SGU or Ross acceptance

[cal01]

Hi, guys in quite a predicament here whether to apply or to not apply. I have taken all my prereqs and have a3.8 gpa( prereqs themselves not cumgpa)and mcat score of 487 but no bachelors degree. I had started my degree in business but ended up not following through due to family issues. Parents started a new business and were not able to handle it, being the only kid at home, older sister was in med at the time and little sister had just gone away for school I did not want to leave them stranded and eventually having to manage a business and go to school became too overwhelming and failed some classes and eventually I just stopped going. Once the business stabilized I went on to complete my prereqs for med school which I did very well in. So my question is is it worth applying to Ross or SGU with just my prereqs done and mcat score? How likely am I to get accepted? Thank you!
-Cali01

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[pms_testosterone]

Are there any factors preventing you from finishing your degree, re-taking the MCAT, and applying to US med schools?

3.8 is a good GPA, so you'd stand a good chance if you took that route.

 

[cal01]

Are there any factors preventing you from finishing your degree, re-taking the MCAT, and applying to US med schools?

3.8 is a good GPA, so you'd stand a good chance if you took that route.

Well, I got disqualified because I was over ambitious as to what I could handle academically while having a more than full-time workload and I made that mistake 2 semesters in a row knowing well Id barely be able to make any of those classes because I had to give full-time attention to work so we could stay afloat financially. So Id have to be reinstated which is basically another 1 year process (Im trying to see if I can do without this.) I have several cousins who took the carib route after bachelors and were successful which is why I am considering this heavily but am not sure if a bachelors is crucial or not.

 

[DrStephenStrange]

The consensus here is going to the Caribbean for medical school is a recipe for disaster. You have a big chance of either failing out, or ending with lots of debt and no residency/job. Unless there's absolutely no way you could work your way up, obtain your bachelor with a good GPA preferably 3.5+ for both cumulative and sGPA, retake your MCAT with a 505+ for DO or 510+ for MD, and apply MD and DO for at least 3 cycles, only then Caribbean MD should be cautiously considered. There's no shortcut to becoming a physician. You must put in the work necessary to get to where you want to be otherwise you might regret it.

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[cal01]

The consensus here is going to the Caribbean for medical school is a recipe for disaster. You have a big chance of either failing out, or ending with lots of debt and no residency/job. Unless there's absolutely no way you could work your way up, obtain your bachelor with a good GPA preferably 3.5+ for both cumulative and sGPA, retake your MCAT with a 505+ for DO or 510+ for MD, and apply MD and DO for at least 3 cycles, only then Caribbean MD should be cautiously considered. There's no shortcut to becoming a physician. You must put in the work necessary to get to where you want to be otherwise you might regret it.

Time is not on my side lol, and I am very determined. I have taken all of my prereqs so as far as learning material goes not really taking a shortcut, but my main question is if my MCAT and prereqs are enough for me to be able to get into ross or sgu or do I have to finish my bach in business which has nothing to do with anything in medicine lol

 

[pms_testosterone]

Being very determined would help you finish your degree (or any degree! It doesn't have to be in business!) and get into a US med school.

As to whether you can get into Ross/SGU with your current situation, I would consult with the admissions offices of those two schools. They're the only ones who can give you a 100% correct answer. But please do your own research into the risk of not matching to residency from these schools, and don't just rely on their advertising materials for this info.

 

[el_duderino]

What's your actual GPA?

An MCAT of 485 and a recent history of basically failing out is not in any way suggestive of being capable of medical school success. Caribbean schools prey on candidates like you to pay lots of tuition with no hope of actually passing everything and eventually matching into a residency.

You need to finish a degree, establish a track record of academic success, and show that you can do well on the MCAT before you should think about any kind of medical school. There's nothing in your history to suggest you can handle the courseload or pass Step 1, and convincing yourself that you would be able to is magical thinking and poor judgment.

 

[cal01]

Being very determined would help you finish your degree (or any degree! It doesn't have to be in business!) and get into a US med school.

As to whether you can get into Ross/SGU with your current situation, I would consult with the admissions offices of those two schools. They're the only ones who can give you a 100% correct answer. But please do your own research into the risk of not matching to residency from these schools, and don't just rely on their advertising materials for this info.

