Big 3 caribbean medical schools reddit

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• George’s University. A 3. 46% Step2: 96. Honestly. gizzard Carribean med student here. The medical schools of Saint Kitts and Nevis have a match rate of 45%. Don't even consider any other Caribbean medical school. Posted by u/FinalProspeckt - 6 votes and 13 comments Probably 10-11 of initial class will make it off the island in 4 terms. It’s also one of the reason why you have to take ppl that say “O I know this doctor who’s successful and was from a Caribbean school” with a sgpa - 3. It sounds like an exaggeration, but thats the cold hard truth. that is far too low for medical school. One of the saving graces of these Caribbean medical schools is that they don't get off your back. AMCAS Tracker Live for 2024-2025 Cycle. In fact many students who go to Caribbean med schools do not get a residency spot in the US. Matched into a great program. 4. However, nowadays even their admissions are pretty competitive to a degree. 23 cGPA and 3. The school has been training physicians in the US for over 35 years. Nothing really remarkable. American University of The Caribbean Medical School. 0 all around and expect the same in med school. I’m a bright learner with a 4. 0 sGPA. As much as I agree that Caribbean schools aren't a good choice, this is a blatant lie. SGU had around a 66% match rate for US-IMGs. but these classes go far beyond the scope of med school prereqs. Also, most people go to the Carribean to match into the US, because the clinical rotations are in the states. Do any of you have… My GPA stinks. I haven’t taken the MCAT yet but I will this July. As a penalty, 20% was deducted from my total grade which forced me to withdraw. The other option is back loan but because the school is located outside of Canada, your parents have to Co-sign the loan against an assent (i. But if you aren’t even close to getting into a DO school and you know you want to do medicine and you are confident you are a solid student independent of the sub-par Caribbean school lectures, it’ll do. Results are below. Overall, six years after matriculating, the average attrition rate for allopathic U. What they do is over enroll at the beginning and then expel about 50% of the students to fill their maximum clinical rotation space. Any current students or graduated A medical school graduate still cannot practice independently after already investing 8 years in school with the BS portion that is useless, and the MD portion that can honestly be 3, hell 2 years. I just want to add that the article said that it doesn't mention how many students pre-matched. My stats at the time were a 3. 6. So 27% to 30% will make it out of your initial class +-. g. •. 26 MCAT when that was still a thing. 17 sGPA. Thank you so much ️ Caribbean Med Nightmare Blog [serious] When I was applying to med school, I remember finding a link on SDN to a blog that some guy wrote about his journey through SGU and his horrific experiences. It is very expensive to go to AUC and other Caribbean medical school The big 3 Caribbean schools accept US federal loans and they only get taken from you if you don’t make satisfactory academic progress. Lastly, I performed a Chi square test of the proportion of matches into competitive and non-competitive specialties, based on being in a Big 4 school or not. They seem to be looking for: • high step 1 score • passing step 2 CS score • almost exclusively honors in pre-clinicals The Caribbean schools AND American schools don't ask students to shell out $200,000+ tuition in exchange for an MD, they ask for tuition in exchange for the opportunity to study. I know plenty of successful Caribbean people who went in knowing the risk, but they’re all big 4 (which is essentially a 50-50 shot as far as will you become a doc). While in med school you take the licensing examinations (USMLE Steps 1&2) then you apply for a residency program, which is 3-5 years depending on the Here are the best, most well-known Caribbean medical schools you should consider above any others: Ross University School of Medicine. If you’re a strong applicant you can definitely compete for a spot at a mid tier program. This past year I have been working on my MPH Applied 2022, this time FM and IM with a focus on newer programs. Full of possible HIPAA violations, way too many highlighters, and colored posted notes. So perhaps it might not be the best option if you aren’t a science student to begin with. Going to a Caribbean school is much more academically, socially, logistically, and emotionally challenging than going to a US MD or DO school. Saba University School of Medicine in The Bottom, Caribbean Netherlands. Most of the class passes even if they repeat. If they are pretty small I can kinda manage but not if their big lol. 75+ GPA and 33+ MCAT fail to receive a single acceptance to an MD school. 