An article by van Zanten et al published in the June 2009 edition of Academic Medicine reviews some of the processes by which Caribbean medical schools undergo external quality assurance. The competition for getting into medical school in the U.S. is so fierce that tons of American students are being driven to foreign schools to get medical training. Go out to the street and ask every individual that walks by you: "if you had the option, who would you rather seek for medical treatment? Junior in college??? Although PR's are US citizens, it does not appear that the medical programs are comparable to the US since 37 states will not license them without additional US training (such as a residency). But on a whole the people I know that went to DO and Carribean schools went because they couldn't get into allopathic medical schools. I really wanted to go to school in the mainland but my score proved a challenge. My answer is: who cares? I'm headed down to SGU in a couple of weeks and have been a little nervous about residency placement. I've been a Paramedic for 19 years and I'm very skilled and competent. Are students allowed to do elective rotations? Does the school provide guidance to help with the match process? My son was recently accepted to an American Medical School and he was very fortunate. If you do goto caribbean medical school. Some of the medicine being practiced was questionable at best. school has much MUCH better chances of attaining that residency as compared to that of Carib grads. Steve, they have been saying that for years yet the number of residents fron foreign medical schools have not really decreased. I also agree that getting a great residency/fellowship program is more important than where one attended medical school. Many other states defer to California’s approval for the purpose of licensure because most do not have their own approval process. carib over do in a heartbeat.who is up for 5000 hours of omm? We also provide reviews, facts, and questions and answers for schools on our site and offer you access to get valuable information from colleges and universities today. all of this depends on the specialty you choose to practice. It's probably not even worth looking into. I'm sorry for a typo in the previous post.. actually "...for a person with low stats like me". There certainly are many carib students matching to great places in great specialties. Come on. Did you get your first choice Amy (both for residency and fellowship)? I came to Germany without realizing the potential disadvantages I'd have when applying for a residency back home. I will be applying to medical school this year and I will be applying to these US accredited medical schools as realistically my college GPA (University of Florida) is low due to family/personal problems. Are MCATs required to submit an application? Thank you for seeing and saying so clearly. With the osteopathic route, you get to stay in the US for the entire four years instead of travelling thousands of miles away to a third world country. Do most students fund their education using outside loans or scholarships? What percentage of first year students graduate? No hostility, just providing my insight into what I was told in person at several programs in anesthesia only. I graduated Cornell University with a BS in Engineering, but with a GPA of 2.87. In the medical field, where a doctor does his/or her training is very important in how well respected they are and how much they will be paid. The bottom line is that if there are more medical graduates, it will get harder for anyone to get a competitive residency, no matter if FMG or US grad. The point is that Ross University accepts students who do not succeed in their studies. America's Admissions Experts ... Medical Schools in Puerto Rico. “I think you are going to see a rebuilding of Puerto Rico,” he said. grad will have a much better shot at competitive residencies than the Caribbean grad. If you do well on your boards then it will speak for itself. I'm still waiting for AUC. Another recent study by van Zanten and Boulet published in Academic Medicine examines the quality of medical education in the Caribbean. it is true that some programs wont even open your file. No one is talking about the living condition in caribbean.. It helps to attend a well-established Caribbean school, perform well on the USMLE Steps 1 and 2, and obtain strong letters of recommendations. As always, the top, high paying jobs in the U.S. go to people trainined at the top U.S. colleges/universities. Please do not keep reiterating that a DO equals an MD - this is simply not true, and maybe you then should have reapplied to MD programs in the first place. But, WHO ARE YOU TO SAY THAT STUDENTS WHO GO TO THE CARIBBEAN, DIDN'T WORK THERE ASS OFF. ??? I was warned that going to a foreign medical school would be a "dead end path". Three, there is a real bias against Caribbean schools. The originators of the school back in the 80s had some difficulties placing 3rd and 4th year students in clerkships, the core clerkships Med, Peds, Surg, Psyh, OB-Gyn but managed to make some solid inroads. All of us right? Everyone of the physicians that dared to treat the people in my community were trained in medical schools outside of the US. The DR in OHio who was credited with the first facial reconstructive surgery ( plastic surgeon) is an IMG.....same as numerous reputable doctors produced from schools outside the