Which is the best Caribbean Medical School?

[Andrew Jairus]

As there are many Caribbean Medical schools in the Caribbean region, which is bet to pursue medicine

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[LnSin]

Don’t go to a Caribbean medical school.

 

[Moko]

 

[Cornfed101]

We had a rep from Ross University come to our school and say that when the power shuts off (which is a frequent occurrence) it builds character and helps you to be a leg above your mainland counterparts. I wasn't convinced...

 

[RedRoses]

OP, I know you heard that your friend’s dad’s third cousin went to the Caribbean and is now a doctor but please use that search function to understand why you shouldn’t go to a carribbean school.

 

[Dr panda]

If they will implement pass/fail system for boards, I just cannot imagine how hard it will be for Caribbean grads to match anywhere.

 

[deleted972488]

As there are many Caribbean Medical schools in the Caribbean region, which is bet to pursue medicine

Which is “bet?” All of them are a bet - a huge gamble!

 

[deleted998607]

There are no shortcuts in life. Fix whatever is wrong in your application that is giving you the impetus to consider the Caribbean, and then apply to US MD/DO schools. A career at BK will give you less heartache and financial strain...and probably more career opportunity.

 

[Cornfed101]

If they will implement pass/fail system for boards, I just cannot imagine how hard it will be for Caribbean grads to match anywhere.

The schools will probably just push more people out to maintain the "85% match rate!"

 

[Dr panda]

The schools will probably just push more people out to maintain the "85% match rate!"

Accept 1 student each year
Make sure they match
Say you have 100% match rate
Profit

 

[Cornfed101]

Accept 1 student each year
Make sure they match
Say you have 100% match rate
Profit

Or accept 1000 students each year, kick all of them out except for 1 student 4th year, profit even more

 

[Dr panda]

Or accept 1000 students each year, kick all of them out except for 1 student 4th year, profit even more

If I will not get into medical school I will start my own

 

[Med Ed]

Probably CNU.

 

[Dr panda]

View attachment 273654

Why do people go to Carib school knowing that they have less than 50% chance of matching? Are they that reach to throw away $200K+ and 4 years of life, I just don't get it

 

[deleted972488]

Why do people go to Carib school knowing that they have less than 50% chance of matching? Are they that reach to throw away $200K+ and 4 years of life, I just don't get it

Because they want to be an MD! And either didn’t do their research, didn’t get into a US MD program, or both.

 

[deleted998607]

Why do people go to Carib school knowing that they have less than 50% chance of matching? Are they that reach to throw away $200K+ and 4 years of life, I just don't get it

People chasing a dream are both vulnerable and irrational. They convince themselves that they will be on the proper side of that 50%. However, the work ethic and dedication that it takes to be on the proper side of that 50% is often lacking, which is why they are left considering Caribbean for medical school.

 

[Cornfed101]

Why do people go to Carib school knowing that they have less than 50% chance of matching? Are they that reach to throw away $200K+ and 4 years of life, I just don't get it

Yeah, I would for sure go DPM before Caribbean

 

[Goro]

As there are many Caribbean Medical schools in the Caribbean region, which is bet to pursue medicine

Easy question!
The four Puerto Rican MD schools, which are LCME accredited....ie, they're real American medical schools, not educational predators seeking to fleece desperate and gullible marks.

 

[Dr panda]

Easy question!
The four Puerto Rican MD schools, which are LCME accredited....ie, they're real American medical schools, not educational predators seeking to fleece desperate and gullible marks.

Sounds too good, where is the catch?

 

[Medic741]

Sounds too good, where is the catch?

That half of the courses are taught in Spanish so you have to be fluent AND learn both English & Spanish terms. That plus hurricanes, moving off the mainland and all the headaches that come along with moving to a community recovering from a natural disaster

 

[Goro]

That half of the courses are taught in Spanish so you have to be fluent AND learn both English & Spanish terms. That plus hurricanes, moving off the mainland and all the headaches that come along with moving to a community recovering from a natural disaster

And one of the four doesn't take mainlanders

 

[RJ McReady]

As there are many Caribbean Medical schools in the Caribbean region, which is bet to pursue medicine

The University of the United States.

Coming to America clip with quote The University of the United States. Yarn is the best search for video clips by quote. Find the exact moment in a TV show, movie, or music video you want to share. Easily move forward or backward to get to the perfect clip.

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The University of the United States...

