Please Help

[Simran1031]

Stats:
23 Q
3.4 (2nd yr to 4th yr) UVa
3.8 (1st yr) - VTech
3.8(4th yr)
I did really well my first and last year of college
I am a south asian female.
i have research experience, clinical experience.
i created my own major to study how social factors impact the manifestation of disease. factors such as economics, education, access to health care, cultural norms and so forth.
i wrote my senior thesis on the social implications of HIV/AIDS focusing on S.Africa.

I just graduated this may at which point i had posted on the non traditional thread where people told me to not take the july mcat and take some time off before retaking the mcat. right now I have a job in corporate america which i hate. i jsut feel like the job i have right now is everything i did not want to do. i am working to save up some money but i am starting to feel very sad and unhappy and want to get back into school. Previously, I was thinking of taking a leave of absence from work to take the April MCAT and study starting January for the April MCAT and to apply to matriculate 2010. But now I am thinking..should i just apply to the carribean? That way i feel like i wont lose a year. i just dont kno how long i can carry on with this job. and i guess i could just get another job but i was just trying to hang in htere for a few more months. any thoughts?

i have always wanted to be physician to serve individuals who do not have access to health care. i just think that even know the carribean schools aren't as credible, if my fundamental goal is to serve individuals who lack access, why not the Caribbean? i would appreciate any advice on this matter. ross applications are due nov. 1 for january enrollment. should i just go for it? i dont know how much longer i can continue to be in corporate America... i just want to be able to live my dream and i am willing to work very hard to achieve this dream....also, will not i not be able to gain more patient access in the Caribbean?

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[dragonfly99]

Don't do it. I have been where you are...not exactly but sort of. I had to try 2x to get into med school in the US. The premed advisor at my undergrad said I should try at least twice to get in to a US school before I even thought of going to the Caribbean...and he was totally right.

I do NOT think you'd get better clinical experience in the Caribbean. I can totally, totally see where you are coming from in thinking that (again, been there, done that). However, having been through med school and internal medicine residency both, I can tell you that a lot of the important teaching happens 1 on 1 or in very small groups, and I just don't think most of those Caribbean schools are going to be able to provide that. There is a reason why the schools in the US only take 100 or 120 students per class...and I just don't see how the Carib schools can educate 400 people at a time and do it well. I think it would be totally sink or swim on your own...which would suck, trust me. The Caribbean is an option but i wouldn't use it as your first option...some students are there from Canada, b/c it's apparently even harder to get to med school up there than it is in the US. Also, you have got to think about the money and most of those schools down there cost a LOT of money, and then there is the travel. It sounds cool, but I'm telling you i've done med school and now I realize how it would have been a bad decision if I'd jumped the gun and gone down there.

With your interest in the underserved and primary care, you would be type that many med schools in the US would jump at. Your GPA is not that bad...you didn't tell us your specific grades in biology/chemistry,physics, which it would help to know.

I recommend
1) don't quit your job. I actually don't like my current job, but sticking with it for now...sometimes you have to do that in life and I know I'm going to fellowship next summer so I'm just sticking it out for now.
2) agree with studying for the MCAT. If you can raise your score then I think you'd have a decent shot to get in to a US school. I recommend Princeton Review b/c I think it's the best one, but some people like Kaplan. They WILL help you raise your score, if you do the work of going to the classes, taking all the practice tests, etc. Try to get at least 9's on all the sections.
3) you should consider primary care oriented medical schools, including the DO schools in the US. You can try all the Virginia medical schools, if you are a state resident there. Also,find out what other schools take out of state people (U of Vermont, Chicago Medical School, St Louis University, etc.).
4) you should definitely try and talk to the premed advisor at your undergrad. He/she should help you and is a good resource to find out what medical schools have taken students from your undergrad in the past.
5) you should PM me if you want any more advice...I'm glad to help you in any way I can. I know it's hard but hang in there. I didn't go to med school until 3 years out of undergrad and it's not uncommon, trust me. Just be a little more patient

 

[J ROD]

Listen to the poster above.

Excellent advice.

 

[digitalising]

Don't do it. I have been where you are...not exactly but sort of. I had to try 2x to get into med school in the US. The premed advisor at my undergrad said I should try at least twice to get in to a US school before I even thought of going to the Caribbean...and he was totally right.

