Greetings,
Derek Sampson here. This post is LONG overdue, as well as just plain LONG (sorry for the length). I would have posted it earlier, but, I have been EXTREMELY busy here in the family practice program. Now that I have some downtime, I can write and give you a quality response.
First, I'd like to send out a hearty congratulations to all those folks who are graduating at the end of the semester. Y'all have worked hard and have EARNED that degree. Many people have wondered what life is like after UNIBE. I will attemt to answer them all as well as throw in my $0.02.
First, people want to know how IMG-friendly the US is. Well let me answer it the best way I can:
That is a VERY broad question. The US is a VERY big and diverse place. There are DEFINITELY IMG-friendly areas, and there are areas that are not. The BIGGEST mistake people make is define who is friendly vs. not friendly by the hospital or the university sponsoring the program. A more correct way to ask the question is asking for IMG-FRIENDLY PROGRAMS. A hospital is a big unit with many programs in it. Each program has their own program director who sets the admission criteria and the friendly/or unfriendly IMG tone. You can have one hospital with an IMG-friendly Fam Prac program and an IMG-unfriendly anesthesia program. So when you are on the hunt for programs, look for IMG friendly PROGRAMS, not hospitals/universities.
Also, different programs within a same hospital may have different USMLE cutoff points. This reminds me of a University here in the midwest that has 5 different Family practice programs under its umbrella. each one of those had their own director and admission criteria. Within the SAME university, I got an invite for an interview with one branch, and then a rejection letter without interview with another branch. Ain't that a trip?
A LOT of the stuff (a.k.a. rumors) you hear while at UNIBE from your fellow students is nothing but attempted mental sabotage. Certain individuals who feel bad/insecure about themselves, try to project their feelings and make others miserable. Here is a sampling of the WILD rumors I heard while at UNIBE...(tell me if you heard these ones too)..This is my RUMOR vs. REALITY comparison.
Rumor: Tuition is going up
Reality: Only 1 tuition increase while I was there. (from 2250 to 2900). Most US schools raise their EVERY year. (UNIBE's tuition is probably a little higher now)
Rumor: You can't get a good USMLE score coming from here. (that was before ppl started busting high 80's and 90's)
Reality: I along with others scored in the mid-80's (in my case as well as my roomate, we didn't use any kaplan course (couldn't afford it...Did it on our own)
Rumor: You'll get no respect in the US coming from the DR
Reality: The amount of respect you get in the US is directly proportional to :
a) your attitude
b) how well you get along with people
c) your abilities and willingness to learn...PERIOD. As an FMG, I am well respected in my place of work by attendings, staff, associates, and patients. I have ZERO problem mentioning that I went to school in the Dominican Republic. And being the only fluent Spanish speaker in the clinic helps too
Rumor: I won't know as much as the US students...boo hoo hoo :-(
Reality: What you know is directly proportional to:
a) were you studying from the beginning?? or just going with the flow and expecting Kaplan to help you play catch-up.
b) time spent devoted to studying. The time and energy devoted to complaining and seeking out other schools to transfer to could have
been used to study and build up your knowledge base.
Rumor: (this one is my favorite): I hear that (fill the blank with your favorite newly-started off-shore med school) is accepting transfers and has clinicals in the states, I'm outa here. I want to do REAL clinicals.
Reality: I and Dr. Holbrook already addressed this issue in a recent post. There is not one shred of evidence that the END OUTCOME (the only TRUE measuring stick) is any better/superior to those that stay at UNIBE, pass boards, and graduate.
Rumor: Unibe is only recognized in X (fill in any random number) states
Reality: I can make this a REALLY long post, but I wont, so I will give the abbreviated version...With the obvious exception of California, UNIBE has NO licensing problems in any state. Even those states with stringent requirements (pennsylvania...4000 hours of medical school and 72 weeks of clinicals, UNIBE meets those requirements (4250 hrs of medical school and 74 weels of clinicals - I graduated in the OLD curriculum), and there are UNIBE grads in Pennsylvania now. As for California, it is only a matter of filing out the documentation, paying the money for the inspection, and getting the inspection done. I'm sure UNIBE can easily pass inspection, it is just a matter of filing the MOUNTAINS of paperwork and paying the fee. Before that, if some brave intrepid soul wants to go to California, that person may be in a legal battle for a couple of years before he/she MIGHT get in. Because of the large amounts of money it would cost to take them to court, all the UNIBE grads from California just applies to other states as it is less headache and lesser drain on the wallet.
