What it's like to be a Caribbean Medical Student

[Aucdoctobe]

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Hello Everyone. I started writing on SDN quite awhile ago while I was in the premed phase. Now, I attend AUC Medical School as a MS-1. I maintain a blog that is uncensored and honest. It goes in great depth about my experiences in the Caribbean. Should you ever wish to read it, here is the link:

http://www.blackpeople.us/minority/index.php/caribbean_medical_school

Medical students often disappear from forums after medical school starts, especially Caribbean ones. Thus, it offers this veil of secrecy to the entire process of what happens when you get on the island. Hopefully, my entries will shed some light on what it is like.

 

[Skip Intro]

Hey. Thanks for sharing this with everyone. I've always enjoyed your posts on this forum. On behalf of all other posters here, I hope you know how much it's appreciated to get such a complete and uncensored insight into an individual's experience. It's these kinds of things that REALLY help people get a good view of what it's really like, and is very helpful for people trying to make the difficult decision about whether or not to attend.

Great job, great blog, and thanks for sharing.

-Skip

 

[Megalofyia]

Thanks! That's a great blog. Very useful to me.

 

[34140]

thats awesome, i wish more students would do this

 

[Dr.Mantix]

As a prospective Carribean Medical School applicant, your blog is extremely helpful. Thank you. 👍 👍 👍

 

[Tiagao]

AUCDOCTOBE,

I noticed that you spent time in the mall in OKC. Are you from Oklahoma?

I am at OSU at the moment and am looking into AUC for the fall of '06. I have a family and am searching all over to find more information about living expenses, housing etc. for a 5-member family. Any information that you could provide would be great.

Thanks,
Tiagao

 

[wolfvgang22]

AUCDOCTOBE,

I noticed that you spent time in the mall in OKC. Are you from Oklahoma?

I am at OSU at the moment and am looking into AUC for the fall of '06. I have a family and am searching all over to find more information about living expenses, housing etc. for a 5-member family. Any information that you could provide would be great.

Thanks,
Tiagao

http://www.valuemd.com has a good auc forum

 

[Tiagao]

Thanks!!

 

[Aucdoctobe]

Hey Everyone.

I would like to say thank you so much for the comments. Tiago... Oklahoma City is my home.

I also wanted to talk about something else. If you've followed Caribbean forums with any passion, you will often here of the student that scored the highest score ever on the USMLE. And I am sure that you have all heard that the student came from a Caribbean Medical School -- Ross.

I'm here to confirm that the story is true. The professor who is teaching me how to study mentored that student and turned him into a very strong student while he was at Ross. He has also converted numerous other students into outstanding students. Students who were failing classes became honor students with 260+ USMLE's.

The benefit is that right now, I am trying to go through a conversion myself from a weaker student to a very strong student. I'm sharing the methods that I am learning, and they are methods that I have not seen anywhere else on the web or in any books. But they work..

It's quite an opportunity. In addition, when I fix the blog on Friday night, I will be able to post plenty of pictures.. Wait to you all see the picture of the "Brothel." he he he..

Take care..

 

[tRmedic21]

Hey Everyone.

I would like to say thank you so much for the comments. Tiago... Oklahoma City is my home.

I also wanted to talk about something else. If you've followed Caribbean forums with any passion, you will often here of the student that scored the highest score ever on the USMLE. And I am sure that you have all heard that the student came from a Caribbean Medical School -- Ross.

I'm here to confirm that the story is true. The professor who is teaching me how to study mentored that student and turned him into a very strong student while he was at Ross. He has also converted numerous other students into outstanding students. Students who were failing classes became honor students with 260+ USMLE's.

Just as a clarification, the people at AUC have said that several times about the 'highest score ever' being from Ross, but in fact, that score has been beat numerous time by US students. I know when I was a first semester at AUC, there was a report of a Ross student who made a 266, and I know Saba had one with a 267, but there are people who beat that from State schools all the time. This is not to detract from the accomplishment of the people who manage those 99s every year from the Caribbean, but just to let you know that the people 'in the know' on the island very often are NOT.

