Carribean medical schools?

[LEE ADAMA WILLIAMS]

I got an email from a carribean medical school, wondering if its a scam or legit and If it its a worthwhile investment.

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[Kaity132]

Scam. Don't even consider Caribbean schools

 

[Goro]

I got an email from a carribean medical school, wondering if its a scam or legit and If it its a worthwhile investment.

Scam.

 

[CyrilFiggis]

literally 47,000 threads discussing carib schools.

tl;dr - good for a tan and to say you're a medical student. bad for high attrition, negative reputation and poor match results.

 

[Goro]

literally 47,000 threads discussing carib schools.

tl;dr - good for a tan and to say you're a medical student. bad for high attrition, negative reputation and poor match results.

Good for > $200K debt too, and a career with Uber or Lyft.

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

Don't you have an acceptance from a pharmacy school?

 

[LEE ADAMA WILLIAMS]

Don't you have an acceptance from a pharmacy school?

LOL Stalk much ?

 

[deleted947265]

No. Be wary of anyone who advises you to go to those schools. Reddit has a pretty nice write up as to why.

 

[Angus Avagadro]

No. Be wary of anyone who advises you to go to those schools. Reddit has a pretty nice write up as to why.

Thanks for posting this

 

[PreachyMusican39]

Wow I just spent more time of my life than I care to admit reading the entire blog by that Caribean medical student, and it was definitely oozing with self-pity, but honestly its a really sad story. He literally did everything in his power to try to become an orthopod & had amazing scores and he still ended up only matching to one of his lower choice internal medicine programs. That blog should be required reading to anyone who applies to a Caribbean medical school.

 

[Microshaft]

Wow I just spent more time of my life than I care to admit reading the entire blog by that Caribean medical student, and it was definitely oozing with self-pity, but honestly its a really sad story. He literally did everything in his power to try to become an orthopod & had amazing scores and he still ended up only matching to one of his lower choice internal medicine programs. That blog should be required reading to anyone who applies to a Caribbean medical school.

Just read it too. Despite his misfortune, I think he actually fared pretty well for a Caribbean grad who gained residency in IM then a fellowship in Cardiology. The sad part is that his abilities should've allowed him to achieve much higher - something that progressively eats away his mental health as demonstrated by his increasingly ill-tempered writing towards the end of his blog. His decision to turn down his DO acceptance outside San fran seemed rather strange. Why would you ever think getting into Ortho would be easier from the Caribbean??

 

[Goro]

Just read it too. Despite his misfortune, I think he actually fared pretty well for a Caribbean grad who gained residency in IM then a fellowship in Cardiology. The sad part is that his abilities should've allowed him to achieve much higher - something that progressively eats away his mental health as demonstrated by his increasingly ill-tempered writing towards the end of his blog. His decision to turn down his DO acceptance outside San fran seemed rather strange. Why would you ever think getting into Ortho would be easier from the Caribbean??

Same reasons as to why PDs shy away IMGs. Poor choice making, impulsive behavior, poor research skills, parental pressure....

 

[Pluto98]

Just read it too. Despite his misfortune, I think he actually fared pretty well for a Caribbean grad who gained residency in IM then a fellowship in Cardiology. The sad part is that his abilities should've allowed him to achieve much higher - something that progressively eats away his mental health as demonstrated by his increasingly ill-tempered writing towards the end of his blog. His decision to turn down his DO acceptance outside San fran seemed rather strange. Why would you ever think getting into Ortho would be easier from the Caribbean??

Just read it also. Probably the saddest thing I ever read. This system is broken. Full stop

 

[Deecee2DO]

Same reasons as to why PDs shy away IMGs. Poor choice making, impulsive behavior, poor research skills, parental pressure....

yes @Goro “parental pressure” especially. I had a friend his parents kept pushing him to go MD because he was getting “too old” and needed to make things happen (hes 24 for petes sake lmao) so they kept pushing him toward the carib route because he took MCAT once and popped a 498. I told him to completely disregard his parents advice and reapproach the MCAT and go DO. After several months he finally convinced his parents that he wanted to wait and go DO. Well long story short hes an M1 at a DO school now but that parental pressure is real and its absolutely ludacris since 99% of the time they havent the faintest clue the potential harm they could be doing to their kids future

 

[Emerald2020]

I got an email from a carribean medical school, wondering if its a scam or legit and If it its a worthwhile investment.