I do NOT think you'd get better clinical experience in the Caribbean. I can totally, totally see where you are coming from in thinking that (again, been there, done that). However, having been through med school and internal medicine residency both, I can tell you that a lot of the important teaching happens 1 on 1 or in very small groups, and I just don't think most of those Caribbean schools are going to be able to provide that. There is a reason why the schools in the US only take 100 or 120 students per class...and I just don't see how the Carib schools can educate 400 people at a time and do it well. I think it would be totally sink or swim on your own...which would suck, trust me. The Caribbean is an option but i wouldn't use it as your first option...some students are there from Canada, b/c it's apparently even harder to get to med school up there than it is in the US. Also, you have got to think about the money and most of those schools down there cost a LOT of money, and then there is the travel. It sounds cool, but I'm telling you i've done med school and now I realize how it would have been a bad decision if I'd jumped the gun and gone down there.

With your interest in the underserved and primary care, you would be type that many med schools in the US would jump at. Your GPA is not that bad...you didn't tell us your specific grades in biology/chemistry,physics, which it would help to know.

I recommend
1) don't quit your job. I actually don't like my current job, but sticking with it for now...sometimes you have to do that in life and I know I'm going to fellowship next summer so I'm just sticking it out for now.
2) agree with studying for the MCAT. If you can raise your score then I think you'd have a decent shot to get in to a US school. I recommend Princeton Review b/c I think it's the best one, but some people like Kaplan. They WILL help you raise your score, if you do the work of going to the classes, taking all the practice tests, etc. Try to get at least 9's on all the sections.
3) you should consider primary care oriented medical schools, including the DO schools in the US. You can try all the Virginia medical schools, if you are a state resident there. Also,find out what other schools take out of state people (U of Vermont, Chicago Medical School, St Louis University, etc.).
4) you should definitely try and talk to the premed advisor at your undergrad. He/she should help you and is a good resource to find out what medical schools have taken students from your undergrad in the past.
5) you should PM me if you want any more advice...I'm glad to help you in any way I can. I know it's hard but hang in there. I didn't go to med school until 3 years out of undergrad and it's not uncommon, trust me. Just be a little more patient

I'd like to provide a small counterpoint. I'm just started at St. George's in Grenada. I applied once after completing an SMP program, and figuring that my application probably would not change that much in a year, decided to go.

We do have a large class size. There is no denying that. However, we also have small group sessions for our histology and anatomy courses. These are run by physicians who serve as "Clinical Tutors." The groups have between 5-8 students, which is fairly small. We use this time to review material and to ask questions. Anatomy small group discussions have centered on palpating structures on each other and going through clinical cases. Often times our clinical tutor will intervene to instruct or correct us, but otherwise we are the ones who are guiding our own learning. I like this system because it allows us to reason through the problem rather than being immediately told what the issue is.

The professors hold regular office hours at multiple times throughout the week. Anatomy professors hold theirs in the wet lab itself. I've seen that access to professors here is much better than at Johns Hopkins, where I went for undergrad and hope to return for residency. Furthermore, many of the professors that I've interacted with in small group (and even in lecture) take pains to learn everyone's name. I answered a question in lecture and the professor asked me what my name was, even taking the time to ensure that he was pronouncing it correctly as it is rather odd.

The Department of Educational Services also holds regular review sessions for each of the subjects. These are run by DES tutors who are students who did well in the course. These vary as each tutor has a different style of teaching.

We do have a lot of Canadians here. We also have Nigerians, Indians, UK citizens, Ukrainians, Bulgarians, and students from many other countries. Depending on who you ask, the student body is composed of representatives of 29-32 countries.

We also often have visiting alumni here. For bioethics, our small group leaders are all SGU alumni who take a few weeks off from practicing to come down here to lead students in discussions. My first week we had an anesthesiologist from the University of Washington who was the first Caribbean graduate to be hired there. I forgot to ask where our second guy was from unfortunately. It's a nice feeling to see that alumni are not only willing, but enthusiastic to come back to Grenada from far away to reach out to new students and offer them advice and encouragement.

Regarding clinical rotations, third and fourth year are in the United States. SGU students rotate with students from the New York schools (like Einstein) and schools in California (I've heard UCSF, but I haven't really investigated there since I'm an East Coaster). According to some of the alumni there is still a FMG bias depending on where you go, but the SGU students have been perceived positively by attendings as willing to learn, willing to stay late, and generally eager to have the opportunity to treat patients.

Is it the best option of the three (US MD, Caribbean MD, DO)? No. I would be delusional to say so, but it's not a suicidal choice either.

I wish you the best of luck with your applications. I hope I gave a different perspective than what you may have previously have heard.