 

[Wannabemdee]

The University of the United States.

Coming to America clip with quote The University of the United States. Yarn is the best search for video clips by quote. Find the exact moment in a TV show, movie, or music video you want to share. Easily move forward or backward to get to the perfect clip.

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The University of the United States...

Priceless!
One of my favorite movies!

 

[keolu hills]

You could go to PA school and work for a year. Then apply to a PA to DO bridge program like LECOM. This is a long and hard way. But, this is much much better than going to a Carribean school.

 

[Engrailed]

We had a rep from Ross University come to our school and say that when the power shuts off (which is a frequent occurrence) it builds character and helps you to be a leg above your mainland counterparts. I wasn't convinced...

Wow I cant even believe this haha

 

[Peter Pan.]

None of them

 

[Peter Pan.]

Maybe Amish people would like Carribean med school since they don’t have electricity.

 

[Cornfed101]

I also had a friend who went to Ross vet school (dropped out after 2 years and is now applying to med school, not in the Caribbean) and he was pulled over for speeding and sent to jail for a week. He said it was like Sona In prison break.

I’m not making these stories up... I wish I were.

 

[xDNA]

So I admit when I was first deciding to pursue medicine a little over a year ago, the very first school I had looked and inquired about was AUC, luckily through finding SDN and a lot of research I decided I would never go Caribbean. Still to this day I get emails, and even crazier, I see Commercials/Advertisements about AUC, SGU, and Ross on my youtube and HULU account.

IMO this just further proves the predatory nature of Caribbean med schools.

 

[Toutie]

Actually the best school is the planned Trump University Medical School and Golf Resort opening up in tax-sheltered, non-extradition, Caribbean island nation soon. A highly competitive MCAT score...er....I mean credit score is necessary for admission. Dont forget to review there extensive international away rotations in Moscow

But...don't bother applying if you are URM.

 

[The REAL Doc McStuffins]

As there are many Caribbean Medical schools in the Caribbean region, which is bet to pursue medicine

I’m not gonna be like these other people on here and tell you not to go to a Caribbean school. I’ve seen many people attend these schools and match into US residencies. However, they did extremely well on their STEP exams and attended the top 3 schools in the Caribbean. So, if you’re willing to work HARD, go to Ross, SGU, or AUA. Those are the only schools you should ever consider over there. Don’t go to any other ones! Good luck.

 

[IMGASMD]

I’m not gonna be like these other people on here and tell you not to go to a Caribbean school. I’ve seen many people attend these schools and match into US residencies. However, they did extremely well on their STEP exams and attended the top 3 schools in the Caribbean. So, if you’re willing to work HARD, go to Ross, SGU, or AUA. Those are the only schools you should ever consider over there. Don’t go to any other ones! Good luck.

Yes “these other people” are your professors, admission officers, deans, attendings, former Caribbean grads/washouts, current Caribbean students..... yes I will take your words for it.

The short answer is: don’t do it.
The long answer is: you do you, but please do remember us and check in with us in a few years, please.

 

[Engrailed]

Trump University (offshore offshore campus is in Moscow)

 

[Goro]

I’m not gonna be like these other people on here and tell you not to go to a Caribbean school. I’ve seen many people attend these schools and match into US residencies. However, they did extremely well on their STEP exams and attended the top 3 schools in the Caribbean. So, if you’re willing to work HARD, go to Ross, SGU, or AUA. Those are the only schools you should ever consider over there. Don’t go to any other ones! Good luck.

The point here isn't that there are successful Carib grads. The point is how many additional obstacles to success you face by going to a Carib school.

The pool of US applicants from the Caribbean is viewed differently by Program Directors. The DDx for a Caribbean grad is pretty off-putting: bad judgment, bad advice, egotism, gullibility, overbearing parents, inability to delay gratification, IA's, legal problems, weak research skills, high risk behavior. This is not to say that all of them still have the quality that drew them into this situation. There is just no way to know which ones they are. Some PD's are in a position where they need to, or can afford to take risks too! So, some do get interviews.

Bad grades and scores are the least of the deficits from a PD's standpoint. A strong academic showing in a Caribbean medical school does not erase this stigma. It fact it increases the perception that the reason for the choice was on the above-mentioned list!

Just about everyone from a Caribbean school has one or more of these problems and PDs know it. That's why their grads are the last choice even with a high Step 1 score.