The highest score I am aware of from AUC was a 257, with several others in the 250s and lots in the 240s. I, being a *****, was nowhere close. lol Also, I think I have an idea who your mentor is, the person who wants to take credit for the pervious students high score, and be advised, he is not all that. I had him in class, and I know quite a few things that really changed my mind about him. He gave a great impression at first, but as time went by, I began to realize things were not as wonderful as he thought they were. Take it all with a grain of salt, my friend, and good luck in your studies! Feel free to contact me any time. 😉 As a fellow Okie, I thought it important to say hello. 🙂

 

[ssingh0]

. I'm sharing the methods that I am learning, and they are methods that I have not seen anywhere else on the web or in any books. But they work..

He has also converted numerous other students

scary naivete for a postbacc

 

[Aucdoctobe]

Hey there.. We haven't talked in a long time trmedic. You know I think that one of the principal experiences of going to the Caribbean is finding out about the negative aspects. Trust me, since you have left, there has been all sorts of drama -- all sorts of situations that are going on. And new things that have the students angry.. But I think that is always the case.

But I can personally attest to this professor's integrity. When I got my early introduction to Caribbean faculty drama, this professor went to bat for me. If you want to know the situation, I will tell you privately all about it. Having been here for as long as you were, it wouldn't surprise you.

Also, I have met several honor students who swore by the methods that this professor taught them. I know a girl right now who is kicking butt all over the Kaplan review course. I know of another student who is acing the third semester.

I'm inclined to believe what I see, and I have talked to several students about the professors methods. Plus, I am using them. The book is still out on whether they will work for me, but I am confident that they will.

I can't say for sure whether the professor "rosied" up the picture on the USMLE. But I am fairly sure about the man's integrity.

Whether someone makes use of the study tips that I posted is not as important as them having the option for readily available help if they need it. I never told anyone that they had to use the methods. I do know, however, of several students here and abroad that are trying to improve their study methods for basic sciences. It is important that the option be there for particular students to look at other sources of help.

Personally, I don't think that I have found a better medical school study method than the one that he has been teaching me. However, that is my opinion, and everyone is entitled to their own feelings.

No Hard Feelings and it is definitely good to hear from you again.

 

[tRmedic21]

I may not be thinking about the right person, but then, the problems I have with him are personal. He did have a study method he advocated, and it seemed like a good method, but I never tried it... then again, I don't think I ever HAD a study method! Of course, it showed on my USMLE score, too! 😳

I am glad things are going well, and I hope you can stick with the hard-core studying and kick butt on the USMLE in a few semesters!

As for me, well, I'm havin fun in clinicals now, it is so nice to get away from 95% of the drama at AUC (and other schools, I am sure), 95% of which doesn't matter a hill of beans in the long run anyways. It is nice to see patients again, to talk with family members and patients and reassure people and feel like you're doing something effective and actually LEARNING! Basic Sciences is a necessary evil, but I wish the US would go more to a 6-year system like most places in Europe. So much of what we had to do, especially in undergrad, was nothing but weeding out and busywork. Either way, trust me, clinicals has it hands-down over Basic Sciences. Now I WANT to go look up particulars on a disease, because I have a patient with it and I want to know what to expect and what to look for, instead of just memorizing crap about 100 different diseases I'll probably never see. I mean sheesh, half the docs here have never seen a case of Marfan's! But yet... we spend so much time on that crap. Oh well, it's useful to understand disease pathology and predict outcomes.

In short, keep your head up, and there IS a light at the end of the tunnel. You'll be here soon enough and it will all be worth it.

Someone actually called me "Doctor" the other day and I actually looked over my shoulder for who they were talking to. 😛 It is a nice feeling though. 😀 But you neve realize how much you DON'T know until you get into the hospital and start getting pimped and you can't recall a single thing you've ever learned! lol

 

[Megalofyia]

bump cause it's a good website

 

[Brandon123]

Hi everyone,

It's me Brandon, formely AUCDOCTOBE, but I forgot my password and lost my email address. I just wanted to say that this will be my last semester blogging. It's been an incredible experience meeting so many people, and I really hope that my blog has helped many to understand the process of going to a Caribbean school.

