Try D.O later or Caribbean now.

[billydoc]

Hi guys!
I'm new to this forum.
So I just wanted to know what your take on my situation.
I'm already 35. I was accepted to some Carib schools, but starting to think that I'm selling myself short. I'm an RN with almost 15 yrs of diff clinical experience. Have all my prereqs for med/osteo school, but some are as old as from20 yrs ago. And that's the reason I never took MCAT. The question is should I try MCAT and apply to D.O schools in U.S (I think have a good shot at it, but will take at least another year), or go to the Carib now for a sake of not loosing anymore time. What would you do in my situation. Any insight is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

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[sunnyjohn]

You really need to make this decision based on what's best for your situation.

Going to school in the Caribbean can be very hard. If you are willing to make the sacrifice, and can stand being away from family and friends for a period of time, it is an option.

If you feel you can retake those pre-req's or take a review course and do well on the MCAT, the DO route is a good option.

35 is certainly not old. There are folks on the SDN older than you who have made a go of it.

I'd take a review course and try the MCAT at least on time. It will give you more options.

 

[BMW19]

35 is not 55 and I don't think one year in the scheme of things is a big deal to have the comfort of graduating from a U.S. School. I have heard that some of the carribean schools are good but you have to jump thru so many hoops. Plust the living conditions are 3rd world from what I have heard. But either way you will be a Doc. Its just how you want to go about it. I looked into the carribean but ultimately DO was the best choice for me, since I do like the DO philosophy. With your experience if you do well on the MCAT, you should do well with DO school apps. Just my opinion.

BMW-

Hi guys!
I'm new to this forum.
So I just wanted to know what your take on my situation.
I'm already 35. I was accepted to some Carib schools, but starting to think that I'm selling myself short. I'm an RN with almost 15 yrs of diff clinical experience. Have all my prereqs for med/osteo school, but some are as old as from20 yrs ago. And that's the reason I never took MCAT. The question is should I try MCAT and apply to D.O schools in U.S (I think have a good shot at it, but will take at least another year), or go to the Carib now for a sake of not loosing anymore time. What would you do in my situation. Any insight is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Doctor Bagel]

i don't know of any d.o. schools that have an age limit on prereqs (someone please correct me if i'm wrong), and it seems like only 1 to 2 m.d. programs have age limits, so you shouldn't have to retake anything. if i were you, i'd sign up for a review class and take the april mcat. if you do well, you'll have everything you need to apply to start in 2007. you'll just need a bit more time to study than the average test taker since you probably haven't seen a lot of the material in a long time.

 

[dr.z]

Try taking the MCAT. I think it is worth while.

 

[confused_amused]

I know that LECOM always has a decent # of older students that have clinical experience. Go DO, I think it'll be worth it. They have a campus in Florida now, it's close enough to the carribean, without having to leave the country.

 

[djnels01]

I wish to offer what little insight I may onto the other side of this "dilemma." While I agree with all the above posts, I don't think that the Carribbean option should be counted out.

I had a roommate for the better part of 3 years at my undergrad. I got to know the family very well, and in doing so got to know his older brother quite well. He (older bro) was in medical school at Ross Med in the Carribbean. He decided on that because his MCATs were so-so, and rather than wait a year to retake he decided to get started right away.

A lot of people will poo-poo the idea of going to med-school outside of the continental U.S., thinking that the education is sub-par and that there is no way that you'll get matched up with any decent residencies, won't get full licensure, etc. I am almost positive that the same boards are taken at these outside schools as the ones taken here in the U.S. Essentially it's the same education, how much are you willing to educate yourself? To study for the boards?

I ask these questions because my roommate's brother studied hard his entire time at Ross, and was accepted last year to a residency at THE Cleavland Clinic. Thousands apply for residencies there every year and get rejected. He made it, with an education and degree from an off-shore school.

Another plus about Ross in particular (maybe other off-shore schools) is that you can start whenever you want if you're accepted. They ask if you would like to begin Fall, Spring, or Summer of 200_. That kind of flexibility is also a plus.

Also, consider how long you have been out of the classroom. Would you be able to "jump into" a review course/review materials and feel like you could keep up? The MCAT has changed a lot over the last couple of years and continues to to this day. With the number of applicants growing seemingly every year, are you ready to face the possibility that maybe you wouldn't score so well? That could eat up more of your time... and essentially you could be back in the same position a year from now.

I'm a strong believer in the mantra "where there's a will, there's a way." However I also believe that you will get the medical education you want in the Carribbean as well as here in the U.S. If you've got one that's more of a sure shot than the other, why not take it?