There was a time when folks whose only flaw was being a late bloomer went Carib, but those days are gone. There are a number of US med schools that will reward reinvention.

It's likely you'll be in the bottom half or two thirds of the class that gets dismissed before Step 1. The business plan of a Carib school depends on the majority of the class not needing to be supported in clinical rotations. They literally can't place all 250+ of the starting class at clinical sites (educational malpractice, really. If this happened at a US school, they be shut down by LCME or COCA, and sued.

The Carib (and other offshore) schools have very tenuous, very expensive, very controversial relationships with a very small number of US clinical sites. You may think you can just ask to do your clinical rotations at a site near home. Nope. You may think you don't have to worry about this stuff. Wrong.

And let's say you get through med school in the Carib and get what you need out of the various clinical rotation scenarios. Then you are in the match gamble. I don't need to say a word about this - you can find everything you need to know at nrmp.org.

You really need to talk to people who made it through Carib threshing machine (like Bedevilled Ben or mikkus) into residency, and hear the story from them. How many people were in their class at the start, how many are in it now? How long did it take to get a residency, and how did they handle the gap year(s) and their student loans? How many residencies did they apply to, how many interviews did they get, and were any of the programs on their match list anything like what they wanted?

A little light reading:

Million $ Mistake

http://www.tameersiddiqui.com/medical-school-at-sgu

"Why didn't I Match?"

There seems to be a lot of discussion lately on this topic, including a lot of fear-mongering anecdotes with an undercurrent of innuendo that odds are you will necessarily fail if you go to the Caribbean. With that said, I'm sharing an article from the AMA's blog about why applicants/soon-to-be...

forums.studentdoctor.net

 

[Engrailed]

The point here isn't that there are successful Carib grads. The point is how many additional obstacles to success you face by going to a Carib school.

The pool of US applicants from the Caribbean is viewed differently by Program Directors. The DDx for a Caribbean grad is pretty off-putting: bad judgment, bad advice, egotism, gullibility, overbearing parents, inability to delay gratification, IA's, legal problems, weak research skills, high risk behavior. This is not to say that all of them still have the quality that drew them into this situation. There is just no way to know which ones they are. Some PD's are in a position where they need to, or can afford to take risks too! So, some do get interviews.

Bad grades and scores are the least of the deficits from a PD's standpoint. A strong academic showing in a Caribbean medical school does not erase this stigma. It fact it increases the perception that the reason for the choice was on the above-mentioned list!

Just about everyone from a Caribbean school has one or more of these problems and PDs know it. That's why their grads are the last choice even with a high Step 1 score.

There was a time when folks whose only flaw was being a late bloomer went Carib, but those days are gone. There are a number of US med schools that will reward reinvention.

It's likely you'll be in the bottom half or two thirds of the class that gets dismissed before Step 1. The business plan of a Carib school depends on the majority of the class not needing to be supported in clinical rotations. They literally can't place all 250+ of the starting class at clinical sites (educational malpractice, really. If this happened at a US school, they be shut down by LCME or COCA, and sued.

The Carib (and other offshore) schools have very tenuous, very expensive, very controversial relationships with a very small number of US clinical sites. You may think you can just ask to do your clinical rotations at a site near home. Nope. You may think you don't have to worry about this stuff. Wrong.

And let's say you get through med school in the Carib and get what you need out of the various clinical rotation scenarios. Then you are in the match gamble. I don't need to say a word about this - you can find everything you need to know at nrmp.org.

You really need to talk to people who made it through Carib threshing machine (like Bedevilled Ben or mikkus) into residency, and hear the story from them. How many people were in their class at the start, how many are in it now? How long did it take to get a residency, and how did they handle the gap year(s) and their student loans? How many residencies did they apply to, how many interviews did they get, and were any of the programs on their match list anything like what they wanted?

A little light reading:

Million $ Mistake

http://www.tameersiddiqui.com/medical-school-at-sgu

"Why didn't I Match?"

There seems to be a lot of discussion lately on this topic, including a lot of fear-mongering anecdotes with an undercurrent of innuendo that odds are you will necessarily fail if you go to the Caribbean. With that said, I'm sharing an article from the AMA's blog about why applicants/soon-to-be...

forums.studentdoctor.net

Heh after this thread, i actually spent a good 10 mins looking thru the Ross univ website and they do impress with star students who made it to top residency programs (a lot of URMs idk if that correlates in any way) but what I was most surprised by was how they actually have hurricane disaster plans, a hurricane buddy system...
And of course the wealth of “gluten free, even organic options” at the local grocery.