IF a state decided to give an UNIBE grad any problems, barring something negative in the persons file (ex. too many USMLE failures - many states place a limit on how many times you can fail, or a felony conviction), a simple court challenge can EASILY defeat a discriminatory state medical board.
You mentioned that you want to go to Texas, as you are from there. Texas is a good place. There are a few UNIBE grads there...2 in El Paso and 2 others somewhere else (I don't remember where). Neighboring Oklahoma has 3 UNIBE grads there. I remember 3 folks in residency in nebraska. Just apply all over. The midwest is NOT so congested, so your chances may be better in this region than in the coastal areas.
Now here is the flip side......
Are there UNIBE grads that after many years and multiple board attempts STILL haven't passed and are not in residency??? YES
It is a sad situation, but ever since the first graduating class of the English program, there has always been a few ppl whom after many attempts at the USMLE, have not passed. But let's put things in perspective. I have discussed this topic previously in OLD posts...
The percentage of people who succeed via the foreign route is directly related to the presence or absence of FILTERS employed by the school. In schools like St. Georges, unless you have a high GPA and HIGH MCAT scores (which many US medical educators feel is a predictor of USMLE success), you don't get admitted. That is filter #1. Filter #2 happens during the basic sciences. If you fail more than 2 calsses, you win a date with the promotions committee and may be dismissed from medschool. Filter #3 is the USMLE, if you fail it 3 times at a US school, that buys you an AUTOMATIC DISMISSAL. That is a FACT. Most foreign schools DON'T have these filters, so you get a mixed bag of students in a WIDE spectrum from the serious hard core "gunner" types all the way down to the complainer/slacker/skirt chaser/partier who would have easily been filtered out in the previous system I described. For the foreign grad, though, there is just one huge filter which is at the end of the line, that is the USMLE/ECFMG process.
Another problem that people don't want to own up to is what I called "unconquered demons syndrome". let me illustrate a ficticious case example..
John Doe went to Brand X Univ in NY. Historically, John Doe had never been good at standardized tests, and has never taken any steps to resolve that problem. Also when in College, John never really studied much, and wasn't very disciplined. And when it came to the premed core classes, he barely made C's. When John Doe takes the MCAT, he gets his butt kicked. Needless to say, he gets rejected from all US schools he applies to. He says "Screw them, I'll go the foreign route". Off he goes.....
John gets accepted to medical school on the Island of St. Jock, a relatively new school with a pretty much open admissions policy. While there, when he's not chasing the local women, he is constantly complaining to his fellow classmates...
"This place sucks, the US is FAR superior to this dump!!"
"These classes are useless. I'm just gonna get by with old tests. Right when I finish basic science, I'm taking a semester off, go to Kaplan back in NY and rock a 90 on my boards so I can transfer to a REAL school."
"My plan is to rock the boards and transfer to the US for clinicals. My uncle Dexter is an cardiologist at BFE medical center affiliated with brand Y med school. I got a connection.
"There is NO WAY I'd want to do my clinicals here."
John finishes the basic sciences, goes back to NY, and takes Kaplan.when done, he takes the USMLE and scores a 65. He then goes back to St. Jock still talking trash and spreading rumors, blaming "this inferior school" for my USMLE failure. John finally graduaes, and heads back to the states, retakes Kaplan, and 3 more board attempts later, he still cannot pass. Meanwhile, he uses every chance to trash his old alma mater on the FMG discussion forums.
The MORAL of this story...before ANYONE goes off to a foreign school, one needs to do a serious "check-up-from-the-neck-up". One needs to HONESTLY assess their strengths and weaknesses. If an individual was a poor test taker with poor academic discipline, running offshore didn't conquer that demon. Changing location didn't solve a thing. I don't care how good/bad a professor is, that does not exculpate the individual student from studying and transferring the material "from book to brain". If basic sciences could be taught in 6 weeks, it would. There is a reason why basic sciences take 2 years to study.
So to all the prospective students who are contemplating going abroad, honestly assess yourself and your strenghts and weaknesses, conquer your demons first BEFORE you head abroad. It will save you a whole lot of time and headache in the future. And with that, I close...PEACE!!!!!
