Caribbean 2 yrs and USA 2yrs medical schools?

[floatingribs]

So someone was telling me that there's medical programs where u do the first 2 yrs of med school in the Caribbean and the last 2 in the states. I never heard of anything like it, but they knew someone in a program like so I was wondering if you guys knew the names of these universities or similar programs like this one. Or like what to search in general b/c I'm not getting any hits.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Say]

Almost all carib programs do the first two years on the islands and then the last two years mainland. They often rotate through community hospitals during their clinical years.

 

[DO2015CA]

Just don't do it

 

[gyngyn]

None of these "programs" are US medical schools.
This is just another way to trick the naive applicant.
Apparently, it works...

 

[ChrisMack390]

This might actually be one of the worst parts of going to a Carib school. You end up doing all of your clinicals in crappy hospitals all over the country. Imagine having to find housing and such in upstate New York, then Louisiana, then Nebraska, then back to NY, etc. every 4-8 weeks.

 

[Azete]

This might actually be one of the worst parts of going to a Carib school. You end up doing all of your clinicals in crappy hospitals all over the country. Imagine having to find housing and such in upstate New York, then Louisiana, then Nebraska, then back to NY, etc. every 4-8 weeks.

This sounds like a nightmare to me and you, but plenty of young people would see this as a positive.

 

[Ho0v-man]

This has a very good description of clinical years at a Caribbean school. It sounds horrifying.


https://milliondollarmistake.wordpress.com


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[Goro]

I happened to meet a neighbor the other day who told me that his daughter is in one of these diploma Mills.

I didn't have the heart to tell him what a world of hurt she is in.

None of these "programs" are US medical schools.
This is just another way to trick the naive applicant.
Apparently, it works...

 

[ChrisMack390]

This sounds like a nightmare to me and you, but plenty of young people would see this as a positive.

Eh not really. I have interviewed at 2 US schools that have rotation sites across the country and consider it a selling point at both of them. They are done in reputable hospitals and the schools provide either housing or financial assistance for housing/travel. You also have at least some degree of control over when you go to them and which ones, even if its via a lottery system.

Read that million dollar mistake blog - what the Carib schools do is very different.

 

[IlDestriero]

This might actually be one of the worst parts of going to a Carib school. You end up doing all of your clinicals in crappy hospitals all over the country. Imagine having to find housing and such in upstate New York, then Louisiana, then Nebraska, then back to NY, etc. every 4-8 weeks.

Exciting travel opportunities!
Make lifelong connections across the US!
Explore the country and discover our own diversity!
Yes! I'm in!


--
Il Destriero

 

[IlDestriero]

Then I'll join the Navy and see the world!
(Oh wait, I already did that.)
I'll just vacation in the Caribbean I guess.


--
Il Destriero

 

[evilbooyaa]

This sounds like a nightmare to me and you, but plenty of young people would see this as a positive.

Only when the school helps with setting up housing for the students... which Carrib doesn't do.

 

[OnePunchBiopsy]

We had Caribbean medical students rotate with us at a rural childrens hospital. While my classmates were expected to print round sheets, get vitals/I&O's/Labs/numbers and contribute during rounds, the Caribbean medical students seemed to only be shadowing, despite the fact we were all 3rd years.

Let that sink in.

Caribbean medical schools are not worth the risk. Plus they are very expensive.

 

[DNC127]

This has a very good description of clinical years at a Caribbean school. It sounds horrifying.


https://milliondollarmistake.wordpress.com


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

Dude.. that blog depressed me. Guy had a 260 step 1, 272 step 2, and just a handful of low quality IM interviews for residency to show for it. Dang.

 

[njtrimed]

As a US MD student who has followed SDN since 2008, I'm still not counting the Caribbean schools out based on my limited experience. I know for sure that St. George (Grenada) and AUC are paying hospitals to place their top students. I have friends from these schools who are now surgeons, whereas other classmates at CA and NY schools are worried about matching. Can someone explain exactly why going this route is practically a death sentence? I'm MS1 at a decent mid-tier NYC-area institution, and to the best of my knowledge, I'm not at any advantage over a Caribbean student with the same Step 1 score.