9 million and the population of Canada is approximately 39. Check out the sidebar for useful resources & intro guides. Applicant 1: completed 2 different masters programs at 2 different schools, didn’t get into med school at either place. Thank you! Its more than 50%. George’s University is located on the island of Grenada in the British West Indies. It’s not impossible but Caribbean is tougher. 0ish, haven't taken mcat. The MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) is offered by the AAMC and is a required exam for admission to medical schools in the USA and Canada. It is stunningly the same. 😢 SAD. It's very hard to do residency in the US after completing your degree. Most people who go to a caribbean will not make it. Each semester has 3-6 modules in it. Currently working as an entry level clinical research assistant with a teaching hospital. r/medicine. (number from 2013) Remember, if you're in the 30-50% who don't match, you're looking at crushing debt and an inability to practice as a physician. Also, does it mention which schools it included? The big 3 must have much higher rates than the other 10 or so Caribbean schools, most of which aren't even accredited yet. Feb 27, 2024 · The “Big 4” Caribbean medical schools. Jan 8, 2019 · The Top Caribbean Medical Schools. At my school, about 11% of those who start do not complete the program. I don’t know how anyone manages to go outside top 4 when the big 4 already take anyone. There is no secret that attending a Caribbean schools comes with somewhat of a stigma and that these schools accept students that otherwise would not be accepted in the US. And even then if you fail a class or semester, they put you on financial aid probation and give you an opportunity to retake. AUC is better island, smaller class sizes, mostly same rotation sites as Ross. Is there anyone that would be willing to privately discuss my situation with me? *edited since I wanted to remove identifying information. Jun 29, 2021 · In the 1970s, a wave of medical schools began to open across the Caribbean, catering largely to American students who had not been accepted to U. There are many medical schools in the Caribbean, but only a handful will allow you to practice medicine in all 50 states in the US. anybody know anything about xusom in aruba? they seem to have amazing clinical/rotations and a brand new campus, but i havent seen anything about them and it seems a bit sus. If any school claims a 90%+ like caribbean, then it's in the wording. However, they do care a lot about their reputation so they will not allow you to take the USMLE exams if your comprehensive exam score is low. If you went to SGU and worked your ass off, you would be lucky to make that 66%. Beginning in 2024, IMGs must graduate from a medical school approved by the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) in order to receive Apr 7, 2024 · The “big 4” Caribbean medical schools are widely considered the best of Caribbean medical school rankings, based on reputation, quality and success rate of medical graduates. AUA is generally one of the worse “big 4” Caribbean schools. And a lot of attrition happens when people aren’t able to pass comp. Out of the 35 thousand residency spots, there are only about 19 thousand US MD applicants and 6 thousand DO's. Don’t even waste your time and money. A supportive community providing a positive alternative to SDN. gotlactase. As a Caribbean student you should be thinking FM, IM, Peds, and maybe Psych, OBGYN, Neuro. for a number of reasons, be it low MCAT, GPA, or other. SGU reports an 88% match rate first year out. It’s mostly where the people who failed out from other Caribbean schools go. Ended up going to Caribbean at Big 3 (or is it 4?) place. . Share. Please note: this subreddit is for pre-meds seeking information on osteopathic medical schools, osteopathic medical students, and osteopathic physicians that operate in the United States and abroad. Tell that to the 60% of student in the incoming first semester class that either dropped out or repeated so many times they were dismissed. 0. In fact, one of the adcoms at a T10 medical school graduate from a Caribbean school. She passed all the USMLEs and other required medical school stuff, yet it seems she hasn’t matched International: Pre-Clinical years 1 & 2: £23,310 International: Clinical years 3, 4 and 5: £39,960 (University of Birmingham) In Canada if you are accepted to medical school you are usually able to get a student line of credit with one of the major banks for $350,000 that requires no payments until 6 months after completion of residency. The break points were 92% for US Seniors and 50% match rate for IMGs, these divided the top half of specialties from the bottom half. Some things you’ll want to keep in mind are: less support you would expect to receive compared to