My older sister went to Ross and my brother in law went to an Indian med school and they both ended up matching with residency for internal med first year but they also had outstanding scores on their step 1 and step 2 and it was 2012. Not really sure how much the playing field has changed since then.

 

[cal01]

What's your actual GPA?

An MCAT of 485 and a recent history of basically failing out is not in any way suggestive of being capable of medical school success. Caribbean schools prey on candidates like you to pay lots of tuition with no hope of actually passing everything and eventually matching into a residency.

You need to finish a degree, establish a track record of academic success, and show that you can do well on the MCAT before you should think about any kind of medical school. There's nothing in your history to suggest you can handle the courseload or pass Step 1, and convincing yourself that you would be able to is magical thinking and poor judgment.

lol i didnt fail because I wanted to because it was because I had to help my family. Failing due to just not having the mental capacity and failing due to nonattendance two separate scenarios. I was working 13-14 hours days 6 days a week with a commute of an hour each way hard work is not a concern or issue of mine. To answer your gpa question prereq gpa 3.8, before my family issues I had a 3.61 but two consecutive semesters of full course load (16 units the first, 12 the second) and nonattendance I am sure you can do the math. Thank you for your advice though much appreciated

 

[el_duderino]

lol i didnt fail because I wanted to because it was because I had to help my family. Failing due to just not having the mental capacity and failing due to nonattendance two separate scenarios. I was working 13-14 hours days 6 days a week with a commute of an hour each way hard work is not a concern or issue of mine. Thank you for your advice though much appreciated

They are different scenarios, but in either scenario you failed out. In your case, your story says you exercised poor judgment and time management and failed to seek the help or assistance you needed. You failed out and there's no good reason to think you're going to do it differently this time and obtain the help you need when things get tough and overwhelming (which they will in medical school).

Further, your MCAT score indicates that either you exercised poor judgment and took the exam when you were not sufficiently prepared or you simply lack the academic ability to perform well on the exam.

You can probably get into Ross or SGU, but what I'm telling you is that virtually everything about your situation indicates you will not succeed there. It sounds like you've convinced yourself you've got what it takes to just show up to med school with a significantly subpar record and rock out. That's magical, counterfactual thinking. You have work to do before you think about med school.

 

[DrStephenStrange]

lol i didnt fail because I wanted to because it was because I had to help my family. Failing due to just not having the mental capacity and failing due to nonattendance two separate scenarios. I was working 13-14 hours days 6 days a week with a commute of an hour each way hard work is not a concern or issue of mine. To answer your gpa question prereq gpa 3.8, before my family issues I had a 3.61 but two consecutive semesters of full course load (16 units the first, 12 the second) and nonattendance I am sure can do the math. Thank you for your advice though much appreciated

And we get that, but nothing tells us or any admissions committee at any school that you can succeed more than your MCAT score and your track record in undergrad. Who tells anyone you could have done better if you didn't work 13 hours a day? And the 487 in MCAT isn't helping your cause either. This is why your best bet is to re-enroll in a 4 year college, lay down a good track record, graduate, and retake the MCAT.

Good luck.

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[cal01]

lol i didnt fail because I wanted to because it was because I had to help my family. Failing due to just not having the mental capacity and failing due to nonattendance two separate scenarios. I was working 13-14 hours days 6 days a week with a commute of an hour each way hard work is not a concern or issue of mine. Thank you for your advice though much appreciated

They are different scenarios, but in either scenario you failed out. In your case, your story says you exercised poor judgment and time management and failed to seek the help or assistance you needed. You failed out and there's no good reason to think you're going to do it differently this time and obtain the help you need when things get tough and overwhelming (which they will in medical school).

Further, your MCAT score indicates that either you exercised poor judgment and took the exam when you were not sufficiently prepared or you simply lack the academic ability to perform well on the exam.

You can probably get into Ross or SGU, but what I'm telling you is that virtually everything about your situation indicates you will not succeed there. It sounds like you've convinced yourself you've got what it takes to just show up to med school with a significantly subpar record and rock out. That's magical, counterfactual thinking. You have work to do before you think about med school.

I did jump into the MCAT prematurely I studied for about a month and gave it a go, even my older sister told me to study for a couple months but at that point I was really eager.