 

[the argus]

As a US MD student who has followed SDN since 2008, I'm still not counting the Caribbean schools out based on my limited experience. I know for sure that St. George (Grenada) and AUC are paying hospitals to place their top students. I have friends from these schools who are now surgeons, whereas other classmates at CA and NY schools are worried about matching. Can someone explain exactly why going this route is practically a death sentence? I'm MS1 at a decent mid-tier NYC-area institution, and to the best of my knowledge, I'm not at any advantage over a Caribbean student with the same Step 1 score.

As with most things in life, the truth lies somewhere in the middle.

The Caribbean is not the death sentence that it is made out to be on SDN. Many people who post on this subject are biased with an agenda, unknowledgeable and uninformed, or both, and hence there is a lot of misinformation. The big Caribbean schools have very significant attrition rates (~25%) due to their lax admission standards, there is little room for error (i.e. no failing USMLE), and you are limited in specialty choice for residency. That said, thousands of people still match into residency each year and go on to be practicing physicians. When I graduated from on of the big Caribbean schools, it was ~70% of people that started in MS1 that went on to match, with the majority in FM, IM, and psych, and modest amounts in things like gen surg, EM, OBGYN, etc. The most competitive specialties (ortho, derm, ophtho, etc) are basically off limits with very few exceptions. Matches are in what are considered low to mid tier programs.

As a USMD, you are at an incredible advantage over a Caribbean grad (or DO for that matter) regardless of USMLE score, and it's not even close. This is true for both specialty and tier of program within specialty. There's really not much more to be said, there are documents from the NRMP that clearly demonstrate this. Your friends in CA and NY are worried about matching because med students are neurotic. If they are at an MD institution, they have nothing to worry about.

 

[ChrisMack390]

As with most things in life, the truth lies somewhere in the middle.

The Caribbean is not the death sentence that it is made out to be on SDN. Many people who post on this subject are biased with an agenda, unknowledgeable and uninformed, or both, and hence there is a lot of misinformation. The big Caribbean schools have very significant attrition rates (~25%) due to their lax admission standards, there is little room for error (i.e. no failing USMLE), and you are limited in specialty choice for residency. That said, thousands of people still match into residency each year and go on to be practicing physicians. When I graduated from on of the big Caribbean schools, it was ~70% of people that started in MS1 that went on to match, with the majority in FM, IM, and psych, and modest amounts in things like gen surg, EM, OBGYN, etc. The most competitive specialties (ortho, derm, ophtho, etc) are basically off limits with very few exceptions. Matches are in what are considered low to mid tier programs.

As a USMD, you are at an incredible advantage over a Caribbean grad (or DO for that matter) regardless of USMLE score, and it's not even close. This is true for both specialty and tier of program within specialty. There's really not much more to be said, there are documents from the NRMP that clearly demonstrate this. Your friends in CA and NY are worried about matching because med students are neurotic. If they are at an MD institution, they have nothing to worry about.

Don't forget that the % of Carib students that match is going down each year, and after 2020 when the MD and DO matches merge they will be effectively shut out.

 

[the argus]

Don't forget that the % of Carib students that match is going down each year, and after 2020 when the MD and DO matches merge they will be effectively shut out.

Yea neither of those things are true at all

 

[Ho0v-man]

Dude.. that blog depressed me. Guy had a 260 step 1, 272 step 2, and just a handful of low quality IM interviews for residency to show for it. Dang.

I feel like the real lesson is that university IM programs aren't going to fall all over your step score when your application is clearly geared toward ortho.

I can't believe he didn't get an interview anywhere though.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[Winged Scapula]

We had Caribbean medical students rotate with us at a rural childrens hospital. While my classmates were expected to print round sheets, get vitals/I&O's/Labs/numbers and contribute during rounds, the Caribbean medical students seemed to only be shadowing, despite the fact we were all 3rd years.

Let that sink in.

Caribbean medical schools are not worth the risk. Plus they are very expensive.

Why is that? It's hard to fathom that their own school would tell them they don't have to do anything. Why wouldn't the requirements to be the same for all students regardless of school of origin?


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[ChrisMack390]

Yea neither of those things are true at all

The DO and MD processes aren't merging? They have not stated that this is part of the reason why?

 

[Goro]

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!

Cue Argus to come in, sputtering about NRMP results.

