Transferring from a Caribbean Medical School back to a U.S. Medical School

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

shivalrous

Umrao Jaan
10+ Year Member
5+ Year Member
15+ Year Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2004
Messages
1,161
Reaction score
0
Hey guys,

I would like your advice. I have a very intelligent friend (36P on MCAT) who is currently studying at AUA. He's probably about top 5% in his class and wondering if he has any chance of transferring back to ANY U.S. Medical School for 3rd and 4th years.

You guys are thinking well why didn't he go to a U.S. Medical School in the first place...his GPA wasn't great and he didn't finish undergrad...he left after 3rd year.

I've heard of people officially transferring to a U.S. Medical School to do clinical years but I personally don't know of any. If you guys have been in this situation, know of anyone that has been in this situation, I would love to hear.

Thanks.

Members don't see this ad.
 
I know of one who did this, he transferred back to the beginning of 2nd year at a U.S. school from the beginning of 4th year (i.e., he essentially lost two years of his life and went from the clinic seeing patients after having passed Step 1 back to the classroom).

It's a personal choice. If you want a competitive residency, it may be worth it. But, if you have already made up your mind that you're going to do Peds, FP, OB/Gyn, or Psych, it's really a waste of time, effort, and money to try.

-Skip
 
shivalrous said:
Hey guys,

I would like your advice. I have a very intelligent friend (36P on MCAT) who is currently studying at AUA. He's probably about top 5% in his class and wondering if he has any chance of transferring back to ANY U.S. Medical School for 3rd and 4th years.

You guys are thinking well why didn't he go to a U.S. Medical School in the first place...his GPA wasn't great and he didn't finish undergrad...he left after 3rd year.

I've heard of people officially transferring to a U.S. Medical School to do clinical years but I personally don't know of any. If you guys have been in this situation, know of anyone that has been in this situation, I would love to hear.

Thanks.

SGU has around 2-5 transfer out per year (not many considering there are ~300 students PER TERM), so it can be done, but not likely. Usually the ones that do were close to getting into US schools in the first place (wait-listed and didn't get off the list). The biggest problem your friend will have however is the fact that he didn't finish his degree. I know most schools say 90+ hours and don't offically require a degree, but lets face it, how many people get into a US school without the degree(unless they are in a BS/MD program)?
Some schools will allow transfers into the 3rd class, some (less) into the 2nd year, some require you to start over. You can check the aamc website for transfer Policies for all the US schools.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Hey thanks guys for replying.....I've actually been checking on the AAMC website...haven't found anything yet, but I'll continue to search....if anyone knows any specific med schools where Caribbean transfers have been accepted to, please inform me....thanks!! :love:
 
Ive been looking into schools to transfer in

and they're aren't many anymore. Maybe 3 or 4 that indicate on theit website that they'll accept a FMG.

There are some like in Wisconsin that will take a FMG if you're from Wisconsin.

But, I wouldn't count on having it happen.
 
i think that a google search will turn up the schools that accept fmg transfers. most people who transfer, transfer into the third year. personally i will be applying to transfer to Tulane, Temple, George Washington, Brown, NY medical college and the school that used to know as Finch (Rosalyn Franklin Medical School, i think).

there are a handful of schools that accept transfers from foreign medical schools and probably the best way to find out which schools do, is to go the website of the schools that you are interested in and see if they have any info. it can be pretty hard to find sometimes. last year sgu actually had 7 transfers and has had up to 14 or 15. it is possible and does happen for a few people, but being practicle is important. it is difficult and unlikely at best. i personally think, like many things in life, one just has to get lucky. there are a lot of things that have to line up just right.

anyhow, to not lose any time and transfer into the third year, one has to have taken the boards as well. the standard three letters of rec, dean's letter, transcript and personal statement apply for most schools as well.

as far as getting it done . . . ask me in about six months and i will be able to give you some personal experience.
 
