Transfers?

[JudoKing01]

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I'm interviewing for a school in the caribbean (xusom) and I'm pretty excited to go, but I've heard from a friend who went down there that the key to getting a residency is transferring out into a US school after your second year. Is this true? I know a lot of doctors who went to caribbean schools, graduated from them, and had no problem getting primary care/g. surg. residency positions.

 

[Skip Intro]

I'm interviewing for a school in the caribbean (xusom) and I'm pretty excited to go, but I've heard from a friend who went down there that the key to getting a residency is transferring out into a US school after your second year. Is this true? I know a lot of doctors who went to caribbean schools, graduated from them, and had no problem getting primary care/g. surg. residency positions.

First off, what is "xusom"?

Secondly, your friend is off his rocker. Transfers back to the U.S. are few and far between. If you go to the Caribbean, chances are that is also going to be the school you graduate from. But... you better be sure you are going to a reputable school if you do. There are many stories of woe and misery from those who made a poor choice in what school to attend, and invested a lot of time and money for a degree that wasn't worth the paper it was written on.

So, just tell us what "xusom" is, for those of us who don't know. My initial reaction, though, is to tell you to (generally) avoid any school that isn't St. George's, Ross University, American University of the Caribbean, Saba, or American University of Antigua. That's a lot of choices. If "xusom" isn't one of those, I'd strongly reconsider.

Don't take the above as an endorsement. Do your own homework.

-Skip

 

[JudoKing01]

Hmm, I'll think about that. I'm pretty gullible, so it's entirely possible that I bought into something told to me by a school that really isn't a good one. I know a couple docs who went to St. George's who loved it and they're OB/GYNs right now, probably the best I've met. I've looked into St. George's and a few others, but I'll have to look into Ross and Saba.

Btw, xusom is Xavier U. School of Med.

 

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Btw, xusom is Xavier U. School of Med.

Personally, never heard of it. (That's a bad thing.) If they don't offer sponsored third- and fourth-year clinical rotations at U.S. teaching hospitals that have an ACGME-accredited residency program and/or a direct affiliation with a U.S. medical school, then I would strongly advise you not to attend. That's the first question you should ask before you sign any deposit or, worse, tuition checks. Alternatively, ask them to provide a list of residencies that graduates have secured/completed as well as at least 20 names of graduates whom you can contact for more information about the school. If they can't do that, MAJOR red flag...

Do a lot of homework. Look at a lot of schools. Don't believe everything your friends (or anonymous strangers on an Internet forum, for that matter) tell you. Work on diminishing your gullibility, because that too will serve you well as a doctor.

Good luck. 🙂

-Skip

 

[JudoKing01]

Well they do have 3rd and 4th year clinical rotations in US hospitals, and they do provide a list of graduates who have gotten residency programs in the US, where they got them, what specialty, etc. They seem to be fully accredited, affiliated with US hospitals, and have a good rep for students getting residency positions in the US.

 

[prefontaine]

Accredited by whom?

Well they do have 3rd and 4th year clinical rotations in US hospitals, and they do provide a list of graduates who have gotten residency programs in the US, where they got them, what specialty, etc. They seem to be fully accredited, affiliated with US hospitals, and have a good rep for students getting residency positions in the US.

 

[JudoKing01]

ecfmg, who, etc

edit: btw, I asked him the usmle pass rate and he said that since it's a newer school they don't have the history of SUG or other schools, but he said the class size is around 20-30, and so far all the students have passed with a mean score of 220.

dammit, edit again: also, they're affiliated with the atlanta medical center as far as rotations go, and thus far, none of their graduates have had problems getting residency positions in the US (most of them have gone into IM, FP, or Peds).

 

[JohnB79]

But also look into what states this school can get licensed in. Because if you can't get licensed in the state you want to practice in then what good will it be?

 

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I checked and Atlanta Medical Center is indeed affiliated with Mercer. They also sponsor a few residencies.

http://www.ama-assn.org/vapp/freida/inst/0,1238,120198,00.html

In addition to the points raised by JohnB79 and prefontaine regarding state licensure issues and WHO/ECFMG (which are not accrediting bodies), I'd also be careful about where their grads get residencies. Again, it's an issue of being a "known entity" in the medical community that will help to open doors for you.

Passing average sounds good (actually, way above average), but pass rates are more important. Still, you are indeed asking the right questions. If you make the choice to go to this school, just know that they are WAY off the beaten path as far as the "traditional" Caribbean route goes (if there even is such a thing). Next step is that I'd talk directly with some grads who are now licensed attendings, if the school has even been around that long, who can tell you more information about whether or not they struggled to get and/or could not get a license in a particular state(s).

Again, continued good luck... with honest due diligence on their part.

-Skip

 

[JudoKing01]

Thanks a lot, I'll definately contact those guys...they have the list on their website I believe. I like the school and I've talked to some of the faculty and something about it just seems to click with me, so I dunno. I'm probably going to end up going there.

Thanks for all your help.

 

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... something about it just seems to click with me....

First rule of medicine: never make a clinical decision based on "gut feeling" or instinct. If you're right, you'll only have been lucky. If you're wrong, someone might die.

-Skip

 

[mig26x]

judoking, is this your first option in the caribbean? Have you look into SG, Ross, SABA? This school is new, another question you should be concern about is financial status of the school, because it would be a nightmare that you are halfway there (2nd or 3rd year) and the school closes due to financial problems.