Caribbean

General Med Student Discussion
41

And I don’t care what anyone else says, Bill, enjoy your white coat ceremony and be proud everytime you put it on!!


Congratulations!!

42

Wooo-hoooo! congratulations, Bill!


Mary

43

Yay, Bill!!!

44

Thanks everyone, I do not have much access to the internet just yet looking for a Car to get a round then onto the new area.


Bill.

45

Well Got the house rented and moved in, Got a Jeep to drive, My wife did get a Job, I may even do some nursing to help with money ( not a lot since I’m busy studying for step one) I will keep you posted.

46

Update, Sallie Mae private,


I do not attend a school that can get Federal Student Loans, we were able to get Sallie Mae Private for the last 2 years, well that is at an end, Sallie Mae has decided to stop lending to Caribbean schools ( may keep lending to those who can get Federal SL : Ross, AUC and SGU) So I’m Scrambling to get enough Loan to cover my last 1.5 years of school! I think I did it I have preapprovals for 2 loans from SM, we will see.


This should serve as a lesson, try to get into a LCME school, or one of the Big 3 in the Caribbean (mentioned above) these other schools are last choice, I never knew it would be so much of a hassle.

47

I found out both my loans for next year and the last 2 semesters are approved now! WOW I sweat-ed a lot!

48

Congrats! I’m glad you can continue. It sure would suck to make it as far as you have and not be able to continue.

49

Thanks, especially since I have clinicals and Residency all in one area here, not to mention even a set up for a Job afterward…things keep coming together so all I have to do is keep working on it! Pass the steps and the rotations.!


To all others please try try to stay in the USA for school, if not then the Big three, AUC, ROSS, SGU for the Caribbean.

50

I wanted to add this to the thread from another post on SDN:

  • Quote:
1. Harder to get the competitive residencies ( in some years no one will get into the competitive ones from the Caribbean)

2. More fail out then in the USA

3. You have to work 5 to 10x harder to pass and pass the USMLE it is up to you to learn no hand holding

4. You may have funding problems ( hence the Sallie Mae pull out) There are only 2 lenders for Private loans at this time, Teri and Health loans express.

5. You will be a FMG forever and some states are not friendly at all to non US Docs.



Except for the funding problems the rest I knew about and thought it was worth the risk.
51
  • DRFP Said:
Except for the funding problems the rest I knew about and thought it was worth the risk.



Still think it was worth the risk? Not being funny I'm interested. My friend at Ross loves and hates it. Just wanted to know your viewpoint at this stage.
52

My dilemma was to spend 4 more years trying to get it together to get into medical school at 40 with a family and obligations I have found the Caribbean leap to be very individual, in my case I would still be in college struggling to get through in the US, now I’m about to take the USMLE and start my clinicals, THe way it’s going this was good for me, others? if you are young (under 35) then going the US route may be the much better option.


Thing is for me Family Practice is a decent expectation from the Caribbean, If I wanted surgery then now way, Caribbean is not good for the Competitive residencies but not everyone wants them and there are a few that get them but the odds are the non competitive for most from the Caribbean.

53

I can see where you’re coming from. The friend I know loves the fact she’s going to be a doctor but hates the stigma some have about the carib. It’s almost to the point she’s now referring to US grads as the “spoiled and whiny”. She started med school with the hopes of urology. Not sure how likely that’s going to be.

54

I hope this thread with my updates helps


SO far I’ve read 3 different posts out there from 2 of the Big three Caribbean schools, Ross and AUC, all 3 different posters say that Sallie Mae will not lend to the Caribbean schools for Private loans after 7/27/07 and a friend who is in finance here in Ga said it is true, there is some stuff going on about lending outside the USA for college going on, something to do with default rates and risk?


I will continue to update.

55

Found out today my loans for the next 2years have been certified and approved so I have the money to finish, WOW this is one roller coaster ride, I guess thats why we keep saying the Caribbean is a harder road, I really see it now and never thought it would be so…


Some lessons are learned from experience


Would I suggest Caribbean? sure but only after exhausting the US route.

56

Hey I took Step one then started Clinicals in GI


The preceptor I have is Board Certified for 22 years and we have done a lot, I get to do Histories and physicals and take care of inpatients as well as go into the endoscopy suite with him.


It’s been a great experience thus far.

57

Just a quick update, money continues to be tight (Ouch!) but clinicals are a blast! I have seen several patients on my own (with in earshot of the attending LOL) but still its been a blast!

58

Update on why you should try to avoid the Caribbean:


I have spent a lot of energy telling people why consider the Caribbean but I thought coming from me the why to avoid would be nice:

  1. FMG, you will not be a US GRAD so residencies are harder to get, at best 60-70% will get a residency in any given year,( includes the unknown outside the match numbers ) US grads are 99.99%

  2. If you do not go to a California approved school then you limit your practice in the USA, In most cases 45 to 49 states, the all 50 Schools are


    SGU,SABA, AUC and ROSS.

  3. Money, loans to pay for this, hard to get at times.

  4. You have to leave the US to attend school for 1.5 to 2 years, its a hardship that some cannot get through.

  5. 3rd and 4th year clerkships/clinicals, COREs must be and a ACGME program Hospital US students do not have to worry about this.


    SO there you have it thats the main reasons I believe are the down side of the Caribbean.
59

Just wanted to say I appreciate the thread…congrats to your success!!!

60

Hi Bill,


Thanks for sharing these personal challenges you have had and I hope everything improves in your relationship with your children.


From reading your other posts, I think you are stateside now doing your clinicals?


Did you mention that you and your wife are raising a boy with you going to school?


Having a family myself, with two kids 4 and 7, and starting to take a serious look at Caribbean schools, I’m just wondering how severe the adjustment in terms of the move and settling into a new country and culture was for everyone, especially for your son?


I think our family is naturally more suited to diverse cultures and living arrangements than some. My wife is Colombian (kids are pretty much bilingual/bicultural), we have spent some time (a couple weeks) in Colombia with the kids and this was a tremendous experience for them in so many ways…but of course that was only a vacation.


Any of your thoughts and experiences on what kinds of impacts living in the Caribbean in general can have on the family, especially for younger children, I’d really appreciate if you could share.


Thanks


Neil