Questions for Students of Xavier, Trinity, or AUA

[Small Cell Carcinoma]

No incidence of that; only hyperventilated pre-med and preclinical med student speculation.

Maybe it is speculation, but why would they not change it to pass/fail at this point?

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[Small Cell Carcinoma]

Is it even a 70% chance of going from matriculation to matching? I thought it was closer to 50 last time I looked

No way it's 70% from start to finish. Maybe 70-80% of "finding a position" through the match and SOAP combined if you get to the point of applying. Of those 70-80% at least 1/3 repeated a semester or delayed graduation, and at least another 20-30% failed out long before ever getting there. So in the end, of the people sitting at orientation on day 1, about 35-40% will start a residency in something 4 years later. Looking back on the people I've known in early terms and seeing the names on the list that came out, I would say this is pretty accurate. And not a single person I know who was gunning for something competitive early on matched into it. The guy I know who wanted to be orthopedic spine surgeon matched into rural family medicine, as well as one Anesthesia applicant I know soaping into a malignant prelim IM spot.

Also-a for profit foreign school can go through great lengths to hide things they don't want you to know. They boast about however many people matched, but how many of those are repeat applicants? And then how about who apply don't even submit a rank list because they don't get any interviews. I am sure the schools conveniently excludes people in these kinds of situations. Definitely need to take these "stats" with a grain of salt.

Its easy to say "oh wow this school placed 1000 kids into residencies this year" but its also easy to forget about the hundreds of people who end up 100x worse then they were before starting med school at these places.

 

[Goro]

Maybe it is speculation, but why would they not change it to pass/fail at this point?

There is zero evidence that Step 2 is causing students mental harm as Step I was. The damn thing was meant to be a simple competency exam, but overworked (or lazy) PDs started using it as a screening tool.

"But won't the pressure now shift to Step 2?" you ask? Yes, but because it's a more rounder knowledge-based exam that is more dependent upon your clinical knowledge (and not obscure details of say, glycolysis), students will have a much better approach and performance on it.

 

[Small Cell Carcinoma]

There is zero evidence that Step 2 is causing students mental harm as Step I was. The damn thing was meant to be a simple competency exam, but overworked (or lazy) PDs started using it as a screening tool.

"But won't the pressure now shift to Step 2?" you ask? Yes, but because it's a more rounder knowledge-based exam that is more dependent upon your clinical knowledge (and not obscure details of say, glycolysis), students will have a much better approach and performance on it.

People will just start freaking out and going nuts over the step 2 CK instead. If anything it will make matters worse because you take that exam during an arguably even more stressful time (end of MS3/early MS4 while applying to residency). People will start to argue that there entire career is jeopardized by the CK and they will have no idea what specialties they are competitive for without a formative score on a standardized licensing exam.

 

[Goro]

People will just start freaking out and going nuts over the step 2 CK instead. If anything it will make matters worse because you take that exam during an arguably even more stressful time (end of MS3/early MS4 while applying to residency). People will start to argue that there entire career is jeopardized by the CK and they will have no idea what specialties they are competitive for without a formative score on a standardized licensing exam.

A) we don't know that yet
b) It will still take 5-10 years to assess how bad the "freaking out is".
I would image that by end of M3, you should have a pretty good idea of what your end goal is.
It's also not just the score being be all and end all. The kids still need to have a good app.

 

[mcat_taker]

Ok so so far I've seen some posts from SGU and Ross and AUA (really appreciated thank you) but none from (given the sketchy-ness of Trinity they are kind of out - plus the constant calling from them is nearing the level of 'creepy'), Xavier or AUC. It would be really appreciated to get some insight from students who actually go there. Yes I realize and am aware of (I do have friends that go to some of the other lower-tiered schools - I help tutor them and some are pretty good, others I am often surprised about how little they know), but as I mentioned previously, it may be a second chance for some. However, I enjoy going to different places, doing things a bit differently. I am not looking for the "top residency match" (i.e. no interest in Derm, Plastics, Ortho). I am not looking to become a physician primarily for the money and prestige. Primary care would be alright with me. However, Emerg. and Neuro are my jam at the moment, and Peds or Psych wouldn't be too bad either. It's not only that Canada is 'cold and terrible', but I would like to do something 'non-traditional'. As one of the posters noted, GPA grades etc. aren't predictive of MCAT scores (thus while I do well, it would take time to do all the courses again to keep up the GPA, put in the time for an exam, hope for the best), when I can walk into a school where I may or may not (banking on the 'may') do very well and move up quickly. I have done tons of research, sorting through and attempting to differentiate between the pros and cons of a lot of the schools. Looking at what is advertised, basically sorting through the various "90%+ USMLE Pass Rates First Attempt" kind of deals advertised. I appreciate input from other students. Yes I have Killer grades, Yes I have killer experience. No I don't have an MCAT. No I don't particularly care if I return to Canada or not. Based off of the info presented to me by my friends, sorting through the resources available, I am really at this point looking for personal experiences (e.g. the kind person who posted their link to their experience). I do appreciate the warnings from students, however, it would be awesome to know which schools you came from, and whether your insight is firsthand or not. I have some friends who went to some really terrible schools, but murdered their USMLE. Could happen to me, could also not. That is the gamble. I am assuming based off of my history of experience that I will excel anywhere, but living on an island is a different experience. I have also worked with IMGs who went to some really terrible schools, but matched into Canada (so I have some insight there). Some were exceptional doctors who very clearly outperformed others (mostly because of what they had to do to get to where they were). I'm open for challenges. I'm also open for firsthand advice from students who attend these schools. I really just want honest advice from current students. Sure I could probably get into a Canadian School, I could also potentially not. I could play the 'wait and see' game, but that could be a waste of time. I could look at US schools too should I choose, but then again, could get in, could potentially not. Anyways, I have spent a lot of time looking at different programs, and I really think that I would excel. Also I am not restricting myself to unrealistic expectations. I am aware of the chances presented to me. I am just at the end of the day wondering about first-hand experiences is all. Just to make sure I can actually make an informed decision. And thank you again everyone for your comments, they are helpful and I do follow up with looking into what is stated in the comments, they are informative and helpful, and appreciated.

A career in medicine is a long journey. You are looking at instant gratification right now instead of showing maturity and patience. Take the MCAT. Show some patience. Caribbean Med school isn't some alternative spring break "non traditional" path. Work with MSF once you get a residency if you want that. You don't want to be on a faraway island studying medicine. You want to be in a place that gives you every resource to succeed. Med school is hard for everyone give yourself every advantage you can.

You think you will be ok with primary care but the reality is that many people change their minds on medical careers during med school. You don't want to be in a position where you later fall in love with a field but then cant pursue it simply because of where your diploma is from.

Source- While I never went to the carib. I did go to medical school and know what it takes to succeed.