American + Canadian schools (academic, mental health, etc) I have had a few friends graduate from the medical program at Windsor and got residency. The #1 social media platform for MCAT advice. Ross. The big 3/4 are not what they are cracked up to be and smaller schools can be beneficial. Dude my SO is doing med school at a carib school (big 3). I never applied to any US medical schools at the time. Saba University School of Medicine. cgpa - 3. Do not underestimate how problematic Caribbean schools can be. Forums. Caribbean medical school is just a bad deal compare to even 10 years ago. Canadian citizen, big 3 Carib school. The max amount you will get per year is around 15000 dollars per year since the school is located outside of Canada. However, both Group 3 and Group 4 Caribs should really have known better and, conceptually, went $100K-$200K into debt to buy lottery tickets, failing to hit the jackpot. 87% Just after college, I matriculated to a Caribbean medical school. . Failed out of med school. Mentorship and career guidance is lacking. dimpickle. etc. I am not trying to insult or undermine anyone. Most of the attrition happens before passing your comp. 7/508. Attrition rate: Around 16%. If you were 4. The fail rate form semester 1 to semester 2 in my incoming class was 54%. St. Module 3 (is heme and lymph). 5. At best, the big 3 caribbean schools are at around 75% and the ones outside are lower. But don’t have orgo, or physics. it is concerning that your science classes are by far your worst Every country will always prioritize their own grads before others. Yes many, mostly in primary care (peds, internal and family etc. 1. Cons, no federal student loans. I finished college 6 months before intended however I’m realizing I missed all of the med school app deadlines. Kitts Step1: 75% Step2: 91. Some background: 3. I've heard that 50% stat but maybe it's higher for just Caribbean schools. To answer your question, Avalon is an accredited medical school that has a smaller student population. As of 2024, the population of California is estimated to be about 38. Less known to program directors and has “Caribbean” in the name so there may be some stigma when PDs rank you. Carib MD's have very high attrition rates. If someone truly has high stats and good ECs, as you ask in your question, then they will get into a Canadian school. Yes, that is good point. specialties. Reply. Another reminder about Caribbean med schools. Simpler process to become a doctor in Australia and more freedom in choosing specialties. The match rates “are not high” is not an accurate description, it is astronomically low. George’s University School of Medicine (SGU), Saba University School of Medicine, American University of the Caribbean (AUC), Ross University School of Caribbean med schools are exponentially much much harder than USMD schools, if you going to out yourself under that then is best to go to one of the big 4 as they have stablished reputation with residency programs. Not everyone can or should study medicine in a class of 500+ people. There are 2 types of schools in the Caribbean; regional and offshore. Residency attainment rate: 95%. 3. Check out the MCAT/GPA grids, every year 10-12% of applicants with 3. With this being said, no caribbean / foreign med school can ever match up to the same rates of US MD/DO. Caribbean schools have extremely high attrition rates, low student support due to large class sizes, and are very inconsistent with their reports of match rates. Where are the School's Clinical Locations? One thing applicants may overlook when identifying a “top Caribbean medical school” is the location of clinical rotations (and the number of times they will have to move). Plus, the US has SO many medical schools and you even have the option of going to an osteopathic one. Just complete the pre-requisites (this will only take around 1 to 2 years), write the MCAT (500+), shadow an osteopathic doctor and apply to DO programs. 47% Step2: 94. If you are applying to medical school this cycle, you can see how long AMCAS is taking to verify applications with the AMCAS tracker, based on updates from AMCAS and previous cycles. It maximally benefits the Caribbean med schools to have students pay tuition right up to the point that they could do something that would compromise the school's ability to recruit more students (e. And for every case every time, the candidate has to be in good academic standing. All but Saba have been around since the late 1970s. Medical schools are a business, specifically in the Caribbean. The school was established in 2008 and a requirement for federal financial aid requires offshore schools to have had an established clinical curriculum in the US prior to 2008. There could even be a possibility of transferring to a different med school that will allow additional attempts at passing the boards. 