Ross Medical

[Student247]

I just recently learned of Ross University school of medicine in the country of Dominica. From what the school profile states the schools curriculum is comperable to US medical school, and 96% of all there students match residencies in the states. In fact, the latter two years of med school are spent in clinical rotation in US hospitals. What do you guys think of this school as a viable option to US school? Do you guys/ladies know of anyone who has attended or is attending Ross? Your comments are appreciated.

Student247

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[holler79]

What you have stated is correct, but I've been told from a US med school dean that St. Georges in Grenada is considered the best Carribean med school. Ross has a good rep also.

 

[lola]

there is loads of info on this in the international forum. at least one ross student posts there sometimes. i've also heard st. george's has the best reputation with ross being 2nd.

 

[MyEyesMesmerize]

Ross is correct in stating that a high percentage of its students who take the boards pass...but here is the catch: They take many students who are not qualified to be in medical school and thus a large portion of their matriculated students actually flunk out or decide to discontinue there. And it is rough...u fail one class in any semester and you must take the entire semester all over again and pay the tuition again. So, unlike US med schools where the retention is high, it is not at schools such as Ross. It is still a great option if you cannot get into a US med school. You just have to work your butt off as hard, if not harder than those in US med schools. In order to get a good residency you would have to get board scores comparable to or better than US medical students because you will be competing against other foreign grads for a limited number of residency spots. Also, I've heard St George is far ahead of the others in terms of reputation and respect. The big three are St George, Ross, and AUC. Good luck.

 

[SolidGold]

Also, if you check their residency matchlist, they have students matching with really decent places (ie.Yale-New Haven). But living in a developing country for 2 years is what really makes things tougher.

 

[Student247]

I really appreciate everyones comment. I to think it is a good option in case the US route doesn't work.

Student247

 

[blueflamer]

my advice is that if the US route doesn't work out for you then consider Australian medical schools 1st. The tuition is much more cheaper in Australia and the cost of living is also. It's a developed 1st world country and Australian medical schools seem to have more 'better' reputations and many have 'relationships' with US medical schools/universities... if finances are not a problem then trying Ireland/UK is a good option but as you know it rains alot there for most of the year... good luck!

 

[lucas]

Friend, Read between the lines before jumping into one of these Caribbean schools.
1. They state 99% of their students pass the USMLE, but is that after the first try or repeated attempts, I bet the percentages dip down for first time taking the USMLE. These programs dont train you for the exams as well as American school, so you may be on your own in this department.(and failing the boards does not look good for residency!)

2. They state 99% of their students receive residencies, but how many residencies are categorical or preliminaries only. The differnce is huge! Preliminary residency is a one year contract, after which, you have to either reapply elsewhere or hope to be kept on staff at the hospital. Categorical is a full 3-5 year contract which most American students get.

Maybe someone from the Caribbean can answer these questions.

 

[Kojak]

Ross links
http://img.com.tripod.com/ross.htm
www.rossmed.edu

SGU links
www.sgu.edu
http://www.network54.com/Hide/Forum/10067
http://www.network54.com/Forum/215567

SGU is definitely reputable. Good education. Pass rates similar to US, and most everyone gets categorical residencies; better students can get competitive spots. Reasonable alternative to the US route.

Basically, if you go abroad, go to a reputable place, go prepared, and the rest is up to you.

 

[Thewonderer]

Originally posted by blueflamer
my advice is that if the US route doesn't work out for you then consider Australian medical schools 1st. The tuition is much more cheaper in Australia and the cost of living is also. It's a developed 1st world country and Australian medical schools seem to have more 'better' reputations and many have 'relationships' with US medical schools/universities... if finances are not a problem then trying Ireland/UK is a good option but as you know it rains alot there for most of the year... good luck!

My advice is slightly different. If the first time US route does not work, try again for another year or two (after ways of strengthening up your app's of course). In that time, you can add DO and Canadian schools to your app's.

And if after a couple tries, it does not work, then consider Australian, Irish and SGU (I would still have reservation about the rest of the Carribean pack).

some people believe that Canadian schools are harder to get in than American schools. I disagree. Perhaps, it is harder to get into Canadian schools as Canadians (esp. out-of-province Canadians), but I am not sure it would be THAT hard to get into when you get quota reserved for internationals/americans.

http://www.studentdoctor.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=43279

 

[Pursuing MD]

Hello there,

I have applied to SGU med school for Jan. 2003 class, a decision has not been reached whether I have been accepted/rejected.

Meanwhile, I am considering applying to Ross MedSchool for Jan. 2003 also. But before I do apply, I would like to get your feelings about Ross med school and how it compares to SGU med school?

Are the living conditions harsh or manageable? I've heard that the living environment at Ross is very difficult and demanding (for example, some have said that there is no clean water, etc.); is this true?

How is the housing & educational experience at Ross?

Also, how many major tests (aside from the lecture/lab exams and tests like that) must a students take at Ross?...What's this Comprehensive exam?

I appreciate any advice or suggestions that anyone has to offer...thank you!

 

[Skip Intro]

Lucas,

Don't be so suspicious and do a little more homework before you make veiled accusations. The last thing we need on this forum is more conspiracy theories that aren't backed-up by facts.

The first-time pass rates correlate directly with a students GPA, at least at Ross. Students who maintain a 3.0 or better have a 90+% first time pass rate. Many of those students also go on to score in the 230-240 range, securing very good residencies in some well-known clinical programs at universities in the U.S.

Re-read MyEyesMesmerize's post. It is dead-on. If you are not prepared for medical school and you come to Ross (or any other Caribbean school), you are going to have a hard time making it through to even sit for the boards.

-Skip Intro
MS2 Ross University
Portsmouth, Dominica

 

[Pursuing MD]

Hey Skip:

You said, "Students who maintain a 3.0 or better have a 90+% first time pass rate. Many of those students also go on to score in the 230-240 range..."

Did you mean a 3.0 in an undergraduate university/college OR at Ross? The Ross website seems to say at an undergrad university.

PLEASE READ MY OTHER POST & answer my questions about Ross...THANKS!!

-- Pursuing MD

 

[Pursuing MD]

Hey Skip,

Where exactly is you "MyEyesMesmerize's post"? I'd like to read it. I tried searching for it, but could not locate it.

Thanks

 

[mdtrauma]

PursuingMD, it's the 4th post in this thread. Just scroll up a bit!

 

[Skip Intro]

3.0 GPA at Ross. They did their own study of students matriculating through the program.

If I haven't answered any of your other questions, please repost them below this one.

-Skip