Caribbean medical schools anyone?

[NaTuReB0Y]

I personally know someone who graduated from East Caribbean Medical School.....and he could not pass his board exam(I don't think they prepared you enough) after many attempts. He has the title "Doctor" from East Caribbean Medical School, but he can't practice shit. It's been like 12-13 years ---- and he's still a bum working odd jobs.....with his shiny East Caribbean Medical School diploma hanging proudly in his house. The sad thing is that he goes around bragging that he's a "doctor" ---- but people who know him personally know the truth.

He's one of my brother-in-laws................

Do the right thing.....study and pass the MCAT and get into a real medical school.

[akack79]

OP can't be serious, or is he?? Anyhow, got a chuckle out of it.

[E(@M#]

if you are capable of not only learning more than what is taught to you in the caribbean, and able to pass the usmle's in accordance....then yes...but i would highly advise against it


im quite sure there are numerous other certifications required as well

[zot09]

Originally Posted by Alpine

As a student who studied for 7 months for the MCAT and is currently applying to US MD schools, I have a few opinions on the subject.

If you're not willing to study for a test, how do you plan on succeeding in a career where you are constantly studying new procedures, medications, and research so that you are always at the top of your game? For a physician to keep up, one must continually attend seminars and read primary literature. If you have the audacity to think you're willing to learn for the rest of your life, but not willing to learn for an entrance exam, then I don't think your future is bright at all.

To answer your question, to include all Caribbean schools in one category is unfair. Do a little research and you will find that only a few give an MD degree that will allow practice inside the US. The one's that do not require the MCAT are most-likely the schools that the US does not recognize. Take a look at the Big 4. You must take the MCAT, but you only have to do better than a monkey to get in.
The problems with Caribbean schools are residency and prestige. 95%+ of available residencies in the United States are taken by graduating U.S. MD students. Roughly 4% is then taken by U.S. DO students. The remaining residencies are left over for Carib and foreign med students. These spots are only filled by the best of the best, and unfortunately, Carib schools aren't exactly known for their high USMLE Step 1 scores, which means odds are HIGHLY against you to get one of these competitive residencies.
Prestige, IMHO, is superficial. The Big 4 really do prepare students for a career in medicine, but they just don't have a good reputation because of certain schools who will literally let a monkey with a checking account matriculate. While in the real world, nobody knows where a physician graduated medical school, but in certain cases, the difference in gaining a patient's trust is determined by the credibility of their medical school. I've talked to people who feel this way, and it annoys me, but that's just how it is.

My advice to you:
Take the MCAT. If you really don't want to study, then don't. But take it. If you do well, go US MD. If you do ok try US DO schools. If you suck it up, THEN try the Big 4 Carib schools. If you score lower than a monkey, please do not be a physician.

Research www.studentdoctor.net. Read up on everything you want, because it's a forum bigger than bimmerpost^2.

After I read your first sentence, I was expecting a very biased answer(most US applicants on SDN don't really know anything about Caribbean Med. schools and look down upon it without any hard evidence to back up their opinions), but what you said was pretty much true and unbiased.

To the OP, if you can get into a US med. school, DO IT! It will probably save you a lot of trouble later on down the road when you're trying to match. But if you can't I would suggest looking at the "big 4", as stated by Alpine. All of the others are just shady and have too many horror stories to even consider attending. I'm not sure about NY, but CA will only allow graduates from three carib. schools to practice in the state so you may want to find out what NY has to say about that(CA only allows graduates from SGU, ROSS, and AUC fyi). The majority of matching students from those schools match into non-competitive residencies, such as FM, IM, etc. But it isn't impossible to match into something difficult, such as derm., rad., anesth., etc. You just need to work harder and get better STEP scores than your US counterparts to prove that you're not a slacker and that you got a great education outside of the US(which you will at those three institutes).

One of my friends father graduated from AUC, and is now a VERY successful and respected cardiologist. But I'm sure he busted his ass...

Also, SGU>AUC>ROSS. and check out http://www.valuemd.com as stated by another poster.




EDIT: If you don't mind me asking, how did you do on the MCAT Alpine? I'm taking mine this upcoming March and planned on beginning my studies at the beginning of December(~3 1/2 months of studying), but the fact that you studied for 7 months is making me reconsider...haha Also did you take any review courses? I'm thinking about TPR, but I hear mixed reviews on it.

[The_Blob]

Considering the difficulty of getting accepting into medical schools these days, sometimes if you have no choice, you'll have to go into these Carribean medical schools if you're really desperate. The quality of education and people you will meet at these schools are low quality from what I have heard so I would totally avoid it. If you're truly lazy... well, you'll meet these lazy ass peope at these schools.