301K subscribers in the premed community. Location: Grenada. However, both routes will be difficult. fail USMLE step 1). I am a Canadian student looking to apply for Caribbean med school. 6% American University of Antigua, St. Hundreds of Caribbean graduate match in US residencies each year. Average MCAT: 497. First thing is first: Do not look to attend ANY school in the Caribbean other than the top 3: SGU, Ross or AUA. Xavier University School of Medicine (XUSOM) Basic Sciences / On-Island. medical schools; today there are roughly 80 of them. Medical University of the Americas, St. I didnt pursue a postbacc or masters after undergrad. What is with Caribbean schools being looked down upon? : r/medicine. Unfortunately US medical schools only allow transfers case by case. Even though the quality of teaching is probably the same. The AUC acceptance rate is around 42%. It's a choice between high risk, high return with SGU and lower risk, lower return with more speciality options at UCLan. The game is still the same: you need high board scores, high clerkship scores (honoring rotations), and strong LORs. Business often make money by finding ways to increase revenue (much wider range of accepted candidates) and lowering expenditures (structuring the matriculation path in a way that 30-50% of the class who should have never gotten into med school fail out) this lowers costs because Plus there is less of a stigma when you go to medical school in a developed European country compared to a developing Caribbean country. This sub IS NOT for advertisement of "osteopathy" and non-evidence based medicine. SGU, AUC, and Ross have a much better track record of success. There’s some crazy number like only 13% of Cali applicants who receive an acceptance end up matriculating in California. and etc. This semester module 1 was fundamentals of medicine (biochem mostly). The big 4 med schools in the Caribbean are St. YOG: 2021, Step 1: 210, Step 2: 230, haven’t attempted Step 3. e. Module 2 was musculoskeletal (muscles and physio). The list is in no particular order. ) Caribbean med schools are 'for profit' while US med schools are 'non profit' (for the most part). The schools and lenders bear some minor responsibility in this, but no more than the lottery ticket vendors or lenders do in that analogy. It is a means to an end, but be sure of yourself. We are conducting interviews and came across a 38 year old woman who graduated from a Carib school. 0 and were looking at a 260+ on Step 1 that would set you apart, but right now you are at a Caribbean school with "good" grades/scores. The top 4 schools have a higher drop out rate, and they keep changing curriculum. ) but maybe 5% in radio, surg and other comp. It's certainly possible, and I've seen people do it, but it's very difficult and competitive. Caribbean schools respond to this by significantly increasing attrition rate: fail out more than half the class and delete them from the school records so that the final match rates will look nice and tidy. These schools, for the most part, accept students who are not fit for med school in the U. Overall acceptance is about 20% compared to the USMD’s 40%. Caribbean Medical Schools 2022 Step1 and Step2 data listed in ascending order. With the p/f of step / level 1 and the increase in number of DO schools, it’s going to get harder and harder to match. Literally. In my understanding, there are better match rates for Ireland graduates into Canada than there are for Carribean grads. 0 science gpa. It rains all the time because of the rain forest effect, it is very hot, and air conditioning doesn't exist universally in the local restaurants and housing. Not to mention the increased prevalence of fellowships as a “must” for some specialties The Cayman Islands have St. If you can't get into the Big 3 and possibly Saba, forget about the Caribbean. 12% American University of the Caribbean, St. Locals who wish to practice in the region attend the regional schools whereas the schools discussed on this sub fall into the offshore category and are designed to train those who wish to practice in the US and Canada. We have a module based semester here. (Also possible to practice in my home country) UCLan Cons: Very limited chance to become a doctor in the US. Maarten Step1: 76. Had many interviews at good programs too. If you try to match to the US you will be considered a non-US IMG. I attended one of the "top 3" Caribbean schools but I couldn't pass the first term on multiple attempts and was caught for academic dishonesty for asking a friend to click in for me for one lecture using my clicker device. Thank you for this post, let me give you my two cents: To become a doctor in the US in general: you get your bachelors degree and take the MCAT, then subsequently apply to medical school. It’s definitely hard to overcome the stigma of a Caribbean school but I don’t think people realize there are a good amount of very qualified applicants that go. I know if I’m not doing medical school I don’t need it but I already paid money for resources back when I didn’t think I’d do something that wasn’t medical school. 