To be a fly on the wall of that school...

 

[Splenda88]

That half of the courses are taught in Spanish so you have to be fluent AND learn both English & Spanish terms. That plus hurricanes, moving off the mainland and all the headaches that come along with moving to a community recovering from a natural disaster

Well, in that case, OP can spend 1 yr in Mexico/Puerto Rico to learn Spanish and apply to 3 of these PR schools that take mainlander. It's a heck of a lot better than going to a Carib school. In fact, I met a PGY5 radiology resident at a top US program last week who attended San Juan Bautista.

 

[710118]

I think opposite to what most think in this thread, the risk is worth it to some. I think if someone cant get into a US MD program because of grades or MCAT scores, they should not go caribbean. A post pac and some dedicated time to study for the MCAT will likely yield a US acceptance within 2 years. The people who I think should consider the caribbean are those with IA's. @Goro and others have mentioned that 5-10 years are needed for cheating IA's. Some IA's, like violence against a person, can possibly not be excused no matter how long someone waits. I don't think some stupid thing a kid did in sophomore year should ruin the rest of his life 4 years later. I think that all people, even those with felonies or previously imprisoned can change. Tell me, wouldnt a former ex convict turned doctor inspire others if he or she worked in a prison for example? Wouldnt that vulnerable population trust them?

I think someone with that sort of IA should 100 percent go Caribbean--it wasn't the grades holding them back from a US MD acceptance and so they have a better shot at matching because they are capable of doing well.

 

[Tenk]

The best Caribbean school is the one that rejects you so you don’t make the mistake of going to the Caribbean.

 

[Cornfed101]

I think opposite to what most think in this thread, the risk is worth it to some. I think if someone cant get into a US MD program because of grades or MCAT scores, they should not go caribbean. A post pac and some dedicated time to study for the MCAT will likely yield a US acceptance within 2 years. The people who I think should consider the caribbean are those with IA's. @Goro and others have mentioned that 5-10 years are needed for cheating IA's. Some IA's, like violence against a person, can possibly not be excused no matter how long someone waits. I don't think some stupid thing a kid did in sophomore year should ruin the rest of his life 4 years later. I think that all people, even those with felonies or previously imprisoned can change. Tell me, wouldnt a former ex convict turned doctor inspire others if he or she worked in a prison for example? Wouldnt that vulnerable population trust them?

I think someone with that sort of IA should 100 percent go Caribbean--it wasn't the grades holding them back from a US MD acceptance and so they have a better shot at matching because they are capable of doing well.

Maybe if it was only an IA. The problem with felonies, especially violence against another person, is not getting into medical school (although this would be more difficult). The problem is getting licensed. How terrible would that be to waste a bunch of money in the Caribbean with a pipe dream and then be denied the ability to practice medicine?

Listen to this interview with a lawyer from the Premed years podcast.

https://medicalschoolhq.net/pmy-197-can-become-doctor-youve-arrested/

Don’t try to game the system or find loopholes. You will lose. If you have a felony or any crime against another person, your journey is over.

 

[Engrailed]

The best Caribbean school is the one that rejects you so you don’t make the mistake of going to the Caribbean.

Best answer on this thread

 

[710118]

Maybe if it was only an IA. The problem with felonies, especially violence against another person, is not getting into medical school (although this would be more difficult). The problem is getting licensed. How terrible would that be to waste a bunch of money in the Caribbean with a pipe dream and then be denied the ability to practice medicine?

Listen to this interview with a lawyer from the Premed years podcast.

https://medicalschoolhq.net/pmy-197-can-become-doctor-youve-arrested/

Don’t try to game the system or find loopholes. You will lose. If you have a felony or any crime against another person, your journey is over.

*denied to practice medicine in the US. One can likely still work as a doctor in another country

 

[Splenda88]

As I advise all students: you should try at least two cycles for both US MD and DO with a year break in between for academic repair and enhancement before considering off-shore schools.

I agree... 50% chance of matching is not a good odd IMO... I would do PA/NP before embarking in that kind of endeavor. I guess the supposedly 'prestige' of being called Dr. so and so is hard for some people to ignore.

 

[penpenclown]

Hey if you don't match, you can always do...whatever this is.

