NSU masters of biomedical sciences VS. actually starting med school at RUSM this summer 2021

[FLstudent23]

I recently got accepted to NOVA Southeastern Masters of Biomedical Sciences program for the Fall 2021 entering class but I don't know if i want to go with a masters or if i want to go ahead and start medical school at ROSS University School of Medicine this Summer 2020 semester. What are your opinions?

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[Banco]

I don't understand these acronyms.

 

[FLstudent23]

I don't understand these acronyms.

I changed it

 

[Banco]

I changed it

Oh...don't go to the caribbean...do what you need to do to apply for USMD or DO schools. Much better decision.

 

[FLstudent23]

Oh...don't go to the caribbean...do what you need to do to apply for USMD or DO schools. Much better decision.

Can you explain why so?

 

[Banco]

Can you explain why so?

It's much harder to match for residency from the caribbean (rate is only around 60-70% vs. 95%+ from a US MD/DO school). This is after many students get weeded out in the early years. Even if you do manage to match, chances are that it'll be a less than ideal place and much less likely that it'll be a competitive specialty (there is bias against caribbean grads at most academic residencies). And you'll be saddled with private loans most likely if you don't match. The whole point of medical school is to make it into residency - if that isn't nearly guaranteed, it's not worth it to take on the the risk.




You can look at the match rates for US-IMG's (caribbean grads mostly) on page 5 here: https://mk0nrmp3oyqui6wqfm.kinstacd...ting-Outcomes-in-the-Match-2020_IMG_final.pdf


Compare that with those from US MD schools here: https://mk0nrmp3oyqui6wqfm.kinstacd...utcomes-in-the-Match-2020_MD-Senior_final.pdf


US DO Schools here: https://mk0nrmp3oyqui6wqfm.kinstacd...utcomes-in-the-Match-2020_DO-Senior_final.pdf


Caribbean should be an absolute last resort and frankly if you're at that point, I wouldn't even go for medicine. There are students who make it from the Caribbean - but they have a lot lot more hurdles to overcome with no guarantee.

Do the master's, do well on the MCAT, set yourself up well to apply to a US school. Your future self will thank you and won't regret the extra 1-2 years it took.

 

[Go2Mars]

Can you explain why so?

I recently spoke to a resident who graduated from a Caribbean medical school (Saint George's or American University of Antigua.. I forgot which one). He told me to follow this order: US M.D. medical school > US D.O. medical school > any Caribbean school. The reason is the Caribbean medical schools have been completely profit-focused where education has severely lacked in recent years and students are practically self-teaching themselves. In addition, the school does not help students who are struggling in classes so there are hundreds of Caribbean students who failed all of their exams but the school kept pushing them forward. It was a very bad experience overall for him.

 

[FLstudent23]

It's much harder to match for residency from the caribbean (rate is only around 60-70% vs. 95%+ from a US MD/DO school). This is after many students get weeded out in the early years. Even if you do manage to match, chances are that it'll be a less than ideal place and much less likely that it'll be a competitive specialty (there is bias against caribbean grads at most academic residencies). And you'll be saddled with private loans most likely if you don't match. The whole point of medical school is to make it into residency - if that isn't nearly guaranteed, it's not worth it to take on the the risk.




You can look at the match rates for US-IMG's (caribbean grads mostly) on page 5 here: https://mk0nrmp3oyqui6wqfm.kinstacd...ting-Outcomes-in-the-Match-2020_IMG_final.pdf


Compare that with those from US MD schools here: https://mk0nrmp3oyqui6wqfm.kinstacd...utcomes-in-the-Match-2020_MD-Senior_final.pdf


US DO Schools here: https://mk0nrmp3oyqui6wqfm.kinstacd...utcomes-in-the-Match-2020_DO-Senior_final.pdf


Caribbean should be an absolute last resort and frankly if you're at that point, I wouldn't even go for medicine. There are students who make it from the Caribbean - but they have a lot lot more hurdles to overcome with no guarantee.

Do the master's, do well on the MCAT, set yourself up well to apply to a US school. Your future self will thank you and won't regret the extra 1-2 years it took.

I really appreciate that! Thank you!!

 

[FLstudent23]

I recently spoke to a resident who graduated from a Caribbean medical school (SGA). He told me to follow this order: US M.D. medical school > US D.O. medical school > any Caribbean school. The reason is the Caribbean medical schools have been completely profit-focused where education has severely lacked in recent years and students are practically self-teaching themselves. In addition, the school does not help students who are struggling in classes so there are hundreds of Caribbean students who failed all of their exams but the school kept pushing them forward. It was a very bad experience overall for him.