7. My class only had about 25 students but the average class has about 30-40 students. What are the options I can have ? Anyone who has done this? r/CaribbeanMedSchool: Welcome to r/CaribbeanMedSchool - A Subreddit for All who attend or plan to Pursue Medical School in Most of the class graduates, though it can take some people a bit longer. My only choice is to go to one of the Big 4 schools in the Caribbean but I’m scared I won’t match neurosurgery/obgyn/ or em . Carribean meds schools will accept you even with a 3. Caribbean schools also give Canadians zero guidance on the Canadian match process, whereas everything about the American match process is drilled into • Medical College of Georgia (accepts only Georgia residents) These schools are willing to take transfers to fill spots where students have either left medical school or taken a research year etc. I know that Carribean schools should be a last resort, but their match rates won't magically drop to 0. The match reports take into account all of the Carib schools, which includes a considerable constituent of smaller, less established institutions than SGU or American (I wouldn't suggest Ross anymore since apparently they were bought by DeVry and have gone to crap). Unfortunately, Carib schools do take less qualified applicants than American school clearly. Sep 9, 2021 · University of Medicine and Health Sciences (Basseterre, Saint Kitts) UMHS’s medical degree is a 10-semester MD program that takes students from the beaches of Saint Kitts to the suburbs of Portland, Maine, to various clinical clerkships across the U. Etc. the amount of clinical hours you have is very impressive, but you’d be screened out of any program with this low of a sGPA. But the biggest reason why you shouldn't go is the attrition rate is atrocious. Johns, Antigua Step1: 75. Total hours are pretty overrated IMO. (number from 2013) Ross has a match rate of 54% among US-IMGs. They are usually a million times worse than premeds because they are even more neurotic and usually suffer from an especially bad version of the Dunning-Kruger effect. Those schools include St. It is more difficult, but saying that chances are nearly 0 is totally wrong. S Going to the Carribbean is a 250-500k gamble. My Carib med school class started off with ~100 to 110 students, and by the time basic sciences were done, we were down to about 25 of us. If you go to a low tier Caribbean medical school because of the cheap tuition and easy admissions (no MCAT required) then you will pay for your "shortcut" very dearly, I assure you. Two acquaintances who didn’t have the numbers to go to MD school and didn’t want to go to a DO school. You know two who made it but never saw the thousands who didn’t. The remaining THOUSANDS of seats will still go to IMGs and FMGs. Apr 6, 2011 · What are my chances at one of the "big 3" Caribbean schools? | Student Doctor Network. George’s University School of Medicine. Caribbean students that fail are stuck with debt and their medical career is done. Med student instas are NOT dope. S. 0 overall GPA and a 3. MUA isnt as big as some of the "Big 4" but I'd argue that we are pretty up there in terms of 'rank', certainly over AUA. I know someone who got an MBBS in India and struggled to match into anything. This turned into a much longer post than I expected but I'm going to say one more thing for people considering the Caribbean schools: The Caribbean is a last chance As a general rule I always advise people to exhaust at least two cycle worth of applications to US med schools before going the Caribbean route regardless of the school, having said that I am a AUC graduate and landed a top place for residency, as long as you come knowing that the real work for you begins now vs when you go to a US, you can technically coast and still get a job. If you want a reliable coffee maker, or electronics, ship it. That being said, I see a lot of posts about whether or not to attend a certain school but I don't think anyone should be considering any school that is not a part of the big 3. Caribbean schools, at least the big 3, do cater your education to US residencies by following the same timeline as most US med schools: first two years = pre clinical and last two years = clinical. the school itself. I am a recent college grad thinking about going to medical school and I'm wondering about going to the Caribbean. which, hurts the number a lot. The Caribbean schools in turn don't care. 5 GPA and a 240-250 on step 1 isn't phenomenal, and I'm not trying to be conceited (I didn't do any better than that, but I go to a US med school). Average GPA: 