Med schools in Canada and Carribeans

[shaq786]

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If I go to a med school in Canada or Carribeans; does that mean I will have a lower chance of passing all parts of the USMLE?

 

[BDylan]

No - if you take care of business your first two years, review a bit during the semester before, and really put in some quality study time (8-10 hrs/day) 4-5 weeks before the test, you'll be alright.

But, this is true no matter where you go to med school... so I've read.

 

[hooperg]

If I go to a med school in Canada or Carribeans; does that mean I will have a lower chance of passing all parts of the USMLE?

Ironically, I just spoke with a physician today about this topic. Though unsure about Canadian schools, he specifically stated that FMGs from the Carribbean have great difficulty passing the USMLE, and students who do have trouble getting interviews at moderate to highly competitive residencies, regardless of whether or not they aced it or barely passed.

USMLE pass rate statistics by year are available at their website (Google it) and cover FMGs.

 

[PELE#10]

Ironically, I just spoke with a physician today about this topic. Though unsure about Canadian schools, he specifically stated that FMGs from the Carribbean have great difficulty passing the USMLE, and students who do have trouble getting interviews at moderate to highly competitive residencies, regardless of whether or not they aced it or barely passed.

USMLE pass rate statistics by year are available at their website (Google it) and cover FMGs.

FMG's are Students who have attended medical school abroad and are not US citizens. IMG's are US citizens that go to foreign schools and do there 3rd and 4th year rotations in the states.

I am getting ready to sit for step 1 in may. the term before at St. Georges only had 3 people fail there step 1 exam. Thats out of 302 students. So I dont think its a problem. As far as residencies go, A good friend of mine who went to Ross had a 202 on step 1 and 208 on step 2 he matched at a University program in New Jersey.

So unless you yourself are an IMG with first hand knowledge of the facts please dont give someone bad advice. It can lead them to make poor decisions.
Thanks

 

[Pollicis]

I was under the impression that most Caribbean schools were big-time USMLE prep-schools.

Ironically, I just spoke with a physician today about this topic. Though unsure about Canadian schools, he specifically stated that FMGs from the Carribbean have great difficulty passing the USMLE, and students who do have trouble getting interviews at moderate to highly competitive residencies, regardless of whether or not they aced it or barely passed.

USMLE pass rate statistics by year are available at their website (Google it) and cover FMGs.

 

[MeowMix]

All foreign med schools are not equal.

The med schools in Canada are generally much more difficult to get into than the US med schools. Their MCAT cutoffs are high, their GPA cutoffs very high, and you have to have an exceptional combination of experiences and skills to get in. Canadian students who are looking for an easier way to go to med school come down to the US, where we are viewed as smarter than the average pre-med. (We probably do exceptionally well on the USMLE too.) 😀

 

[SurfingDoctor]

I was under the impression that most Caribbean schools were big-time USMLE prep-schools.

From the Caribbean students and residents I have met occassionally on the wards, this is true. Their curriculum tends to be geared towards board prep.

 

[HDMTX]

As a Canadian med school grad from the US, I can say the prep for USMLE is minimal, but the training is certainly seen on par to that in the US. The training is probably a bit more rigorous simply because they don't have the 60-80 hour/week work rule cap in residency. I would think similarly to the post above that Carribean schools are known to prep for USMLE much harder, but definitely at more of a disadvantage going Carribean.

 

[worldbeater]

I am in the minority, but for foreign schools I don't think it really matters that much where you go; what dictates how well you do and your knowledge base is getting the right content to read and understand and then applying it on practice questions. I think most students wait to the end of their two years to start reading and doing questions properly, that's why they aren't as successful with the exam as they should be. They handicapped themselves by shortening the time they have to prepare.