 

[cal01]

And we get that, but nothing tells us or any admissions committee at any school that you can succeed more than your MCAT score and your track record in undergrad. Who tells anyone you could have done better if you didn't work 13 hours a day? And the 487 in MCAT isn't helping your cause either. This is why your best bet is to re-enroll in a 4 year college, lay down a good track record, graduate, and retake the MCAT.

Good luck.

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Thank you! I dont think any person can pass 2 semesters of o-chem and genetics if they were truly just dumb. But your point is very valid.

 

[Gilakend]

I did jump into the MCAT prematurely I studied for about a month and gave it a go, even my older sister told me to study for a couple months but at that point I was really eager.

I'm not going to beat around the bush. Nothing you've displayed so far says you can succeed in any medical school. The carib would likely accept you if you can get loans. They only care that you can pay. I don't think anyone here could recommend applying to the carib in general, but with your track record it is downright dangerous.

Go back to a US school, finish a bachelors degree, study well for MCAT and retake. Then apply US. It is not short, it is not easy, but it is the right way to do it. Others have given you solid advice on here. I understand your motivation, but talk is cheap. Putting in the work is hard. No one is trying to be rude or mean, everyone here genuinely wants to help you.

 

[Small Cell Carcinoma]

You may get into either school, but the question is are you sure you want to? Life in the Caribbean is about as close to living in hell as you can get. I have watched some of my classmates literally go insane from a combination of the living conditions and academic stress. The path to becoming a doctor is exponentially harder than doing so in the USA, and you will more than likely end up go into primary care if you survive your institution's numerous student cullings that occur at the end of each semester/board exam.

Also, something to keep in mind that will not be made apparent to you immediately if you decide to attend: at best Caribbean medical schools do not care if you succeed or fail and at worst, actively try to ensure that a solid chunk of the class fails. This is in direct contrast to American schools will who will be compromising and supportive if you ever find your self with an sort of academic struggles.

 

[MD54321]

They are different scenarios, but in either scenario you failed out. In your case, your story says you exercised poor judgment and time management and failed to seek the help or assistance you needed. You failed out and there's no good reason to think you're going to do it differently this time and obtain the help you need when things get tough and overwhelming (which they will in medical school).

Further, your MCAT score indicates that either you exercised poor judgment and took the exam when you were not sufficiently prepared or you simply lack the academic ability to perform well on the exam.

You can probably get into Ross or SGU, but what I'm telling you is that virtually everything about your situation indicates you will not succeed there. It sounds like you've convinced yourself you've got what it takes to just show up to med school with a significantly subpar record and rock out. That's magical, counterfactual thinking. You have work to do before you think about med school.

I highly disagree with this statement: "Further, your MCAT score indicates that either you exercised poor judgment and took the exam when you were not sufficiently prepared or you simply lack the academic ability to perform well on the exam."
I took the MCAT twice and it just wasn't a test I would ever do well on no matter how hard I studied however I went to SGU, did very well in school and scored well on my step exams. MCAT does not always correlate with how well you will do in medical school. Not sure why this person feels you will not succeed but if you put in the work you will get to where you need to be.

 

[MD54321]

You may get into either school, but the question is are you sure you want to? Life in the Caribbean is about as close to living in hell as you can get. I have watched some of my classmates literally go insane from a combination of the living conditions and academic stress. The path to becoming a doctor is exponentially harder than doing so in the USA, and you will more than likely end up go into primary care if you survive your institution's numerous student cullings that occur at the end of each semester/board exam.

Also, something to keep in mind that will not be made apparent to you immediately if you decide to attend: at best Caribbean medical schools do not care if you succeed or fail and at worst, actively try to ensure that a solid chunk of the class fails. This is in direct contrast to American schools will who will be compromising and supportive if you ever find your self with an sort of academic struggles.

Living in the Caribbean is not "living in hell." I can only speak for SGU but Grenada is a well developed country. Of course its not the USA but living conditions are just like anywhere else plus you get people to clean your house and you get to party on beautiful beaches after your exams. We have access to grocery stores, restaurants and bars. You will have everything you need.