jdub said:
i think that a google search will turn up the schools that accept fmg transfers. most people who transfer, transfer into the third year. personally i will be applying to transfer to Tulane, Temple, George Washington, Brown, NY medical college and the school that used to know as Finch (Rosalyn Franklin Medical School, i think).

there are a handful of schools that accept transfers from foreign medical schools and probably the best way to find out which schools do, is to go the website of the schools that you are interested in and see if they have any info. it can be pretty hard to find sometimes. last year sgu actually had 7 transfers and has had up to 14 or 15. it is possible and does happen for a few people, but being practicle is important. it is difficult and unlikely at best. i personally think, like many things in life, one just has to get lucky. there are a lot of things that have to line up just right.

anyhow, to not lose any time and transfer into the third year, one has to have taken the boards as well. the standard three letters of rec, dean's letter, transcript and personal statement apply for most schools as well.

as far as getting it done . . . ask me in about six months and i will be able to give you some personal experience.



Wish you good luck in coming back to the good ol' U.S. of A! :thumbup: I hope you get accepted.
 
shivalrous said:
Wish you good luck in coming back to the good ol' U.S. of A! :thumbup: I hope you get accepted.

It doesn't really matter unless you want to go into an ultra-competitive residency. They guy I know just tacked-on about an additional $100,000 of debt. And, for what, I ask you.

If you have a problem with the perceived "stigma" of going to the Caribbean, don't even bother starting there. If you are gambling that you'll be able to transfer back to the U.S., that's a really ****ty bet (unless you personally know someone - i.e., a Dean, etc. - at a U.S. medical school).

If you want to be a family physician, a pediatrician, a surgeon, an OB/Gyn, an anesthesiologist, a Internist, or just about anything else short of the super competitive residencies (that most U.S. students don't have a realistic shot at either), then don't fret and worry yourself about transferring back... unless you have money to burn anyway (in which case why pick medicine in the first place).

-Skip
 
IMHO, it is FAR easier to stay in the USA and to keep reapplying to a US medical school rather than to try to get admitted through a near mission impossible like attempt at a transfer back down the road! Whereas a 30 MCAT and 3.3 could get you into a US school, it is going to take a 240+ USMLE score and 4.0 GPA to be even given an iota of a chance to transfer back and even that is no guarantee! Since St. George has a huge class of nearly 400, at least 25 or so come close to meeting these numbers (yes, there are some really brilliant people down there) yet only a fraction of these will actually make it. I personally believe 95% of current US medical students wouldn't be able to transfer back to their own medical schools if they had wound up going abroad since the bar has been raised yet even higher. Your average US med student with his 215 Step 1 score and B average would be scoffed at for even considering to try for one of these highly sought after "golden" spots. In other words, it is real tough and even having these awesome numbers is no guarantee. It can also can come down to pure luck. Perhaps you happen to be the ONLY student from New Mexico out of all 400 of your classmates and one of their second year med students got hit by a bus and now there is an opening -- Or perhaps Dr. Daddy is well connected back home and can "pull some strings". Yes it happens and I have seen it first hand. So, yeah...my point is don't go to the Caribbean with the expectation of transferring back. Rather, EXPECT to graduate from down there and don't bitch about it but be grateful you will be a doctor someday. The funny thing is I personally know two classmates who vyed for one of these highly sought after "golden" spots. The one who got in I found out later is doing a primary care residency (working side by side with his own former SGU classmates- all that for what!?!?), while the one who got turned down is now in Ortho. Yes, Ortho. Go figure!
 
