Us Vs. Carribbean

[jhafez87]

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my friend wants to become a M.D and he wants to apply to some of the U.S med schools and about 5 or 6 med schools in the carribbean. what is the differences between here and there and is it easier to get in the carribbean medical program. is any one there?

 

[agranulocytosis]

I'm gonna tell you it's a whole lot easier to get in to a caribbean school. I'm currently attending one, and I wish I would have spent an extra year to build up my CV and re-sit for my MCAT because, as any other caribbean student will tell you (or your friend), your chances at success are so much higher graduating from the US.

First of all, you're going to be an IMG. No matter how you cut it, your chances at matching are less.

Secondly, there's a limited amount of clinical rotation spots depending on the school you go to, which makes life very, very stressful on top of all the BS 3rd years have to go through anyway.

Lastly, you have to deal with licensure issues. Some states do not accept grads of certain schools for various reasons, and in order to be eligible for licensure one has many hoops to jump through like picking rotations that are acceptable (or "Green").

There's plenty of threads about this I'm sure, so you (or your friend) should go and scour this forum and find everything you can about the downfalls of attending medical school in the caribbean.


On the plus side, the weather is amazing day in, day out.

 

[coffeebythelake]

my friend wants to become a M.D and he wants to apply to some of the U.S med schools and about 5 or 6 med schools in the carribbean. what is the differences between here and there and is it easier to get in the carribbean medical program. is any one there?

This post shouldn't be in the Allo forums. In fact, this post shouldn't even exist. There are many threads asking the same question, why don't you try and do a search first.

 

[186321]

Caribbean is not the best choice. But if its your only choice than its not that bad.

I'm in the perdicament of maybe not being accepted for the 2nd year in a row. I have a 3.85 GPA and 31R MCAT. I got into St. George's in Grenada, but don't really want to go. I've got to make the decision of either taking another year off (not too excited about that either) or going to SGU....

 

[TexPre-Med]

D.O. > Carib M.D. as far as residency directors go. Try those first IMO.

 

[Chuckwalla]

Let's keep it simple. Do not go to a Caribbean school unless you cannot get into an American MD or DO school. The tuition is insanely expensive, they fail people out on a regular basis, and your chances of matching aren't that good.

 

[ColinHay]

my friend wants to become a M.D and he wants to apply to some of the U.S med schools and about 5 or 6 med schools in the carribbean. what is the differences between here and there and is it easier to get in the carribbean medical program. is any one there?

5 or 6? why? I can't imagine one school accepting you and the other one not. save your money, you will need it for the tuition.

 

[Proteinpowda]

Let's keep it simple. Do not go to a Caribbean school unless you cannot get into an American MD or DO school. The tuition is insanely expensive, they fail people out on a regular basis, and your chances of matching aren't that good.

The tuition is the same or less than going OOS. SGU is 42k a year.
AUC is about 30k a year.
And at Saba...you're entire medical education (not including living expenses and stuff) will cost you 80k.
Most OOS schools are 40-45k.
I agree though: US MD or US DO first...and I'm shooting myself in the foot for not applying to US DO schools now.

 

[pride4jc727]

jhafe87,

I was looking at your thread and I found this link to another thread that talks about the issue you brought up. I would tell your friend to click on this link:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=317093

This discussion thread covers as many angles and opinions as possible from the perspective of medical students and pre-meds. I hope this will give you more information for your friend to consider. Good luck to him or her!

 

[Phoenix.]

Moving to the International Forum.

 

[Perrotfish]

The tuition is the same or less than going OOS. SGU is 42k a year.
AUC is about 30k a year.
And at Saba...you're entire medical education (not including living expenses and stuff) will cost you 80k.
Most OOS schools are 40-45k.
I agree though: US MD or US DO first...and I'm shooting myself in the foot for not applying to US DO schools now.

The tuition may be similar BUT US students are eligible for financial Aid, student loans, and (if they want it) government/military scholarships. Very few US students actually end up with a debt load equal to the full tuition + fees + living expenses from those OOS medical schools. I'd say Caribbean Schools have earned their reputation for being insanely expensive.

 

[Venous]

Many of these posts are inaccurate, or at the very least they oversimplify situations. If you are really interested in considering the Caribbean or other foreign schools that cater primarily to North American students, I highly recommend www.valuemd.com You will get actual info from tons of students, grads, and administrators of foreign schools.

Andrew

PS Lots of insightful threads on SGU (or any other) vs DO

 

[oldpro]

my friend wants to become a M.D and he wants to apply to some of the U.S med schools and about 5 or 6 med schools in the carribbean. what is the differences between here and there and is it easier to get in the carribbean medical program. is any one there?