 

[Blanky]

I have taken all my prereqs and have a3.8 gpa( prereqs themselves not cumgpa)and mcat score of 487 but no bachelors degree

You have a 3.8 GPA in the prereqs and scored a 487 MCAT and think you are ready to gamble $500k that you are going to get better at taking exams?

my main question is if my MCAT and prereqs are enough for me to be able to get into ross or sgu or do I have to finish my bach in business which has nothing to do with anything in medicine lol

Call them?

 

[cassis_Cake]

Go for it OP. You seem determined and can probably get it done if you know what to expect. I would probably choose SGU if I had to do Caribbean between the two.

 

[FrustratedFamDoc]

I'm an SGU grad, so I'm not trying to be a knocker, but in all of these "what are my chances" threads, has anyone ever been outright rejected from Ross/SGU/etc when they had a half way decent application? Like, do they ever tell anyone outright "no?"

OP, it won't hurt to apply. If my theory holds true, they'll likely offer you either acceptance or a pathway to a pathway type track, likely making you yet another statistic (that will never get accurately/fairly reported).

I know my first semester on the island, I remember some people that had no business anywhere near med school....

 

[LM75]

Between SGU and Ross, SGU is the better school. You need a bachelors degree to matriculate so I don't know how you would get in with just your pre-req's.

Just be warned that SGU is no walk in the park, it's not a shortcut to becoming a doctor it's just another route. You'll probably be working harder than your US counterparts in the end.

99.8% of the people responding on this forum have ZERO understanding of the process of becoming an MD through SGU so be careful of the advice you take from this forum.

SGU is a personal decision and there is a little risk involved if you are not a "med-school level" student.

From your post, I don't think that is you but things can always change.

 

[el_duderino]

Between SGU and Ross, SGU is the better school. You need a bachelors degree to matriculate so I don't know how you would get in with just your pre-req's.

Just be warned that SGU is no walk in the park, it's not a shortcut to becoming a doctor it's just another route. You'll probably be working harder than your US counterparts in the end.

99.8% of the people responding on this forum have ZERO understanding of the process of becoming an MD through SGU so be careful of the advice you take from this forum.

SGU is a personal decision and there is a little risk involved if you are not a "med-school level" student.

From your post, I don't think that is you but things can always change.

Dude. You're a premed. You haven't even started medical school yet. And here you are acting like you know all about going the process. Looking at your post history, it's clear that what you're doing is trying to convince yourself that you made the right decision by going to SGU.

Reality doesn't change based on your self-delusion. SGU is a huge, huge gamble. Yes, if you're intelligent and hard-working and can handle relentless high-level academic rigor and work independently you can succeed at SGU. The problem is that the people who have proven that they have those qualities are the ones that get accepted to US schools. There's a reason the attrition rate at Caribbean schools is ~10 times higher than at US ones.

OP has a ~15th percentile MCAT and no college degree. Saying "there is a little risk involved" in going to SGU for the OP is negligent.

 

[LM75]

Dude. You're a premed. You haven't even started medical school yet. And here you are acting like you know all about going the process. Looking at your post history, it's clear that what you're doing is trying to convince yourself that you made the right decision by going to SGU.

Reality doesn't change based on your self-delusion. SGU is a huge, huge gamble. Yes, if you're intelligent and hard-working and can handle relentless high-level academic rigor and work independently you can succeed at SGU. The problem is that the people who have proven that they have those qualities are the ones that get accepted to US schools. There's a reason the attrition rate at Caribbean schools is ~10 times higher than at US ones.

OP has a ~15th percentile MCAT and no college degree. Saying "there is a little risk involved" in going to SGU for the OP is negligent.

Did you go to SGU? If you didn't then I think you're the one who doesn't know what they are talking about. Let people who are familiar with that path talk about that. We don't need people like you telling people who go down that path how they should think.

Medical school is about hard work, you don't need to be a genius to complete medical school. Also, I would re-read my last post and read it slowly...preferably with your index finger held to the screen and going over each word very slowly.

 

[el_duderino]

Did you go to SGU? If you didn't then I think you're the one who doesn't know what they are talking about. Let people who are familiar with that path talk about that. We don't need people like you telling people who go down that path how they should think.

Medical school is about hard work, you don't need to be a genius to complete medical school. Also, I would re-read my last post and read it slowly...preferably with your index finger held to the screen and going over each word very slowly.

What ever would I do if I didn't have premeds telling me what medical school is about.