nradsoit3 said:
IMHO, it is FAR easier to stay in the USA and to keep reapplying to a US medical school rather than to try to get admitted through a near mission impossible like attempt at a transfer back down the road! Whereas a 30 MCAT and 3.3 could get you into a US school, it is going to take a 240+ USMLE score and 4.0 GPA to be even given an iota of a chance to transfer back and even that is no guarantee! Since St. George has a huge class of nearly 400, at least 25 or so come close to meeting these numbers (yes, there are some really brilliant people down there) yet only a fraction of these will actually make it. I personally believe 95% of current US medical students wouldn't be able to transfer back to their own medical schools if they had wound up going abroad since the bar has been raised yet even higher. Your average US med student with his 215 Step 1 score and B average would be scoffed at for even considering to try for one of these highly sought after "golden" spots. In other words, it is real tough and even having these awesome numbers is no guarantee. It can also can come down to pure luck. Perhaps you happen to be the ONLY student from New Mexico out of all 400 of your classmates and one of their second year med students got hit by a bus and now there is an opening -- Or perhaps Dr. Daddy is well connected back home and can "pull some strings". Yes it happens and I have seen it first hand. So, yeah...my point is don't go to the Caribbean with the expectation of transferring back. Rather, EXPECT to graduate from down there and don't bitch about it but be grateful you will be a doctor someday. The funny thing is I personally know two classmates who vyed for one of these highly sought after "golden" spots. The one who got in I found out later is doing a primary care residency (working side by side with his own former SGU classmates- all that for what!?!?), while the one who got turned down is now in Ortho. Yes, Ortho. Go figure!
In agreement with you, except sometimes the reapplying thing can be a waste of time(I tried 3 cycles, got waitlisted 2x)if nothing in your application changes year after year. I completely agree with the mind set of accepting that if you go to a caribbean school, except to graduate from that school. That doesn't mean don't try to transfer- it can and does happen- but don't look to the off shore schools as a means to get into a US school- think of it as a bonus if you do.
 
I helped a friend (a Ross student) get some transfer info awhile back. Here's the condensed form.

Take a look at this, but ignore the University of Miami mentioned in the site--it no longer takes foreign transfers.
http://www.valuemd.com/viewtopic.php?t=2314

It's also important to look at the timeline for the Step 1. To be realistic, for many schedules (for example, if you start SGU in the Fall) it's very hard to take the USMLE in time to try and transfer in the third year). Many (of the few :D) successful transfers are those that started in the January/February term. In comparison to students who enter in the Fall, these students match one year later, but their schedule makes the (minimal) possibility of transferring more likely.

This might help too:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=60604

And I agree with Skip--there's not much of a point unless you're trying to match into an ultra-competitive specialty. A lot of the schools that take foreign transfers require a "compelling reason to transfer." So something like "I don't want to have a stigma" or anything along those lines won't cut the cake. Other schools take foreign transfers, but you need to have a spouse as a student or faculty member at the medical school, etc. So think long and hard about whether or not this is something you're willing to shoot for.

And to the original poster, here's how to get around the AAMC website to find transfer policies:

Okay as far as the list of schools that accept transfers, this is where to go. It's gonna sound confusing, but really it's not! ;)

Start here to get to the policy descriptions of transferring on the AAMC website:

http://www.aamc.org/students/applying/start.htm

Directions:

On the right side of your window, in boldface, should be the words Transfer Policies for Applicants. Click on the underlined "transfer policies" link.

You'll see gibberish. Click continue.

A page will come up that says "Transfer Policies Search Page." Under "search by," click on the circle for "Policy Description" and click "Search."

You will now see a list with boxes to check. You will probably want to click on two of the boxes, the two that start with "Students enrolled in international medical schools..."

There will be a list of medical schools. The names of the schools have links. If you click on SOME of them, more information is provided.

*Also, some of the schools (and others) mention their transfer policies on their own websites. And for others, you might just have to call to find out their policies.*
 
I know of a few people who accomplished this. They were all in the upper strata of their classes and most of had a phenominal step 1 scores.

The schools they were able to transfer into were: Albany, Drexel, GW and Downstate. Mind you this info is atleast 2 years old. I dont know if any of these schools have since changed their policies on accepting students from offshore shools.
 
will MDs graduated from a Caribbean school get paid less?
 
