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- Nov 4, 2005
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***Sorry, i started typing this reply when the thread was open, went to thanksgiving dinner, came back finished about an hour later and it was closed. to the moderator: i hope you find that this is a valid post that degrades neither stance but is just purely unbiased (unless admitted to) info. i have just spent too much time posting this to have it deleted***
hello all. i attend AUC, so ill put in my 2 cents since ive actually been there and dont have to speculate.
how i got here:
well i had a good GPA and a terrible MCAT. waited another year, shelled out the money for the kaplan course and did worse. i applied to 1 DO, ross and AUC. i didnt get accepted to the DO school but got accepted to both carrib. if i would have gotten accepted to the DO school it would have been a tough choice. i was leaning towards the MD, and my rejection to DO just made it that much easier.
Why i was leaning toward carrib MD:
ill be honest. i really wanted the letters behind my name. its the truth. it has been my experience that carrib md's get more respect than DO's. Once again, this isnt my opinion, but just my observation of others opinions. I think the main reason, is b/c most dont know that FMGs are FMGs. think about out, people see MD and most dont think twice, but people see DO and they will ask. People are more likely to ask whats a DO before they will ask what medical school you went to, which is the only way they will know you are a FMG. but for the record i dont think most really care as long as you are good at what you do. if it wasnt for me wanting to be a MD, i could have cared less about which one i chose, because i would still be a doctor. and the respect thing goes both ways as well, based on who you talk to. im sure some have experienced DOs getting more respect than FMGs.
how is it here:
well, from what ive heard, there is about 1/2 the anatomy class failing. is this due because it is a bad school? probably not. The fact is that are people here that just wont make the grades to be doctors. i doubt it is b/c there is some underground plan to fail 1/2 the students. face it, this is a school that accepts american US rejects, and some of these just wont cut it period. i wont lie, we have had our compalaints about some things, but you will find horror stories of any school if you look for them hard enough. and i dont see any downside of placing restrictions on people for passing the self before they can take the usmle. in fact im glad the school makes sure we are ready, as opposed to just churning us thru the system. our entire 5th semester is geared toward preperation of the USMLE. it is kind of ironic that US schools base thier validty on how many pass the USMLE while we base ours on how many we fail to reach it. we get more time to prepare than most US schools. as of right now, i have made the right choice.
I will be an MD. i cant compare the educational value of the school b/c ive neve been anywere else. I belive the only person that can say FMG education is better than DO education (or vice versa) is the one who has been through both. others opinion (like mine) should only be added to a compilation and then used to derive ones thoughts as opposed to taking someones blogs and making an huge assumption based upon them.
conclusion:
honestly, if you dont go the US route, DOs and FMGs are in the same boat (open to contreversy) when it comes to Allo residencies. if you really want a competitve allo resicency, us allo is the way to go. I love where i am. things may be different 2 yrs from know if i say "damn i should have gone DO" and i know there are many DOs that may say the same thing respectivly. If you think you can go to a carib school (at least mine) and think you can breeze through it, you should reconsider. The cirriculum is tough and no one will hold your hand. This is med school. i would like to think that I am just as well educated as a US allo student (of course i cant say b/c ive never been to a US school), only the step can tell. The fact is, i love where i am. I have commited to giving up 20 months of life to a place where people only dream of vacationing. in the scope of life, 20 months is nothing. This first semester has seems to have gone by like a dream. Today, i had my first thanksgiving away from my family, instead with my classmates. I have never felt so welcomed. if you want to be a DO, go to a osteo school. If you want to be an MD, go to any MD school that will take you. The fact is, med school is what you make of it. if you fail you fail. if you pass you pass. IF YOUR A DO YOU ARE A DO. IF YOUR A MD YOUR A MD. MOST WONT CARE. People say that their are easier ways to make money. while this may be true, there is none more consistent. i have yet to find any that has the ratio of compensation to contribution to human existence. I love where i am. I am at the american univerisity of the caribbean. in 34 months i will be a doctor. no one can take that away from me. I like most have no blog. but please take this post with just as much weight as if it were. decide for your self. when it is all said and done, FMG=DO=US MD to me. its the others you have to worry about, if it matters to you. in 34 months i will have accomplished my goal. I will be an MD.
