What do I do?

[EthanMD]

First and foremost, I welcome any legit opinions and facts. If you are wanting to troll, move on.

I currently serve as a critical care paramedic in the state of Kentucky. I have spent the last nine years working in EMS. In addition, I have volunteer experience within the emergency department of a hospital. I have shadowed multiple physicians. I have also been president of honor societies while in college. In addition to my volunteer experience (when I was younger), I have also worked as a paramedic within my local ED.

I just returned home from a Caribbean medical school where I attended approximately three months. I passed and did well on the first component, but I left when my M.D. teachers began leaving. The school began to flood with toilet water, etc. Therefore, I high-tailed it home.

My cumulative undergrad GPA is 2.75 at this time with approximately 30 hours left for my B.S. I began my undergrad with a 4.0 when I got dealt some unfortunate life cards. Nevertheless, I'm beginning to worry about my future as a M.D. Am I screwed because of my GPA? I have molded everything in my life to gain admission into a medical school.

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[Ibn Sina MD]

I'll give you the benefit the doubt and say you're not trolling for the sake of a response.

1. You haven't finished your B.S. but you were in medical school?

 

[EthanMD]

I'll give you the benefit the doubt and say you're not trolling for the sake of a response.

1. You haven't finished your B.S. but you were in medical school?

I attended Xavier University SOM in Aruba which does not require MCAT or degree.

 

[Ibn Sina MD]

I attended Xavier University SOM in Aruba which does not require MCAT or degree.

That was a terrible decision to go there. You don't want to entertain schools that don't require an MCAT or GPA. But, what's done is done. Just out of curiosity I'm going to ask Goro what he would say. I'm guessing you're honestly SOL if this story is true. But who knows, I could easy be wrong and Goro will know better.

@Goro assume this person isn't a troll. Is he SOL? My guess is yes but you know more.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

I'm beginning to worry about my future as a M.D.

I attended Xavier University SOM in Aruba which does not require MCAT or degree.

Wait, you’re just now beginning to worry?

You need to get your gpa above 3.2 ideally, take the MCAT and score 505+, and apply to DO schools. And hope they forgive your decision to attend a school in the Carib that no one has ever heard of and that doesn’t require the MCAT or a degree.

 

[Ibn Sina MD]

Wait, you’re just now beginning to worry?

You need to get your gpa above 3.2 ideally, take the MCAT and score 505+, and apply to DO schools.

Don't other medical schools see he dropped out of an M.D. program though and basically blacklist him?

 

[Turkishking]

Don't other medical schools see he dropped out of an M.D. program though and basically blacklist him?

I think so

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Don't other medical schools see he dropped out of an M.D. program though and basically blacklist him?

Not from a school like this, but even if they did seeing as he would need a year or two of application building he probably could spin it as a “maturing experience.” I’m going to also assume their ECs are nonexistent and will require time to build, so he’s probably looking at 2+ years. He could also spin it as leaving before the hurricane situation happened, depending on when he left.

It’s not the same as dropping out of a USMD program, that would definitely get someone blacklisted. Doing it from the Carib is different, and will make some admins scoff (and for good reason), but with enough time between him leaving and reapplying someone would probably overlook it if he puts together the right application. He tried to take a shortcut to medical school, and found out the hard way that the short route doesn’t really exist and he will now have to take the long (see: normal) route.

Edit: it will also depend on if they received loan money

 

[Microbug]

I think so

I looked it up... they only require 90 credits of undergrad, no mention for bachelor or conferred bachelor degree.

 

[Med Ed]

First and foremost, I welcome any legit opinions and facts. If you are wanting to troll, move on.

I currently serve as a critical care paramedic in the state of Kentucky. I have spent the last nine years working in EMS. In addition, I have volunteer experience within the emergency department of a hospital. I have shadowed multiple physicians. I have also been president of honor societies while in college. In addition to my volunteer experience (when I was younger), I have also worked as a paramedic within my local ED.

I just returned home from a Caribbean medical school where I attended approximately three months. I passed and did well on the first component, but I left when my M.D. teachers began leaving. The school began to flood with toilet water, etc. Therefore, I high-tailed it home.

My cumulative undergrad GPA is 2.75 at this time with approximately 30 hours left for my B.S. I began my undergrad with a 4.0 when I got dealt some unfortunate life cards. Nevertheless, I'm beginning to worry about my future as a M.D. Am I screwed because of my GPA? I have molded everything in my life to gain admission into a medical school.

1. Ace your last 30 B.S. credits
2. Do a post-bac or SMP
3. Study like hell for the MCAT
4. Non-clinical volunteering

Going to Xavier was a mistake, but some time and the fact that you fled raw sewage (instead of failing out) is somewhat mitigating.

 

[Kingsmen2018]

If you are wanting to troll, move on.

