Thanks.
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Need some help to get on track (MD)
- Thread starter cubs8827
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As far as I'm aware, all US MD schools require you to have a degree before matriculating. I'd advise taking your classes at a 4-year school and getting whatever degree you think you'd enjoy. After that, aim for a school in the US, be it DO or MD. The Caribbean schools are bad juju.
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The average age of matriculation to med school is 24, so you're at no disadvantage there. Some applicants are in their 30s, 40s, and 50s.
I'd get into a four-year school, transfer your credits from the previous academic work you've completed, and get a degree while you complete the prerequisites. Keep in mind that the median GPA for those accepted to med school is 3.65, so aim high for your grades.
I'd get into a four-year school, transfer your credits from the previous academic work you've completed, and get a degree while you complete the prerequisites. Keep in mind that the median GPA for those accepted to med school is 3.65, so aim high for your grades.
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Enroll in Community College.
Take pre-med courses. See if you can handle them.
If you can handle them, start doing extracurriculars that show your interest in the general field of healthcare / helping others.
Transfer to a 4 year. Continue with volunteership. Get Bachelors
Take MCAT.
Apply and get into medical school
Work hard for 4 years.
Work hard for another 3+ more years.
Continue working hard until you retire.
Buy beach house, go fishing every morning.
Take pre-med courses. See if you can handle them.
If you can handle them, start doing extracurriculars that show your interest in the general field of healthcare / helping others.
Transfer to a 4 year. Continue with volunteership. Get Bachelors
Take MCAT.
Apply and get into medical school
Work hard for 4 years.
Work hard for another 3+ more years.
Continue working hard until you retire.
Buy beach house, go fishing every morning.
I recommend you follow these steps:
1)Go to a 4-yr school
2)Meet the pre-health professions advisors (most 4 yr schools have them)
3)Follow all of their advice.
The advisors will probably tell you to take 2 science classes a semester (to fulfill your basic science requirements: a year of biology, chemistry, physics, and math). While you are doing this, you need to join the pre-med club on campus (support group) and get some kind of leadership experience, do volunteer work at the hospital, shadow doctors, possibly do some undergraduate research or get your EMT license. Make sure that your extracurriculars don't get in the way of your grades though: some might say otherwise, but a high GPA and MCAT score are the most important thing to get out of your undergrad.
This is the basic formula to get into medical school, but don't take it from me, make sure to meet with your pre-health advisors!
1)Go to a 4-yr school
2)Meet the pre-health professions advisors (most 4 yr schools have them)
3)Follow all of their advice.
The advisors will probably tell you to take 2 science classes a semester (to fulfill your basic science requirements: a year of biology, chemistry, physics, and math). While you are doing this, you need to join the pre-med club on campus (support group) and get some kind of leadership experience, do volunteer work at the hospital, shadow doctors, possibly do some undergraduate research or get your EMT license. Make sure that your extracurriculars don't get in the way of your grades though: some might say otherwise, but a high GPA and MCAT score are the most important thing to get out of your undergrad.
This is the basic formula to get into medical school, but don't take it from me, make sure to meet with your pre-health advisors!
Forgot to add this to my last post: if you post your intention to go to the Caribbean on SDN, you will be slammed with anecdotes and statistics about how terrible the Caribbean is for your career. These will be partially true. Fact is, even if you go to the one of the Big 3 (St. Georges, Ross, and I believe St. Matthews?), a good percentage of the students (the ones that don't fail out) will not match into a residency. There just aren't enough US residency spots for all the medical students that are pumped out these days. A good deal of the students will end up doing primary care. If that's what you want, gravy.
In conclusion: the Caribbean is a good place for second chances, but there are a lot of horror stories out there about med students failing out and racking up tons of debt in the process.
