Before you choose a school...
I want everyone to remember this: you will be linked to the school you choose for the rest of your life. That's right. It doesn't matter if you transfer to a U.S. school, it doesn't matter if you fail three semesters and go to another Carib school, it doesn't matter if you drop out and then get into a U.S. medical school five years later... you will be married to whichever school you first matriculated in.
Don't believe me?
As a little exercise, I want you to find the state you think you'd like to practice in someday. Go to their medical professions website and download the application form for license. Now, read that application in its entirety.
I don't care which state it is, whether it's one of the "hard" to get a license states or not, they will all want to know everything about your education including all the schools you went to and if you completed on time, went on academic probation, etc.
Why am I telling you this?
There are really only a few schools who will be there for you in the long run. Most of you are just thinking about getting into some degree-granting program, passing the Steps, and then getting into residency. What you're not thinking about (necessarily) is everything after that and whether or not that schools is going to be there for you 5 or even 10 years from now.
There is a continuing and ongoing painful regulatory component to getting and then maintaining a medical license - a permanent license to practice medicine, beyond that of a resident trainee license. And, if you ever decide to change a state of practice, your school better be there to get your back - or even just continue to be in existence - by the time that this may become an issue for you.
Choose well, friends. This is a long road you are walking down that doesn't end with getting your degree or even getting into residency. Your decisions now will have ramifications far down the road, beyond what you can even imagine or foresee right now.
-Skip
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Only rarely posting. Not checking PMs. Good luck everyone!
My parting shot... and the best post I ever made on this forum.