Yes there was a guy from Ross who transferred to Drexel. He had a 260 on his Step 1 though.
 
Yes there was a guy from Ross who transferred to Drexel. He had a 260 on his Step 1 though.

I know that guy, he's a friend of mine and he's doing a Peds residency in California. You don't need a 260 to transfer. In that same transfer year there was someone from Ross who transferred to NEOUCOM with a 213 on step 1.
 
Hey guys I wanted some quick advice if you guys could help it would really help me out.

I graduated in May 2010 from the University of Arizona. I was trying to decide if I should go to the Caribbean med schools likes SGU or try to hold out for a lower level USA medical school.

I know my mcat is low, but I have some pretty good recs and research experience. I am really torn by if I should suck it up and wait a year to try to get into US med schools in August 2012 or try to get into Carib and skip the gap year and go in August 2011.

Any input would be greatly appreciated, thank you

-Will
 
Last edited:
You should try to improve your MCAT and look a the "medical masters" type programs IMO before going to the Caribbean.

A year is *nothing* and you'll seem immature any time you portray it otherwise (trying to help here)
 
In agreement with you, except sometimes the reapplying thing can be a waste of time(I tried 3 cycles, got waitlisted 2x)if nothing in your application changes year after year. I completely agree with the mind set of accepting that if you go to a caribbean school, except to graduate from that school. That doesn't mean don't try to transfer- it can and does happen- but don't look to the off shore schools as a means to get into a US school- think of it as a bonus if you do.
hello, was just lurking this post and saw your comment. I'm a second time applicant now and considering i've only had one interview invite that resulted in a rejection 3 weeks later and silence from every other school it is time to think about the possibility of a 3rd time trying. Do you have any advice from your experience, how did you fund the expense of this and keep yourself busy? was there a major change between your 2nd and 3rd attempt that ended with success? I don't see myself in any other career, although now i am going to have to seek a good job if i don't get in this cycle just to finance a 3rd attempt and to pay off interest on my student loans now that my post-bac is nearly done.

a bit about me: Terrible Ugrad GPA with 3 changes in major. Final average about 3.0 overall. 3.1 science, and 2.9 non science GPA and a B.S. in Biology. 38 on the MCAT which I am really proud of, but after this year i will need to retake it and take the new one (i'm confident i'll do well on a second attempt as well but it is going to hurt like hell to throw away a 99.6 percentile score). took a post-bac and so far have a 3.5 overall trending up for a Biomedical Forensic Science M.S., good letters of rec, (although a lot of them will be 2 years old by the time a 3rd cycle comes around). Do you have any specific advice for my situation?
 
I know of one who did this, he transferred back to the beginning of 2nd year at a U.S. school from the beginning of 4th year (i.e., he essentially lost two years of his life and went from the clinic seeing patients after having passed Step 1 back to the classroom).

It's a personal choice. If you want a competitive residency, it may be worth it. But, if you have already made up your mind that you're going to do Peds, FP, OB/Gyn, or Psych, it's really a waste of time, effort, and money to try.

-Skip
Hello, My name is Ahmed. I would appreciated if you can connect me with someone who did the transfer. I just started my first term at Trinity Medical school. thank you.
 
Hello, My name is Ahmed. I would appreciated if you can connect me with someone who did the transfer. I just started my first term at Trinity Medical school. thank you.
That post was from SEVENTEEN years ago. Transfers like that don't happen anymore. A literal handful of schools have taken 1-2 students after step 1 from international schools but those were exceptions and those students have either crazy connections and/or top percentile scores. Neomed is one of the only schools that still even lists transfers as an option and their site states they have no projected openings.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
SUNY Upstate has taken transfers in the past few years (not last year though). Some of these students repeated MS3, did well and matched very well. I agree with Gambino that those students were superstars in terms of board scores and academic performance
 
Top