 

[MS3student]

I am a current Caribbean medical student and I have personally had a great experience. I go to SGU in Grenada and I am currently in my 3rd year doing my clinical rotations in Brooklyn, NY. I can't speak for other Caribbean medical schools, but SGU definitely made me well prepared to take the step 1 exam and succeed in my currently clinical rotations. With any Caribbean medical school, I think the thing to keep in mind is that what you put in is what you get out. If you're willing to work hard then you will be successful. I chose to go to a Caribbean medical school because I didn't want to take a post-bac and take the MCAT multiple times and become burnt out/discouraged before even beginning medical school. If you don't think that will be an issue for you then that's fine, but I started medical excited to learn and ready to work hard, so I believe this was the right choice for me.

As for which Caribbean medical school is the best, like I said, I can't speak for other medical schools. However, SGU is accredited in the US so students take the normal USMLE Step exams and there's no additional foreign medical school exam. Additionally, SGU provides your 3rd year core rotations, whereas other schools may make you schedule your own. Something else I really liked was the fact that all of the students were very supportive. SGU doesn't grade on a curve so you find yourself competing less with other students. This provides a great environment for group studying and collaborating with your peers.

 

[IMGASMD]

I am a current Caribbean medical student and I have personally had a great experience. I go to SGU in Grenada and I am currently in my 3rd year doing my clinical rotations in Brooklyn, NY. I can't speak for other Caribbean medical schools, but SGU definitely made me well prepared to take the step 1 exam and succeed in my currently clinical rotations. With any Caribbean medical school, I think the thing to keep in mind is that what you put in is what you get out. If you're willing to work hard then you will be successful. I chose to go to a Caribbean medical school because I didn't want to take a post-bac and take the MCAT multiple times and become burnt out/discouraged before even beginning medical school. If you don't think that will be an issue for you then that's fine, but I started medical excited to learn and ready to work hard, so I believe this was the right choice for me.

As for which Caribbean medical school is the best, like I said, I can't speak for other medical schools. However, SGU is accredited in the US so students take the normal USMLE Step exams and there's no additional foreign medical school exam. Additionally, SGU provides your 3rd year core rotations, whereas other schools may make you schedule your own. Something else I really liked was the fact that all of the students were very supportive. SGU doesn't grade on a curve so you find yourself competing less with other students. This provides a great environment for group studying and collaborating with your peers.

 

[deomnibusdubitandum]

I am a current Caribbean medical student and I have personally had a great experience. I go to SGU in Grenada and I am currently in my 3rd year doing my clinical rotations in Brooklyn, NY. I can't speak for other Caribbean medical schools, but SGU definitely made me well prepared to take the step 1 exam and succeed in my currently clinical rotations. With any Caribbean medical school, I think the thing to keep in mind is that what you put in is what you get out. If you're willing to work hard then you will be successful. I chose to go to a Caribbean medical school because I didn't want to take a post-bac and take the MCAT multiple times and become burnt out/discouraged before even beginning medical school. If you don't think that will be an issue for you then that's fine, but I started medical excited to learn and ready to work hard, so I believe this was the right choice for me.

As for which Caribbean medical school is the best, like I said, I can't speak for other medical schools. However, SGU is accredited in the US so students take the normal USMLE Step exams and there's no additional foreign medical school exam. Additionally, SGU provides your 3rd year core rotations, whereas other schools may make you schedule your own. Something else I really liked was the fact that all of the students were very supportive. SGU doesn't grade on a curve so you find yourself competing less with other students. This provides a great environment for group studying and collaborating with your peers.

I am a little concerned that your profile was literally created today. Did you make a profile specifically to post this response?

 

[MS3student]

I am a little concerned that your profile was literally created today. Did you make a profile specifically to post this response?

I just joined today and saw a post I felt I could provide a helpful answer for. Not really sure why this is relevant?

 

[deleted972488]

I just joined today and saw a post I felt I could provide a helpful answer for. Not really sure why this is relevant?

Because you could be an SGU sales representative posing as a student. Without a post history, it makes your student status questionable.

 

[MS3student]

Well I can't develop a post history without posting. I am a student and I said that in my message, not really sure what else to tell you.

 

[deleted972488]

Well I can't develop a post history without posting. I am a student and I said that in my message, not really sure what else to tell you.

I do not care, actually. I was just explaining why someone may have doubts.