In response to the getting residencies as a FMG post...

[ocean11]

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OK let me first start of by saying that I do think that SGU is a great school, if I didn't get in to the med schools I got into last year, I would have gone there. I believe that the education there is DEFINETLY ON par with most NA med schools.

The problem isn't the education in my opinion, the problem is the stigma and one can clearly see that on these forums. The attitudes represented here are widespread and THEREFORE it is very hard for FMG's to match into ultra competitive residencies (such as derm, opthamology etc...) not to say that it can't be done though.

This is an interesting story, this guy I know who graduated from AUC was playing golf with strangers and they asked him what he does etc... he said he just graduated from med school and when asked which one he LIED and said U Mass!! he was too embaraced to admit the truth. In addition, when looking for residencies he said that the 'low-tier' ones were almost all 100% FMG and didn't want to apply there (at the end he got a good IM residency in NY) but anyhow..... bottom line is people's attitudes: whether they are your patients or your collegues will be INITIALLY skewed by what med school you go to! Unfortunately there are med schools in the carribean (no names mentioned)... that taint the great schools like SGU etc....

With that being said I hope that certain med schools like SGU do eventually get recognized by the LCME, because from what I've heard, the education there is very good!! and getting in isn't a joke (like some other schools) you need a decent GPA/MCAT.

 

[YouDontKnowJack]

most US grads don't get ultra competitive residencies either.

people going to the caribbean go in already assuming that they will not get derm or opthamology...

that said, most carib grads end up alongside US grads in internal medicine 😛 😛 😛

 

[ocean11]

most US grads don't get ultra competitive residencies either.

people going to the caribbean go in already assuming that they will not get derm or opthamology...

that said, most carib grads end up alongside US grads in internal medicine 😛 😛 😛

I agree that caribbean grads get IM, but the question is were? at their FIRST choice IM residency? maybe they will, BUT chances are that they have to interview at more IM residency spots than a regular US grad. In addition, most US med schools have a larger fraction of their class matching into ultra-competitive residencies vs. carribean schools.

So bottom line is yes sure it is possible if you're a FMG, very possible if you have connections or/and do AMAZING on boards but IT IS harder to get your FIRST choice (in IM or anything else) or a competitive residency if you're a FMG.

I know 5 people who went (recently to the carribean) diff schools: AUC, SGU, and SABA and they ALL told me that they got rejections from many of their first choice IM residencies (2 of them had AMAZING boards as well!) and got flack at a few of their interviews for being an FMG. Don't get me wrong one of them matched very well into a great IM residency but yeah not necessarily his first choice....

But with all that said I PERSONALLY am NOT attacking caribbean schools, I think that my friends got a great education there and will be great docs like myself. The point I'm trying to make is that it is inevitable that they will face a harder time as a FMG than US grads will, it's a fact plain and simple, and perhaps an unfortunate one at that!