Definitely not a scam, it's a real medical school with real degrees and is the 2nd largest provider of doctors in the U.S. health care system. There's a big chance a lot of doctors you encounter in hospitals and clinics are SGU grads. We take the USMLE exams just like any other American med school and match at US hospitals just like American medical grads. I had my doubts at first too (especially after reading nasty threads on this website) but I worked with an amazing Pediatric Emergency Medicine doctor who graduated from SGU and encouraged me to look into it.

 

[Goro]

Definitely not a scam, it's a real medical school with real degrees and is the 2nd largest provider of doctors in the U.S. health care system. There's a big chance a lot of doctors you encounter in hospitals and clinics are SGU grads. We take the USMLE exams just like any other American med school and match at US hospitals just like American medical grads. I had my doubts at first too (especially after reading nasty threads on this website) but I worked with an amazing Pediatric Emergency Medicine doctor who graduated from SGU and encouraged me to look into it.

*sigh*
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.

 

[Emerald2020]

*sigh*
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.

To be honest, the biggest obstacle of medical school IS medical school, it is tough wherever you are. You can't tell people SGU is a scam if your point is that they have a lot of obstacles to overcome. If your point is about obstacles, I'll just say that I've met a lot of AMG who complain about their obstacles too they just don't advertise them.

 

[Moko]

To be honest, the biggest obstacle of medical school IS medical school, it is tough wherever you are. You can't tell people SGU is a scam if your point is that they have a lot of obstacles to overcome. If your point is about obstacles, I'll just say that I've met a lot of AMG who complain about their obstacles too they just don't advertise them.

Hopefully you'll be in the minority of Caribbean students who end up matching somewhere. I would also caution against drinking too much of the Kool aid offered there.

For those on the fence, imagine taking out hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of loans for your dream house (or shack if you're in New York), investing a significant portion of your time and money in preserving its value, and also knowing that there is a 50+% chance that it'll eventually be worth nothing. Some people will do well and be happy with this purchase, but it would still be foolish to make this investment (unless maybe if time and money were of no concern). To make matters worse, not all people go into this purchase knowing these odds. Caribbean schools are not transparent about their success rates for a reason.

Having worked with US MD, DO, and Caribbean-trained residents, I've observed that on average Caribbean students are also much less prepared for residency than their US MD/DO counterparts. With more years of clinical experience though, this discrepancy will likely decrease

 

[candbgirl]

To be honest, the biggest obstacle of medical school IS medical school, it is tough wherever you are. You can't tell people SGU is a scam if your point is that they have a lot of obstacles to overcome. If your point is about obstacles, I'll just say that I've met a lot of AMG who complain about their obstacles too they just don't advertise them.

You left out the most important word: additional. Of course AMGS have obstacles, they just don’t have the obstacles that IMGS face especially when doing clinical rotations and applying for residencies.

 

[KnightDoc]

Definitely not a scam, it's a real medical school with real degrees and is the 2nd largest provider of doctors in the U.S. health care system. There's a big chance a lot of doctors you encounter in hospitals and clinics are SGU grads. We take the USMLE exams just like any other American med school and match at US hospitals just like American medical grads. I had my doubts at first too (especially after reading nasty threads on this website) but I worked with an amazing Pediatric Emergency Medicine doctor who graduated from SGU and encouraged me to look into it.

If you are going to come on here and shill, you really owe it to everyone to not blatantly lie. Besides inviting attacks, you also risk destroying any credibility you might otherwise have!

It's dishonest to compare SGU to "any other American med school," because that implies SGU is an American med school, which it isn't. Aside from its questionable recruiting, admission, education and business practices, the mere fact that its grads are IMGs is a HUGE "obstacle" that you gloss over like it's just another stumbling block when the reality is much more dire with respect to training and eventual licensing than you acknowledge.

 

[DrStephenStrange]

 

[johncstudent32]

OK, lets just come to an agreement here that you can succeed down the IMG path at ANY of these schools but you will face some hurdles and if you do choose to go down the IMG route, you should pick the school which appears to have the best track record and from what I can see that is SGU and only SGU. Ross might have been a better school a decade ago but I'm not too sure it's really on-par with SGU.

Persuading someone not to go to SGU is never going to work because SGU is producing doctors and has been producing doctors so if you just throw out random stats with no concrete evidence that a reasonable prospective student will not eventually become a doctor then you'll never be able to prove your point and prevent those who are considering this route from taking this route.

