USMLE I need help, in a Caribbean school and need feedback

[a761506]

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I am MD1 at St. James on St. Vincent. I got into this school with no MCAT and no undergrad degree. My undergrad GPA was 3.03, I never applied myself.

The school is garbage, the professors all have major language problems and the lectures are worthless. Every other word is "um". The school requires attendance daily from 9-5, so I am forced to sit in class and waste valuable time that I could be studying. I have been doing well while I see the other students dropping like flies, but because of the time in class, I don't have time to do anything else like even cook and I'm living on 4-6 hours of sleep. I am busting my ass.

Let's assume I get an average score on the USMLE and finish in the top 5% of the class at St. James (I can't imagine more than 5-10 of the 60 MD1's graduating straight through with me, and the school tells those who fail a semester to retake it because they are just trying to make money). So, no MCAT, average USMLE, from St. James... what kind of chances do I have at ever getting matched?

I'm debating whether it's realistic for me to stay or if I am better off abandoning this and cutting my losses. If I stay, the school is unwilling to waive the attendance requirement, so I'll be their prisoner for over 40 hours a week that I could otherwise be studying, so I will likely be at a disadvantage when taking the USMLE.

 

[PowerDan]

Cut your losses. Nothing is worth being so unhappy over and feeling like a prisoner. Yolo.

 

[redsox93]

Jesus mandatory 9-5 lecture? that is absolutely insane. I'm sorry op that really sucks. I agree it seems like the best option would be to cut your losses, take the MCAT and apply to US schools.

 

[malin]

Hmm, tough situation. An undergrad GPA of 3.03 will definitely work against you. I almost wonder if you'd be better off doing some sort of Masters degree and doing well there [to show an upward trend in GPA if you were to apply to US MD schools]. That won't make you too unique though as a lot of people try to do masters degrees to bolster their application. If you study hard enough for the MCAT you can certainly make yourself appealing, but that's much easier said than done. What if you only score average on the MCAT--would you then wish that you had just stayed in the Caribbean? People from Caribbean schools definitely match, but it is tough.

It sucks losing that much study time. The best piece of advice I can give is to just try and study from other resources while in class. Yes that sounds weird but you can definitely do it. It won't be as ideal as being in a library room from 9-5 studying USMLE resources but you might as well make best use of your time. At my school for instance most people watch the lectures online. I would study USMLE resources (First Aid, Pathoma, UWorld) with most of my time, and only study our school's study resources when it came to the test and I just needed to pass. I also scored near the 90th percentile on my USMLEs, even though I hardly ever honored any of my school's classes because the curriculum didn't prepare us so well for USMLE. Though I didn't have to be stuck in class all day. So yea, while you're here, try to make better use of your time by studying USMLE stuff (though this won't become a major thing until M2 when Step 1 is around the corner). Otherwise I'd consider maybe doing something like a Masters degree and taking the MCAT and seeing if you can break into a US med school. Good luck!

 

[A$AP]

Are there other caribbean schools that are better? Not sure the process, but you could try to drop this one, maybe wait 1-2 years while doing some meaningful medical work, then try to go to one of those. Or raise your GPA, take the MCAT, and try US schools.

 

[hiphopcrates]

If you are truly serious about becoming a doctor (and your post suggests that you are): DROP OUT, fix deficits in your application as much as possible, and re-apply to US D.O. schools.

Even students from the "big 4" Carib schools struggle to match in the States. For you, it will be an nearly insurmountable uphill battle.

Immediately: Drop out. Next: Do a SMP or retake some classes. Get some (more?) clinical or research experience under your belt. Finally: TAKE THE MCAT after many months of preparation. Medical school is tough. Show that you can hack it. Don't kid yourself and don't take the easy way out, because you will just end up immersed in tremendous debt and regret without the means to pay it back.

You seem like you may already know this is the answer? Trust your gut. Best of luck - I hope you make it.