Ross University Sch Medicine/Carib 1st hand experiences response for 2019-2020

[melab]

Seeking feedback on successful Ross University School of Medicine experiences. I read posts on posts from negative trolls. Mined you I guarantee all naysayers never experience Caribbean lifestyle. Therefore seeking feedback on current student enrolled at RUSM institution. What were your stats ie MCAT, GPA. What made you choose Ross or go to Caribbean. Experience on MERP etc. Thanks

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[bedevilled ben]

If you're immediately going to discount any negative feedback on the programs you're interested in, why even waste your time asking the questions? At best you're engaging in confirmation bias and at worst you're potentially deluding yourself into making a bad decision.

 

[Medic155]

Current Ross student here.

MCAT: 499

Had a medical issue during undergrad and ended up doing poorly but graduated from a top tier undergraduate institution. Got into a graduate program and re-took some of my basic science courses while there and ended up getting a 3.5+ graduate GPA.

I applied in the US (including DO) and wasn’t so much as offered an interview, twice.

I reached out to friends who had gone the IMG route and got the true realities of it which were frightening, but a chance I was willing to take at that point. I applied to Ross and was accepted.

I am currently just starting MS3. I made it off the island in one shot and passed the “comp” (NBME CBSE) on my first attempt. That is the exception, and not the rule, and something I worked very hard for.

The attrition rate on the island is around 40% and I saw many people I know fail, mostly by failing multiple semesters. You can fail a semester during basic sciences and repeat it. But you get to do that once. First semester is a shock for many people and around 40-50% from what I have seen end up failing it and repeating it. This is where they start taking your money, and where your MSPE (Med school performance evaluation) that residency programs will see starts to look ugly. Ross will tell your it’s no big deal, but it is.

The final cut in basic sciences is the comp. They will not publish their first time pass rate but I would estimate it’s only around 30%. You get 3 attempts and can receive a 4th if you score over a 62 on the third attempt. They set the passing score for comp higher than the passing score for USMLE step 1 which is how they can publish their 96% first time step 1 pass rate. They fail almost everyone out who won’t pass on the first attempt.

If you make it through that and advance to MS3, then the attrition rate drops to 1-2% and the first time residency match rate if you pass all of your USMLE exams first attempt is 92%. But, many people never make it to MS3. Even at the end, I will still face the stigma of being an IMG when it comes to what my residency options are, but it was a calculated risk I was willing to take. If I could have gone to a US school, I would do it in a heartbeat.

TL;DR and key points;

- The horror stories are true
- it can be done
- you’re not (with few exceptions) going to be a neurosurgeon or a dermatologist or anything super competitive
- it’s going to be tough and they will fail a lot of people out, I never felt comfortable 1 day during basic sciences
- make sure it’s a calculated risk you are willing to take if you decide to do it

 

[DokterMom]

Current Ross student here.

MCAT: 499

Had a medical issue during undergrad and ended up doing poorly but graduated from a top tier undergraduate institution. Got into a graduate program and re-took some of my basic science courses while there and ended up getting a 3.5+ graduate GPA.

I applied in the US (including DO) and wasn’t so much as offered an interview, twice.

I reached out to friends who had gone the IMG route and got the true realities of it which were frightening, but a chance I was willing to take at that point. I applied to Ross and was accepted.

I am currently just starting MS3. I made it off the island in one shot and passed the “comp” (NBME CBSE) on my first attempt. That is the exception, and not the rule, and something I worked very hard for.

The attrition rate on the island is around 40% and I saw many people I know fail, mostly by failing multiple semesters. You can fail a semester during basic sciences and repeat it. But you get to do that once. First semester is a shock for many people and around 40-50% from what I have seen end up failing it and repeating it. This is where they start taking your money, and where your MSPE (Med school performance evaluation) that residency programs will see starts to look ugly. Ross will tell your it’s no big deal, but it is.

The final cut in basic sciences is the comp. They will not publish their first time pass rate but I would estimate it’s only around 30%. You get 3 attempts and can receive a 4th if you score over a 62 on the third attempt. They set the passing score for comp higher than the passing score for USMLE step 1 which is how they can publish their 96% first time step 1 pass rate. They fail almost everyone out who won’t pass on the first attempt.

If you make it through that and advance to MS3, then the attrition rate drops to 1-2% and the first time residency match rate if you pass all of your USMLE exams first attempt is 92%. But, many people never make it to MS3. Even at the end, I will still face the stigma of being an IMG when it comes to what my residency options are, but it was a calculated risk I was willing to take. If I could have gone to a US school, I would do it in a heartbeat.

TL;DR and key points;

- The horror stories are true
- it can be done
- you’re not (with few exceptions) going to be a neurosurgeon or a dermatologist or anything super competitive
- it’s going to be tough and they will fail a lot of people out, I never felt comfortable 1 day during basic sciences
- make sure it’s a calculated risk you are willing to take if you decide to do it

Very informative, well-balanced post.

 

[Medic155]

Thank you!

I think what I left out here is that, if you have the drive to become a physician, the IMG route is possible. I have networked with a lot of our alumni who are doing great in their careers and it’s really nice to see the people who made it through successfully.

These forums are plagued by people who do nothing but trash talk this route. I’m glad they were fortunate enough to go to a US school, but not all of us are. There are only so many seats and sometimes people who did not do well in undergrad or on the MCAT May make a great physician and deserve a chance to prove their ability to practice medicine.

I encourage you to keep the Caribbean route in your list of options, as a backup plan. If, and only if... your dream is truly to become a physician. If you truly love medicine and are willing to work for it, the opportunity is there. If you think you may want to be a doctor and you’re not 100% committed, you will end up in 6 figure debt with nothing to show for it.

And if you really want to practice medicine to take care of people, the specialties available to you will allow you to do that.

(And before anyone starts in on “medicine is more than just taking care of people”, I am a second career person who did direct patient care for 5+ years before medical school... I know what taking care of people entails)