The only people that shouldn't look at the SGU route are those who have no business becoming doctors. That's really the gist of the argument. The people here seem to be arguing that all accepted students are somehow or should somehow be treated as equal and that is just laughable considering people should know if they have the work ethic to handle medical school or not. If you go to SGU with low stats, that's not on them it's on you for making a bad decision. If you go to SGU with good stats, the "risk" of not succeeding is significantly lower than the former group so it's really up to you to work hard and get the job done. I highly doubt you would not succeed at SGU if you get good grades and then pass the STEP's with 230 or better. But not everybody is willing to work that hard or perhaps even knows how to work that hard.

The anti-Caribbean message on this forum is not a very strong one to be honest and mostly close-minded.

Also, according to what I have been told, SGU 4th years apply strategically to IMG friendly locations. It's a bit disingenuous to say PD's don't look at IMG's if you mean your program doesn't look at IMG's when there are MANY OTHER programs that do. Whether or not which programs are more prestigious is irrelevant because in the end the IMG-friendly program produces practicing doctors and that counters the whole anti-Caribbean discussion that goes on here which says that it is somehow hard to become a doctor by going down this route when reality says otherwise.

 

[PreachyMusican39]

"If you go to SGU with low stats, that's not on them it's on you for making a bad decision"

I disagree considering the schools entire business model is taking in students who desperately want to become doctors but have not shown the academic ability to succeed in medical school and charging them tens of thousands of dollars knowing full well that half their students will have nothing to show for it and will become financially crippled. I don't think the students are blameless, they should definitely listen to forums like these where plenty of adcoms and medical students tell them Carribean schools are a terrible idea, but to act like the schools are not morally bankrupt and acting for the sole purpose of using people's dreams and desperation to make as much money as possible regardless of how many lives they ruin is missing the big picture.

I also agree with you that lower stat individuals should avoid the Carribean like the plague because they have not shown that they can handle medical school and will be essentially thrown into the deep end without a lifejacket, but I think high stat individuals should avoid it too because they will have a ton more opportunity and a lot less risk if they work on filling any holes in their application and reapply and get into a US MD or DO school.

 

[johncstudent32]

"If you go to SGU with low stats, that's not on them it's on you for making a bad decision"

I find this to be incredibly disingenuous considering the schools entire business model is taking in students who desperately want to become doctors but have not shown the academic ability to succeed in medical school and charging them tens of thousands of dollars knowing full well that half their students will have nothing to show for it and will become financially crippled. I don't think the students are blameless, they should definitely listen to forums like these where plenty of adcoms and medical students tell them Carribean schools are a terrible idea, but to act like the schools are not morally bankrupt and acting for the sole purpose of using people's dreams and desperation to make as much money as possible regardless of how many lives they ruin is missing the big picture.

I also agree with you that lower stat individuals should avoid the Carribean like the plague because they have not shown that they can handle medical school and will be essentially thrown into the deep end without a lifejacket, but I think high stat individuals should avoid it too because they will have a ton more opportunity and a lot less risk if they work on filling any holes in their application and reapply and get into a US MD or DO school.

I don't care if somebody who has C's in biology and a 490 MCAT wants to become a doctor and then goes to one of these schools and fails. That student should have learned before they applied to these schools that they are not cutout to study medicine PERIOD. That's not SGU's problem.

As far as the high-stat student, well I think all high-stat students apply to US med schools. I don't think we are in disagreement with that. 3.3 GPA and 502 MCAT is not high-stat but definitely able to complete a medical school curicculum whether it be in the US or at a reputable program like SGU. That's just a fact.

US med schools require high stats because of competition; not that those high stats are required to complete a med program. Case in point, you have SGU students with 50th% MCAT scores who destroy STEP 1 and 2. Interpret that however you want.

SGU appeals to a certain type of student and that student knows who they are.

When you think about it, SGU isn't cheating anyone. Everyone has a fair shot but those who are cut out for medicine will rise to the top. That's very different than "weeding out" by randomly failing students.

 

[Marche med student]

The only people that shouldn't look at the SGU route are those who have no business becoming doctors. That's really the gist of the argument. The people here seem to be arguing that all accepted students are somehow or should somehow be treated as equal and that is just laughable considering people should know if they have the work ethic to handle medical school or not. If you go to SGU with low stats, that's not on them it's on you for making a bad decision. If you go to SGU with good stats, the "risk" of not succeeding is significantly lower than the former group so it's really up to you to work hard and get the job done. I highly doubt you would not succeed at SGU if you get good grades and then pass the STEP's with 230 or better. But not everybody is willing to work that hard or perhaps even knows how to work that hard.

