This is my plan...be honest with me, I think it will work.

[simondimond]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I'm non-trad but I think I'll get more advice here so here it goes.

I will graduate during the fall of 2012 with a business degree. I had a bad semester six years ago and it has destroyed my gpa. If I repeat the courses, my gpa will be DO competitive. I have only two prereq's right now and I got a B+ and a C. If I start some more pre-req's, I will be ineligible for post-bacc's.

This is my plan:

Graduate in 2012 with the business degree with no more pre-req's.

I want to then apply to the post bacc @ St. Georges for August 2013. I know the director of medicine at SGU and I'm banking that he will "help me out" as far as getting into this program. All you need is a 3.0.
SGU requires passing a comprehensive science exam and scoring within 4 points of the SGU MCAT average for the previous year (under 30) and you are GUARANTEED admission to SGU for the fall. There are no guarantees with other post-bacc's and the MCAT requirement is usually 32+.

I have narrowed my choice of residency to three: IM, Anesthesia, or EM. I have lots of hospital work, clinical experience, volunteering, some life experiences, leadership, recommendations, and all the other "icing" for my app.

GPA is my problem for US allopathic schools and I am not interested in wasting time fixing it when there are other paths to getting an MD degree. To fix my GPA will require at least one year of undergrad to average out the bad grades and probably even another to pad the GPA. I see that as a waste of money and time. What's done is done and I want to move on.

My cousin, who is a DO, does not agree with my plans and says the Caribbean should be my last resort. I know where he is coming from but I am confident that if I somehow end up at SGU, I will get any of those three residencies I mentioned.

What do you think?

 

[MochaLatte]

I would be concerned that you've already narrowed it down to three specialties. Shouldn't you keep your options open until you're in med school doing your rotations?

 

[simondimond]

I would be concerned that you've already narrowed it down to three specialties. Shouldn't you keep your options open until you're in med school doing your rotations?

You're right but I'm basing those choices from my shadowing and clinical exposure so far. Also, it's not hard to get those residencies coming out of the Caribbean. I thought the Caribbean would be an even better choice considering I was not trying to end up in Derm, Ortho, or do a fellowship.

 

[drizzt3117]

I wouldn't bet on Anes or EM as a Carib grad, you can probably get a IM residency in a malignant program in a flyover state though.

 

[simondimond]

I wouldn't bet on Anes or EM as a Carib grad, you can probably get a IM residency in a malignant program in a flyover state though.

That's the advice everybody has given me so far but how do you explain those Carib grads who do get good residencies?

I refuse to believe that Carib automatically equals IM.

 

[Stumpyman]

Some caribbean grads can get nice residencies, but most of them are in IM.

 

[JESSFALLING]

That's the advice everybody has given me so far but how do you explain those Carib grads who do get good residencies?

I refuse to believe that Carib automatically equals IM.

It's all based in probability. Anything is possible, but only FM/IM is likely - and even then you are less likely to match than your US counterparts.

Personally, I would use grade repair and try to go the DO route. I wouldn't want to subject myself to such high levels of uncertainty and pressure. Frankly, you are going to feel so much pressure going there that you may really regret your decision.

 

[willen101383]

That's the advice everybody has given me so far but how do you explain those Carib grads who do get good residencies?

I refuse to believe that Carib automatically equals IM.

Nothing automatically= anything. Your chances of matching to a good program in a specialty of your choice as a Caribbean grad are significantly lower than if you stayed in the states. DO is a FAR better choice than going to the Caribbean.

 

[simondimond]

Nothing automatically= anything. Your chances of matching to a good program in a specialty of your choice as a Caribbean grad are significantly lower than if you stayed in the states. DO is a FAR better choice than going to the Caribbean.

Can somebody please give me some insight as to what Carib grads should have to get residencies in Anesthesia or EM or even Surgery?

At my hospital (Tri-state area) three of the anesthesia residents are from SABA. Are they really smart or just lucky?

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Can somebody please give me some insight as to what Carib grads should have to get residencies in Anesthesia or EM or even Surgery?

At my hospital (Tri-state area) three of the anesthesia residents are from SABA. Are they really smart or just lucky?

N= 3; plethora of anecdotes =/= a statistic.
Statistically speaking as a Carib graduate your chances of getting a into a competitive residency are significantly lower. However, this doesn't mean it is impossible, just extremely unlikely. So, as a business major you should understand that making an investment in something unlikely to yield a good result, is simply stupid right?
I recommend doing DO repair and going to a DO school or taking the Mcat and scoring high then doing an SMP for MD programs. If neither appeal to you then consider a different career over the possibility of exiting SGU with 100k+ unbankruptable debt.

 

[Isoprop]

I am confident that if I somehow end up at SGU, I will get any of those three residencies I mentioned.

