Hi All,
My apologies upfront; this is going to be quite lengthy. I just want to be thorough.
I'm a 40-year-old Canadian who is preparing to go to med school. While I am absolutely applying to brick and mortar schools, the likelihood of me getting in is slim (based on historical admission statistics, my grades, etc. around 10% to 15%). I actually forget how I stumbled upon OUM, but I thought it was interesting. The more I looked into it, the more attractive it became. They have an extensive website (
http://www.oceaniamed.org/graduateMD/) that covers almost any question you might have, but I decided to post this to remove some of the ambiguity for things that may not be obvious.
First things first: OUM shouldn't be anyone's first choice; it's designed for mature students who want a shot at an M.D. The average entering student is 40.5 and most of them already have careers in healthcare (nurses, physician assistants, paramedics, etc.). As an IMG, your best shot for a residency will be in primary care (FM, peds, IM, psych). I'm personally targeting FM. The program is also super expensive (Anywhere from $140,000 - $200,000 US depending on if/where/how often you travel for your clinical rotations as most hospitals charge a weekly hosting fee, typically $200-$500 above and beyond tuition). The school is upfront about prospective students doing their due diligence to make sure that their state/province will recognize the school. They have openly admitted that CA doesn't recognize them and tell you which states follow CA's lead. Since I don't plan to practice in the US, this really isn't an issue for me, but the counselors are more than happy to answer questions about specific states. As far as Canada is concerned, my province (New Brunswick) will license me.
They offer frequent (at least monthly) hour-long online presentations with live chat via Blackboard with graduates/current students/instructors. Here's the link to see their current offerings:
http://www.oum.edu.ws/graduateMD/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=129&Itemid=132
I've personally attended 10 of these sessions, including 3 sample lectures, and they are all quite informative. Again, the admission counselors are very friendly and readily accessible via email for questions.
Here are answers to a few common questions about OUM. If you have others, please check out their website, email a counselor via their site or PM me:
Regarding admissions:
The only formal academic admission requirements for North American applicants are an accredited Bachelor's degree with a min GPA of 3.0 and a one-year course in chemistry with a lab component. While the MCAT isn't required, they say it will strengthen your application. You also need to submit an essay about why you want to become a physician and provide three references, including at least one from a physician. I know a lot of skeptical people think because they're a for-profit institution anyone who can prove they can pay will be admitted. From talking with them directly, it becomes obvious that this isn't true. They make way more money from positive results and positive word-of-mouth.
If you get invited to an interview, they do two rounds. The first is more of a meet-and-greet format with one admissions counselor. They want to get a feel for your personality and to make sure you understand the commitment required. They go over the special challenges on-line students face, especially regarding gross anatomy, microbiology and pathology (high-def on-line slides/videos). They also want to make sure that you're state will license you at this stage.
The second round is a panel format. This is where they look for qualities typically required by most med schools: Empathy, ability to handle stressful situations, etc.
If your science background is too weak for direct entry into the M.D. program, they offer a 40-week post-baccalaureate program. Scoring 70%+ in it gives you automatic admission to the M.D. program with advance standing (I believe equal to almost the 40-week mark).
They have two intake periods: January and July. Looking at past announcements on their site, there looks to be 25-30 entering students per intake. Please keep in mind that this is global; lots of students hail from Oceania (Australia, New Zealand, etc.). I think roughly half are North American; their News section has stories about historical incoming classes.
About the curriculum:
You start by attending a live orientation and white coat ceremony, typically held in Houston. I believe it lasts a few (3?) days. Most if not all of the instructors attend. Oceania students who cannot attend in person connect on-line.
For years 1 & 2:
The first phase (~two years) is your typical pre-clinical curriculum. Like most schools, the coursework preps you for the USMLE Step 1 (or equivalent, since I'm Canadian). You rotate through each subject separately and they use a problem-based learning case study format. There are live on-line interactive lectures via Blackboard throughout the week; these are archived for later review. Many students also arrange group study sessions on Skype. Your study material is accessed electronically via Clinical Key at $500/year. The instructors are typically American native English speakers and all have an M.D. or Ph.D. in the subject matter. Most of them are full-time clinicians who do this on the side. There is also a 6-week course on Research Methodology where you need to submit a preceptor-reviewed, journal-quality research paper.
One feature I really like about this phase of the program is the mentor. They supply you with the material you need to find a local M.D. to mentor you during the first two years. S/he needs to be willing to meet face-to-face for at least one hour/week and OUM pays them $50 US/hr.
Two last points about the first two years:
1. OUM has a USMLE-style, in-house exam that you need to pass before you can take Step 1.
2. There is a seven-week online clinical skills course that focuses on the non-tactile components of an exam (mannerisms, sensitivity, directed questioning, etc.). There is also an in-person component, but you have a choice: Either do the live clinical skills course hosted by Kaplan (@ about $5,000 US) OR start your clinical rotations with the requisite 12 weeks of Internal Medicine on campus in Samoa (see below).
For years 3 & 4:
The last two years are your typical clinical rotations. Of the 72 weeks' worth, a minimum of 4 need to take place on campus in Samoa. This cost (airfare, accommodations, etc.) is above and beyond tuition and will run roughly $5,000 US. There is lots of information online about the country, but think Hawaii. OUM recommends that you do either OB/GYN (the attendings supervise but they'll let you be the primary on uncomplicated vaginal deliveries) or 12 weeks of IM (in lieu of the Kaplan course). They also have an established network of hospitals in the US and Canada where you can rotate through. I don't have an explicit list, but some of them are listed on their website and that is a great question for the counselors. If you have a teaching hospital nearby, they will contact them on your behalf to see if you can do some/most of your rotations there. I know they have done this in Canada (Manitoba), and as I have a teaching hospital in my hometown I'm hoping this might be a possibility.
Their clinical modules cover the usual areas (see their site for details). One thing I did notice is that psych is only four weeks and Canadian residencies (at least in Newfoundland) require a minimum of six weeks, so that would be two of my 16-weeks' worth of electives.
About residency:
Of course there is no guarantee of getting one; it's competitive. ERAS and the SF Match have stats on success rates. That being said, I have attended on-line talks by current residents, most recently this month by Orla Weinhold, PGY-3 in psych at Maricopa in Arizona. Her bio is here:
http://www.mihspsychiatry.org/meet-our-residents.html
She was very open about her experience and offered her email for questions. I was curious and looked this program up on FREIDA. They interview roughly 60 people for one of the 6 annual spots. I think that says a lot about the school. I also know of several other graduates but I'm not going to list them all here. For the curious, looking through the OUM site will reveal many more (especially under the News section and the videos).
The instructors help any way they can. They said that to optimize your shot at a residency you should be open to where you go. You should also do your clinical rotations at as many places as possible; your chances will increase greatly since program coordinators will typically put people they know (and made a good impression, of course) at the top of their list for an interview.
Yes, they are vague on enrollment, USMLE pass rates/scores and residency success rates. I agree that they shouldn't be. If I had to guess, my gut says that many of the people who enroll are surprised to find how challenging it is and drop out and the school doesn't want to scare off potential applicants. At any rate, based on my research, OUM is definitely a legitimate option for anyone who is flexible, driven and goes into it with their eyes wide open.
Again, sorry for the length. Feel free to PM for any more info.
