Ross vs. AUC MERP?

[bae.area.premed123]

Interviewed with Ross on 9/15, interviewed with AUC on 9/18. Yesterday I got a call from Ross and AUC within an hour of each other. Ross has accepted me for January 2016, while AUC has accepted me for MERP to start in December 2015 and if I pass, then AUC in May 2016. I don't have to make a decision until October 9th.

I am interviewing with SGU as well next Tuesday, so we'll see how that goes.

My question: to take AUC MERP or Ross?

- AUC has always been my top choice for schools in the Caribbean for a few reasons: better civilization/infrastructure, smaller class sizes, I know a few friends who are there and haven't had bad experiences. But at the same time this means I'll have to wait a few months for starting. I know that if I take MERP I'll give it 110% and nail it so I don't get screwed over. Also, +16K extra for the costs of doing MERP.

- Ross, I initially was hesitant to apply because of what I had read online. I know nobody with experiences there save for one person who withdrew after year 1 (he realised he wasn't interested in medicine). Also, less developed infrastructure, HUGE class size (which I imagine means a low facility/faculty to student ratio), high attrition (not that I plan to add to this number).

I know Ross and AUC are both owned by the same company, but so far I've been having a bit of trouble finding sufficient information to compare the two schools. My parents want me to choose Ross because it's a "direct path in" versus the "gamble associated with not doing well in MERP". Not to mention, I did not do particularly well in my post-bacc and ended up leaving due to academic reasons. Meanwhile, I am scheduled to talk with the program director of MERP to get an idea regarding what it entails and to have a better idea of the curriculum.

Any thoughts?

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[Skip Intro]

I have said this before on this forum but, personally, if I'd have been offered the MERP (or any equivalent by other schools) I'd be doing something different with my life right now.

MERP = more money + more risk - guaranteed admission

-Skip

 

[bae.area.premed123]

so you're saying to ignore MERP?

 

[DocBlin]

dear bae.area...; You did not post you stats... But why not wait till SGU interview and possible acceptance or Merping @SGU before deciding. Or call AUC tell them you received full acceptance at ROSS see what they say. In my opinion why not try for DO in USA? Otherwise spending 2 years on island always best to be happy. AUC on Martinique is like being in Miami Beach. Next SGU is better than ROSS island. Just my thoughts.

 

[torontopharm]

I have said this before on this forum but, personally, if I'd have been offered the MERP (or any equivalent by other schools) I'd be doing something different with my life right now.

MERP = more money + more risk - guaranteed admission

-Skip

I believe MERP is free now. They don't charge tuition for it anymore.
I could be wrong though.

 

[sso_blasted87]

I believe MERP is free now. They don't charge tuition for it anymore.
I could be wrong though.

It's free if you fail out of merp I believe.

 

[ScubaV]

I know Ross and AUC are both owned by the same company, but so far I've been having a bit of trouble finding sufficient information to compare the two schools. My parents want me to choose Ross because it's a "direct path in" versus the "gamble associated with not doing well in MERP". Not to mention, I did not do particularly well in my post-bacc and ended up leaving due to academic reasons. Meanwhile, I am scheduled to talk with the program director of MERP to get an idea regarding what it entails and to have a better idea of the curriculum.

Any thoughts?

It sounds to me like you are a borderline candidate (hence the AUC MERP) and are at high risk of failing out before graduation. I'm sure it's not what you want to hear, but I would seriously consider another career path such as PA school. Otherwise, it may be a good idea to do the AUC MERP, especially if it's true that you don't have to pay if you fail. If you fail, there's not much financial or temporal loss. If you pass, you'll be in at the school you want and with a good idea of what your chances are of making it all the way for only 16K (vs. 25-250K+ depending on how far you get).

Be aware that college is a breeze compared to medical school. I studied more in my first month of med school than I did in four years of college. If you do the MERP and find yourself barely scraping by, it's probably a good idea to cut your losses and avoid racking up huge loans with no easy way to pay them off.

 

[PathoTurnUp1865]

Why risk going to an island school..?