-Derek
Derek Sampson here. This post is LONG overdue, as well as just plain LONG (sorry for the length). I would have posted it earlier, but, I have been EXTREMELY busy here in the family practice program. Now that I have some downtime, I can write and give you a quality response.
First, I'd like to send out a hearty congratulations to all those folks who are graduating at the end of the semester. Y'all have worked hard and have EARNED that degree. Many people have wondered what life is like after UNIBE. I will attemt to answer them all as well as throw in my $0.02.
First, people want to know how IMG-friendly the US is. Well let me answer it the best way I can:
That is a VERY broad question. The US is a VERY big and diverse place. There are DEFINITELY IMG-friendly areas, and there are areas that are not. The BIGGEST mistake people make is define who is friendly vs. not friendly by the hospital or the university sponsoring the program. A more correct way to ask the question is asking for IMG-FRIENDLY PROGRAMS. A hospital is a big unit with many programs in it. Each program has their own program director who sets the admission criteria and the friendly/or unfriendly IMG tone. You can have one hospital with an IMG-friendly Fam Prac program and an IMG-unfriendly anesthesia program. So when you are on the hunt for programs, look for IMG friendly PROGRAMS, not hospitals/universities.
Also, different programs within a same hospital may have different USMLE cutoff points. This reminds me of a University here in the midwest that has 5 different Family practice programs under its umbrella. each one of those had their own director and admission criteria. Within the SAME university, I got an invite for an interview with one branch, and then a rejection letter without interview with another branch. Ain't that a trip?
A LOT of the stuff (a.k.a. rumors) you hear while at UNIBE from your fellow students is nothing but attempted mental sabotage. Certain individuals who feel bad/insecure about themselves, try to project their feelings and make others miserable. Here is a sampling of the WILD rumors I heard while at UNIBE...(tell me if you heard these ones too)..This is my RUMOR vs. REALITY comparison.
Rumor: Tuition is going up
Reality: Only 1 tuition increase while I was there. (from 2250 to 2900). Most US schools raise their EVERY year. (UNIBE's tuition is probably a little higher now)
Rumor: You can't get a good USMLE score coming from here. (that was before ppl started busting high 80's and 90's)
Reality: I along with others scored in the mid-80's (in my case as well as my roomate, we didn't use any kaplan course (couldn't afford it...Did it on our own)
Rumor: You'll get no respect in the US coming from the DR
Reality: The amount of respect you get in the US is directly proportional to :
a) your attitude
b) how well you get along with people
c) your abilities and willingness to learn...PERIOD. As an FMG, I am well respected in my place of work by attendings, staff, associates, and patients. I have ZERO problem mentioning that I went to school in the Dominican Republic. And being the only fluent Spanish speaker in the clinic helps too
Rumor: I won't know as much as the US students...boo hoo hoo :-(
Reality: What you know is directly proportional to:
a) were you studying from the beginning?? or just going with the flow and expecting Kaplan to help you play catch-up.
b) time spent devoted to studying. The time and energy devoted to complaining and seeking out other schools to transfer to could have
been used to study and build up your knowledge base.
Rumor: (this one is my favorite): I hear that (fill the blank with your favorite newly-started off-shore med school) is accepting transfers and has clinicals in the states, I'm outa here. I want to do REAL clinicals.
Reality: I and Dr. Holbrook already addressed this issue in a recent post. There is not one shred of evidence that the END OUTCOME (the only TRUE measuring stick) is any better/superior to those that stay at UNIBE, pass boards, and graduate.
Rumor: Unibe is only recognized in X (fill in any random number) states
Reality: I can make this a REALLY long post, but I wont, so I will give the abbreviated version...With the obvious exception of California, UNIBE has NO licensing problems in any state. Even those states with stringent requirements (pennsylvania...4000 hours of medical school and 72 weeks of clinicals, UNIBE meets those requirements (4250 hrs of medical school and 74 weels of clinicals - I graduated in the OLD curriculum), and there are UNIBE grads in Pennsylvania now. As for California, it is only a matter of filing out the documentation, paying the money for the inspection, and getting the inspection done. I'm sure UNIBE can easily pass inspection, it is just a matter of filing the MOUNTAINS of paperwork and paying the fee. Before that, if some brave intrepid soul wants to go to California, that person may be in a legal battle for a couple of years before he/she MIGHT get in. Because of the large amounts of money it would cost to take them to court, all the UNIBE grads from California just applies to other states as it is less headache and lesser drain on the wallet.