For those who are considering it rignt now, keep on trying. As you all have seen in my case, the adventure begins after you reach the islands!

Take Care. Thanks for the support. I'll try to depart as much information as possible on the Caribbean Medical School experience before I top blogging in December.

 

[sunny123]

Hi everyone,

It's me Brandon, formely AUCDOCTOBE, but I forgot my password and lost my email address. I just wanted to say that this will be my last semester blogging. It's been an incredible experience meeting so many people, and I really hope that my blog has helped many to understand the process of going to a Caribbean school.

For those who are considering it rignt now, keep on trying. As you all have seen in my case, the adventure begins after you reach the islands!

Take Care. Thanks for the support. I'll try to depart as much information as possible on the Caribbean Medical School experience before I top blogging in December.

T-minus 2 months 😎 😀

 

[McGillGrad]

Blog is a funny word

 

[NRAI2001]

Blog is a funny word

 

[daelroy]

If you guys are spending 3 to 12 months with no other responisibilities aside from studying for Step I, you have no excuse to not score in the 230's at least. Can you imagine the type of scores U.S. grads would get if all of us got to take the exam at the end of September versus the end of May? I will have 6 weeks to prepare for Step I; you will have 6 months.

Achieving a 240 is an impressive score but to suggest that you somehow beat a U.S. grad is a little misleading considering you have the luxury of taking several months to prepare for that exam where we get a month.

 

[NRAI2001]

If you guys are spending 3 to 12 months with no other responisibilities aside from studying for Step I, you have no excuse to not score in the 230's at least. Can you imagine the type of scores U.S. grads would get if all of us got to take the exam at the end of September versus the end of May? I will have 6 weeks to prepare for Step I; you will have 6 months.

Achieving a 240 is an impressive score but to suggest that you somehow beat a U.S. grad is a little misleading considering you have the luxury of taking several months to prepare for that exam where we get a month.

Haha, your post has nothing to do with anything mentioned on this thread.

I thought most US students study for the exam the entire summer after their second year?

Would it be possible for a US student to take some time away from school to study for the exam? Could they start studying earlier, like mid 2nd year?

 

[daelroy]

Haha, your post has nothing to do with anything mentioned on this thread.

I thought most US students study for the exam the entire summer after their second year?

Would it be possible for a US student to take some time away from school to study for the exam? Could they start studying earlier, like mid 2nd year?

NRAI2001

Well, it's nice to see that your track record for being consistently wrong persists. US students don't study the exam the entire summer after their second year. U.S. students start their rotations in July with the majority of them starting on July 1st. Therefore, they have to take Step I before that date. Considering their MS2 year ends some time in May, it doesn't take a genius to ascertain how long they have to prepare for Step I.

And yes, my post has everything to do with what was mentioned on this thread. Aucdoctobe implied that AUC somehow prepares students well for the USMLE since many of them beat U.S. grads on Step I. I was simply pointing out that wasn't a fair comparison since they spend 2 to 3 times the amount of time studying for the exam.

Besides what are you still doing applying to medical school? You have been in the application process for the past 4 years. And don't say you just started applying last year. Anyone could do a simple search for the oldest threads on SDN and they would find you asking whether you should retake the MCAT and reapply. Just start medical school and quit wasting your time asking the same questions over and over on SDN. You have been doing this for 4 years now. Maybe if you had spent time studying for the MCAT instead of spending hours and thousands of posts on SDN, you would have started medical school by now.

 

[NRAI2001]

NRAI2001

Well, it's nice to see that your track record for being consistently wrong persists. US students don't study the exam the entire summer after their second year. U.S. students start their rotations in July with the majority of them starting on July 1st. Therefore, they have to take Step I before that date. Considering their MS2 year ends some time in May, it doesn't take a genius to ascertain how long they have to prepare for Step I.