Out of curiosity, why did you decide on SGU instead of a US school? What was your application like? MCAT, GPA, activities?

 

[LM75]

What ever would I do if I didn't have premeds telling me what medical school is about.

Out of curiosity, why did you decide on SGU instead of a US school? What was your application like? MCAT, GPA, activities?

Don't worry about why I chose SGU, that's my decision and I am satisfied with it.

What you need to understand is that becoming a doctor is not like becoming an astronaut. There are many pathways to legitimately practice medicine within the United States and practice it well. You can do that through a US medical school, a Caribbean medical school, and a foreign medical school.

You need to do some more research on SGU specifically before going on a negative tirade on that path. There are program directors now that are SGU alumni. Think about that for a second. You now have, after 40 some odd years, SGU "students" giving the green light to new SGU students to become doctors.

The "giant risk" phenomena that you guys like to talk about so much is really more about fear mongering than it is of warning capable students of the inherent risks of going to a for-profit school.

Not everybody here is applying to some of these schools with a 2.5 GPA if that is what you are thinking.

 

[el_duderino]

Don't worry about why you chose SGU? I think that's kind of relevant when a premed is all over SDN telling people Caribbean is a good choice, and that they should shut up unless they went there.

 

[LM75]

Don't worry about why you chose SGU? I think that's kind of relevant when a premed is all over SDN telling people Caribbean is a good choice, and that they should shut up unless they went there.

I'm not exactly a pre-med because I have an SGU acceptance and I am done with my "pre-med" coursework.

I chose SGU because it's a good school that produces good doctors and apparently has been doing so for some time now.

Do you look down on SGU medical students, residents, or attending physicians?

Going to SGU is not like playing the lottery like some people here seem to think. Again, I would do more research instead of just saying SGU is a risk.

 

[el_duderino]

I'm not exactly a pre-med because I have an SGU acceptance and I am done with my "pre-med" coursework.

I chose SGU because it's a good school that produces good doctors and apparently has been doing so for some time now.

Do you look down on SGU medical students, residents, or attending physicians?

Going to SGU is not like playing the lottery like some people here seem to think. Again, I would do more research instead of just saying SGU is a risk.

Over 6000 students in their MD program.

<1000 residency placements per year.

Those aren't great odds.

The bottom line is that Caribbean schools are fine if you can handle it. However, there are a number of caveats to that. Number one is that if you can't make it into a US school, you should take a long hard look at why that is and what that says about your ability to succeed in a predatory environment like a Caribbean school. Number two is that by going this route, you severely hamper your value to residency programs.

I don't know why you didn't make it into a US school, and you won't tell us. You appear pretty defensive about it, and your entire posting history on SDN is you trying to defend your decision to go there... mostly by telling people who have a lot more experience than you what it's really like. Dude, you haven't even started yet. I'm done.

 

[LM75]

Over 6000 students in their MD program.

<1000 residency placements per year.

Those aren't great odds.

The bottom line is that Caribbean schools are fine if you can handle it. However, there are a number of caveats to that. Number one is that if you can't make it into a US school, you should take a long hard look at why that is and what that says about your ability to succeed in a predatory environment like a Caribbean school. Number two is that by going this route, you severely hamper your value to residency programs.

I don't know why you didn't make it into a US school, and you won't tell us. You appear pretty defensive about it, and your entire posting history on SDN is you trying to defend your decision to go there... mostly by telling people who have a lot more experience than you what it's really like. Dude, you haven't even started yet. I'm done.

Dude, you have no experience. You might think you do though.

Your mathematics prove my point. The only numbers that matter are how many students enter the match and how many match, if you look at that number it's greater than 87%. Nobody cares how many people are in their MD program because quite frankly the student that wants to become a doctor is only focused on if SGU can get them to where they want to go as long as they do their part and do the work. Oh and that 87% jumps into the 90's for anybody that enters the match again.

You DO NOT "hamper" your value to residency programs. There are programs that are IMG-friendly all over the east coast and in other localities that are completely filled by SGU grads. Again, you seem to think that SGU students wear pinwheel caps or something to that effect. SGU students know where the degree will take them, what SGU can do and what it can't do. Bottom line is if someone can do it, going to SGU and getting an IM spot is a lot more lucrative than not going to SGU and doing something else in healthcare. That's why people do it, and that's why those most-determined are happy with the outcome.