3. Saba University School of Medicine (SABA) was founded in 1992 and is an accredited school with an impressive USMLE Step 1 pass rate of 100%. The attrition rate is around 70%. Matthew's medical school that has an impressive 31. Each module has a test at the end of it called a mini. 1 (here's the catch, i started out in engineering and i actually have an F in statics, engineering physics class, and a D in differential equations on my transcript. It seemed pretty popular at the time (circa 2015-2016). Reddit's home for wholesome discussion related to pre-medical studies. Also all Carib including big 4 are probably lying to you about anything they say. If i’m calculating this correctly, you have somewhere near a 2. Award. Marteen has an electricity crisis at the moment so lots of power outages. They are skewed in the sense that Caribbean grads are not the only IMG’s that apply to the match, the 1/3 you mention includes ALL IMG’s in the entire world applying for residency. Caribbean doesn't make competitive specialties "difficult", it makes them impossible and matching back into family med difficult. I am a BS Biochem major headed into my final year with a 3. Welcome to r/CaribbeanMedSchool - A subreddit dedicated to those in or aspiring to attend medical school in the Caribbean, with a focus on practicing in the United States or Canada. May 15, 2024 · AUC Acceptance Rate. But remember, these are the match rates of those that actually applied to the match. The issue with Caribbean schools is usually just getting past the point that you are at. , Canada, and Puerto Rico. I did complete my honours bachelors of science. The first four semesters are taught on campus in Saint Kitts For that purpose caribbean med schools are a bad choice. Applied FM and psych in 2021, didn’t match, didn’t soap, didn’t scramble, not a single interview throughout. Ross is much, much higher because their entering classes are so big. , house). Avoid trinity. The schools make money by tuition, and lose money paying for clinical rotations in 3rd and 4th year. You are directly competing with your classmates because residency spots are limited. r/medicine is a virtual lounge for physicians and other medical professionals from around the world to talk about the latest advances, controversies, ask questions of each other, have a laugh, or share a difficult moment. Hello redditors. Also more lenient when you fail classes. They are for-profit schools so their ultimate goal is to take your money. And I know a big chunk of SGU students rely on those pre-matches. While I agree that the Caribbean is an awful risk and most likely not worth it, these numbers are skewed. Off Topic. Trinity is proud to note that our USMLE Step 2 CK pass rate is 96% with an average score of 228. 8 million. 412K subscribers in the premed community. In rank order SGU/AUC tied, then Saba, the. At the end of the day, he just got fucked, it happens. Pathology cares about your commitment to the field. Increasing number of USA medical schools (MD and DO alike) without an increase in residency slots = not good for international medical graduates (AMGS are much heavily favored/preferred for usa residency slots). This is by design due to limited clinical spots, and a business model to inject cash flow into the school. American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine. To me, it wasn't so much survival of the fittest in the sense of student vs student, but definitely still survival of the hardest working and in a sense it was us vs. May 11, 2020 · In medical school, the attrition rate is calculated by looking at how many students drop out of a program. For Ross/Dominica, be prepared for a lot of nothing. Ross has the easier curriculum of the 4. 3. Saying that now is not the time to join an IMG school, try for US MD or DO. You should be prepared to work at least 1. I believe he updated the blog up to PGY3 but I can’t seem fo find it now. 5x as hard as a US medical student. Cons: St. Step 1 at end of year 2 and US rotations. If you’re lucky maybe even high tier. Combine that with a very tough curriculum, and you get people struggling and failure. People make it sound bad but everyone I know who went to a caribbean med school got into residency just fine, so maybe it's not as big of a deal as people say it is. They are collectively referred to as the “Big Four” of Caribbean medical schools. Go to medicine. George’s, Ross University, Saba University and the American University of the Caribbean. 2. So until thats appealed, private loans only (Sallie Mae). So that would make sense why 41 matched FM compared to AUA's 81. Caribbean med school grad here starting residency now. i guess step 1 would he get your GPA up. 8% match rate. /r/MCAT is a place for MCAT practice, questions, discussion, advice, social networking, news, study tips and more. xx ep mk df ry uk jj kb jm mu