And yes, my post has everything to do with what was mentioned on this thread. Aucdoctobe implied that AUC somehow prepares students well for the USMLE since many of them beat U.S. grads on Step I. I was simply pointing out that wasn't a fair comparison since they spend 2 to 3 times the amount of time studying for the exam.

Besides what are you still doing applying to medical school? You have been in the application process for the past 4 years. And don't say you just started applying last year. Anyone could do a simple search for the oldest threads on SDN and they would find you asking whether you should retake the MCAT and reapply. Just start medical school and quit wasting your time asking the same questions over and over on SDN. You have been doing this for 4 years now. Maybe if you had spent time studying for the MCAT instead of spending hours and thousands of posts on SDN, you would have started medical school by now.

Dam I am sorry bro, did i get you on a bad day? Everything ok? You gonna be alright?

I didn't know that I had a track record? I am flattered that you actually searched the threads for my posts, but next time be a bit more accurate. I have never once posted any post about retaking the mcat. I took it for the first time this past august and just got my scores a few weeks ago. I am a 22 year old senior, so its not like i ve been applying for 4 years. This is the first year i am ever applying.

I challenge you to find a single post anywhere, with me asking a question about myself retaking the mcat or reapplying.

About my comment about students studying the summer for usmle, it was posted as a question. Doesn't take a genius to "ascertain" the meaning of a question mark.

Know whats your story since you "know" so much about me?

 

[novacek88]

Dam I am sorry bro, did i get you on a bad day? Everything ok? You gonna be alright?

I didn't know that I had a track record? I am flattered that you actually searched the threads for my posts, but next time be a bit more accurate. I have never once posted any post about retaking the mcat. I took it for the first time this past august and just got my scores a few weeks ago. I am a 22 year old senior, so its not like i ve been applying for 4 years. This is the first year i am ever applying.

I challenge you to find a single post anywhere, with me asking a question about myself retaking the mcat or reapplying.

About my comment about students studying the summer for usmle, it was posted as a question. Doesn't take a genius to "ascertain" the meaning of a question mark.

Know whats your story since you "know" so much about me?

I notice you only post your DO vs. IMG questions in the caribbean forum. Are you merely seeking an answer to affirm your decision to go IMG? From what it sounds like that is where you are leaning. If so, I want to wish you the most success and make sure to attend one of the Big 3 at least.

 

[NRAI2001]

I notice you only post your DO vs. IMG questions in the caribbean forum. Are you merely seeking an answer to affirm your decision to go IMG? From what it sounds like that is where you are leaning. If so, I want to wish you the most success and make sure to attend one of the Big 3 at least.

I m leaning more towards doing an SMP or biomedical masters. If i had to choose between carribean and DO, i think i would be inclined towards DO schools. 👍 But carribean did cross my mind, so I dont knock on the carrib. students.

 

[MD Rapper]

x

 

[NRAI2001]

NRAI,

I happen to come across a lot of your posts and I just wanted to wish you the best of luck... It seems that you have heavily analyzed the medical school admissions process. I'm sure you'll be sucessful whatever route you choose.

Thanks, good luck to you also(what ever step of the process you are at).

 

[Trifling Jester]

If you guys are spending 3 to 12 months with no other responisibilities aside from studying for Step I, you have no excuse to not score in the 230's at least. Can you imagine the type of scores U.S. grads would get if all of us got to take the exam at the end of September versus the end of May? I will have 6 weeks to prepare for Step I; you will have 6 months.

Achieving a 240 is an impressive score but to suggest that you somehow beat a U.S. grad is a little misleading considering you have the luxury of taking several months to prepare for that exam where we get a month.

Forgive the ignorance of one who has already been through the entire process (ha ha), but I believe all students, American or Caribbean, have two years of basic science courses to prepare for Step I.

Blissful,
The Trifling Jester