Well, the random solicitations to apply are coming in to my email from schools. Application season has officially begun, huh?
I admit I watched all of the videos from Trinity medical school
and was absolutely blown away by how many americans (it seems) are STILL going to the Caribbean
- Esperen Said:
I admit I watched all of the videos from Trinity medical school
and was absolutely blown away by how many americans (it seems) are STILL going to the Caribbean
and was absolutely blown away by how many americans (it seems) are STILL going to the Caribbean
Did you really? lol! Even if I HAD to go Caribbean, I don't know that I would. I would be too distracted by the scenery to get anything done. At least here in the North we have some really great summers and falls but sometimes awful winters and springs that it makes it much easier to justify staying inside all day studying! As I study PS for my retake, it's a beautiful June day and it's very hard to sit in my computer room and practice physics and gen chem when the sun is out, I can hear dogs barking, kids playing, motorcycles, lawn mowers, and smell grills burning. Plus, my new cruiser bike is being delivered today and I won't be able to use it for awhile! Less than 2 weeks isn't too bad, though. It's tough to focus sometimes! Can you tell... I'm posting here! Lol.
absolutely no chance I would go caribbean. there are many better ways to blow $400K.
I just thought I’d see what passes for marketing in that corner of medical education. I was absolutely BLOWN AWAY by the number of US students it seems are still going to the islands for their schooling.
To all of you bashing island schools, consider this: some of us simply can’t get in stateside because the admissions process is focused on academics, and very little else matters.
My background is this: the majority of my focus as an undergrad was on my extracurricular activity, being a volunteer EMT and firefighter. As a result, I spent 6 years earning 175 hours as an undergrad, and graduated with a 2.0 GPA in a field completely unrelated to medicine. After spending 10 years in the work world as a firefighter/paramedic (all the while excelling in my career by accumulating a whole pile of advanced paramedic-related credentialing and continually promoting), I decided to go back to school to become a doctor. My now 15-year career as a paramedic was the sole reason to go to medical school.
I have spent the last 4 years taking the required science classes all the while managing, family life, multiple state/federal deployments as a medic, AND continuing to advance in my career. Result: my 55 hours of 3.1 post-bacc GPA is averaged with my 175 hours of 2.0 undergrad GPA to give me an overall 2.4 career undegrad GPA with an MCAT of 27. My application gets one glance and is tossed out with the morning garbage because I’m not competitive. Never mind the fact that I have actually treated patients for the last 15 years and know what it is to be a practitioner. Unfortunately, the bottom line is that the deck is stacked against me (granted, I did it to myself, but that was 15 years ago).
So, there’s no chance in hell that you would go to the islands, but what would you recommend for someone like me who has (at best) a snowball’s chance in hell to even get an interview stateside?
I don’t have the option of “take some classes to boost my GPA”. It would take me 15 years of a 4.0 to get it in the competitive range. I have recently started a master’s program to give them something else to focus on, but that doesn’t appear on this year’s application.
Some of us simply have no other options. If I don’t get an interview this time, I’ve got nothing left. I’m all out of options. If you have an idea that I haven’t tried, I’m all ears.
AggieEMT -
First of all - kudos for your determination!! The pathologist I did a rotation with is an “island” graduate. In your situation, it may be the most likely path for you to pursue. It behoves you to research the top foreign schools well and have a strategy for maximizing your chances for a residency slot (doing a lot of your 3rd and 4th year rotations at a few programs you are most interested in and letting them really get to know you, for example). Best of luck!
Kate
Attitude is EVERYTHING. If you think and verbalized that something is impossible, then it will be.
Play a different verbal and mental tune and you may be suprised what can happen in your life.
I agree… one of my philosophies is that attitude is 90% of life. I am one of the most positive, upbeat, optimistic people you will ever meet with regards to my goals… with that being said, I am also a realist, and know that my chances of admission stateside are slim to none, thus applying offshore as well. Bottom line: I am doing everything within my power to reach my goal, and will stop at nothing to make it happen.
Ultimately, God will place us exactly where He wants us to be, and if He decides that we should spend a couple of years in the Carribean, I will welcome the adventure.
Hey AggieEMT
Not knocking the Caribbean route, but you may want to include a few Osteopathic schools. I really think they keep an open mind and look for interesting candidates. And a 27 MCAT is right in the range of scores for my class at KCUMB.
Anyway, good luck!
Lynda
Just wanted to chime and say that the warm and supportive tone of this thread is what makes me love this site!
AggieEMT, hope your dreams are realized!
you might already know this, but osteopathic schools don’t consider math to be a science, figure the GPA formula differently, and your GPA might not be as much an albatross to them. Many actively encourage non traditional “sad sack” cases because of the diversity that they bring…