MCAT: 23O
Cum GPA: 3.1
Science GPA: 2.75
Non-Science: 3.4
I am stuck in a dilemma right now and I could really use some helpful advice. I recently got into Ross University's Medical Education Review Program (MERP) which is a 15 week program in Miami, Florida and if I complete the program, I have gauranteed admission into their January starting class. However, I also applied to DO schools last year and received an offer to be in LECOM's Health Sciences Program (HSP) in Bradenton, Florida. This program is a 2 semester, 1 year long post-bac program designed to allow students to take hardcore science classes in order to bump up their science gpa. After the first semester, any students with a minimum MCAT of 22 and a gpa above a 3.0 in their program, is gauranteed an interview with LECOM's osteopathic school. The Ross program begins July 28th, 2008 and LECOM's postbac program begins September 3rd, 2008. In the meanwhile I am reapplying to DO schools, as early as possible this year in order to increase my chances of getting in. (last year I applied after I graduated in Dec so I was kind of late).
Here are the pros and cons of both of my options:
Ross
Pros:
-MERP would be a good refresher program for me and help strengthen my science foundation before delving into medical school material
-begin med school in january if successfully completing the program
Cons:
-still a caribbean medical school so it has its drawbacks of being a foreign medical graduate
LECOM HSP
Pros:
-postbac is only 1 yr
-i already possess the minimum MCAT so I have to achieve higher than a 3.0 to get a gauranteed interview
-opportunity to be placed into a US med school rather than a foreign
-increase my chances of getting into other DO schools if possible
Cons:
-is 1 year long as opposed to Ross's 15 weeks
-even after gettin above a 3.0, its gauranteed interview, not gauranteed admission, so i would still be taking a chance (however I do really well in interviews)
-med school would start in sept of 09 as opposed to ross's january start date
Once again, I am open to any ideas and advice you guys have available for me and I would like to make the best decision rather than regret it later on in my future. For me, choosing from MD and DO is not that big of a deal but I would like to keep my options open for possibly specializing later in the future. I know Ross University is actual a lot more rigorous than some US medical schools and that is why they have such a high passing rate on their board exams, however I dont know how much a foreign medical graduate status is going to affect me in the future.