This is not a good question

US MD then DO then FMG MD (Which is Caribbean and everywhere else in the world)

Caribbean MD is better in some ways then other places in the world due to US clinicals so you are trained in the US for 2 years and can pre match in a program you did clinicals at.

 

[spreebee]

D.O. > Carib M.D. as far as residency directors go. Try those first IMO.

Hello my friend... Remember, some residency directors, actually alot are foreign grads themselves... More students from the big 4 in the caribbean get bigger and better residencies at allopath positions than D.O... I can remember a match a few times ago where 0 D.O.'s got Neurosurgery while atleast more than a dozen or so FMG's got it...

 

[spreebee]

The tuition may be similar BUT US students are eligible for financial Aid, student loans, and (if they want it) government/military scholarships. Very few US students actually end up with a debt load equal to the full tuition + fees + living expenses from those OOS medical schools. I'd say Caribbean Schools have earned their reputation for being insanely expensive.

If you want the name D.O. its not a problem, But, some people hate the stigma of being a D.O., where most Caribbean grads practice problemless while seeing patients.. Ive heard of patients rejecting a D.O. when being treated and demanding an M.D...Caribbean or not...

 

[goodlife23]

i know this is a common question but anyhow...WVSOM or SGU? both are far away and are expensive. however, which will i be more successful in regarding landing a good residency, etc.?

 

[spreebee]

i know this is a common question but anyhow...WVSOM or SGU? both are far away and are expensive. however, which will i be more successful in regarding landing a good residency, etc.?

SGU has research oppertunities, and you can study in the UK while at St. George in a top program if you choose to...Not to mention you will have famous lecturers and such at SGU... On the other hand, the D.O. school will get you a residency but don't be surprised if a patient says" I demand to be treated by an M.D." Either way you can match into a competitive residency via both schools if you do well on your steps... Each school will give you the tools to do well...SGU isn't that far its like a 6-7 hour flight from Michigan

 

[MJ9]

If you want the name D.O. its not a problem, But, some people hate the stigma of being a D.O., where most Caribbean grads practice problemless while seeing patients.. Ive heard of patients rejecting a D.O. when being treated and demanding an M.D...Caribbean or not...

Why would they reject a D.O.?

 

[Vermian]

First of all - as a PGY5 in a neurosurgery program - and an AUC graduate - I think that everyone needs to realize that you can do anything with enough effort and sacrifice. I spent a couple of years watching people with lower MCAT scores, GPAs, and no volunteer experience get into medical school ahead of me. I reluctantly chose the path of the Caribbean, and I should have done it long before I did (5 years of applications).

Yes, life is definitely easier if one attends a US medical school if one is seeking a US residency position. This would hold true if one were to say - yes, it is easier to become a consultant in England if one graduates medical training in England. That is a no brainer.

It is also true that it is more difficult to get into the "competitive" residencies from a Caribbean medical school. That does not mean it is impossible, nor does it mean one will have to spend years and years trying. I spent one extra year to get to my goal.

If you want to be a physician, you are tired of fighting the political battle of a US school, and you are willing to work a lot harder than some of your US colleagues - you can succeed through this route.

To the poster above who "should have waited another year" - I suspect you are suffering the same thing all of us who spent time on an island suffered. "Life in a fish bowl" - meaning - you had no idea what was really going to happen next, as all you had was insane rumors from people who really had no freaking clue what they were talking about.

It is a tough road, but if it was easy - everyone would do it. If you want to be a physician, the Caribbean can help you conquer your goal. Sure I am an IMG - but honestly - no one ever brings it up.

Good luck.

PS - I have yet to meet the DO neurosurgery resident - not that that person is not out there - but I have met a lot more IMGs in this field than DOs.

 

[johnnyredfire]

God love you, Vermian. This is exactly what kind of inspirational words I needed to hear from, not the pure focus on "how hard it is to match, how hard life is, how easy it is if you're from the US schools...blah blah blah why can't I be a blue shirt, not a red shirt" Personally, I have a 3.82 and a 30Q on my MCAT. Though I have not yet been accepted to an MD in the states, I am determined to fight for my life in the Carrib (having been accepted to Ross) because the fact is, 20 years from now as im practicing medicine, I can truly say I did my best.

I believe human nature and as a past educator, my teaching reviews came in from 200 of my students. I had 195 great reviews and 5 terrible ones, not surprisingly the same students that always complained and looked to be spoonfed. Those 5 bad comments tormented me and it really discouraged me. Relating it to med schools in the Carib, I can tell you that of all these terrible comments that they cant find clinical spots or match, I expect it to come from people who never fought hard enough or wanted to be a physician as bad. But I do, and I'm willing to do everything it takes to get to the finish line.

Sorry for my rambling, just wanted to point out that if your heart is in it and you want more than anything to be a physician, the Carib schools are there to give that opportunity. Its YOUR responsibility to get to the finish line. Amen.