Pretty much everyone that goes to medical school thinks they have what it takes to become a doctor. If people knew whether or not their work ethic or level of intelligence was enough to get them through, then there wouldn't be such a mismatch between expectations and outcomes when it comes to Caribbean schools.

Can you go and become a doctor? Sure you can. Can anyone on this forum tell how it will turn out for you? Nope. Can you know how it will turn out for you? Nope.

If you've done your risk assessment and think its worth it to you, then go do it. Go to SGU and become a doctor.

People post about the pitfalls of Caribbean medical school on this forum so that others can be afforded a perspective other than what is offered by the schools themselves. You can use that information however you like. You can completely ignore it all together. It's up to you.

 

[johncstudent32]

Pretty much everyone that goes to medical school thinks they have what it takes to become a doctor. If people knew whether or not their work ethic or level of intelligence was enough to get them through, then there wouldn't be such a mismatch between expectations and outcomes when it comes to Caribbean schools.

Can you go and become a doctor? Sure you can. Can anyone on this forum tell how it will turn out for you? Nope. Can you know how it will turn out for you? Nope.

If you've done your risk assessment and think its worth it to you, then go do it. Go to SGU and become a doctor.

People post about the pitfalls of Caribbean medical school on this forum so that others can be afforded a perspective other than what is offered by the schools themselves. You can use that information however you like. You can completely ignore it all together. It's up to you.

I disagree.

If someone, like I said, is getting C's in biology then that person must be out of their mind if they think they are going to go to a graduate program and do incredibly well.

The overall theme on this forum seems to be "don't go Caribbean" instead of directing those who would benefit from that route to pursue it. There's a huge difference in both approaches.

Now if someone posts stats of 2.85 and 490 MCAT with zero clinical exposure, I would not mind it if you said "don't go to the Caribbean." That would actually be very sound advice.

 

[PreachyMusican39]

I absolutely agree that someone with a 3.3 GPA and 502 MCAT can do amazing at medical school. But don't you think it would still be incredibly risky to go to a Carribean school with those stats? Especially considering the fact that being a Carribean medical student not only means that you have to do well, but also do better than all of the US MD and DO students applying to the same residency spot? Maybe I'm just risk-averse, but I really don't think us premeds can possibly predict what medical school is really like and how well we'll do there; so the idea of going somewhere where 50% of your class digs themselves into a financial hole that they may never be able to escape from sounds pretty terrifying regardless of your stats.

You're right that lots of students from SGU succeed and become doctors, but the process just seems too high stakes for it to be a good option to recommend to people.

 

[johncstudent32]

I absolutely agree that someone with a 3.3 GPA and 502 MCAT can do amazing at medical school. But don't you think it would still be incredibly risky to go to a Carribean school with those stats? Especially considering the fact that being a Carribean medical student not only means that you have to do well, but also do better than all of the US MD and DO students applying to the same residency spot? Maybe I'm just risk-averse, but I really don't think us premeds can possibly predict what medical school is really like and how well we'll do there; so the idea of going somewhere where 50% of your class digs themselves into a financial hole that they may never be able to escape from sounds pretty terrifying regardless of your stats.

You're right that lots of students from SGU succeed and become doctors, but the process just seems too high stakes for it to be a good option to recommend to people.

It depends on how you look at "risk."

If you just have those stats but do not have that fire within you to study medicine, then you will probably not have what it takes you see it through to the end because you will give up. One of the members posted a blog called "TameerSGU" I suggest anyone read it and actually read it carefully. While the author of that blog was trying to bash SGU, she somehow managed to explain why she didn't succeed at SGU while her classmates did. She was too busy with her extracurricular activities that she ended up cramming for her exams. Someone like this will not succeed at SGU and her story is a great example.

If you know that this is an opportunity to become a doctor and possibly your only opportunity and you have that fire within you, you will do what you have to do to push yourself to work hard and get it done even if that means never visiting the beach.

Those are two very different scenarios and the latter will almost guaranteed lead to success.

So to answer your question, SGU and the Caribbean are high risks for people who don't belong there in the first place. Then again, those same people don't belong in medical school either.

If you actually do your research before applying to a school like SGU and speak with a sizeable amount of graduates, you will see that people with 220 STEP scores get FM or IM and those with 240-250 are even getting EM and Anesthesia. If you have 240 and you apply IM, there are people getting 20+ interviews. Your effort correlates to your success and that's how you have to look at the opportunity.

 

[Iux]

It depends on how you look at "risk."

