Is it worth going for an MD on the islands

[PhD2MD]

If your passion is to be a doctor, but you dont have the stats for allopathic or osteopathic schools in the states, is it worth the money to go to the Carribean?
Ive heard if you go to one of the big 3 and do well you should be fine when looking for residency in the states. Also, how do clinical rotations work down there? Are they at the various island Hospitals. I want to be a doctor above all, but a respected on at that. I just want to make sure there isnt too much pregidous against schools like SGU, Ross, etc...

Also, once Carribean students obtain their MD and finish up residency, are there any differences between earnings and other job ops between them and MD/DOs educated in the states?

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[Phil Anthropist]

It's worth the money if you're capable of succeeding and you're not willing to spend additional years trying to get into a US MD or DO school. This probably sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised how many sub-3.0 cume/sub 3.0 science/teens-low 20's MCAT applicants think they can magically turn into 4.0 students over night. Of the Big 3, I believe more drop out of AUC and Ross. At SGU a lower percentage drop out, but many are made to decel (essentially the students are held back) because they can't keep up. So don't go down there unless you're ready for med school.

Good residencies can be obtained from the Caribbean, but you are at a disadvantage for the residency match. If you're considering something extremely competitive (e.g., dermatology, ortho, radiology, urology) you're gonna have a hard time getting into those specialties coming from the Caribbean. It's not impossible, but matches into these specialties are rare.

For the Big 3 you usually spend two years in the Caribbean and then your next two years in the United States (typically New York/New Jersey). SGU has the best hospital affiliations of the three, in my opinion. However, even there you don't have the greatest say in where you want to go for rotations. Also, there are restrictions on foreign medical students at some hospitals. US students have more freedom when it comes to auditioning at various hospitals. I'm not sure about Ross and AUC, but SGU has clinical sites in Grenada. However, the US students choose to go to the US (huge surprise, I know).

I highly doubt that there is much of a difference (if any) for the average income of Caribbean grads, US MDs and US DOs, but I don't have any source to verify that.

Also, try the Caribbean forum.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Moving to the carribean forum...

 

[Phil Anthropist]

Also, try the Caribbean forum.

Well that was fast Kimberli!

 

[JohnB79]

Also to the OP you may want to check out www.valuemd.com and look around on the board over there. That site is dedicated to students who are IMG's or looking to go the IMG route so ask questions and get answers.

 

[brendang]

take a gander at the saba website's matchlist for the recent graduating class... a couple of EM, bunch loads of IM at university programs, a couple of neuros (case western!), an ophtho, a neurosurgery, anesthesia (at tufts! harvard!), radiology (at yale!)... think it's worth going yet?

http://www.saba.edu/residency_match.php (check for the recent 2005 match)

 

[MD Dreams]

If your passion is to be a doctor, but you dont have the stats for allopathic or osteopathic schools in the states, is it worth the money to go to the Carribean?
Ive heard if you go to one of the big 3 and do well you should be fine when looking for residency in the states. Also, how do clinical rotations work down there? Are they at the various island Hospitals. I want to be a doctor above all, but a respected on at that. I just want to make sure there isnt too much pregidous against schools like SGU, Ross, etc...

Also, once Carribean students obtain their MD and finish up residency, are there any differences between earnings and other job ops between them and MD/DOs educated in the states?

I'm almost done with my two years down here in the islands. I can tell you that if your set on being a doctor and there are no other avenues open to you, then YES, it is worth it. Not all the teachers are that great down here, but that's probably true for US med schools as well. However, if your focused you will get the same education that an individual gets in the US when it comes to the didactic part. The way I look at it, anatomy will be anatomy regardless of the latitiude and longitude of you school. Then you will do your clinicals in the states which will give you the same experience as the US schools. Finally, as long as you pass the boards and get descent grades you will get a residency, and not just in primary care. However, as the earlier post mentioned it would be tough to get a highly competitive residency, but that may also be true if you come from a low/mid tier school from the states. But there are a few that do, but they are the exception. As far as respect is concerned, there will always be someone who will think less of you because you came from a carribean school. But many will judge you on your competence as a physician. Also, only a few are forced to decel, some do so on their own. However, they just stay on the island a term longer, but they still graduate. Med school is tough, but as long as you do your work, you will make it. Anyways, I hope this has helped a bit, and I wish you the best. One last thing, coming down here is a once in a life experience. There are many good things about staying in the US, but there are a number of good things about coming down here as well. It has helped make me a more mature individual, I think

 

[Winged Scapula]

Well that was fast Kimberli!

Fingers at the ready - suitable for banning users, creating controversy in the Clinical Rotations forum or moving threads.