As a US MD student who has followed SDN since 2008, I'm still not counting the Caribbean schools out based on my limited experience. I know for sure that St. George (Grenada) and AUC are paying hospitals to place their top students. I have friends from these schools who are now surgeons, whereas other classmates at CA and NY schools are worried about matching. Can someone explain exactly why going this route is practically a death sentence? I'm MS1 at a decent mid-tier NYC-area institution, and to the best of my knowledge, I'm not at any advantage over a Caribbean student with the same Step 1 score.

 

[the argus]

The DO and MD processes aren't merging? They have not stated that this is part of the reason why?

DO and MD residencies are merging. There's never been any logical argument as to why this alone would push out IMGs. The 2 things that also aren't true are that caribbean match percentage is going down and that caribbean grads will be shut out after 2020.

IMGs are entering ACGME residencies in the same numbers (6,500-7,000/year) that they have for past 10+ years. And through the NRMP, US-IMGs match percentage has been going up (minimally, and the all-in policy played a role in this).
http://www.nrmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Main-Match-Results-and-Data-2016.pdf
http://www.acgme.org/About-Us/Publi...Graduate-Medical-Education-Data-Resource-Book

No one who has actually looked at the numbers thinks IMGs will be shut out post merger. There's a NEJM article from last year where they looked at it and said best guess there will still be ~4,500 positions for IMGs in 2024, as opposed to 6,500-7,000 now.
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1511707?rss=searchAndBrowse&#t=article


And everyone knows that non-physicians who teach basic science at an osteopathic medical school are experts when it comes to how US-IMGs are viewed by ACGME residency PDs . Clearly, that person would have the experience and expertise to make such claims...

And someone like that must also be quite the scientist if they think using actual numbers to back up your assertions is a bad thing.

 

[JAFERD]

Lots of misinformation on this thread! If you have the option, no question that you go to a US MD school over Caribbean. However, not everyone gets in to a US MD school and for those people, Caribbean can be a good option. Not all Caribbean schools are created equal though. If you're looking in that direction, you should be looking at schools that are accredited by all 50 states (CA, specifically). These include SGU, AUC, Ross, Saba, that I'm aware of. If you go to any of these schools and do well, you'll most likely get a residency spot. Yes, the Caribbean schools are all for-profit, but that doesn't mean that they don't care about their students, don't devote significant resources to helping them succeed, or don't turn out exceptional physicians. There is absolutely no way to distinguish a US vs Caribbean grad once you get to residency, based on experience, knowledge, or skill.

The curriculum is mostly identical to US med schools and most of the professors are from US med schools (often on vacation, some retired there). First two years are spent on the island and the clinical years are mostly in the US, although there are opportunities to do some of the rotations in Europe (UK, Ireland, etc) if you want. You take the same exams at the same times and apply for residency spots mostly the same way. Some of the clinical spots are in crappy hospitals, many/most are not in bad hospitals. Also, the fact that a hospital isn't a large university hospital does not mean that you won't get a great education. You're fighting with tons of other students and residents in many big university hospitals and may actually have a better experience in the smaller hospitals.

All of that said, there is absolutely a huge (completely unnecessary and baseless) bias against Caribbean grads by most PD's when it comes to residency applications. Of course, some PD's are actually caribbean grads, and others have worked with enough to know that Caribbean grads are indistinguishable from similarly qualified US grads. But, those PD's are in the minority. If you do well in school, pass the boards, do well in clinical years, and don't screw up the interview, you'll likely get a spot somewhere. It may very well be primary care, and it may not be your first choice. However, there are still Caribbean grads matching into radiology, EM, ortho, gen surg, and other competitive specialties. It will be more difficult, but it is not impossible by any means. If you can get a clinical rotation somewhere you want to do residency and impress the other residents and faculty, that will mean far more than where you graduate from!

In summary, anyone who tells you that they got into US med schools, but chose the Caribbean because they wanted to study on the beach, is full of it. That would be an awful decision and no one does that. However, med school is competitive and lots of qualified applicants don't get in. For those students, Caribbean schools are another option to ultimately get where you want to be, although there will be some more obstacles to get there.

 

[evilbooyaa]

If you can't get into a US MD school, you should go to a DO school before you ever consider stepping foot on the beaches of the Caribbean.

You can look at the bias from people that obviously did their schooling in the Caribbean (the argus, JAFERD) that are still trying to sell their pathway as anything besides a back-door into medicine into the US. The level of support that a US MD school will provide to maximize your chance for residency in the field and/or location you want is head and shoulders above Caribbean (and honestly above at least 1 DO school).

