i am at a loss

[lsuhockeyplayer]

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Well my choices are becoming very few and far between. I will be a 3rd year app with a 3.7 GPA in biological sciences and I just recently took the MCAT for the 3rd time and went down from a 25 to a 23. I just need some advice I mean should I just pack it up and go to the Caribbean or keep trying for schools in the country. Personally I am getting very tired of watching the people I graduated with move on while I am sitting stagnate. In addition to that I am frankly scared sh-tless about going to the Caribbean for med school I would know no one and I don’t know how that would effect my studying or my mental well being. One thing is certain though there is not other option on what I want to do I will be a doctor I apparently just can’t find the path to take to get there. I could really use some advice

also if any of you have been to the Caribbean med schools I would appreciate any input like what the living arrangements are like and your opinion of them.

 

[spyyder]

First I would suggest applying to ostepathic schools. You definitley have a shot. I had a buddy who took the mcat three times and got 25 all three times, currently at an ostepathic school. If your thinking about the carribean first banish all those myths in your head about how bad it is. It isn't even close to what people describe. Stick to the well establllished schools Like Ross, SGU, AUC. Things like living arrangements and quality of life should not be a concern of yours if you are serious about being a doctor. The island life builds character and you will come out year ahead of your domestic peers. With some decent extracurriculars and reccomendations you should have not problem getting in to an osteo school or even the carribean. You might even want to try your state school.

 

[McGillGrad]

Try DO schools.

If you are scared of the Caribbean then it may not be your cup of tea. A visit to the campuses of the schools spyyder mentioned would probably help, too.

 

[lsuhockeyplayer]

Well the deal is I have applied the last 2 years and I am currently applying this year as well to my in state schools (LSU-New Orleans, LSU-Shreveport, and Tulane). However the big problem I am facing is my latest MCAT is the 23 I mean that seems like it will hurt me a lot this year. And realistically I just can’t sit around any more I really need to move on. That is why the Caribbean is looking like it might be my only choice here. Hopefully I am wrong. I mean the last 2 years I have had interviews at LSU-NO 2 times and LSU-Shreveport 1 time both of which got me waiting on the waiting list until the like July and June respectively. I just think this drop in MCAT is not the push I need.

 

[McGillGrad]

Well the deal is I have applied the last 2 years and I am currently applying this year as well to my in state schools (LSU-New Orleans, LSU-Shreveport, and Tulane). However the big problem I am facing is my latest MCAT is the 23 I mean that seems like it will hurt me a lot this year. And realistically I just can’t sit around any more I really need to move on. That is why the Caribbean is looking like it might be my only choice here. Hopefully I am wrong. I mean the last 2 years I have had interviews at LSU-NO 2 times and LSU-Shreveport 1 time both of which got me waiting on the waiting list until the like July and June respectively. I just think this drop in MCAT is not the push I need.

I will not lie to you. The drop in the MCAT will make you less competitive but hopefully you have spent this time doing some volunteering/research etc in order to strengthen those areas in your application.

What scares you about the Carib? The social aspects? Unless you have lived at home this whole time without any contact with other people then you should be fine.

I am assuming that you were a hockey player.

 

[lsuhockeyplayer]

Well simply going some where were there is no one I know and the simple fact that the farthest that I have lived away from home is about an hour and a half, which where I live now. I know I should grow up but I am just so use to that support structure a short drive away. Not to mention being thrown in to a foreign country with not a soul that I know.

 

[lsuhockeyplayer]

yes i do play hockey on occation

 

[McGillGrad]

Well simply going some where were there is no one I know and the simple fact that the farthest that I have lived away from home is about an hour and a half, which where I live now. I know I should grow up but I am just so use to that support structure a short drive away. Not to mention being thrown in to a foreign country with not a soul that I know.

I know that it must be hard to imagine. I would have probably felt the same if I had been lucky enough to live in one place for more than 3-4 years at a time. I moved around so much that I start looking forward to meeting new people and re-inventing myself. Family will always be a phone call away and LA is not that far from the Caribbean so a visit back and forth once every few months is easy.