You are basing this confidence on what exactly? Your low GPA? Your mediocre grades in two prereqs? The fact that carrib medical schools have historically matched the majority of their graduates into less competitive residency programs? How about the trend that there are less residency spots open to IMGs due to the rising number of US MD grads and no change in the number of residency positions? How about the high attrition rate of Carib medical schools?

I'm going to be honest--it's doubtful that you'll even graduate from a Caribbean medical school... nevermind matching into something competitive.

 

[Isoprop]

My advice to you is to take the remaining of your prereqs and some other challenging science classes AND take your MCAT. This will develop your study skills and academic abilities. You want to prove to yourself (and to medical schools) that you are ready for the challenge of being a successful medical student. The time and money that you spend doing this is an investment.

 

[235009]

At my hospital (Tri-state area) three of the anesthesia residents are from SABA. Are they really smart or just lucky?

the answer is that the program probably blows so no US MD wants to go there

as everyone has been telling you your plan sucks but you've already made up your mind so this thread is pointless. bottom line is US MD > DO >>> Caribbean. if you don't want to put in the effort now to improve your stats you'll likely regret it down the line when you find yourself either in a specialty you didn't want or at a crappy program in the middle of nowhere.

a good plan would be to first take the MCAT so you can see where you stand before proceeding. If you do decently (>28) you should retake 3 or 4 classes you did especially poorly in and apply DO, if you do well (>31) retake classes as previously mentioned and apply to both DO and US MD schools or do a SMP like georgetown's or drexel's. If you do poorly (<28) you should consider retaking the MCAT or another career.

 

[Morsetlis]

I'm non-trad but I think I'll get more advice here so here it goes.

I will graduate during the fall of 2012 with a business degree. I had a bad semester six years ago and it has destroyed my gpa. If I repeat the courses, my gpa will be DO competitive. I have only two prereq's right now and I got a B+ and a C. If I start some more pre-req's, I will be ineligible for post-bacc's.

This is my plan:

Graduate in 2012 with the business degree with no more pre-req's.

I want to then apply to the post bacc @ St. Georges for August 2013. I know the director of medicine at SGU and I'm banking that he will "help me out" as far as getting into this program. All you need is a 3.0.
SGU requires passing a comprehensive science exam and scoring within 4 points of the SGU MCAT average for the previous year (under 30) and you are GUARANTEED admission to SGU for the fall. There are no guarantees with other post-bacc's and the MCAT requirement is usually 32+.

I have narrowed my choice of residency to three: IM, Anesthesia, or EM. I have lots of hospital work, clinical experience, volunteering, some life experiences, leadership, recommendations, and all the other "icing" for my app.

GPA is my problem for US allopathic schools and I am not interested in wasting time fixing it when there are other paths to getting an MD degree. To fix my GPA will require at least one year of undergrad to average out the bad grades and probably even another to pad the GPA. I see that as a waste of money and time. What's done is done and I want to move on.

My cousin, who is a DO, does not agree with my plans and says the Caribbean should be my last resort. I know where he is coming from but I am confident that if I somehow end up at SGU, I will get any of those three residencies I mentioned.

What do you think?

I think you either have the chops to go to med school, or you don't. If you do, you can definitely get into a US school. Caribbean is for stupid/impatient people (or both).

 

[simondimond]

I think you either have the chops to go to med school, or you don't. If you do, you can definitely get into a US school. Caribbean is for stupid/impatient people (or both).

Aren't you from SGU?

 

[Sesom]

Aren't you from SGU?

oh snap!

 

[Morsetlis]

I'm impatient 🙄

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

I'm impatient 🙄

Well, with luck you'll be able to transfer out into a USMD for your 3rd and 4th year.

 

[simondimond]

I'm impatient 🙄

Me too.

How do you like SGU?

 

[Morsetlis]

Lack of research and connections hurts. The courses are ok... should be similar to any other school. Class notes are printed out for you and are excellent. The lectures are in a block of 4 hours everyday, every week. The 4th-term (second year) Pathology course is harder than it is at most school and is considered the weed-out course. Of course, if you pass it you should be well-prepared for your rotations.

We get enough patient interaction in first and second year that you shouldn't be afraid of not knowing how to interact with a patient (or pass your Step 2 CS).

Yes, it's a for-profit school. You have few guarantees that you'll make it, but the educational and psychological support here is excellent. There's review groups everyday if you need it. The school doesn't like to see its students fail.

Frankly, I don't think that SGU is a bad school per se: It just has the Caribbean reputation (albeit the best of them) and you have to deal with living in Grenada (which actually costs more than living in the US). I'd trade all these amazing beaches for a Wal-Mart or Costco (or god forbid, a nearby university with a research lab).

 

[gravitywave]

shoot higher, as in DO. OP smells like a MD-or-bust bigot.