Carib grad matching into ortho? Theoretically possible, but that's a pipe dream I wouldn't consider if one is going to the Carib. Radiology is probably the easiest out of the 'competitive' specialty list in the above post, but only at low, possibly mid-tier places. Gen Surg and EM are likely out of reach for 95% of Carib grads as well.

 

[the argus]

If you can't get into a US MD school, you should go to a DO school before you ever consider stepping foot on the beaches of the Caribbean.

You can look at the bias from people that obviously did their schooling in the Caribbean (the argus, JAFERD) that are still trying to sell their pathway as anything besides a back-door into medicine into the US. The level of support that a US MD school will provide to maximize your chance for residency in the field and/or location you want is head and shoulders above Caribbean (and honestly above at least 1 DO school).

Carib grad matching into ortho? Theoretically possible, but that's a pipe dream I wouldn't consider if one is going to the Carib. Radiology is probably the easiest out of the 'competitive' specialty list in the above post, but only at low, possibly mid-tier places. Gen Surg and EM are likely out of reach for 95% of Carib grads as well.

Dude, who's trying to sell anything? Did you read my post? I said the same thing that you just did.

The problem with people like you is you see anything other "never consider the Caribbean" and assume the person is trying to sell something. I couldn't care less if the Caribbean schools all closed tomorrow, it wouldn't affect my life one bit.

 

[ChrisMack390]

@the argus why did you choose to go Carib?

 

[W19]

As a US MD student who has followed SDN since 2008, I'm still not counting the Caribbean schools out based on my limited experience. I know for sure that St. George (Grenada) and AUC are paying hospitals to place their top students. I have friends from these schools who are now surgeons, whereas other classmates at CA and NY schools are worried about matching. Can someone explain exactly why going this route is practically a death sentence? I'm MS1 at a decent mid-tier NYC-area institution, and to the best of my knowledge, I'm not at any advantage over a Caribbean student with the same Step 1 score.

You are probably not on the same plane field with a Carib student if you are from a decent mid tier MD (let say Stony Brook), but if you are attending a bottom 10 US MD school, I believe you are not on a higher ground than students from the BIG 4.

 

[Taddy Mason]

...but if you are attending a bottom 10 US MD school, I believe you are not on a higher ground than students from the BIG 4.

 

[the argus]

@the argus why did you choose to go Carib?

I was a nontraditional applicant with a good MCAT and postbac science GPA, but very poor undergrad degree GPA and overall GPA. I applied to USMD schools for 2 cycles, got some interviews and was on a few waitlists, but never got an acceptance. I try to be an honest person, so I didn't want to fake enthusiasm for osteopathic medicine at an interview or give my money to an institution that teaches OMM, so I looked at the Caribbean schools.

I knew I wanted to do IM, and when I actually looked at the data and despite the nonsense that is pushed on SDN by people like Goro, residency outcomes for high achieving Caribbean grads in IM is comparable to DO. I was confident in my ability to handle the workload (poor GPA was due to effort not ability), so going to the Caribbean really wasn't that difficult of a choice.

 

[the argus]

You are probably not on the same plane field with a Carib student if you are from a decent mid tier MD (let say Stony Brook), but if you are attending a bottom 10 US MD school, I believe you are not on a higher ground than students from the BIG 4.

You really need to quit it with this nonsense...

 

[jw3600]

You are probably not on the same plane field with a Carib student if you are from a decent mid tier MD (let say Stony Brook), but if you are attending a bottom 10 US MD school, I believe you are not on a higher ground than students from the BIG 4.

Honestly, you should be banned for being the most UNinformed, yet frequent poster on SDN. It is god damn embarrassing.

Edit: forgot a very important modifier

 

[ChrisMack390]

You are probably not on the same plane field with a Carib student if you are from a decent mid tier MD (let say Stony Brook), but if you are attending a bottom 10 US MD school, I believe you are not on a higher ground than students from the BIG 4.

When @the argus says you're full of **** about Carib schools, you are.

 

[Dr.Jekyll75]

I feel like Every Caribbean School Post is broken record. Go where you want. We all make choices, but in the end, our choices make us. so be prepared for the consequence or reward

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Dude.. that blog depressed me. Guy had a 260 step 1, 272 step 2, and just a handful of low quality IM interviews for residency to show for it. Dang.

