Convince me out of going to St. Georges (Caribbean)

[muffin]

Hey guys,

 

I'm in my first semester at McGill in Computer Science and want to be a doctor. I chose computer science for my undergrad because I thought it would be the route that could get me the best GPA and make me stand out from all the bio and anatomy undergrads. But even 1 month into McGill, I don't know if I will be able to get a 3.8+ GPA. I don't want to waste 3 years doing an undergrad and still maybe not get accepted anywhere when I can start med school NOW.

 

I have contacted SGU, and I've told them what I've done in CEGEP and the approximate marks I've gotten (mostly 80's, some 90's and high 70s), and they told me that I'm "competitive" and could be placed in the 3rd year of their Premed program, if accepted. (for January 2011)

 

Now that would save me 2 years of my life, and pretty much guarantee me admission into their MD program. What I'm asking you guys to do is give me concrete reasons of why I shouldn't go and waste my money.

 

From what I've seen, this school seems legit. From what I understand, its the best school out of the "top 4". My questions are:

 

1) Does everyone from there (I'm talking about SGU or at LEAST the top 4 schools, not the other shady schools in the Caribs) get a residency placing in US or Canada? What happens if you don't? What do you do?

 

2) After having done residencies in the US or Canada, how would you fail the exams here, having done your residency here like everyone else?

 

This recent article (which incorporates ALL IMG's and NOT only carib IMGs and definietly not the top 4 Carib IMGs says that pass rates for the past two years have been 74% and 83% respectively. This is good, no?

 

I'm really looking for a recent top 4 grad, or SGU grad and see how they fared

 

Please help! I'm gonna finish my application soon and will have to decide in the coming months whether to go or not.

Why don't you transfer out of McGill to an easier university, into an easier program, finish your degree there with a high GPA, and apply to Canadian schools? Seriously, you're only in your first semester. People do this after a year, even two, of university sometimes.

[macballa]

There are great physicians from international schools in every country, including Ireland. But it would be mostly residency that makes them the best physicians/surgeons in the world, in my opinion.

 

This is spot on true, Irish grads are very highly regarded in Canada. In the world of evidence based medicine, this really is not different. Irish docs have been practicing in Canada for years and there are many many doctors throughout the nation that trained in Ireland. Residency programs from provinces like Sask and Newfoundland make visits. The educational system is similar, as is the clinical training. Its a quality control measure and the program directors are well aware of this. DO is a good route, but be sure before you leave for it that you truly have a passion of osteopathic manipulation and other areas that make the profession a unique and distinct one and are okay with staying in the states.

 

I have spoken to many program directors and honestly the issue is that nobody has heard of DO up here, they are very confused mistaking it with optometry and you may find a remote few that have come across it maybe on the net. Many doctors wonder why it is not universally recognized throughout Canada and why restriction are placed, like if you look on the Carms page at ottawa for instance, you can only try for their FM program as a DO. I am sure as the years progress and more doctors come to learn of the profession, it will grow in Canada but not so sure as of rite now.

[Mashmetoo]

This is spot on true, Irish grads are very highly regarded in Canada. In the world of evidence based medicine, this really is not different. Irish docs have been practicing in Canada for years and there are many many doctors throughout the nation that trained in Ireland. Residency programs from provinces like Sask and Newfoundland make visits. The educational system is similar, as is the clinical training. Its a quality control measure and the program directors are well aware of this. DO is a good route, but be sure before you leave for it that you truly have a passion of osteopathic manipulation and other areas that make the profession a unique and distinct one and are okay with staying in the states.

 

I have spoken to many program directors and honestly the issue is that nobody has heard of DO up here, they are very confused mistaking it with optometry and you may find a remote few that have come across it maybe on the net. Many doctors wonder why it is not universally recognized throughout Canada and why restriction are placed, like if you look on the Carms page at ottawa for instance, you can only try for their FM program as a DO. I am sure as the years progress and more doctors come to learn of the profession, it will grow in Canada but not so sure as of rite now.

 

Again, no one put a gun to anyone's head and forced them to match into a Canadian residency as a DO. You are most welcome to try matching back into Canada with an Irish MBBS in their IMG stream, while a DO can match in CaRMs along with the CMGs, USMGs in the first iteration in Ontario and BC (ALL RESIDENCIES). http://www.carms.ca/eng/r1_eligibility_prov_e.shtml And of course, lets not forget your ~40% (and decreasing!) bet at matching into a ACGME residency in the States if your Irish MBBS fails you in the Canadian match, as it more likely will. Lastly, I hope the Irish MBBS holder will be happy with the 5 year ROS in the most unwanted locations up in the frozen North, while the DO does not have to deal with any of that nonsense.

 

As for the OMM, I don't understand what all the "controvery"/fuss is all about. You get 200 hours of OMM on top of the "regular" med education that all MDs, MBBS get. If anything, that's 200 hours of EXTRA medicine learned in my book. If you don't like it, fine, don't use it in your practice once you become licensed - a lot DOs do this. These DOs practice like any MBBS/MD in the workforce and there are no problems. The DO degree means a lot of different things to different people. You shouldn't let the OMM part turn you away from the DO profession - Just don't use it. This is quite common in the profession.