If you just have those stats but do not have that fire within you to study medicine, then you will probably not have what it takes you see it through to the end because you will give up. One of the members posted a blog called "TameerSGU" I suggest anyone read it and actually read it carefully. While the author of that blog was trying to bash SGU, she somehow managed to explain why she didn't succeed at SGU while her classmates did. She was too busy with her extracurricular activities that she ended up cramming for her exams. Someone like this will not succeed at SGU and her story is a great example.

If you know that this is an opportunity to become a doctor and possibly your only opportunity and you have that fire within you, you will do what you have to do to push yourself to work hard and get it done even if that means never visiting the beach.

Those are two very different scenarios and the latter will almost guaranteed lead to success.

So to answer your question, SGU and the Caribbean are high risks for people who don't belong there in the first place. Then again, those same people don't belong in medical school either.

If you actually do your research before applying to a school like SGU and speak with a sizeable amount of graduates, you will see that people with 220 STEP scores get FM or IM and those with 240-250 are even getting EM and Anesthesia. If you have 240 and you apply IM, there are people getting 20+ interviews. Your effort correlates to your success and that's how you have to look at the opportunity.

Bro if your stats are 3.3 gpa and 502 mcat, why not just apply US DO and save yourself the bs going Caribbean.

 

[Iux]

Wouldn’t you rather stay in the states?

 

[johncstudent32]

Bro if your stats are 3.3 gpa and 502 mcat, why not just apply US DO and save yourself the bs going Caribbean.

Admission is unfortunately not very cut and dry. That is why people avoid the hassle of multiple missed cycles and go to SGU.

That's another reason why I don't think a lot of people here understand why people apply to the Caribbean. The argument that US schools are not going anywhere and that someone is going to drastically repair their GPA or application over the course of several cycles is wishful thinking. Most people just won't do that and that is human nature.

Also, if the goal is primary care, there is not much incentive to wait for the DO spot.

 

[johncstudent32]

Wouldn’t you rather stay in the states?

You might dude but some people even go to other countries to study medicine.

 

[Iux]

Admission is unfortunately not very cut and dry. That is why people avoid the hassle of multiple missed cycles and go to SGU.

That's another reason why I don't think a lot of people here understand why people apply to the Caribbean. The argument that US schools are not going anywhere and that someone is going to drastically repair their GPA or application over the course of several cycles is wishful thinking. Most people just won't do that and that is human nature.

Also, if the goal is primary care, there is not much incentive to wait for the DO spot.

Matching a US residency from a carib school is unfortunately not very cut and dry as well. You can probably get into one of the lower tier DO schools or newer ones with those stats. Of course that’s not guaranteed as nothing in life is but it’s a much lower risk versus the risk you’d have to take in going Carib. If your goal is primary care, then there is a lot of incentive in waiting for the DO spot as that’s what at least 50% of DOs go into lol

 

[Iux]

You might dude but some people even go to other countries to study medicine.

Is your end goal to practice medicine in the states? If it is, then you have a much easier path by attending US MD/US DO medical schools

 

[Iux]

Admission is unfortunately not very cut and dry. That is why people avoid the hassle of multiple missed cycles and go to SGU.

That's another reason why I don't think a lot of people here understand why people apply to the Caribbean. The argument that US schools are not going anywhere and that someone is going to drastically repair their GPA or application over the course of several cycles is wishful thinking. Most people just won't do that and that is human nature.

Also, if the goal is primary care, there is not much incentive to wait for the DO spot.

Using your great work ethic within a US medical school will reap you a lot more rewards versus using it within a Carib school. That’s just facts man.

 

[johncstudent32]

Matching a US residency from a carib school is unfortunately not very cut and dry as well. You can probably get into one of the lower tier DO schools or newer ones with those stats. Of course that’s not guaranteed as nothing in life is but it’s a much lower risk versus the risk you’d have to take in going Carib. If your goal is primary care, then there is a lot of incentive in waiting for the DO spot as that’s what at least 50% of DOs go into lol

Unfortunately, I don't think you and the others who hold a similar stance understand the argument and I think this could be more of a geographical factor as you may not have much exposure to SGU grads or IMG's in general.

Every year, you will have new very competitive US applicants. The notion that a re-applicant just moves to the front of the line with an improved app may or may not be true. So there is actually an equivalent risk to reapplying to a US program and wasting years.

Try to see it like that.

Now if you know for sure that every re applicant is going to get an MD or DO spot if they "just keep trying" then yeah you're right, the Caribbean is a dumb move.

 

[johncstudent32]

Is your end goal to practice medicine in the states? If it is, then you have a much easier path by attending US MD/US DO medical schools

What geographical location are you from?