Just another side of the coin to think about. Whatever happens though, good luck to you.

 

[misparas]

I would say try the MCAT for sure.

Don't rule out the Caribbean, but be careful of which school you go for. I'm pretty sure that the schools worth going to require the MCAT now (Ross, St. George). Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[billydoc]

Thank You Guys!
I didn't mention it in my post, but I already had exp wit ROSS University. The school is certainly worth it, but the island is an absolute sh*thole. I went there alone, without my wife and dtr, but pretty soon started to get sick bot physicaly and emotionaly. And believe me I'm not a weak link. But I can't put them through it. The only reason I asked is I have an opportunity to go to another Carib school, which is located on a very developed, but extremely expensive island, still a British territory. But something is telling me that I'm selling myself short by not even trying U.S. route. Another reason for D.O. that is a phylosophy I share. I've been in private practice as an acupuncturist for a while, and my best relationships, and a physician referrals have been mostly from D.O.s,but that's not to say that they never came from M.Ds.

Thanks all again very much. You've helped me to finalize my decision. I just wanted to get some positive reinforcement, and reassurance.

P.S. Do you guys think it's too late for 2006, if my closest MCAT is in April'06? I'm particularly interested in NYCOM, if not, anything in Tri-State
area.
Thanks again.

 

[ShyRem]

If your first MCAT is April 06, the earliest you could possibly matriculate would be fal 2007. Sorry.

 

[-Goose-]

I am by no means an expert on this subject, but I figured that I'd chime in b/c no one else has said anything about this...

you have to ask yourself if the type of Carrib school that will take you w/o having taken the mcat is really worth the cost (and opp cost), time, risk, blood, sweat, tears, etc...

there ARE good schools in the carrib that will make you an EXCELLENT doc (i'm thinking SGU for sure, prob ross, and maybe aucmed) if you have the desire, but there are also many "diploma mills" that will be more than happy to take your $ and send you through a hellacious, red-tape-laiden nightmare to become a physician.

My advice: take the MCAT. whats another year of your life at this point?? what if you blast it (a good thing) and get into a stateside MD or DO school that will offer you a degree of certainty that you can fulfill your dreams...

good luck in whatever you decide,


goose-d.

 

[cfdavid]

Go to Examkrackers.com and find their 10 week study plan. You WILL need more than that, but you can do it in 6 months given the amount of time you've been away from the basics. You'll be good for next April's MCAT. For sure.

 

[atrovariousg]

You really need to make this decision based on what's best for your situation.

Going to school in the Caribbean can be very hard. If you are willing to make the sacrifice, and can stand being away from family and friends for a period of time, it is an option.

If you feel you can retake those pre-req's or take a review course and do well on the MCAT, the DO route is a good option.

35 is certainly not old. There are folks on the SDN older than you who have made a go of it.

I'd take a review course and try the MCAT at least on time. It will give you more options.

Hate to disagree with EVERYONE but that's sometimes the case.
If you can start at a car md school today do it.
"friends" are over rated and consider the possibility that you do well on the mcat and still through no fault of your own you find yourself not accepted after another 2 tries!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It happens.
Bite the bullet, put in your two years, come back to the US and start doing what you already know you can do: PRACTICE MED
Look at it this way, you could be over in Iraq driving up the price of gas?!?!?!?!? Oh don't get me started................

 

[docbill]

.. Look at it this way, you could be over in Iraq driving up the price of gas?!?!?!?!? Oh don't get me started................

hehehe no no.. please do go ahead

Back to OP.

You should be contacting NYCOM and keeping in touch with them. If this is the school you are interested in they will be best to help you.

From what I read, they would definitely want to have you go there. The MCAT is not imposible to take. You don't need a 41S either... you only need to score 7 on each section for a total of 21 to become barely acceptable.

Your wife and dtr are the most important here and you want them to be 100% on board.

 

[MTodd]

Hey,

I'm 38 and applying this year. I was in the same boat last year but decided to study and take the MCAT. I spent a few months reviewing materials and got a 27, which I didn't think was all bad. So, I'm applying to both D.O. schools and M.D. schools, but not the Caribbean.

In my shawdowing, I have come across many many D.O.'s, including a trauma surgeon and a hospital icu specialist. From what I can tell, there are definately fewer restrictions on D.O.'s - especially with the number and quality of D.O. residencies growing.

I researched the Caribbean heavily. If you go, I would suggest SGU or AUG given your family requirements. Be prepared though, whatever anybody says, the IMG/FMG graduates are significantly disadvantaged. Perhaps not so much in the quality of their education (if they put a lot into it) but in the stigma they will face in the U.S.

Best of luck.