P.S. please post any questions you have regarding my school. as far as usmle pass rates are concerned, i dont have clue. the schools numbers may be skwed for all i know. but i dont care b/c really only one person needs to pass and thats me, and that is my responsibility. i am one of the few unbiased (either way) you will meet.
hello all. i attend AUC, so ill put in my 2 cents since ive actually been there and dont have to speculate.
how i got here:
well i had a good GPA and a terrible MCAT. waited another year, shelled out the money for the kaplan course and did worse. i applied to 1 DO, ross and AUC. i didnt get accepted to the DO school but got accepted to both carrib. if i would have gotten accepted to the DO school it would have been a tough choice. i was leaning towards the MD, and my rejection to DO just made it that much easier.
Why i was leaning toward carrib MD:
ill be honest. i really wanted the letters behind my name. its the truth. it has been my experience that carrib md's get more respect than DO's. Once again, this isnt my opinion, but just my observation of others opinions. I think the main reason, is b/c most dont know that FMGs are FMGs. think about out, people see MD and most dont think twice, but people see DO and they will ask. People are more likely to ask whats a DO before they will ask what medical school you went to, which is the only way they will know you are a FMG. but for the record i dont think most really care as long as you are good at what you do. if it wasnt for me wanting to be a MD, i could have cared less about which one i chose, because i would still be a doctor. and the respect thing goes both ways as well, based on who you talk to. im sure some have experienced DOs getting more respect than FMGs.
how is it here:
well, from what ive heard, there is about 1/2 the anatomy class failing. is this due because it is a bad school? probably not. The fact is that are people here that just wont make the grades to be doctors. i doubt it is b/c there is some underground plan to fail 1/2 the students. face it, this is a school that accepts american US rejects, and some of these just wont cut it period. i wont lie, we have had our compalaints about some things, but you will find horror stories of any school if you look for them hard enough. and i dont see any downside of placing restrictions on people for passing the self before they can take the usmle. in fact im glad the school makes sure we are ready, as opposed to just churning us thru the system. our entire 5th semester is geared toward preperation of the USMLE. it is kind of ironic that US schools base thier validty on how many pass the USMLE while we base ours on how many we fail to reach it. we get more time to prepare than most US schools. as of right now, i have made the right choice.
I will be an MD. i cant compare the educational value of the school b/c ive neve been anywere else. I belive the only person that can say FMG education is better than DO education (or vice versa) is the one who has been through both. others opinion (like mine) should only be added to a compilation and then used to derive ones thoughts as opposed to taking someones blogs and making an huge assumption based upon them.
conclusion:
honestly, if you dont go the US route, DOs and FMGs are in the same boat (open to contreversy) when it comes to Allo residencies. if you really want a competitve allo resicency, us allo is the way to go. I love where i am. things may be different 2 yrs from know if i say "damn i should have gone DO" and i know there are many DOs that may say the same thing respectivly. If you think you can go to a carib school (at least mine) and think you can breeze through it, you should reconsider. The cirriculum is tough and no one will hold your hand. This is med school. i would like to think that I am just as well educated as a US allo student (of course i cant say b/c ive never been to a US school), only the step can tell. The fact is, i love where i am. I have commited to giving up 20 months of life to a place where people only dream of vacationing. in the scope of life, 20 months is nothing. This first semester has seems to have gone by like a dream. Today, i had my first thanksgiving away from my family, instead with my classmates. I have never felt so welcomed. if you want to be a DO, go to a osteo school. If you want to be an MD, go to any MD school that will take you. The fact is, med school is what you make of it. if you fail you fail. if you pass you pass. IF YOUR A DO YOU ARE A DO. IF YOUR A MD YOUR A MD. MOST WONT CARE. People say that their are easier ways to make money. while this may be true, there is none more consistent. i have yet to find any that has the ratio of compensation to contribution to human existence. I love where i am. I am at the american univerisity of the caribbean. in 34 months i will be a doctor. no one can take that away from me. I like most have no blog. but please take this post with just as much weight as if it were. decide for your self. when it is all said and done, FMG=DO=US MD to me. its the others you have to worry about, if it matters to you. in 34 months i will have accomplished my goal. I will be an MD.
P.S. please post any questions you have regarding my school. as far as usmle pass rates are concerned, i dont have clue. the schools numbers may be skwed for all i know. but i dont care b/c really only one person needs to pass and thats me, and that is my responsibility. i am one of the few unbiased (either way) you will meet.
Really, who freakin cares? Can we move on...away from the stupid comparisons? MD...DO...FMG...who cares? Let's move on. 
