SGU or not?

[silentreflection_]

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?

 

[Skip Intro]

I would be careful heeding or listening to much (if any) advice you receive on this forum. You are asking a difficult and complicated personal question that no one will be able to specifically answer for you, especially based on the limited info you've provided.

First off, as you know, you will have to take the MCAT to be accepted into SGU (or any other reputable Caribbean medical school). Ones that don't require them are a complete crapshoot. There's no way around this.

Secondly, medical school at your age is arduous... and really, really expensive. Unfathomably expensive right now. This not only in terms of time, blood, sweat, tears, and personal treasure, but also as a matter of tuition and lost income. Figure that, even if your plan goes well and you start at age 40, you will not be making any real money until you're 47-years-old at the earliest.

Lastly, you're not "advanced age", but the dream is just that - it's a dream. Whatever you perceive about being called "doctor" and helping people is probably just a romantic fantasy. The reality of what it means to be a doctor today (and even more by the time you'd graduate) is usually either being an employee answering to some bean-counter dictating about when you work, how you're going to practice, and how they're going to look at your metrics to determine whether or not you should continue to be employed... or you're going to be struggling through a mountain of regulations and insurance bureaucracy while continuously competing against those same corporations who are going to try to squeeze you out of existence with their midlevel practitioners and "more efficient" model of providing care.

If I was in your shoes, I'd strongly consider the old adage "a bird in the hand is better than two in the bush." But, there's also no reason you can't stay in school and prepare for (and take) the MCAT... "killing two birds with one stone", so to speak.

Advice is only worth what you've paid for it. Please especially remember that too if nothing else.

-Skip

 

[Moose A Moose]

This is a personal decision needing a lot of soul searching. Given your personal and academic statistics, you’re in for one hell of a dramatic haul.

Successful matriculation on your part will require time to adequately prep for the MCAT, as well as potentially revisiting some of your premedical coursework (not sure if the Carib has a time limit akin to some US schools).

You have one hell of an uphill battle. So what are your thoughts? What are your family’s thoughts?

 

[Caribpro]

Hi,
I'm a non-trad student and at age 39. cGPA = 3.5+, sGPA = 4.0. I completed first semester of pharmacy school with GPA 4.0. Lack shadowing, volunteering, leadership, TA experience. No MCAT.

I prefer medical studies over pharmacy studies. chose pharmacy for family, and I'm having regrets esp. with the bleak prospects of pharmacy job. pharmacy has a serious saturation issue where i live.

Should I take a year's leave from pharmacy program to do MCAT and accumulate shadowing experience?
quitting pharmacy school to apply to med school = red flag. so should i consider SGU?

I've received advice of completing the pharmacy program before applying to local med schools, so to allay the concern that i might also quit med school. I'd prefer not to delay due to my advanced age and the cost of tuition.

appreciate real advice, and not just IMG-bashing. Thanks.

The real world is very different than school. Studying pharmacy and practicing are 2 totally different lives. If you have zero shadowing/volunteering experiences how on earth can you say that you want to be a doctor? You really have no idea what a doctor does in their day to day...

I would stick with pharmacy school. You have less than 2.5 years of your life left. That is no time in the grand scheme of things. Taking a year off, reapplying to med school, finishing school, finishing a residency = around 10 years...

Also, just because you have a pharmD doesn't mean you have to work in a pharmacy. There are TONS of things you can do with an advanced degree and a pharmD is one of the easiest/quickest/cheapest degrees with the best/most lucrative prospects after graduating.

 

[hmania]

I would suggest finishing pharm school. At least have a degree in something. Afterwards, if you still have an itch, then consider Physician Assistant. Less debt, less time, no MCAT but you need a GRE. You still get to serve the people! Plus, your pharm degree will serve as a booster on your application.

 

[A_Future_MD]

I would stick with pharmacy school as well. In your late 30's it is a much better choice than having to start over. You will lose a lot of earning potential by quitting pharmacy school.

 

[Phil McCracken]

I'm an SGU fourth-year and I'm slightly younger than you are. I know where you're coming from because I've been there.

Firstly, you need an MCAT score to know if SGU would be your only option. It's hard to give you any real advice without an MCAT score. You could do really well on the MCAT and then possibly apply to a US program.

Here's what I would tell you...

Life is short and this becomes even more apparent once you pass 35. If you have some dream or there is something you want to accomplish, then you have to find a way to make it happen and not listen to the naysayers; it's your life not theirs right? If you want to go to medical school, just focus on going to medical school.