I recently spoke to a resident who graduated from a Caribbean medical school (SGA). He told me to follow this order: US M.D. medical school > US D.O. medical school > any Caribbean school. The reason is the Caribbean medical schools have been completely profit-focused where education has severely lacked in recent years and students are practically self-teaching themselves. In addition, the school does not help students who are struggling in classes so there are hundreds of Caribbean students who failed all of their exams but the school kept pushing them forward. It was a very bad experience overall for him.

Wow thanks for that insight! For sure something I will be thinking about the next few days.

 

[Detailsmatter]

I know a doctor from Cuba, who use to work at McDonalds before taking his step exams. He became a doctor in Cuba at 26 and did come to the US at 30 from the winning the lottery system they have in the US for claiming asylum. He started working in construction and McDonalds for like 10 years before someone explained to him that is possible to become doctor in the US. He did not know any English coming to the United states and studied for a full year before talking the step exams. He was able to pass all of them and get into a family medicine residency around the age of 40.

He now is a doctor who just bought his family a brand new 500K house, he has a AMG GT 4 door coupe 2020 and bought himself a Rolex. Every time I ask him about residency and going to school in the Caribbean, he is like " its all b*llsh**" "do well on you step score and you can become a doctor it only depends on how bad you want and how much drive you have". But if you every doubt going to the Caribbean google some of the residencies and ask what is there view on foreign medical graduates. Because you can see the residency students and where they came from.

Current Residents | USF Health

This is USF general surgery residency program. They accepted people from Lebanon, Philippines and Pakistan. (and people wanna tell you schools in the Caribbean are worse than, what about the foreign students from middle east or the students from southwest Asia)

Current Fellows | Cardiovascular Medicine

www.bumc.bu.edu

This is a fellowship program that accepted a foreign medical school graduate from Sweden and brazil.
Brown University General Surgery residency

Department of Surgery | Medical School | Brown University

The goal of the Department of Surgery is to foster an environment for the optimal education of residents and medical students and to prepare them to assume their roles in scientific and medical communities.

www.brown.edu

He went to St Georges and got into a IVY league school residency.
(just do you research)


I am applying to medical school in the united states right now firstly and will apply to schools in the Caribbean if I can not get in anywhere. But it is possible to become a doctor in the United States and be a foreign medical graduate.

Don’t listen to this advice. Caribbean should absolutely be the last resort. You would be making an already difficult process infinitely more difficult for yourself. This user had to google very few specific examples to prove their point. It’s undeniable the disadvantage that Caribbean grads are for residency. The official numbers of their match rates don’t even count the huge number of students who are seeded out before even registering to take step 1. Even in the examples that this user included, the last one of the surgery resident at Brown isn’t a strong example of their argument because that resident went to school in Canada. Canada has VERY few medical schools and it’s not uncommon for them to have to go to schools abroad simply because there’s no space. It’s not the same as a US undergrad not being qualified for US MD or DO schools going the Caribbean route. Also, the example of the Cuban doctor is completely different as well. He wasn’t a US undergrad that couldn’t get into med school here. He had no choice of going to a med school other than one in Cuba

edit: also really important to keep in mind that if you aren’t able to get into a US MD or DO you have not proven to yourself that you can succeed in medical school. That’s a huge bet, with potential severe financial consequence, to place on yourself

 

[Banco]

I know a doctor from Cuba, who use to work at McDonalds before taking his step exams. He became a doctor in Cuba at 26 and did come to the US at 30 from the winning the lottery system they have in the US for claiming asylum. He started working in construction and McDonalds for like 10 years before someone explained to him that is possible to become doctor in the US. He did not know any English coming to the United states and studied for a full year before talking the step exams. He was able to pass all of them and get into a family medicine residency around the age of 40.

He now is a doctor who just bought his family a brand new 500K house, he has a AMG GT 4 door coupe 2020 and bought himself a Rolex. Every time I ask him about residency and going to school in the Caribbean, he is like " its all b*llsh**" "do well on you step score and you can become a doctor it only depends on how bad you want and how much drive you have". But if you every doubt going to the Caribbean google some of the residencies and ask what is there view on foreign medical graduates. Because you can see the residency students and where they came from.