Don't mind if I do. Where u went wrong was getting a 2.75 GPA. Although ur reasons may be valid med schools don't like excuses and they like results. If the GPA was an anomaly and then u showed improvement then they would forgive and it would possibly show character . Then, the mother of all your mistakes was going to a Caribbean medical school. You got scammed up and down in a classic carribean fashion.

You should worry about paying your loans from that rn and just move on. If u don't have that to worry about and u have time to waste, go back to school, get good grades and kill the MCAT. Then apply for an SMP, then apply to US med school.

But if u want my opinion, chances are you will not be able to pull it off

 

[HomeSkool]

Aruba

Red flag #1.

does not require MCAT

Red flag #2.

or degree.

Red flag #3.

my M.D. teachers began leaving

Red flag #4.

The school began to flood with toilet water, etc.

Red flag #5.

I have molded everything in my life to gain admission into a medical school.

Incorrect. If this were true, you would have finished your bachelor's degree first. That's kind of a huge deal.

Am I screwed because of my GPA? I have molded everything in my life to gain admission into a medical school.

The thing that will screw you far more than your GPA is the fact that you don't have your bachelor's degree! Your first item of business should be to complete it -- that and the MCAT are mandatory for admission to any med school that will actually prepare you to practice in the US.

With a 2.75 after 90 credit hours, a 4.0 during your remaining 30 hours would bring your GPA up to 3.06. That's a good start. Having been impatient and shortsighted enough to start down the "easy" path despite numerous red flags, however, you need to do more. After you finish your BS, you would be wise to do a post-bacc or SMP to further improve your academic credentials. And you need to absolutely kill the MCAT.

Once you've finished all of that, you should apply broadly to DO and -- if you've sufficiently improved your academic stats -- MD schools. In particular, you should target newer DO schools.

The fact that you actually embarked down the "easy" road is not the kiss of death everywhere, but it does raise questions about your judgment and willingness to accept delayed gratification. When you apply in the future, you should try to paint your Caribbean med school attendance -- particularly at such a sub-par institution -- as a youthful mistake from which you've learned and grown.

Never again seek out the "easy" road. There are no free lunches, especially in a field as competitive as this one.

 

[Tenk]

Ok I’ll be the only honest person here: you’re screwed. Sorry, but it’s better you move on than waste years of your life chasing a dream that is pretty much out of reach now.

 

[calivianya]

A second degree/postbacc will do wonders for bringing up your GPA. You don't even have a whole bachelor's yet, so I bet your GPA will move quite a bit with more credit hours.

...For the record, I had a semester that, due to life circumstances (and me just being lazy), I received 2 D and 1 F, making my GPA for that semester a whopping 0.60. Really. It's possible to have a GPA <1. My cumulative GPA is a 3.55 today, and I did not make straight As along the way. I also have an acceptance to a DO program.

Just do well your last few credits, take more classes if necessary for the GPA boost, and kill the MCAT. You'll be fine.

 

[Goro]

That was a terrible decision to go there. You don't want to entertain schools that don't require an MCAT or GPA. But, what's done is done. Just out of curiosity I'm going to ask Goro what he would say. I'm guessing you're honestly SOL if this story is true. But who knows, I could easy be wrong and Goro will know better.

@Goro assume this person isn't a troll. Is he SOL? My guess is yes but you know more.

OP will need to follow the wise Med Ed's and Homeskool's advice.


I can't sugar coat this, normally, I'd automatically say that OP would be DOA at my school because we feel that Carib refugees simply valued the MD degree more than the DO. But OP made so many foolish mistakes, that I'll attribute them to immaturity, and I'd be willing to give him/her a chance if I saw evidence that OP could handle med school, such as from aceing an SMP.

 

[chemdoctor]

Damn lol. You guys never miss an opportunity to put someone down and berate them huh? @Goro good job on the advice. @calivianya I completely agree.

Personally, OP you need to realize that you screwed up. Secondly, if you really want to pursue an MD, then maybe take some time off and then pursue a post bacc. ACE the post bacc, maybe do it at a CC to save money and get the GPA to at LEAST a 3.2. Not sure how long that is going to take. Go back to finish your degree and then maybe pursue a formal post bacc like a masters in medical sciences. You may have to take the GRE or something. Next, SMP is the way to go. Make sure you ACE the SMP and of course do well on the MCAT.

I don't think you are completely screwed, but it is going to be a long hard road for you to get an US MD/DO acceptance.

 

[CloverBale]

Do you have a back up plan?

 

[863168]

Finish your degree. Do a post bac. Take the GRE. Do a masters. Do an SMP. Climb Kilimanjaro. Run across the United States. Start a counter culture. Cure cancer. Apply to medical schools.

I don't think you are completely screwed. I think you are partially unscrewed. Is the glass half empty or half full? Semantics semantics semantics semantics. John Cena. What.

 

[JonathanHusky]

you spent the last 9 years working in EMS and just left a Caribbean school? you also probably want to start considering your age... is trying to get into a US med school what you really wanna do in your early or even late 30s?? i would pursue another career at that point