You say you "prefer medical studies." I promise you that after basic sciences, you won't "prefer" medical studies lol. Having said that, I think what you should first do is research SGU a little more and talk with some current students at the school so that you can develop an idea of what that environment is like; specifically what studying for exams is like. I promise you it's not like pharmacy school or anything you have previously been accustomed too. It's not for everybody but it's an opportunity that people like myself have taken and done well with. With a school like SGU, just picture the word OPPORTUNITY; the school will not help you during this journey, you have to help yourself while you are there.

Unlike you, I had tons of clinical experience and various experiences all related to medicine so I knew EXACTLY what I was signing up for. I think that's a big point to make because once you're in basic sciences, it's really your motivation for this career that will get you through that type of studying. If you don't know why you are doing this, you will struggle guaranteed and SGU is not a place where you want to struggle.

This is the wrong site to come on to ask about SGU and the whole Caribbean experience as few people here have first-hand knowledge about the process and just seem to make comments regarding the Caribbean based on their own personal biases. Unfortunately, there are no other big sites to exchange ideas and the only other option would be to check out some blogs or YouTube videos of people's experiences. Check out "TameerSGU." She was my classmate. Funny how we both had two different outcomes right?

What this will all come down to is how bad do you want to do this and how much do you know about what you're signing up for. I can tell you transitioning to medicine from pharmacy will not be a red flag for SGU admissions so don't worry about that. I would focus more on your understanding of how intense medical school really is. 39 is not old at all but even at my age, I can't study like I used to when I was in my 20's. You will essentially be putting your life on pause for two years and just studying.

Just research this route some more and then decide if you can make the commitment. Don't listen to the haters.

I personally have a 240/230 and I had 20+ interviews with two verbal commitments from PD's. It happens, make it happen for you.

Good luck

 

[IMPD]

I would be careful heeding or listening to much (if any) advice you receive on this forum. You are asking a difficult and complicated personal question that no one will be able to specifically answer for you, especially based on the limited info you've provided.

First off, as you know, you will have to take the MCAT to be accepted into SGU (or any other reputable Caribbean medical school). Ones that don't require them are a complete crapshoot. There's no way around this.

Secondly, medical school at your age is arduous... and really, really expensive. Unfathomably expensive right now. This not only in terms of time, blood, sweat, tears, and personal treasure, but also as a matter of tuition and lost income. Figure that, even if your plan goes well and you start at age 40, you will not be making any real money until you're 47-years-old at the earliest.

Lastly, you're not "advanced age", but the dream is just that - it's a dream. Whatever you perceive about being called "doctor" and helping people is probably just a romantic fantasy. The reality of what it means to be a doctor today (and even more by the time you'd graduate) is usually either being an employee answering to some bean-counter dictating about when you work, how you're going to practice, and how they're going to look at your metrics to determine whether or not you should continue to be employed... or you're going to be struggling through a mountain of regulations and insurance bureaucracy while continuously competing against those same corporations who are going to try to squeeze you out of existence with their midlevel practitioners and "more efficient" model of providing care.

If I was in your shoes, I'd strongly consider the old adage "a bird in the hand is better than two in the bush." But, there's also no reason you can't stay in school and prepare for (and take) the MCAT... "killing two birds with one stone", so to speak.

Advice is only worth what you've paid for it. Please especially remember that too if nothing else.

-Skip

Skip, it's a pleasure to read your advice to students. It must feel like ***** in the wind sometimes given the environment of education and practice right now. Still, nice to see someone doing it.

 

[gyngyn]

Hi everyone!
I'm a non-US (non-permanent card holder) and non-Canadian citizen who just got accepted to SGU. But, I'm having trouble deciding whether or not to accept my offer because my end goal is to match for residency in the US and I'm not sure if this is a feasible goal for a non-US citizen. (I have been living in the US for the past 11 years and have completed high school and undergraduate degree in US schools - I did apply to US medical schools as an international student but did not get any acceptances)

I was just wondering if anyone has any idea about residency matches for non-US citizens in the US after graduating from SGU. Also, does SGU sponsor visas for international students to complete their clinical rotations in the US (B1 or F1)? because I know that it is incredibly hard to match in the US without completing any clinical electives in the US. I just can't seem to find any statistics for SGU graduates who are non-US citizens who were able to match for residency back in the US

This thread is for OP. A new thread can be initiated up in the right corner.