Guest Sanabsb Posted March 30, 2003 Report Share Posted March 30, 2003 Hey Guyz, I've been coming to this forum for about a year now and I really find it very helpful. I'm about to graduate with undergrad degree @ UofT. Not having the greatest GPA in the world is certainly making my hopes of becoming an M.D dimmer. My current GPA is 3.1 to be honest. My dilemma has driven me to the point where there's no other way than to apply to Carribbean schools for admission. However, one of my friends have suggested that I should consider doing masters degree and re-applying to Canadian Med Schools after 2 years. Then on the other hand, one of my friends has gotten an interview call from St. James school of Medicine in about 2 weeks and he's been telling me that time is running out and I shouldn't take a risk of doing masters and still not being accepted. I'm 23 right now, and this isn't the kind of age I should be taking risks on rather than deciding once n for all what I have to do. Just before coming here though, I was searching for the potential schools in the carribbean and I found out that the list @ yahoo search popped up with schools like Ross, Saba, St.George, etc, but St. James was no where to be seen. I've also heard that NOT all of the schools at Carribbean islands are worth spending time and money on. What I want to know is: 1. If I should be considering masters at the moment and see where that leads me in 2 years? OR 2. If I should be applying to medical schools in carribbean? If yes, then which ones are the best to look for and what about St. James School of Medicine? U should keep in mind that it's a fairly new school under Dutch govt,opened in 2000 but is accredited by W.H.O, etc. I'm asking about this school in particular because the tuition fee are fairly less than even Saba here. and I'm not in the greatest financial position right now. I'm considering loan options, but if i have to get the same degree from either of any carribbean schools, then why not go to the one with less tuition fee? U guys will probably say that all that matters is from which school I'll be able to do my clinical rotations, etc in U.S.. So if that's the case, u think only St. George and Ross are the good schools? Why is Saba so under-rated? Thanks for any replies. I really need advice of people and anything would do Sana~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest M0ses Posted March 30, 2003 Report Share Posted March 30, 2003 Hey Sana, I am by no means the authority on the subject, so keep that in mind with whatever I say. As for Caribbean schools - I found this an excellent guide for Canadians: www.caribbeanmedicine.com/ The e-book is worth downloading. As for feeling rushed to apply, I was told my St. George's admissions that I could apply as late as June. I would double check that, but I believe that is the situation (and it's probably different with each school, plus they may have rolling admissions). As for a Masters, well, 2 years really isn't that long and I believe it will only increase your chances of getting into med school - it gives you research experience and shows maturity/dedication. Plus, I think that some Med schools ignore your undergrad marks - if you have a masters (not 100% about this). About Saba - the author of the Caribbean guide went there and thought it was a great school. The only down side I think he found was that the island is just a small piece of rock (hence nothing to do but study - might be a blessing). Anyhow, based on his guide, I thought Saba to be one of the top Carib. Med school (up there with St. G and Ross). - Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest UWOMED2005 Posted March 31, 2003 Report Share Posted March 31, 2003 "I'm 23 right now, and this isn't the kind of age I should be taking risks on rather than deciding once n for all what I have to do." Wow - I disagree with that statement completely. 23 is still quite young - you have plenty of time to figure out careers and the like. If anything, 23 is exactly the kind of age to take risks to figure out what you want to do! I'd highly suggest against leaping into med school just because you felt the pressure of your age. . . doing a Masters would not be a waste of time at all; in fact, it would be an asset once you got into med school. If, on the other hand, you firmly believed you were ready to devote your entire life to one specific career then apply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest medicator007 Posted March 31, 2003 Report Share Posted March 31, 2003 Amen UWOMed2005, 23 is totally an appropriate time to be taking risks, you got a whole lifetime/career ahead of you... don't let a "ticking clock" be the rationale for your decision. go for what interests you. Medicator Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bluesky125 Posted April 1, 2003 Report Share Posted April 1, 2003 Hi Sanabsb, It sounds like you have a lot of tough decisions to make. Some things you might want to consider: Do you like research? Some people really like research and will really enjoy doing a Master's. However, doing a Master's is not for everybody. Do you have any fields or areas you are interested in? If you do, it might be helpful looking at different professors and see what they do. Some projects can be quite neat. How much you want to practise medicine in Canada? The usual worry that most IMGs (International Medical Graduates) has is coming back to work in Canada. Try to ask students in the schools you are interested about this topic. However, keep in mind that rules for IMGs always seem to be changing. There are also many routes other than doing a Master's or going to an International medical school. For example, taking more undergraduate courses or working. Another factor to consider is how important medicine is to you. Will you be content with other health care fields like physiotherapy, dentisty, occupational therapy, pharmacy etc. There are a lot of great health care careers out there. Thinking why you like medicine instead of those careers can give you many insights about yourself. However, what I will suggest against is weighting your age as an important factor in your decision. You are still very young I am also 23 There are many people that make drastic career choice that are much older than you. bluesky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cradlecrotch Posted April 1, 2003 Report Share Posted April 1, 2003 As a current Ross student, I feel I should say that while the Caribbeanmedicine website is fairly good, I would take Asad Raza's (the author) advice with a grain of salt. Caribbean medical schools are a solid way to practice medicine, it's just that some of his views are biased and misleading. I have his e-book and it's filled with opinion and conjecture. Not a reliable source of advice in my opinion. Saba is indeed, by all accounts, a decent school. For better info on Carib and int'l schools, go to this forum: www.valuemd.