the one you like, it really doesn't matter.

i dont understand the point of typing the first part of your post.

it also does matter which one OP goes to, which makes your post even more redundant.

 

[FutureDoctor5000]

Neither... if you can't get into USMD or DO.. you should honestly be re considering the career. This is the harsh truth.

 

[FrustratedFamDoc]

At one point, Caribbean was a viable alternative to finding a residency position. I'm a 2009 St Georges grad, I know. That window for sane people, has unfortunately closed.

Notice that those who will defend it to the death are current students or prospects. How many residents or attendings share the same position?

 

[the argus]

At one point, Caribbean was a viable alternative to finding a residency position. I'm a 2009 St Georges grad, I know. That window for sane people, has unfortunately closed.

Notice that those who will defend it to the death are current students or prospects. How many residents or attendings share the same position?

Current fellow here, and definitely disagree with you. I'll just skip over the bombastic language about sanity and defending to the death. I have absolutely no skin in the game anymore, but I do look at the actual facts to form my opinions.

The actual facts show that currently more IMGs (including US-IMGs/caribbean grads) are matching into residency positions than ever before. This is not my opinion, it's the data released from the ACGME and NRMP.

Further, current GME growth (i.e. 1st year residency positions) continues to outpace the increase in 1st year USMD/DO enrollment. Again, this is not my opinion, it's the data released by the AAMC, AACOM, and ACGME.

So instead of questioning people's sanity, etc, maybe you should take some time to actually review the data.

ACGME Data Resource Book

www.acgme.org

Match Data

Core to the NRMP’s mission is the development and distribution of data reports and publications that inform national conversations about the transition to residency and advance understanding of the…

www.nrmp.org

Medical School Enrollment Survey Report

Results of the AAMC's Annual Medical School Enrollment Survey Report.

www.aamc.org

Student Enrollment

Student Enrollment

www.aacom.org

 

[the argus]

The caribbean remains an extremely viable alternative to obtaining a US residency position, in fact moreso than ever before.

There are absolutely negative aspects to consider before deciding on this route (**see below**), but saying that there is a lack of available residency positions for caribbean grads is just factually incorrect and shows complete ignorance of the actual data.


**
-limited residency specialty choices
-high attrition rates
-high cost
-limited clinical rotation options

 

[FutureDoctor5000]

The caribbean remains an extremely viable alternative to obtaining a US residency position, in fact moreso than ever before.

There are absolutely negative aspects to consider before deciding on this route (**see below**), but saying that there is a lack of available residency positions for caribbean grads is just factually incorrect and shows complete ignorance of the actual data.


**
-limited residency specialty choices
-high attrition rates
-high cost
-limited clinical rotation options

I get your point, but I'd argue that the Caribbean has never been a "viable" alternative. Not now and not even 20-30 years ago. It's just that DO is becoming more mainstream and with the merger more recognizable. 20-30 years ago there were many who wrongly believed that DO wasn't a real physician and went the Caribbean route and some were successful(much like today). The match rate has always been in the 50-60's. A gamble like that doesn't seem very viable to me, it's basically a coin flips chance at wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars. The match rate has actually increased but it's still just abysmal. It's true that it includes everyone applying and not just senior students but the fact that there are THAT many Caribbean grads who didn't match the first time re-applying is appalling. You can also add heavy anti Carib bias by most good/mid/top tier programs to your list of cons. It's rare to see a Carib grad at a decent mid tier program even in IM these days. Most of the matches are at no name community programs in primary care. Carib grads apply to 100-150 programs just to match IM or FM and need scores higher than USMD and DO. Viable is a huge overstatement, it's more of huge gamble to become a physician. A gamble that most premeds who don't make it to US schools won't take. Most people just change careers than go the Carib route(that's how viable it is)

Also just because there remains a surplus of residency spots to applicants, doesn't mean residency programs will fill those spots, this is evident by the large number of IMG(Carib and non Carib) who can't match. Programs often go unfilled than take IMG's(harsh truth), so the increasing number of spots won't necessarily mean better opportunities for Carib and IMG's overall. The actual residency match percentage has only increased marginally.

 

[FrustratedFamDoc]

The caribbean remains an extremely viable alternative to obtaining a US residency position, in fact moreso than ever before.

There are absolutely negative aspects to consider before deciding on this route (**see below**), but saying that there is a lack of available residency positions for caribbean grads is just factually incorrect and shows complete ignorance of the actual data.


**
-limited residency specialty choices
-high attrition rates
-high cost
-limited clinical rotation options

I won’t bother replying to the other post, no sense in taking the thread off on a tangent.

Let’s say you have a daughter wants to be a physician and nothing else. Planning date to start med school would be 2025. She has several transcript boo boos that will knock her out of running for usmd.

Now this is YOUR $350,000, or you get to see her blasted with a truly unholy student loan. How does the conversation with your spouse and your daughter go then?

This is the conversation that occurs with many, every year.

Sorry if I’m again exhibiting complete ignorance. You can call it whatever you want.

 

[FutureDoctor5000]

I won’t bother replying to the other post, no sense in taking the thread off on a tangent.

Let’s say you have a daughter wants to be a physician and nothing else. Planning date to start med school would be 2025. She has several transcript boo boos that will knock her out of running for usmd.

Now this is YOUR $350,000, or you get to see her blasted with a truly unholy student loan. How does the conversation with your spouse and your daughter go then?

This is the conversation that occurs with many, every year.

Sorry if I’m again exhibiting complete ignorance. You can call it whatever you want.

If you can't get acceptance to a USMD or DO school with application repair via SMP or post bac and improving your mcat score, you should change careers.

 

[the argus]

I won’t bother replying to the other post, no sense in taking the thread off on a tangent.

Let’s say you have a daughter wants to be a physician and nothing else. Planning date to start med school would be 2025. She has several transcript boo boos that will knock her out of running for usmd.

Now this is YOUR $350,000, or you get to see her blasted with a truly unholy student loan. How does the conversation with your spouse and your daughter go then?

This is the conversation that occurs with many, every year.

Sorry if I’m again exhibiting complete ignorance. You can call it whatever you want.

The point is that nothing has changed since you graduated in 2009 to make this any more "risky" than it has ever been. The reality is, there are currently more spots available for caribbean grads than when you applied, not less.

I'm not all butterflies and rainbows about caribbean medical education. But to suggest that it previously was a viable alternative (like 10 years ago), but that now something so drastic has changed that only insane people would consider going, I think shows ignorance about the actual factual numbers regarding GME in the US.

 

[FrustratedFamDoc]

The point is that nothing has changed since you graduated in 2009 to make this any more "risky" than it has ever been. The reality is, there are currently more spots available for caribbean grads than when you applied, not less.

I'm not all butterflies and rainbows about caribbean medical education. But to suggest that it previously was a viable alternative (like 10 years ago), but that now something so drastic has changed that only insane people would consider going, I think shows ignorance about the actual factual numbers regarding GME in the US.

We clearly share different opinions on this issue and that is ok. I wish you well in your life and career.