Current Residents | USF Health

This is USF general surgery residency program. They accepted people from Lebanon, Philippines and Pakistan. (and people wanna tell you schools in the Caribbean are worse than, what about the foreign students from middle east or the students from southwest Asia)

Current Fellows | Cardiovascular Medicine

www.bumc.bu.edu

This is a fellowship program that accepted a foreign medical school graduate from Sweden and brazil.
Brown University General Surgery residency

Department of Surgery | Medical School | Brown University

The goal of the Department of Surgery is to foster an environment for the optimal education of residents and medical students and to prepare them to assume their roles in scientific and medical communities.

www.brown.edu

He went to St Georges and got into a IVY league school residency.
(just do you research)


I am applying to medical school in the united states right now firstly and will apply to schools in the Caribbean if I can not get in anywhere. But it is possible to become a doctor in the United States and be a foreign medical graduate.

No one said you can't become a doctor as a Caribbean grad. It is factually however less likely, much harder, with many more hurdles and much more risk. And yes, there are many residencies with Caribbean grads in them, and they have been hard workers and have earned those spots. Those residents/fellows you condescendingly talk about from Pakistan/Lebanon/other countries made it to USA residency because they are also extremely qualified and at the top of their classes from their medical schools, many of which offer a much better education than the predatory Caribbean institutions.

I am not going to sit here and try to tell someone to go to a foreign medical school as a first option just because I know someone from a Caribbean medical school who drives a nice car. You haven't even gotten into medical school yet you're out here giving terrible advice.

 

[ElGuapo1011]

Look All I wanted to say is that he has options. I am not pushing to go to medical schools in the Caribbean as a first option. I am just giving a first hand account of what I see. I work at a hospital where the majority of the doctors are foreign medical graduates from Peru, Mexico, El Salavador Cuba, Iran and other places I can't remember. So my views have a different perspective since the majority of doctors are foreign medial graduates. And the people making comments probably have seen hospitals or health care areas where the majority of medical graduates are from US schools.

If you look at the AAMC website for residencies they have the states on US medical schools, foreign medical graduates and DOs. The majority was MDs then Foreign medical graduates and then DOs in residencies but that's because they are way less DO schools. But they are right that carribean schools should be a last resort. (if you know Spanish and as a last resort I would recommend in this order Puerto Rican Medical schools>Caribbean Medical schools and Mexican schools. In that order. AS A LAST RESORT BACK AGAINST THE WALL.)

All I wanted to do was share my personal experience of what I have seen and add some perspective since you asked. I am sorry if I upset anybody. I just wanted to share my experience of what I have seen.

 

[Banco]

Look All I wanted to say is that he has options. I am not pushing to go to medical schools in the Caribbean as a first option. I am just giving a first hand account of what I see. I work at a hospital where the majority of the doctors are foreign medical graduates from Peru, Mexico, El Salavador Cuba, Iran and other places I can't remember. So my views have a different perspective since the majority of doctors are foreign medial graduates. And the people making comments probably have seen hospitals or health care areas where the majority of medical graduates are from US schools.

If you look at the AAMC website for residencies they have the states on US medical schools, foreign medical graduates and DOs. The majority was MDs then Foreign medical graduates and then DOs in residencies but that's because they are way less DO schools. But they are right that carribean schools should be a last resort. (if you know Spanish and as a last resort I would recommend in this order Puerto Rican Medical schools>Caribbean Medical schools and Mexican schools. In that order. AS A LAST RESORT BACK AGAINST THE WALL.)

All I wanted to do was share my personal experience of what I have seen and add some perspective since you asked. I am sorry if I upset anybody. I just wanted to share my experience of what I have seen.

I get what you're saying and you're correct in many regards. Just at OP's juncture it's not great advice, and I didn't want someone reading your post to get some wrong idea or justification for going to the Caribbean. We both agree it's an absolute last resort.

 

[Pegah Sh.]

I recently got accepted to NOVA Southeastern Masters of Biomedical Sciences program for the Fall 2021 entering class but I don't know if i want to go with a masters or if i want to go ahead and start medical school at ROSS University School of Medicine this Summer 2020 semester. What are your opinions?

Hi,
I am not Pre-med but I had a classmate who graduated from Caribbean and she wasn't able to match in US, she tried for 3 years, now she is becoming a nurse. She said they didn't prepare them well. I hope you make the right choice.

My question is about the Masters of Biomedical at NOVA, I submitted my application on the April 28th, for the same program for Fall 2021. I was wondering how was the interview? What did they ask you? Was it in person? and how long did it take until they give you an interview? Sorry for so many questions, I really really want to get in to NOVA and I am so stressed.
Thank you in advance.
Pegah