United States. I dont see any difference btw these schools and the best of school(s) in the United States. As long as it says "doctor" and it allows me to be licensed in the U.S.A it will work for me. As for the Carib schools each of those big four post their match lists and instead of stating "carib matches better or DO matches better" compare them. There is a LOT of anti Americanism down there, you have no civil rights no landlord tenant rights and most important no academic rights. Any medical school gives you the chance to take USMLE's. I went to a Caribbean medical school and stuggled to finish but I eventually did. ALL PuertoRican Schools are LCME accredited (I can tell you this because I was part of the Accreditation Student Comittee that represented my school The School of Medicine of the University of Puerto Rico is "state" funded. The correct comparison is between Nurse Practitioner and PA. Knowing if the state in which you intend to practice recognizes your school is also important. In recent years, Caribbean students with strong academic and clinical performances have been able to obtain competitive residency positions at an increasing rate. Here's a brief summary for all who are thinking about med school abroad. Do you know how I/we got over that....we rocked the USMLE. RUSM requires a letter of good standing from a local police department, btw. Private schools on the other hand, usually don't have a specific number of spots they need to fill with in state residents, so the acceptance rates at these schools don't differ in state compared with out of state. schools. I moved here after a semester of medical school and I was moved back to get a college degree first, but I will honestly say I didn't need one in the first place coz all the classes I attended I got very sharp As. Anyone ever heard of this program? End of story. this is not true DO schools are all private and they are crazy expensive my school in caribbean costs 6,750 a semester. Bravo!!!! I was able to do the first two years in one year, so it will total 5 years until I'm done. If you get a score of above 20, you can give it a shot. The FMGs you are talking about (the one's that kiss butt to get into FM) are definitely a large portion of all foreign-trained physicians, probably predominantly from non-English speaking countries, and who are utterly unprepared for the US boards and just passed them on the third try. This is because in state medical schools are funded by the state, so they have a specific number of slots that must be allotted to in state students. I am a volunteer at an Orphanage, I am a champion debator and i have written 67 poems (i have not published as yet) in standard english, Shakespearean English, Creole and Spanish. You must REALLY, TRULY want to be a doctor for all the right reasons...altruism etc. ", Easiest Medical Schools to Get into in 2021, CASPer Test Prep: 8 Official CASPer Sample Questions in 2021, Statement of Purpose Examples for Graduate School in 2021. The osteopathic DO degree is a very strong alternative to the US-trained MD degree. Thanks again. (for example in England you have the M.B.B.S. Well, a lot are accredited, but only four are FULLY accredited, which makes their graduates eligible to practice in all 50 states and Canada (those are AUC, SGU, Ross, and Saba). schools like RUSM, SGU, AUC (also founders of the colorado DO school!) should i consider applying to Medical University of Americas? You comment was right on target and congratulations to you on a job well done. Check out medical school personal statement examples to know the quality of thought and writing expected from applicants. My experience comes from what programs have told me and what my FMG friends have told me...that's it. Some students are also able to ”prematch” into residency positions outside of the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). As I said before, just passing along information that was given to me at my interviews. Funny thing, I was on my way to school this morning and a woman stopped me and asked where a local hospital was. Success will be obtained. Some above have mentioned above that DO is something that nobody knows about. Very good article - definitely helpful for anyone considering a Caribbean medical school, which is probably a great alternative for many. Unfortunately you cannot simply apply and enroll in most European medical schools. When their lives are in danger, these patients dont give a crap where you graduated from. I believe you make the school, not the other way around so if I get accepted I will try my best to make the best grades I can by using all the resources presented to me by the school so that I can get into a good residency. This year is my second time applying to US medical schools. © 2013-2021 BeMo Academic Consulting Inc. Surely there have been caribbean grads go into neuro, ortho, radiology etc... but these are largely exceptions and I think the author does a disservice by really sugar coating this issue. degree IS recognized in most foreign countries. And no, you should not submit your MCAT It is so low that it would definitely hurt you. I am planning to transfer, but I can't find any info about it. Purposely 'weeding out' people=less money for the school in the long run=bad for business. But seriously man, all you have no experience with Caribbean schools do provide a more approach... 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