 

[PreachyMusican39]

Saying there is equivalent risk is absolutely false. Waiting a year and reapplying US MD/DO means that you will potentially miss out on a physician's salary for a year if you were successful at Carribean MD (not fantastic but certainly not the end of the world). Failing Carribean MD means you have 50-200K in loans that will haunt you till you someday find a way to pay them off. Without a physician's salary, the interest alone may be too much for you to afford, you can't file bankruptcy on the loans, and if you never pay them off then you will likely have your social security garnered and financially struggle for your entire life. Even if you end up getting a masters or becoming a PA the interest will be accruing the entire time you are in school. Without finding a good-paying job, you may essentially be stuck in a financial pit.

That isn't even close to the same kind of risk.

Seeing a lot of successful SGU students in your life could very likely create a bias due to seeing all the hits and none of the misses. I would just recommend that every time you see a successful Carribean medical school doctor, you realize that statistically there is someone else in the United States struggling with massive amounts of loans and trying to figure out how to pay them off without a physician's salary.

 

[johncstudent32]

Saying there is equivalent risk is absolutely false. Waiting a year and reapplying US MD/DO means that you will potentially miss out on a physician's salary for a year if you were successful at Carribean MD (not fantastic but certainly not the end of the world). Failing Carribean MD means you have 50-200K in loans that will haunt you till you someday find a way to pay them off. Without a physician's salary, the interest alone may be too much for you to afford, you can't file bankruptcy on the loans, and if you never pay them off then you will likely have your social security garnered and financially struggle for your entire life. Even if you end up getting a masters or becoming a PA the interest will be accruing the entire time you are in school. Without finding a good-paying job, you may essentially be stuck in a financial pit.

That isn't even close to the same kind of risk.

Seeing a lot of successful SGU students in your life could very likely create a bias due to seeing all the hits and none of the misses. I would just recommend that every time you see a successful Carribean medical school doctor, you realize that statistically there is someone else in the United States struggling with massive amounts of loans and trying to figure out how to pay them off without a physician's salary.

You bring up good points man.

That's why you shouldn't apply to the Caribbean if you have no business studying medicine because that is exactly what can happen to you. I agree 100%

 

[johncstudent32]

Saying there is equivalent risk is absolutely false. Waiting a year and reapplying US MD/DO means that you will potentially miss out on a physician's salary for a year if you were successful at Carribean MD (not fantastic but certainly not the end of the world). Failing Carribean MD means you have 50-200K in loans that will haunt you till you someday find a way to pay them off. Without a physician's salary, the interest alone may be too much for you to afford, you can't file bankruptcy on the loans, and if you never pay them off then you will likely have your social security garnered and financially struggle for your entire life. Even if you end up getting a masters or becoming a PA the interest will be accruing the entire time you are in school. Without finding a good-paying job, you may essentially be stuck in a financial pit.

That isn't even close to the same kind of risk.

Seeing a lot of successful SGU students in your life could very likely create a bias due to seeing all the hits and none of the misses. I would just recommend that every time you see a successful Carribean medical school doctor, you realize that statistically there is someone else in the United States struggling with massive amounts of loans and trying to figure out how to pay them off without a physician's salary.

Just reread your "financial" discussion and totally missed this false information.

Firstly, don't assume anything in life and certainly don't assume a student is going to fail the "Caribbean MD" just because you disagree with their choice.

Secondly, regarding loans SGU has Title IV approval which means they get US federal loans. Federal loans are not private loans which means they have a wealth of repayment options that you can take advantage of should you ever need to. For those students that "fail" as you suggest or realize that medicine is not for them as I suggest then they can go on an IBR plan and then have those loans forgiven after 20 years with consistent repayment. Social security garnered? lol.

A dumb financial move is to take out private loans and go to a no-name Caribbean school. In that case I would say you will probably financially struggle if you "fail" where you will most likely "fail" because those schools are not legitimate.

So in summary...

1. When talking about SGU, stick to SGU only. All those schools are not alike
2. Federal vs. Private loans
3. Fit for medicine
4. Ultimately, only you can fail. Don't give them a reason to fail you.

 

[Iux]

Just reread your "financial" discussion and totally missed this false information.

Firstly, don't assume anything in life and certainly don't assume a student is going to fail the "Caribbean MD" just because you disagree with their choice.

Secondly, regarding loans SGU has Title IV approval which means they get US federal loans. Federal loans are not private loans which means they have a wealth of repayment options that you can take advantage of should you ever need to. For those students that "fail" as you suggest or realize that medicine is not for them as I suggest then they can go on an IBR plan and then have those loans forgiven after 20 years with consistent repayment. Social security garnered? lol.