 

[el_duderino]

The only numbers that matter are how many students enter the match and how many match

I said I was done, but I need to point out this absurd statement for the other people reading this thread.

Yes, ~87% of SGU grads who enter the match actually match somewhere. That means 13% don't. That's a big number when you're talking about $300,000 in debt.

And it completely ignores another, more important statistic: how many people matriculate to and pay SGU but never enter the match?

 

[LM75]

Yes, ~87% of SGU grads who enter the match actually match somewhere.

Correction, NOW you're done. Have a nice day.

 

[el_duderino]

Also, the last year that the NRMP published data (2014), only 67% of US IMGs who went to school in Grenada matched. 67%. 534 out of 792.

That's 67% of those who entered the match. It ignores all the students who never made it that far.

So I'm not sure where that 87% came from. I assume that's 87% of all of SGU's students. Only 2/3 of SGU students are American, though. So you should probably stop quoting that 87% number, since it reflects all SGU students not just US students. 67% is more accurate.

It seems that around half of US students who matriculate to SGU never actually end up matching. About two thirds of those who make it to the match actually match, and then you can factor in all the students who never even enter the match.

 

[LM75]

Also, the last year that the NRMP published data (2014), only 67% of US IMGs who went to school in Grenada matched. 67%. 534 out of 792.

That's 67% of those who entered the match. It ignores all the students who never made it that far.

So I'm not sure where that 87% came from. I assume that's 87% of all of SGU's students. Only 2/3 of SGU students are American, though. So you should probably stop quoting that 87% number, since it reflects all SGU students not just US students. 67% is more accurate.

It seems that around half of US students who matriculate to SGU never actually end up matching. About two thirds of those who make it to the match actually match, and then you can factor in all the students who never even enter the match.

Again, the students that do become doctors from SGU don't have time to focus on those numbers. If you foolishly apply with low stats or apply just because your parents told you to become a doctor than yeah maybe you should be focusing on NRMP data. Keep in mind however that those two groups I mentioned are VERY DIFFERENT groups of people. If you're in the former, these numbers really don't apply so much to you.

Those students just need to focus on keeping the grades high and getting those STEP scores. SGU has a large enough network that those students will succeed in become practicing physicians once all the benchmarks are met.

I think the problem here is you are confusing two different sets of students up. That's probably why you are not fully understanding where SGU falls in regards to producing doctors.

 

[el_duderino]

Again, the students that do become doctors from SGU don't have time to focus on those numbers. If you foolishly apply with low stats or apply just because your parents told you to become a doctor than yeah maybe you should be focusing on NRMP data. Keep in mind however that those two groups I mentioned are VERY DIFFERENT groups of people. If you're in the former, these numbers really don't apply so much to you.

Those students just need to focus on keeping the grades high and getting those STEP scores. SGU has a large enough network that those students will succeed in become practicing physicians once all the benchmarks are met.

I think the problem here is you are confusing two different sets of students up. That's probably why you are not fully understanding where SGU falls in regards to producing doctors.

So what do you call a 15th percentile MCAT with no college degree? Is that "low stats" or is that the other "group"?

 

[LM75]

So what do you call a 15th percentile MCAT with no college degree? Is that "low stats" or is that the other "group"?

Now you are deflecting. It happens when we don't know what we're talking about anymore. I could care less what stats the OP has. Only the OP will know if they are cut out for medical school at SGU and I would hope they would figure that out before they apply.

 

[el_duderino]

This is how the thought process generally goes when someone decides to go to a Caribbean medical school. Yes, the success rates are low, but those people who fail out are "foolish" and not "med school level" like me.

 

[LM75]

This is how the thought process generally goes when someone decides to go to a Caribbean medical school. Yes, the success rates are low, but those people who fail out are "foolish" and not "med school level" like me.

If you have the answers to predict success at Caribbean medical schools, I'm telling you that you are in the wrong line of work. You could make a lot more money making predictions. Hell, you could even change the course of human history.

 

[el_duderino]

If you have the answers to predict success at Caribbean medical schools, I'm telling you that you are in the wrong line of work. You could make a lot more money making predictions. Hell, you could even change the course of human history.