Meeting new people is easy. Everyone will be feeling the same way and friendships will sprout in an instant.

 

[MD Dreams]

I was exactly in your shoes about three years ago, although I do commend you on having enough will to take the MCAT 3 times. I ended up going to St. George's. Now I'm in my third years clerkship in the US, I did well on my board, and I couldn't be happier. Does this mean that I'm telling you to go to the Caribbean. No, that is question you have to answer for yourself. But I too go wailisted two years in a row, but no acceptance. I do regret not going to St. George's earlier, I feel that I wasted too many years in between. But I was so adament on getting into an allopathic US school. Believe it or not I used to look down on FMG's. I learned a hard lesson, bu t I'm glad that I did.

In regards to being afraid to go down there. Almost everyone is afraid. I was afraid. I remember a friend of mine who sat in the plane next to me balling her eyes out. But we both made it because we wanted it bad enough.

You don't know many people out there. Most people don't, but as long as you are somewhat outgoing you will meet people. People even meet their significan other down there.

Will you have a good time down there? I don't know. I won't say it's easy. There were times when I found myself very lonely, homesick and depressed. But my main goal was academics and mastering them. Other people choose to party and relax more and they probably had a much better time. I don't know and I don't care because now I am where I wan to be. It's a very personal experience.

I wish you all the best because I know that right now you are in a difficult situation.

 

[blueoval]

You know, I was in the same position you were in. I took the MCAT 4 times tried to improve, volunteered, worked in an ED for a couple years, and had a decent GPA. Looked at the caribbean schools 5 years ago and spent that time applying everywhere. I mean everywhere and everything. I tried applying to schools in Ireland,every Osteo program twice, and several Allopathic schools inside and out of Texas. Finally just gave up with all that and came to AUC. Looking back just wish I would have done it earlier. Could have been done with school by now, but instead just starting. You know what, at least I started and can get on with my life now. I felt every year like I was spinning my wheels. If you are tired of waiting just apply to the caribbean and be done with it. No more wasting time. You probably won't mind you came down here if you are like I was.

 

[iwantyoubad]

ya, save some time. there is no need to apply over and over. try it once more. for some people, they don't even bother to try it again. they just apply to a carib. school at the same time.

in the end, it is about your ability to pass all 3 steps, not about where you graduated. yes, it has a little stigma, but you won't have wasted so many years without any progress.

 

[ezal36]

Apply to vcom. you'll get in with your stats. Also try pscom and wsvom,lecom and unecom.

 

[E'02]

Well my choices are becoming very few and far between. I will be a 3rd year app with a 3.7 GPA in biological sciences and I just recently took the MCAT for the 3rd time and went down from a 25 to a 23. I just need some advice I mean should I just pack it up and go to the Caribbean or keep trying for schools in the country. Personally I am getting very tired of watching the people I graduated with move on while I am sitting stagnate. In addition to that I am frankly scared sh-tless about going to the Caribbean for med school I would know no one and I don’t know how that would effect my studying or my mental well being. One thing is certain though there is not other option on what I want to do I will be a doctor I apparently just can’t find the path to take to get there. I could really use some advice

also if any of you have been to the Caribbean med schools I would appreciate any input like what the living arrangements are like and your opinion of them.

If you still want to give allopathic schools a shot, you might want to consider doing a post-bac program that focuses on MCAT prep, espcecially since your GPA is very high. Have you tried a Kaplan or princeton review course? What are your study tactics - did you take multiple practice full-length exams? Good luck

 

[lsuhockeyplayer]

Yea I did take the Princeton review courses. In addition my study habits I think are fine, I mean for this past test I studied for about 3 months prior. While doing this I went over the material for about a month then for about 2 months I did practice problems and practice tests. The nauseating part is I was scoring in the upper 20's on almost all the practice tests. I think I am just cursed.