A dumb financial move is to take out private loans and go to a no-name Caribbean school. In that case I would say you will probably financially struggle if you "fail" where you will most likely "fail" because those schools are not legitimate.

So in summary...

1. When talking about SGU, stick to SGU only. All those schools are not alike
2. Federal vs. Private loans
3. Fit for medicine
4. Ultimately, only you can fail. Don't give them a reason to fail you.

You seem pretty set on SGU. I truly wish you the best and hope to hear your success story in the future

 

[johncstudent32]

You seem pretty set on SGU. I truly wish you the best and hope to hear your success story in the future

Yeah man, I honestly had my doubts too just like you guys but the more I spoke to actual third year students who passed STEP1, residents, and attendings, it dawned on me that the people who succeed down this route are the people who have that fire deep in them that allows them to focus and not make excuses.

I am going to put in an application for August.

Here is the link to the TameerSGU post about SGU that a lot of people here seem to recommend. Interestingly, the author removed her original website and scrubbed her online presence. She used to have a YT channel about her time at the school that had some tours of the campus and dorms but she got rid of those too.

INDEPENDENT REPOST OF TAMEER SIDDIQUI’S: WHY SGU MAY NOT BE FOR YOU

This is the post excerpt.

sgusomcorruption.wordpress.com

Read it with an open-mind and ask yourself if her "failure" was SGU's fault or all on her. It's surprising what you will discover if you read her post several times through.

 

[PreachyMusican39]

Just reread your "financial" discussion and totally missed this false information.

Firstly, don't assume anything in life and certainly don't assume a student is going to fail the "Caribbean MD" just because you disagree with their choice.

Secondly, regarding loans SGU has Title IV approval which means they get US federal loans. Federal loans are not private loans which means they have a wealth of repayment options that you can take advantage of should you ever need to. For those students that "fail" as you suggest or realize that medicine is not for them as I suggest then they can go on an IBR plan and then have those loans forgiven after 20 years with consistent repayment. Social security garnered? lol.

A dumb financial move is to take out private loans and go to a no-name Caribbean school. In that case I would say you will probably financially struggle if you "fail" where you will most likely "fail" because those schools are not legitimate.

So in summary...

1. When talking about SGU, stick to SGU only. All those schools are not alike
2. Federal vs. Private loans
3. Fit for medicine
4. Ultimately, only you can fail. Don't give them a reason to fail you.

I will definitely cede you that my "worst case scenario" applies to private loans and not federal. That being said 20 years of paying 10 percent of your income sounds pretty terrible as well.

I in no way assume that students are going to fail Caribbean that is missing the point of what I said completely. I was simply talking about how the risks associated with waiting a year to reapply and going to SGU are not the same. I actually believe that a lot of good students in the Caribbean end up weeded out because of the rigors of SGU and not having enough rotation spots for 3rd and 4th year which the writer of the article you posted agreed with.

I applaud your confidence and self-assurance that you will do good in medical school. I tend to be much more cautious personally and I try to keep in mind that I have strengths and weaknesses, and I do not know which ones will be more impactful in my medical school performance. I really hope you do well in SGU if that's where you end up going, and I would be happy to learn about how I was completely wrong in the coming years as we journey through medical school.

 

[johncstudent32]

I will definitely cede you that my "worst case scenario" applies to private loans and not federal. That being said 20 years of paying 10 percent of your income sounds pretty terrible as well.

I in no way assume that students are going to fail Caribbean that is missing the point of what I said completely. I was simply talking about how the risks associated with waiting a year to reapply and going to SGU are not the same. I actually believe that a lot of good students in the Caribbean end up weeded out because of the rigors of SGU and not having enough rotation spots for 3rd and 4th year which the writer of the article you posted agreed with.

I applaud your confidence and self-assurance that you will do good in medical school. I tend to be much more cautious personally and I try to keep in mind that I have strengths and weaknesses, and I do not know which ones will be more impactful in my medical school performance. I really hope you do well in SGU if that's where you end up going, and I would be happy to learn about how I was completely wrong in the coming years as we journey through medical school.

Honestly, the financial aspect is a personal decision. Let's not forget that SGU students also come from families that have money so some of these students who decide to go down this route pay in cash so how that translates to "risk" for them is a very personal decision. Some can afford that "risk." Not to brag, but I can pay cash to SGU if that is what we decide to do. That's also part of the planning process.

