Puerto Rico vs. DO

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Puerto Rico vs. DO schools

  • Puerto Rico

    Votes: 115 36.3%

  • DO schools

    Votes: 202 63.7%
  • Total voters
    317
V

voisinator

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I speak fluent Spanish. My chances at MD schools aren't great. If you were accepted to All Puerto Rico schools and all DO schools where would you go and why?
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DO: better reputation and much higher chance to match than the Caribbean.
 
Is this a serious question? D.O. school without a doubt. Why would you purposefully pigeon-hole yourself into a life of hurdles as an IMG struggling to match into an American residency program?
 
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Definitely D.O. And how is PR located in the caribbean? 😕
 
RookTookIt said:
You guys are all nuts! Puerto Rican schools are NOT international programs.
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+1

If you speak spanish and plan on working with spanish-speaking communities, go to the PR. If you don't plan on working with spanish-communities, than go DO. Either or is fine. Probably go with the school you will be happiest at.
 
RookTookIt said:
You guys are all nuts! Puerto Rican schools are NOT international programs.
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My mistake. But I'm curious...do PR students have a harder time matching into residencies in the states (if that is where they want to practice)?
 
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Find out about match rates from Puerto Rico. Some of the other posters above are right, Puerto Rico DOES NOT equal the Caribbean. Also, how much does the P.R. school cost? And do you want to practice in a largely Spanish-speaking area? If you want to practice in Miami for instance, PR would probably be the better choice.
 
All (I believe) of the medical schools in Puerto Rico offer medical education programs accredited by LCME. Despite their location, PR medical schools are not "Caribbean" medical schools.
 
PR is not the caribbean they're LCME accredited programs (US MD). That being said US MD > DO > Caribbean for residency. I see no valid reason outside of major exceptions to ever pick DO over MD or Caribbean over DO.

Moral of the story: Unless you're going to be absolutely miserable in PR go, for the MD.
 
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For me it would all come down to location. No way in hell I could do four years down south in the heat.
 
Gigantron said:
My mistake. But I'm curious...do PR students have a harder time matching into residencies in the states (if that is where they want to practice)?
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Avoidthetiger has the right idea:

Avoidthetiger said:
If you speak spanish and plan on working with spanish-speaking communities, go to the PR. If you don't plan on working with spanish-communities, than go DO. Either or is fine. Probably go with the school you will be happiest at.
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And I Was Like said:
PR is not the caribbean their LCME accredited programs. That being said US MD > DO > Caribbean for residency. I see no valid reason outside of major exceptions to ever pick MD over DO or DO over Caribbean.
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What are you implying here? PR is technically "US MD."

And I'm assuming you mean DO over MD and Caribbean over DO.
 
CityLights said:
What are you implying here? PR is technically "US MD."

And I'm assuming you mean DO over MD and Caribbean over DO.
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I saw the typo and corrected it. PR is a US Territory therefore it's US MD. I thought that was clear, I'm sorry.
 
And I Was Like said:
I saw the typo and corrected it. PR is a US Territory therefore it's US MD. I thought that was clear, I'm sorry.
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Sorry, my bad. I thought you were saying PR was Caribbean for residency purposes or something.

Anyway OP if I were in your shoes it would come down to cost and match rates from the PR schools. If the costs are lower and the match rates are good (I don't know anything about this though), I would do a PR school over DO.
 
Puerto Rican medical schools are LCME accredited, so the DO option isn't as obvious as some would like to assume.
 
Gigantron said:
Is this a serious question? D.O. school without a doubt. Why would you purposefully pigeon-hole yourself into a life of hurdles as an IMG struggling to match into an American residency program?
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umm.... PR grads aren't IMGs. They're US grads. The admissions stats tend to be lower, but they're equivalent to other US MD programs and are LCME accredited. Keep in mind, though, that some (UPR for instance) DO NOT take "OOS" applicants at all. Check with the program before applying.
 
My former sister in law graduated from a PR med school. She's currently working as a OB/GYN near Orlando in her own private practice and doing very well.
 
ITT American premeds thinking PR schools are part of the Caribbean rather than LCME-accredited US schools. The poll results are also hilarious. :laugh:

Brilliant.
 
Mithril said:
ITT American premeds thinking PR schools are part of the Caribbean rather than LCME-accredited US schools. The poll results are also hilarious. :laugh:

Brilliant.
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+1, would quote again
 
I would go to a DO school because I want to work in a rural (country) setting. Your career goals may be different. I also like living in the continental U.S. I wouldn't like the idea of having to fly (i.e. get molested) every time I want to go somewhere else.
 
