The first 2 US grads of OUM have matched into residency this year!! Its a pretty good achievement for a new university with such a curriculum.
So far they are apparently the only 2 grads from US who dared to enroll in OUM and looks like they have done very well. There are apparently few more US students who will be graduating. Most of the OUM grads and students are Australians and so far 5 have graduated and passed their AMC exams (not sure how many) but last I heard they are practicing medicine in Australia now....again pretty amazing.
However, US grads of OUM will face a BIG challenge, almost impossible one, and that is getting a state license to practice medicine! In US you can pass exams and complete residency training but you will still not be able to get a license if you have completed your MD program online/distance learning.
So US students should check with all states to see if this type of curriculum and degree is approved by them and if they will give you a license to practice after your residency if your MD is from OUM that uses distance education method.
I must say this though, despite the stigma/fear/skepticism/etc about this method of learning basic sciences, it is certainly not for the faint hearted or slackers. You need to be REALLY motivated, committed, very interested and organized to successfully complete such a curriculum. You do have to meet a Physician every week for couple of hours minimum where ever you intend to stay and complete your basic sciences. You would also be immersed in clinical observations with your mentor from the beginning. So you do have the opportunity to learn a lot if you put the effort into it and I presume people who go via this route do so because its their money!! Also, they do get a more 1:1 kind of education from their mentor, something hard to find in big on-campus medical courses....this is a fact.
These grads may perhaps be as good if not better than those students trained via the traditional class room method where you can just go to sleep or your mind can simply wonder away while the lecturer is teaching. You can sit at the back drawing doodles, chatting with mates, check out chicks/studs, day dream, etc, Or you can just skip class whenever you dont feel like going and sleep in.
In traditional schools you can just try to cram everything in when the exams are right around the corner and still manage a pass. So your basic science knowledge can be next to nothing and you might clear year 1 and 2...believe me I know many who have done this!! Of course what matters is your clinical years and the residency training...if you are good at this, you will be a great doc otherwise you will suck. Lets face it, you get to use very limited basic science knowledge in actual clinical practice unless of course you want to be a pathologist. You do have to know some though no matter what. It appears that these OUM grads do get taught pretty well via the PBL curriculum. It would be hard to pass USMLE step 1 without that level of knowledge.
In the OUM model, you may be forced to log on and ask your tutor questions, watch the lectures, ask your mentor who you have to meet every week personally, etc because you have no choice but to learn by yourself. The onus is on YOU because YOU are spending the money, time and your sweat! You have to learn to overcome the hurdles and pass all the exams like USMLE to get into a residency.
Many of us already do the basic sciences during undergraduate years. If you are willing to work hard and learn then it doesnt matter how you are taught. Seriously, how many students walk out of their anatomy dissection lab (each cadaver shared by 4-6 students) and say aha now I know the body inside out or give me another one and I will dissect and show you anything you want...perhaps only the Einsteins might be able to do this😉
By the way, I have no affiliation or interest in OUM. I'm a pre-pod student. Just my 2 cents.