Regarding SGU polices, you or I don't know those policies so it's not fair to say that they have X amount of third year spots or they "weed out." Based on my research, SGU definitely has the spots for those students who get off the island and those students I know who have said they were in the 80% or better average seem to be the students that did well and did not repeat terms. There are other schools on the other medical school website for Caribbean students that discuss having a bottleneck for the third year. This is where I think SGU is worth it as their clinical setup appears to be leaps and bounds ahead of their competition. I mean it's not even close if you take the time to look at the next four or five biggest schools.

Going to SGU is not about proving anybody right or wrong it's about providing accurate information to prospective students. I think that's something you guys seem to miss as well. I highly doubt an SGU grad will come onto SDN and say "LOOK at my MD!"

Keep another thing in mind. If you're saying students who apply to a school like SGU are somehow not making the right decision, well practicing physicians send their children down there and seem to be OK with that decision. Why is that?

I was on the SGU website and they have a "heritage club" for second generation SGU students lol. Isn't that hilarious? Successful SGU students are now sending their own students to their alma mater. I think that is worth pointing out. Those are current students apparently so that list is constantly being updated. These "physicians" must have confidence in this school.

SGU Heritage Club - St. George's University

 

[DrStephenStrange]

Honestly, the financial aspect is a personal decision. Let's not forget that SGU students also come from families that have money so some of these students who decide to go down this route pay in cash so how that translates to "risk" for them is a very personal decision. Some can afford that "risk." Not to brag, but I can pay cash to SGU if that is what we decide to do. That's also part of the planning process.

Regarding SGU polices, you or I don't know those policies so it's not fair to say that they have X amount of third year spots or they "weed out." Based on my research, SGU definitely has the spots for those students who get off the island and those students I know who have said they were in the 80% or better average seem to be the students that did well and did not repeat terms. There are other schools on the other medical school website for Caribbean students that discuss having a bottleneck for the third year. This is where I think SGU is worth it as their clinical setup appears to be leaps and bounds ahead of their competition. I mean it's not even close if you take the time to look at the next four or five biggest schools.

Going to SGU is not about proving anybody right or wrong it's about providing accurate information to prospective students. I think that's something you guys seem to miss as well. I highly doubt an SGU grad will come onto SDN and say "LOOK at my MD!"

Keep another thing in mind. If you're saying students who apply to a school like SGU are somehow not making the right decision, well practicing physicians send their children down there and seem to be OK with that decision. Why is that?

I was on the SGU website and they have a "heritage club" for second generation SGU students lol. Isn't that hilarious? Successful SGU students are now sending their own students to their alma mater. I think that is worth pointing out. Those are current students apparently so that list is constantly being updated. These "physicians" must have confidence in this school.

SGU Heritage Club - St. George's University

With USMLE Step 1 pass/fail now do you still think SGU is a good option for you?

 

[johncstudent32]

With USMLE Step 1 pass/fail now do you still think SGU is a good option for you?

Yeah, their students do really well on STEP1. I have full confidence in the preparation that the school will provide. I can't say the same for lesser schools that have questionable pass rates.

 

[Marche med student]

With USMLE Step 1 pass/fail now do you still think SGU is a good option for you?

I didn't think they'd switch to pass/fail. The USMLE lists their pros and cons, but I don't think this will help the Caribbean students who are trying to carve out a path for themselves by getting a good step 1 score.

 

[DrStephenStrange]

Yeah, their students do really well on STEP1. I have full confidence in the preparation that the school will provide. I can't say the same for lesser schools that have questionable pass rates.

There's no doing well on Step 1 anymore. Starting January 2022 it will be pass/fail. No more scores. That's why I was asking.

 

[johncstudent32]

There's no doing well on Step 1 anymore. Starting January 2022 it will be pass/fail. No more scores. That's why I was asking.

I believe the NBME says it will implement it no earlier than January 2022. As to when it is implemented is anyone's guess.

Not to go off subject but STEP1 really should be pass/fail anyway. Student's should be spending more time with their clinical education anyway.

EDIT: Not AAMC! NBME lol I'm still in MCAT mode.

 

[Marche med student]

There's no doing well on Step 1 anymore. Starting January 2022 it will be pass/fail. No more scores. That's why I was asking.

I spent time thinking about this a while back. At first I thought it would be great to have less pressure to do well on the Step. But I quickly realized that my step score was the only way to set myself apart. Now that it's pass/fail, the biggest factor will probably be where you went to school. This already matters, but now it will matter even more.