Serious question..
1: Can anyone actually show any data that step one scores have actually helped Carib (or IMGs) in the past? Even when Step 1 is P/F, there will still be the same number of students in the match and the same number of spots. US MDs have a 97-98% match rate and the one's who don't match are usually because they only applied to Derm at Harvard (you get the point). DO's still have their own DO residency spots and even have the MD (ACGME spots). So, I think Step 1 scores only give Carib grads a marker against other IMGs. I guess we can revisit this in a few weeks when the new match takes place and data is available on the number of DO grads and IMGs who matched (even though the NRMP doesn't divide Carib vs other IMGs).
2. All the US MD grads I know had around the same amount of loans I did. Owing $400K and making $280K plus sign-on bonus (plus loan reimbursement incentives) doesn't make $400K look like a bad return on investment. And.. I live in Boston were in my zip code a simple studio apartment is $600,000-700,000! My friends in the Southeast are buying huge homes for $300,000 and paid their loans off in 2-5 years. A few didn't pay a cent and their hospitals paid them off over a 5 year contract as an incentive to keep them (saves on recruiting costs, etc). Ask any investor if they would invest $400K (even with interest) for a $250K + per year return for 20-30 years. Even with interest, that is a 10 times return with in 20 years alone. $250K after taxes would still yield a 7 times return in 20 years (and that includes interest paid). If you start working by 35 years old, you can add another 10 years to those numbers, so $1.7 million net pay or $2.5 million gross. So, accounting for interest and taking out taxes, you still have a lifetime (30-year) GAIN of $4,85,000. Day one out of residency you are in the top 2-5% of money-earners in the US. Who wouldn't sign up for that, from a financial standpoint?
I am sorry, please do not take it personally but I think most of this post is non-sense.
This is exactly how people should not make a decision on how to spend their next ~40 or so years of their life. Tell you what, if we up the number to $20 million, would you be willing to spend the next 30-40 years of your life as a professional prisoner (AKA, your job is to stay in a prison cell 24/7)?
I am willing to bet that 90%+ that ends up going to medicine based on that analysis that you just made would either drop out halfway (or before halfway) or be completely miserable for the rest of their working days not to mention a ****ty doctor.
Guess what, there is a much simpler way to get far more money. Get out of school as soon as you can, get a commercial vehicle license and start driving a truck. 100k/year is not that difficult and it cost you much less than medical school!
The internet is tired of making countless comparisons of MD vs "insert your job here". Depending on the comparison and assumptions, mathematically it could take until the 5th or 6th decade of both individuals so that the MD starts pulling ahead. That is not an insignificant gamble, and it is not worth it on itself.
I am not saying that $$ should not be a variable. It is, and it should always be considered for any job. I don't care if your passion is to polish left sided counterclockwise brass screws of red wheelbarrows. If there is not a market for that you are wasting your time.
I see a trend here... As an analogy, a guy enters a restaurant, he got $15 and he is very hungry. The menu has chicken parmesan for $14 which he can afford (ignore tax/tip) and filet mignon for $20 which he cannot. You guys are telling this guy that the chicken parmesan is not worth it... Point being, I'm confident that 99%+ of people that can go to US med school/DO will try that.
It should be a red flag when the handful of people that actually attended ROSS, went through a residency (and some fellowship) offer a warning but other way say it is something to consider/viable... vs the other bunch that simply goes into a rant of hate and misery when they don't really have the experience at all.
And finally the predictions... This is a multibillion-dollar business (Caribbean schools in general, not saying ROSS alone is worth this). I'd take the predictions of the guy in a forum posting on his pajamas with a grain of salt. These "predictions" are of no higher value or accuracy than the people in charge of running this business. In the 10y+ I have been perusing these forums I have heard dozens of "the sky is falling in flames" end-of-world type apocalyptic cries from many people and the vast majority of these predictions do not materialize or the effects are 1000% milder than the worse case scenario people freak out about.
In short, if MD US is an option either now or with some minor tweaks. This is a no-brainer. take this option
If DO is an option, take it.
If the only way to become a doctor is Caribbean school and you know this is the job you want to do for the next 30 or so years and you dont mind that you will work harder then Caribbean is a reasonable option.
I don't care about the match rate of school X or school Y. The match rate of not having an MD is 0.00%
medical.rossu.edu
