Help!

[thirdangel]

So I am all set to start at an offshore school in the fall, but was recently told to reapply to US schools by a few advisors. I applied two years ago and received 3 interviews, but no luck. Since then, I know my application is much stronger.

Would you take the chance and reapply to US schools or go out of the country?

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[Where2B]

thirdangel-

Which offshore school are you planning to attend? Which specialties are you planning to go into? If you don't think that your stats are good enough to get into a D.O. school then by all means do what you have to do. I've been accepted to both D.O. schools and St.Georges U. in the Caribbean in the past so I know what I'm talking about.

From my own personal experience from coming across many IMG's during my years of clerkship is that they are look down by many U.S hospitals. I've befriended many IMG's and they've shared many unfair stories to me. I've rotated at many, many different hospitals and I can tell you that many programs will not let IMG's rotate through their service. Believe it or not when it comes time for scheduling your clerkship and so forth, you will go through lots and lots of politics. Your connection through where you do your clerkship can have a big impact on where you end up / what you specialize during your residency.

Most of the IMG's who attended offshore schools these days do not really have a home base in the U.S. so they roam all over the country during their clerkships. It's a horrific journey. Many find opportunties in MI, NY, and PA in unpopular areas where noone reallly wants to go. I've met many IMG's from the West Coast and California that have told me it is almost impossible to ever go back home again for residency as an IMG. I've seen many attendings in the hospital ridicule IMG's during rounds and meetings. I've seen many IMG's interns scolded by attendings because they lack the proper clinical training like their US grad counterparts. I've seen attendings go tell U.S medical students to go do work for them because they didn't have enough confident in the IMG interns. I have been in situations where the attending told me and other U.S. grad that they thought the IMG's students and interns are clinically inferior in experience and knowledge on the wards and so forth.

Lastly, my cousin is an IMG from ROSS and he told me never ever to make the same mistake he did going there. He ended going into Family Med. From all the horrible stories that he told me the only thing I remember is him telling me there one small computer room on the island and the waiting list is a mile long to use these computers.

 

[Amy B]

I also would worry about offshore (no offense to IMGs) and would work on my application here and apply in the states before I would go offshore.

What part of your application is holding you up? Did you meet with the schools that had given you an interview to find out why they rejected you. Schools are more than willing to do that for you so you can work on the area of weakness.

Did you only apply 2 years ago and not this cycle to US schools?

 

[thirdangel]

I was accepted to AUC. I applied just so I wouldn't lose another year with applications to US schools (DO and MD), but I'm beginning to have second thoughts. I think it started when I found out that I was accepted. Other people were excited for me, but I was not even half as excited as they were.
I have also heard both good and bad about the Caribbean. I know someone who graduated from there and has had no problems, but I feel like I'm settling because I don't know what will happen the second time around.
The only part of my application that prevented me from applying last June was the MCAT score... the last two times I took it, one score in one section went down, while the others went up or stayed the same. I didn't feel comfortable applying like that. I don't know why though.
I think applying so late the first time hurt me a lot. That was partly my fault and partly because of the changes to AMCAS. This time I plan on having the application completed and sent in as soon as possible. I think my interviews hurt me too... I just didn't have the confidence back then.

After I was rejected the first time, I had no intention of reapplying to 2 of the 3 schools, so I never called them... Was that a bad thing? Instead, I worked on improving every area of my application... grades, MCAT (tried to anyways), extracurricular activities, personal statement, LORs, interviewing...

Thanks for your advice!

 

[Amy B]

I fully understand what you went through. I didn't apply again for 2 years after I didn't get into to my home school. I felt betrayed, I guess, that the school that I was so connected to and did so much for the pre-meds would turn me down. So I know where you are coming from.

How about applying somewhere else. Shake those self doubts out of your head and get back up on that horse and try again. Have confidence in yourself and remember that this whole process is subjective to the year and school you are applying to.

Don't settle for being an IMG if it is not what you truely want. I would apply again to the DO and MD schools here. Research them and find ones that are located where you would like to live.

Go for it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Good luck

PM me if you want to talk further.

 

[nate2973]

I would reapply. Better to be here in the states than overseas