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Sanabsb Posted April 1, 2003 Report Share Posted April 1, 2003 Hey Guyz, Really appreciate all the generous replies Relieves the pressure off my back a bit. As for masters, no, I'm not interested in research work. However, I have heard about some great programs out there, like the ones in general public health, etc that interest me a lot. But then again, it's a risk, eh. I agree with u guys that 23 isn't really "the oldest" age ever, but I need to get started NOW. Couple other factors are weighing in here as well. But then again, I haven't had any fellow colleague or friend, etc who has successfully done his/her masters and was able to get into Canadian Medical Schools. If I could get one such person and his/her experience, that might help me more in making this crucial decision. Applying to Carribbean schools is another toughie. I've found out that St. James School of Medicine is certainly cheap, but fairly new. And with new schools, I'm not sure how far the residency options go. I've emailed them a few days back to find out more about it, but haven't heard from their end so far. Then I was thinking that if it comes to that point, SABA shouldn't be bad. I actually went to the sites u guys mentioned in ur posts before starting this thread. However, one author supports SABA since he's a student there, so his opinion might be biased. The other supports ROSS or St. George cuz of other reasons. It's just a mumbo-jumbo *lol* at the moment for me. I'm not really get any clear answers. The fact remains.. I WANT TO BE ABLE TO COME BACK TO CANADA! Why?? Cuz my entire family's here. I've also seen that although I can bear with moving from place to place, I don't really love travelling when it comes to moving altogether in merely 3 months, which might be a case once I apply to a Carribbean school. All the sites mention that once u go there, forget about coming back to Canada. So I don't know what to do.. Just go ahead with masters and give this another chance, or might as well save time and apply. Somebody mentioned about doing more undergrad-years. Do u guys know of anybody who has been successful in that respect? I really appreciate all the replies. Sincerely, I do. Atl least I can vent off a little steam here So thanks a lot for all the positive feedback so far Sana. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest UWOMED2005 Posted April 1, 2003 Report Share Posted April 1, 2003 Western looks at your TWO best years, and even allows you to do an extra fifth year to give you a shot at that two best. If at least one of your years is above 3.6-3.7, this might be your best shot. Alternatively, you could do an entire new undergrad degree - that would be an extra three years though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest medicator007 Posted April 1, 2003 Report Share Posted April 1, 2003 Sana, I personally know people who have done both routes (supplemental undergrad and Masters/PhD) and have been accepted into medicine after an unsuccesful bid right after undergrad. So it can be done! Medicator Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest taos77 Posted April 2, 2003 Report Share Posted April 2, 2003 Just because one person is successful at one route into medical school, doesn't mean it will work for you. If you aren't interested in research--DON'T DO A MASTERS! you will hate every minute of it. If you are interested in a more course work oriented masters--make sure you are ready to do the work well--otherwise your gpa will be just as bad as your undergrad. Remember that mcmaster and western don't really care that you have a grad degree. Ottawa looks at your grades AND your scientific productivity, as does U of T. Productivity is very important at U of T. Queens will consider your grad work, but you have to meet the MCAT cutoffs first. Also remember that you need good grades to get into a masters program. For my program at U of T, I needed an A- average in my last two years of undergrad to even get considered. A masters degree is not a guarantee that you will get into medical school, nor is it an easy ride. Maybe you should do an extra year of undergrad to upgrade your marks? Try doing some courses in the field that you might be interested in doing your masters in. Good Luck. Ski Taos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RunMD Posted April 3, 2003 Report Share Posted April 3, 2003 Sanasb, I personally know of 5 friends who have gotten accepted to Canadian MD programs after doing their Masters... (calgary, mac, toronto x 3) and who are very glad they did. I have to agree though, that if you do not enjoy research or whatever topic you plan on doing your MSc in, don't subject yourself to undue pain. Definitely explore other options as advised by the responses before this one - working, volunteering, boosting your GPA with another undergrad year, experiencing the world... you've definitely got time... if you want to come back to Canada to practice, think about staying here - it's a long process as an IMG to come back, and residency positions are often hard to get if you are aiming for certain specialties. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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