You're the one saying you can distinguish between these two "groups." I'm talking about the overall hard statistics: out of the unknown number of US matriculants to SGU eligible to graduate by 2014, 792 of them ultimately made it to the match. 258 out of those 792 failed to match.

33% of American students at SGU who entered the match in 2014 failed. A third. And, again, this ignores the ones who never made it that far after matriculating.

Big gamble. If you think you're one of the lucky ones, then best of luck to you. Here's the rub: those applicants who have a resume convincing for likely success to medical school don't need Caribbean schools because they generally get accepted to US schools, assuming they apply intelligently. This is why "yes, go to a Caribbean school" is advice that I rarely give. If you can convince me you're strong enough to succeed at SGU, then you're probably strong enough to succeed at a US school and you'll get accepted to one if you apply well. If you're weak enough that you can't make it to a US school, then the numbers are not in your favor at SGU.

33% of US IMGs who entered the match from SGU failed. Somewhere around 50% of Americans who matriculated to SGU never matched. Those are terrible numbers when you're talking about six figures of debt.

 

[LM75]

You're the one saying you can distinguish between these two "groups." I'm talking about the overall hard statistics: out of the unknown number of US matriculants to SGU eligible to graduate by 2014, 792 of them ultimately made it to the match. 258 out of those 792 failed to match.

33% of American students at SGU who entered the match in 2014 failed. A third. And, again, this ignores the ones who never made it that far after matriculating.

Big gamble. If you think you're one of the lucky ones, then best of luck to you. Here's the rub: those applicants who have a resume convincing for likely success to medical school don't need Caribbean schools because they generally get accepted to US schools, assuming they apply intelligently. This is why "yes, go to a Caribbean school" is advice that I rarely give. If you can convince me you're strong enough to succeed at SGU, then you're probably strong enough to succeed at a US school and you'll get accepted to one if you apply well. If you're weak enough that you can't make it to a US school, then the numbers are not in your favor at SGU.

33% of US IMGs who entered the match from SGU failed. Somewhere around 50% of Americans who matriculated to SGU never matched. Those are terrible numbers when you're talking about six figures of debt.

What are you trying to accomplish here? Nobody is going to listen to you and not apply to SGU if that's what you're objective is. So having said that, lets look at that path for what it is. People who do the work become doctors. Just leave it at that. Nobody looks at all these numbers. When you marry your wife, do you look at divorce statistics?

 

[el_duderino]

Nobody looks at all these numbers.

A lot of people do, actually. I did. That's why I decided to give US schools another shot instead of going to the Caribbean after I failed my first application cycle. Lots of people look at these numbers. The more people who know these numbers the better.

 

[LM75]

A lot of people do, actually. I did. That's why I decided to give US schools another shot instead of going to the Caribbean after I failed my first application cycle. Lots of people look at these numbers. The more people who know these numbers the better.

I'm SUUURRREEEE you did man lol.

 

[el_duderino]

I'm SUUURRREEEE you did man lol.

I was 32 with a 2.8 GPA applying to medical schools. I had virtually zero shot at getting a US acceptance.

You think I didn't look into Caribbean schools?

 

[LM75]

I was 32 with a 2.8 GPA applying to medical schools. I had virtually zero shot at getting a US acceptance.

You think I didn't look into Caribbean schools?

Are you sure it wasn't a 2.6?

 

[el_duderino]

Are you sure it wasn't a 2.6?

2.81, actually.
How much will this affect me?

 

[LM75]

2.81, actually.
How much will this affect me?

Not to offend you, but SGU will not accept anyone with that GPA.

On the same note, it's a little disingenuous to suggest that anyone with a 2.81 will automatically get into a US program with some "hard work."
The reality is trying to improve a 2.81 for the purpose of getting into a US program might be a very costly and time-consuming endeavor that could ultimately prove not worthwhile.

That's a more objective approach.

Now that's all assuming you are who you say you are.

 

[DrStephenStrange]

Not to offend you, but SGU will not accept anyone with that GPA.

On the same note, it's a little disingenuous to suggest that anyone with a 2.81 will automatically get into a US program with some "hard work."
The reality is trying to improve a 2.81 for the purpose of getting into a US program might be a very costly and time-consuming endeavor that could ultimately prove not worthwhile.