I don't know, I speak a few languages "fluently", but that doesn't mean I'm good with all the technical words and jargon, not to mention I'd like to have learned a few of those terms in English as well. Furthermore, after having done all my schooling in English to the point where I think only in English, it would just create a cognitive gap in the learning process. So, for me even if I did speak Spanish, I'd probably still go to a DO school.
 
serenade said:
I don't know, I speak a few languages "fluently", but that doesn't mean I'm good with all the technical words and jargon, not to mention I'd like to have learned a few of those terms in English as well. Furthermore, after having done all my schooling in English to the point where I think only in English, it would just create a cognitive gap in the learning process. So, for me even if I did speak Spanish, I'd probably still go to a DO school.
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One of the fellows in my old lab graduated from University of Puerto Rico, and she only read textbooks in English (they were cheaper than the Spanish copies). For her, switching back and forth between Spanish and English--including medical jargon--was never an issue.
 
Either way you will be looked down upon by real docs. Save yourself the hassle and become a lawyer. The law job market is booming.
 
I've seen several PR med school grads do very well in residency matches and fellowships. I also had one as my own personal doc who was a very good physician. I think the potential to be successful is there, the rest is up to what the individual is willing to do to accomplish their goals.
 
Puerto Rico is IN the Caribbean, but as a graduate you are not labeled as an IMG. That's because Puerto Rico is a commonwealth territory of the U.S.

If you have strong Puerto Rican/Hispanic ties and see yourself as working with Spanish-speaking communities I would go for PR. If you just so happen to speak fluent Spanish but are otherwise non-Hispanic I would go DO.
 
premedmind said:
Puerto Rico is IN the Caribbean, but as a graduate you are not labeled as an IMG. That's because Puerto Rico is a commonwealth territory of the U.S.

If you have strong Puerto Rican/Hispanic ties and see yourself as working with Spanish-speaking communities I would go for PR. If you just so happen to speak fluent Spanish but are otherwise non-Hispanic I would go DO.
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It doesn't even really matter if you see yourself working with Spanish speaking communities. Take a look at whatever MSAR you have (if you have one). Puerto Rican schools pull really heavily "in-state" (from Puerto Rico). You usually have to have some good reason to go there to be accepted to a PR school. Not necessarily because they're super competitive stats wise but because they're looking for people to come back and work in Puerto Rico.
 
I guess looking at the poll many people would prefer to receive a D.O. (Doctor Omega?)
 
TurdBurgler said:
Either way you will be looked down upon by real docs. Save yourself the hassle and become a lawyer. The law job market is booming.
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That is ridiculous. An MD in Puerto Rico is equivalent to an MD anywhere else in the USA.
 
Go DO - don't go to Peurto Rico. Yes, they are technically "US" Medical schools. But, a quick look at the matriculant's stats with low GPA and low MCAT scores (even lower than DO schools), gives these schools a bad rep - which is important in getting into residencies. Also, make sure you check to see how well PR students do on the step exams, I would guess that they don't do so hot.

Altogether, IMO, go DO - you'll receive a higher quality education.
 
Decicco said:
That is ridiculous. An MD in Puerto Rico is equivalent to an MD anywhere else in the USA.
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This.

NH14 said:
Go DO - don't go to Peurto Rico. Yes, they are technically "US" Medical schools. But, a quick look at the matriculant's stats with low GPA and low MCAT scores (even lower than DO schools), gives these schools a bad rep - which is important in getting into residencies. Also, make sure you check to see how well PR students do on the step exams, I would guess that they don't do so hot.

Altogether, IMO, go DO - you'll receive a higher quality education.
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Pretty sure if you do the rotation.. get the step 1 score.. you're good.
 
Maybe premeds saying to go DO over PR should check the match statistics of at least one PR school first? Just a thought.
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http://www.psm.edu/Student_Affairs/Student%20Affair/Students%20Outcomes/studentsoutcomes.htm#MD%20Students%20Outcomes%20Class%202008
 
Mithril said:
ITT American premeds thinking PR schools are part of the Caribbean rather than LCME-accredited US schools. The poll results are also hilarious. :laugh:

Brilliant.
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Canadians are aboot the smartest people in the world, eh?
 
Aye, we're a well-travelled and colourful bunch that take pride in our centre-left values.
 
CodeBlu said:
Pretty sure if you do the rotation.. get the step 1 score.. you're good.
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Exactly. I think we established awhile back they are US MD schools without question. It's your step scores and recs that are going to be important for residency. Why people assume that lower avg. matriculant stats automatically means lower likelihood of getting a good residency or becoming a good physician is beyond me. There are several MD schools who emphasize other factors as much as test scores who wind up have high avg. USMLE scores. The docs I know from two sep. PR schools matched in very good residency programs.

I'm pretty sure it was mostly a function of what they wanted to do and how hard they were willing to work to do it.

I vote if you have an interest going to one of those schools, apply there. If you get multiple acceptances, pick the one that fits best, then bust your butt while you're there.
 
ITT: People spewing false knowledge with no factual basis.
 
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