This blog and story gets brought up frequently. The key part of the story is that he was "ortho or bust". And then couldn't get an ortho spot (or was unwilling to do the multiple years of research that would have required). So then when he applies after a few years for IM positions, no one is interested. His "mistake" was thinking that ortho was a real possibility from his school, and/or not recognizing that he was going to need to do multiple research years in the right program to make this work. Any carib applicant coming from one of the better schools with those USMLE's, good grades and LORs, and applying to IM is going to do just fine.

 

[evilbooyaa]

You are probably not on the same plane field with a Carib student if you are from a decent mid tier MD (let say Stony Brook), but if you are attending a bottom 10 US MD school, I believe you are not on a higher ground than students from the BIG 4.

You never fail to amaze me with the quantity and quality of dumb crap that you say routinely on these forums.

 

[evilbooyaa]

Dude, who's trying to sell anything? Did you read my post? I said the same thing that you just did.

The problem with people like you is you see anything other "never consider the Caribbean" and assume the person is trying to sell something. I couldn't care less if the Caribbean schools all closed tomorrow, it wouldn't affect my life one bit.

I didn't say never consider the Caribbean. I just said it should sensibly be the third option behind US MD and DO.

You're an honest person who didn't want to learn OMM? That is the only factor that stopped you from applying to DO schools?

Strange, but I guess I've heard stranger, even just a few posts ago in this thread.

 

[JAFERD]

If you can't get into a US MD school, you should go to a DO school before you ever consider stepping foot on the beaches of the Caribbean.

You can look at the bias from people that obviously did their schooling in the Caribbean (the argus, JAFERD) that are still trying to sell their pathway as anything besides a back-door into medicine into the US. The level of support that a US MD school will provide to maximize your chance for residency in the field and/or location you want is head and shoulders above Caribbean (and honestly above at least 1 DO school).

Carib grad matching into ortho? Theoretically possible, but that's a pipe dream I wouldn't consider if one is going to the Carib. Radiology is probably the easiest out of the 'competitive' specialty list in the above post, but only at low, possibly mid-tier places. Gen Surg and EM are likely out of reach for 95% of Carib grads as well.

I think I made it pretty clear that you should try to get into the US schools before going to the Caribbean. Graduating from a US MD school will not make you a better doctor, but it will absolutely make it easier to get a competitive residency. However, the Caribbean is not a back door into medicine in the US, anymore than DO school (which is to say, it's not). And US DO may be easier than Caribbean to get residency (depends on the program, really), but not everyone wants to be a DO. I am well aware that DO and MD are essentially exactly the same, but I just didn't want to be a DO. Some people think that's stupid, but it was my decision. Didn't want to have to explain for the rest of my career what a DO was and that yes, I'm a real doctor. I do not believe I'm biased at all, but I am experienced and I know what is and isn't true. You, however, do seem to have the same bias that many other US grads have towards the Caribbean.

A carib grad matching into ortho is very difficult, but not unheard of, and they can certainly get anesthesia, rads, EM, etc. Just taking a look at the Ross match list from 2016, there were 20 EM, over 25 anesthesia, over 25 rads, over 25 categorical surgery, and even 1 neurosurgery match. Again, it is much easier from the US, and I already said that Caribbean should only be considered if the US doesn't work out. But there are an awful lot more qualified applicants out there than there are med school spots and the graduates of Caribbean schools are on par with US grads. Do a little research next time you want to make generalizations.

 

[mmmcdowe]

moving to pre allo

 

[Princeton Medical Student]

I think I made it pretty clear that you should try to get into the US schools before going to the Caribbean. Graduating from a US MD school will not make you a better doctor, but it will absolutely make it easier to get a competitive residency. However, the Caribbean is not a back door into medicine in the US, anymore than DO school (which is to say, it's not). And US DO may be easier than Caribbean to get residency (depends on the program, really), but not everyone wants to be a DO. I am well aware that DO and MD are essentially exactly the same, but I just didn't want to be a DO. Some people think that's stupid, but it was my decision. Didn't want to have to explain for the rest of my career what a DO was and that yes, I'm a real doctor. I do not believe I'm biased at all, but I am experienced and I know what is and isn't true. You, however, do seem to have the same bias that many other US grads have towards the Caribbean.