[zot09]

Originally Posted by The_Blob

Considering the difficulty of getting accepting into medical schools these days, sometimes if you have no choice, you'll have to go into these Carribean medical schools if you're really desperate. The quality of education and people you will meet at these schools are low quality from what I have heard so I would totally avoid it. If you're truly lazy... well, you'll meet these lazy ass peope at these schools.

Yeah, bc everyone that attends a Caribbean med. school is lazy...

[TiAg335i]

You obviously aren't up to the commitment required for an Allopathy school....I would recommend Osteopathy.

[zot09]

Originally Posted by TiAg335i

You obviously aren't up to the commitment required for an Allopathy school....I would recommend Osteopathy.

And exactly how would an osteopathic education be easier than an allopathic education? From my understanding, a DO studies the same thing as a MD except they also learn OMM.

[firstkill]

it doesnt matter where u go to school as long as its creditied
(i currently work at a large academic center)

Work with both US grads, Foreign grads, etc and theres crappy people everywhere.

The only thing a US med school can offer is to write a proper SOAP note. Its up to each individual to study for the rest.

as for getting into residency, Id work on step scores but ALSO start networking while you are in med school doing rotations. A HUGE benifit of going carribean is that you can chose what hospitals you want to rotate at. Impress the chief resident in whatever specialty you will have a leg up on your counter parts.

fk

[TiAg335i]

Originally Posted by zot09

And exactly how would an osteopathic education be easier than an allopathic education? From my understanding, a DO studies the same thing as a MD except they also learn OMM.

Osteopathic schools are *generally* easier to gain admittance into than Allopathic. I never said a D.O. education is easier than an M.D.

They are generally more forgiving in the set-in-stone GPA and MCAT cutoffs than M.D. schools.

[zot09]

Originally Posted by TiAg335i

Osteopathic schools are *generally* easier to gain admittance into than Allopathic. I never said a D.O. education is easier than an M.D.

They are generally more forgiving in the set-in-stone GPA and MCAT cutoffs than M.D. schools.

It was the way you wrote your previous post that made it sound that way. But yes, it is easier to gain admittance to a DO school.

[xraymd]

If you're going to skip the MCAT, what about USMLE steps I, II, III?

What about your specialty boards?

What about med school exams?

You are taking a big risk to get out of one test, and testing will be a part of your life if you go into medicine.

Heck, in radiology, even after you're in practice, you have to repeat boards every 10 years to keep your certification.

[firstkill]

why bother becoming a doctor. too much work. no appreciation. poor pay. no prestige.

fk

[ideliver]

Originally Posted by xraymd

Heck, in radiology, even after you're in practice, you have to repeat boards every 10 years to keep your certification.

Wait until you change to the Maintenance of Certification (MOC) that the ABMS is shoving down our throats.....

https://moc.acog.org/20071204HaleLtr.pdf

[schadenfreude]

Originally Posted by firstkill

why bother becoming a doctor. too much work. no appreciation. poor pay. no prestige.

fk

I only work 140-150 hours a month as an ED doc, I don't think that's too bad. As for the no appreciation and prestige, for the most part I can't argue (some of my patients are truly grateful, and those are the ones that make it all worth it). Pay isn't bad considering the hours, but I'm by no means rolling like a Fortune 500 CEO or Beverly Hills plastic surgeon.

[xraymd]

Originally Posted by ideliver

Wait until you change to the Maintenance of Certification (MOC) that the ABMS is shoving down our throats.....

https://moc.acog.org/20071204HaleLtr.pdf

Didn't want to reveal my age, but I'm grandfathered I'm good for life.

[firstkill]

Originally Posted by schadenfreude

I only work 140-150 hours a month as an ED doc, I don't think that's too bad. As for the no appreciation and prestige, for the most part I can't argue (some of my patients are truly grateful, and those are the ones that make it all worth it). Pay isn't bad considering the hours, but I'm by no means rolling like a Fortune 500 CEO or Beverly Hills plastic surgeon.

E med is fun
dont get along with u folk in academic setting
love u guys on the private side tho.

u guys need to get recertify offically for what reasons? I couldnt imagine you would lose privilages if you didnt re board.

fk

[schadenfreude]

Originally Posted by firstkill

E med is fun
dont get along with u folk in academic setting
love u guys on the private side tho.

u guys need to get recertify offically for what reasons? I couldnt imagine you would lose privilages if you didnt re board.

fk

We have annual recert exams to make sure we stay up on the landmark research, and big exams every 10 years. I just finished residency in the last couple years though, so I haven't had to do anything yet except the written boards, with orals this fall.

[its ray den]

if you're lazy, go to PA school.