That's a more objective approach.

Now that's all assuming you are who you say you are.

I've seen plenty of people with GPA in that range get accepted to SGU including one of my old classmates in undergrad.

Sent from my SM-G950U using SDN mobile

 

[bedevilled ben]

Only the OP will know if they are cut out for medical school at SGU and I would hope they would figure that out before they apply.

I'm a recent SGU graduate. I made it through the program with no red flags, decels, hiccups, or otherwise troublesome events. I matched into my #1 residency program. Does my opinion get to matter?

You unintentionally hit on the issue with this statement. I don't care what your undergrad experience was like, Caribbean medical school is almost certainly so completely different that there is no way to really gauge your chances of success until you're involved in it. It's not merely a grades or test score/academics issue. There are various financial, psychosocial and interpersonal factors involved when going to an off-shore medical school. The pacing goes so fast, that most students are already well underwater by the time they realize that they're drowning and start to seek help. Often it's too late.

That being said, one shouldn't ignore the available data, the weak predictors that we know are correlated with success. If you are not scoring around the median acceptance scores, you should reconsider. If you are not the sort of person that deals well with stress, you should reconsider. If you are the sort of person who avoids hard work and tries to find shortcuts or easy ways out, you should reconsider. If you are not the sort of person that will meet adversity head-on and claw your way to success on bloody fingernails, you should reconsider. You don't necessarily need all of those qualities to make it, but damn do they help. The problem is that most people are not able to step back from their egos and do a rational introspective self-assessment and accurately gauge their likelihood of success. It's far easier to ignore past failures and say, "It will be different this time."

 

[LM75]

I've seen plenty of people with GPA in that range get accepted to SGU including one of my old classmates in undergrad.

Sent from my SM-G950U using SDN mobile

Not today. I'm not talking about when dinosaurs roamed the earth.

 

[LM75]

I'm a recent SGU graduate. I made it through the program with no red flags, decels, hiccups, or otherwise troublesome events. I matched into my #1 residency program. Does my opinion get to matter?

You unintentionally hit on the issue with this statement. I don't care what your undergrad experience was like, Caribbean medical school is almost certainly so completely different that there is no way to really gauge your chances of success until you're involved in it. It's not merely a grades or test score/academics issue. There are various financial, psychosocial and interpersonal factors involved when going to an off-shore medical school. The pacing goes so fast, that most students are already well underwater by the time they realize that they're drowning and start to seek help. Often it's too late.

That being said, one shouldn't ignore the available data, the weak predictors that we know are correlated with success. If you are not scoring around the median acceptance scores, you should reconsider. If you are not the sort of person that deals well with stress, you should reconsider. If you are the sort of person who avoids hard work and tries to find shortcuts or easy ways out, you should reconsider. If you are not the sort of person that will meet adversity head-on and claw your way to success on bloody fingernails, you should reconsider. You don't necessarily need all of those qualities to make it, but damn do they help. The problem is that most people are not able to step back from their egos and do a rational introspective self-assessment and accurately gauge their likelihood of success. It's far easier to ignore past failures and say, "It will be different this time."

We can't bunch all SGU applicants together. I'm sure you know that since you attended. I'd like to think you have three groups.

1. Those who should not be in medical school
2. Those who have the grades but can't test well or are inefficient
3. Those who will get it done no matter what you throw at them

So just like you got through the program, others will too. Are you suggesting that you are surprised to made it through SGU?

 

[deleted888443]

You cant really point at an individual person and tell them that they will/wont make it. In my class at Ross theres people with 2.3 gpas, 488 mcats absolutely killing it. But for some reason, the attrition here is still ridiculously high. Its actually worse than I thought it was going to be. Even though we werent in the caribbean this year, attrition first semester was like 40%. Its not because the school wants people to fail out (they are actually trying to fix the attrition problem to maintain accreditation), but OVERALL, the students here are weaker academically.

I honestly dont think anything can prepare you for this. You need to wake up, do the work, hopefully after you're done you have 1-2 hours to relax before you sleep and restart for the next day. It is a very fast paced, high stress, high anxiety environment. Sometimes the stress gets to people's head. Thankfully, I high passed first semester, but best believe I had a mental breakdown before every exam.