I need some advice.

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P

PB

Hello, everyone,
I really need some advice at this point about medical schools. I have already applied to Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara (UAG)and in order to go there, I just need to interview and pay $2,000. I also got accepted to Ross University but have decided not to go there. I am in the process of applying to Ben Gurion University of the Negev in Israel. I may still apply to Sackler or Technion in Israel. The other school I may apply to is Charles University in Prague.
I liked UAG when I went to visit it, but I've heard so many bad comments about it that I really don't know what to think anymore.
Please let me know your comments!

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First tell us why you did NOT apply to St Georges and AUC, and finally, Saba.
My humble opinion is, these (3) schools represent the BEST in the Caribbean; in that order.
Further, the school in Prague is known as a diploma mill. Ross and UAG would give you extreme hardship, and I hear that less than half of their entering class finally manages to graduate.
This ratio is 90% for St Georges, and about 80% for AUC.
Good luck..
Andre
 
Have you tried to apply to US MD or DO programs yet?

 
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I applied to 3 D.O. programs in 1998 and got rejected. I have never applied to M.D. programs in the U.S. At this point, I do not want to wait another year to start medical school. That is part of the reason I am choosing the foreign route.
 
Andre relax not everyone wants to go to the carb. PB are you applying for next year? If you are you might see me. I am also thinking of applying to prague,and Isreal. I will see you soon. We are in the same boat pretty much i don't want to wait another year either.
Best Wishes!
Email me if you like.
 
Oh yeah Pb another thing DO NOT GO TO UAG I heard tons of bad stuff about that school as well. Stick to Carb. or europe maybe we will meet.

------------------
There is more joy in giving then there is in recieving.
 
PB,

A few questions:

1. What are your stats?
2. What was your major? Did you do grad work or a post-bacc?
3. Why did you apply to only 3 schools?
4. When did you apply (month that apps were completed)?
5. Did you take the MCAT in April or August?
6. What kind of extracurrics do you have? (Research, volunteer work, travel, sports, other interests or hobbies)
7. Why didn't you reapply in '99?

The reason I'm inquiring about these points is to get a better sense of your situation. Don't be so quick to rush off to a beach school. You're opening a whole other can of worms.

 
Hello,
I took the MCAT in April 1997. My scores were not really that great. I haven't retaken it. My undergraduate majors were Biology and Psychology. I had a 3.8 GPA in Psychology and a 3.0 in Biology. My overall GPA was around 3.2-3.3. I also have a Master's degree in Health Promotion and Education, with a GPA of 3.8. I have worked in numerous research laboratories and volunteered at hospitals and hospices, in addition to an AIDS organization, working with HIV/AIDS patients. I have participated in 2 health projects in rural areas of Mexico. My primary interest is actually international health. At this point, I don't even know if I want to practice in the U.S. I want to keep that option open still though. Any other information?
 
W/ a masters degree, ave overall GPA, and great experience I think you could get into a DO program easily if you MCAT is even close to average. When you applied previously how early in the application process did you send yours in? I would apply to DO programs early this years, consider retaking the MCAT, take a prep course and get a 24 and I would put money on it that you would be accepted.
 
I like this new icon...

Oh, yeah, what I meant to say was... I'm at UAG, so I have to be careful about what I actually say. I'm not going to say you shouldn't come here. I'm not going to say that a lot of people are really frustrated at the differences between how they talk up the school, and what you find when you get here. I'm not going to tell you about the quality of the teaching. You can read all that stuff on the UAG Unofficial Forum, whose address has been posted elsewhere (but so you don't have to look it up -- http://www.netbabbler.com/goto/?forumid=7468) Oh, yeah, and since the $2000 doesn't apply toward your tuition, save the money if you can. Oh, and I won't mention that they nickel and dime you with a bunch of fees they don't tell you about before you arrive, so if you're on a budget, it's kind of difficult.

Since you've already done some work in Mexico, I assume you can speak some Spanish. If so, why don't you consider Ponce or Caribe, both in Puerto Rico. I suggest this because they are both LCME-accredited, which means you won't have the stigma of being an International Medical Graduate (don't flame me, folks -- you all must agree that even though it has lessened in recent years, it's still there -- as evidenced by all the hoops we have to jump through to get residencies and practice in the US).

Ponce http://www.psm.edu/
Caribe http://www.uccaribe.edu/admisiones.htm

And there are other schools in Mexico -- U de Guad, Tec de Monterrey -- these are two good ones, and much cheaper than the $18,000 plus you'll pay at UAG.

Hope this helps.



[This message has been edited by dwstranger (edited 04-12-2000).]
 
I did consider the schools in Puerto Rico that you mentioned. Those are definitely good options, but for me, I really would like to begin school this fall. I don't want to wait until next year. About the DO programs, yes, I did apply towards the end of the application cycle. That could've been why I wasn't accepted. You're right about the other schools in MX; I need to brush up on my Spanish though. The cost and the quality of the education really are the selling points. My MCAT scores were below average, so I really doubt that I would be accepted to a U.S. school. I've thought about starting at a foreign school and applying to a U.S. school (one of the lower-ranked ones) for the second year. I know there is a slim chance of this happening, but I guess it could be worth the try.
What year are you in UAG? I visited there and thought the campus was decent. The students were quite friendly, and the USMLE preparation courses seem very good. I just don't understand why so many people complain about UAG, but it doesn't seem like other schools are complained about that much.....
 
UAG has a very bad reputation in the U.S. Now they require you to send a non-refundable check prior to even going on the interview! Many of their students wind-up transferring to other schools, like Ross. Your best bet if you go off-shore is to stay with the "knowns" like Ross, AUC, and St. George's.

Good luck!

-Skip
 
Skip, why are you replying to these three year old posts? This guy is already a doctor! ha ha ha ;)
 
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