IF a state decided to give an UNIBE grad any problems, barring something negative in the persons file (ex. too many USMLE failures - many states place a limit on how many times you can fail, or a felony conviction), a simple court challenge can EASILY defeat a discriminatory state medical board.
You mentioned that you want to go to Texas, as you are from there. Texas is a good place. There are a few UNIBE grads there...2 in El Paso and 2 others somewhere else (I don't remember where). Neighboring Oklahoma has 3 UNIBE grads there. I remember 3 folks in residency in nebraska. Just apply all over. The midwest is NOT so congested, so your chances may be better in this region than in the coastal areas.
Now here is the flip side......
Are there UNIBE grads that after many years and multiple board attempts STILL haven't passed and are not in residency??? YES
It is a sad situation, but ever since the first graduating class of the English program, there has always been a few ppl whom after many attempts at the USMLE, have not passed. But let's put things in perspective. I have discussed this topic previously in OLD posts...
The percentage of people who succeed via the foreign route is directly related to the presence or absence of FILTERS employed by the school. In schools like St. Georges, unless you have a high GPA and HIGH MCAT scores (which many US medical educators feel is a predictor of USMLE success), you don't get admitted. That is filter #1. Filter #2 happens during the basic sciences. If you fail more than 2 calsses, you win a date with the promotions committee and may be dismissed from medschool. Filter #3 is the USMLE, if you fail it 3 times at a US school, that buys you an AUTOMATIC DISMISSAL. That is a FACT. Most foreign schools DON'T have these filters, so you get a mixed bag of students in a WIDE spectrum from the serious hard core "gunner" types all the way down to the complainer/slacker/skirt chaser/partier who would have easily been filtered out in the previous system I described. For the foreign grad, though, there is just one huge filter which is at the end of the line, that is the USMLE/ECFMG process.
Another problem that people don't want to own up to is what I called "unconquered demons syndrome". let me illustrate a ficticious case example..
John Doe went to Brand X Univ in NY. Historically, John Doe had never been good at standardized tests, and has never taken any steps to resolve that problem. Also when in College, John never really studied much, and wasn't very disciplined. And when it came to the premed core classes, he barely made C's. When John Doe takes the MCAT, he gets his butt kicked. Needless to say, he gets rejected from all US schools he applies to. He says "Screw them, I'll go the foreign route". Off he goes.....
John gets accepted to medical school on the Island of St. Jock, a relatively new school with a pretty much open admissions policy. While there, when he's not chasing the local women, he is constantly complaining to his fellow classmates...
"This place sucks, the US is FAR superior to this dump!!"
"These classes are useless. I'm just gonna get by with old tests. Right when I finish basic science, I'm taking a semester off, go to Kaplan back in NY and rock a 90 on my boards so I can transfer to a REAL school."
"My plan is to rock the boards and transfer to the US for clinicals. My uncle Dexter is an cardiologist at BFE medical center affiliated with brand Y med school. I got a connection.
"There is NO WAY I'd want to do my clinicals here."
John finishes the basic sciences, goes back to NY, and takes Kaplan.when done, he takes the USMLE and scores a 65. He then goes back to St. Jock still talking trash and spreading rumors, blaming "this inferior school" for my USMLE failure. John finally graduaes, and heads back to the states, retakes Kaplan, and 3 more board attempts later, he still cannot pass. Meanwhile, he uses every chance to trash his old alma mater on the FMG discussion forums.
The MORAL of this story...before ANYONE goes off to a foreign school, one needs to do a serious "check-up-from-the-neck-up". One needs to HONESTLY assess their strengths and weaknesses. If an individual was a poor test taker with poor academic discipline, running offshore didn't conquer that demon. Changing location didn't solve a thing. I don't care how good/bad a professor is, that does not exculpate the individual student from studying and transferring the material "from book to brain". If basic sciences could be taught in 6 weeks, it would. There is a reason why basic sciences take 2 years to study.
So to all the prospective students who are contemplating going abroad, honestly assess yourself and your strenghts and weaknesses, conquer your demons first BEFORE you head abroad. It will save you a whole lot of time and headache in the future. And with that, I close...PEACE!!!!!
-Derek