A carib grad matching into ortho is very difficult, but not unheard of, and they can certainly get anesthesia, rads, EM, etc. Just taking a look at the Ross match list from 2016, there were 20 EM, over 25 anesthesia, over 25 rads, over 25 categorical surgery, and even 1 neurosurgery match. Again, it is much easier from the US, and I already said that Caribbean should only be considered if the US doesn't work out. But there are an awful lot more qualified applicants out there than there are med school spots and the graduates of Caribbean schools are on par with US grads. Do a little research next time you want to make generalizations.

If carrib grads are anywhere near on par with US grads, then why do they have issues getting residency? I am genuinely curious.

 

[Saifa]

This has a very good description of clinical years at a Caribbean school. It sounds horrifying.


https://milliondollarmistake.wordpress.com


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

3.75 cGPA, 77th percentile MCAT, 3 years as a CNA, other good ECs. Why no US acceptance? Apparently the dean told him "more clinical experience" but that seems absurd.

EDIT: read more. Reapplied after getting a job as a scribe for a year + apparently stellar LORs. Applied to ~100 schools, still no acceptance. What happened to this guy??

 

[Ho0v-man]

3.75 cGPA, 77th percentile MCAT, 3 years as a CNA, other good ECs. Why no US acceptance? Apparently the dean told him "more clinical experience" but that seems absurd.

EDIT: read more. Reapplied after getting a job as a scribe for a year + apparently stellar LORs. Applied to ~100 schools, still no acceptance. What happened to this guy??

The more I read of that blog, the more obvious that it seems to be a personality issue. He seems very narcissistic.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[Saifa]

The more I read of that blog, the more obvious that it seems to be a personality issue. He seems very narcissistic.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

That's what I was thinking. Could have been an interview killer but still odd.

 

[floatingribs]

finally read through all of this and thank u all for enlightening me lol. It would be last choice honestly (I actually think I'd look into becoming a CRNA before committing to a Carib school). It sounds like what I was explaining was exactly how all carib schools are.

 

[OathTaker]

The more I read of that blog, the more obvious that it seems to be a personality issue. He seems very narcissistic.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

I wonder why people who go into medicine to "help others" and are president of their local chapter of Amnesty International turn their noses up at Internal Medicine? There is a critical shortage of internists, a specialty where you can "help others" immensely. And he considers it a subpar specialty, with only the high paying ones making the A list for him. I would think that anybody going to a foreign medical school would jump at the chance to be an internist in the US. Especially since they want to help others, and had to go to the Carribean in the first place. The guy has not thought through his real motivations yet... and it shows.

 

[Sardinia]

If I'm not mistaken. When he says he scored in the top 33% on the MCAT he's really saying that he scored within the 67th percentile seeing as how there there is a specific cut off at that number which correlates to being an MCAT score of 28 according to this chart.

And it seems like when he says that he piloted a scribe program in the operative suite it means that he was chief scribe of an OR for a company probably like Scribe America.

It's interesting.

 

[Lawpy]

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!

Cue Argus to come in, sputtering about NRMP results.

this is why i think it's better to quit medicine and pursue something else rather than going to Caribbean.

 

[Sardinia]

@Goro @Lawper @Saifa @Ho0v-man I have the strongest inclination to believe that he didn't apply to DO schools. I also believe it was intentional.

I think we've all missed the true million dollars mistake. Outside of narcissism, a competitive system, and poor decision making what we essentially have is an uneducated buyer that didn't exhaust all their Plan B options. Aren't these the prime candidates?

Mind you this is presuming the reliability of the narrator. Which at this point I think can be questioned.

 

[libertyyne]

The more I read of that blog, the more obvious that it seems to be a personality issue. He seems very narcissistic.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

His disdain for the IM residency makes it clear that he has some issues. " OH, IM soo smart this below me and everyone I work with agrees".
Like anyone ,reading it is going to have e pity on him and just offer him an orthopedic residency. Really shows poor insight and coping skills.

 

[Sardinia]

I don't like the usage of ambiguity fallacy, argument from authority, and omission of details. I'm not sure whether the fallacies exist for narrative purposes to appeal to a lowest common denominator. It's either that or the blogger is innately dishonest. For either factor, it begs to question the reliability of such a narrative to accurately convey the landscape of getting a medical school acceptance. An arduous process, but not a hopeless one.