The Truth About Caribbean & International Medical Schools (IMG) 

Byron Blue i love your dedication sir. That's my mindset too "Go anywhere, but make it work"

That makes total sense. The point of thr video is that you understand the pros and the cons and make an educated decision 👍🏾. Go get your future!

what Carribean school did you attend? SGU???

Jimmy Yee your points are exactly what I said. It’s is a harder route. If people go and are not ready it is not going to work. If you are fine with primary care then carribean is fine. You’re saying the exact same thing I said. You are cardiology, which means you went primary care (IM) first and then did a specialty fellowship. Congrats to you on your success, I never said there was anything wrong with primary care. But students need to be aware of how their choices affect their future options.

I agree with you 100%.

Jimmy Yee yes, but you are the exception to the rule, for most people, it is better to avoid Caribbean med schools.

This comment is so so important

Facts

thanks

Thank you for your insight Hector Rodriguez

wow I felt so hopeless after the video but reading these comments are bringing my hopes up.

This video is so negative. I don't know why he wants to shit on IMG students.

thanks for your insight!!!

this is what i think too

Do most colleges teach students the material that will be on the MCAT if a student is on a pre med track? I can do well on a high stakes test if the material i need to know is covered in my coursework.

I agree the MCAT is bullshit.

e

Do it.

You can certainly get matched into a U.S. residency, but you need to be much better than your U.S. med school counterpart. Preference is given to those who have graduated from a U.S. medical school. If I were you, I would complete your undergrad in Canada and then apply to a U.S. medical school if you want to practice in the U.S. Make sure that you complete the prerequisite requirements during college and take the MCAT. It doesn't matter what you choose to specialize in during college as long as you fulfill the prerequisite courses (biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, etc).

Nursing. In the US or Canada pays very very well.

you could become a physician assistant

Don’t do it. It is not worth the debt, opportunity cost and stress.

Dont pursue a career as a doctor unless you dont imagine doing something else. It is a long painful road and you face many hardships. Also I would highly advise you to shadow some physicians to gain insight to what they do.

Aimee Parker pls what school could you transfer to????

what IMG medical school did you go too?

What school did you go to? And where did you transfer to?

Lying b!tch

@@_aify._ I was gonna ask the same question, because all the ones I know of have a none transfer policy

Of course there are exceptions where incredible students in those programs succeed. But the author of this video mentions on average how performance are compared between US and international in the context of residency attainment.

Almost impossible to get into a Canadian med school. Canadian students go to Caribbean schools.

Canadian medical schools are extremely competitive to get into

NO. PR is a US territory. I'm from PR and med schools are hard af to get into.

Info please

Buddy...believe me...only SGU amd Ross are worth it....rest are just garbage...

Medical schools in Puerto Rico are accredited US schools

Those are consider "American" schools and are on par with other LCME accredited schools.

Good luck getting into a PR medical school.

Adilah yassssss

Exactly

I wouldn't do Elam? It isnt for people who want to come back the us

do you have to speak spanish. and what are the requirements.

@@letyv9071 everyone keep saying yess lol have you guys went to the Elam website is clearly says it isnt US base international school. even most the words on their website isnt in english lol.

How many people from your graduating class got residency matches?

No. From MD schools it is greater than 90%

Everyone who decided to go on to residency. We had a good number of students who decided to go into other medical and business pursuits.

based on your thoughts from this video and your experience as a medical physician, are you suggesting that there is intentional bias in favor of medical school students regardless of the selection criteria? I only asked because I'm strongly considering a Caribbean medical school for a variety of reasons. I have a 3.7 gpa and scored a 517 on the MCAT. I applied to 11 US schools and only got 3 interviews and didn't get accepted anywhere. I'm 30 yrs of age (military veteran) and don't have the time to apply and throw away money each year going through the political process of selection at these programs. I'm only in need of an opportunity. I know I have what it takes to succeed in anything. Is going to an outside school guarantees me no opportunity to practice medicine in the US? thanks for your time.

Aaron Hendrix I didn't say there is no chance to get a residency from a Caribbean school. I said it is harder and requires being ready to excel in every way to create residency opportunities. If you think you can be one of the top students then you'll have a chance of American residencies.

In The Eyes I'm speaking to American students who are considering attending medical school in the Caribbean . However, for you if you go to a Caribbean medical school it will also be more difficult to practice in the US if that is what you plan to do.

He is too jealous because people are successfully how to become a doctor.

Not all, but most do. Buck Parker didn't even match the first time around because he was cocky and didn't rank a smaller program. Then he struggled through a surgery intern year and got lucky. He killed his Exam scores and still had issues matching surgery.

Sorry to break it to you but Dr. Buck is an outlier. The reality is that it is harder for international medical school to get into a residency. Stats dont lie

garony well said. Be your best and you'll get there

Texas-BBQ-DOCTOR Reviews you will not be getting a residency in the States Idk why you would waste your time doing med school in Mexico. This isn’t 30 years ago when foreign doctors were allowed to be board certified in the states as long as they could pass the boards in English. Med school TODAY should always be done in the US because you are a priority when interviewing for residencies.

Yes, if it is not American it is poor quality....lol jokes

Eric Ash he’s very ignorant

Canadian and American medical schools are of extremely high quality.

but that number also includes old students who did not match the previous year.

Usman Syed Nah they get rip of all of the medical school who bombed the USMLE

Tony Lin what do you mean? At sgu there were teaching assistances at the labs who had finished their rotations, but were still looking for residency.

Keep at it man!

Substantia Nigra why would you doubt him? He went to Stanford Medical school. It’s a well known fact that today the perception of international medical students isn’t looked at the same way it was say 39 years ago.

I asked a simple question?

@@lamingtongirl123 he asked a simple question

@@substantianigra4789 I know right. Even saint James school of medicine publish theirs as well.

It is up to you, I am just trying to inform people so they can make their own educated decision. Best of luck in whatever you decide.

Ever considered DO schools ?

Go to nursing school and boost your GPA while you have a backup plan. Or work as a scribe or something similar while you retake classes and study for the MCAT. Much better than going to a caribbean medical school.

Go to a DO school.

This is incorrect though. Going to a Caribbean school and trying to get a residency in the US is much harder than if you went to a US MD or US DO school. There are many reasons, some are fair and some are unfair, but either way its misleading to say that "it doesn't matter" where you "get your MD". It does matter. An MD (or DO) without a residency isn't worth much of anything. The match statistics out of the caribbean are somewhere just less than 50% give or take. The reality is that times have changed and virtually no one entering a caribbean school today is going to be a US neurosurgeon. XYZ School of Medicine of St. Elsewhere on ABC Island can literally be the best medical education in the world with the best professors and amazing rotations. It doesn't matter, because you are still coming from a Caribbean school. It's really unfortunate, and I truly don't think less of anyone who attends one of these schools, but its the reality and people should know this before entering.

Pardomuan Ignasius thanks for your comment. But Iran is not in the Caribbean. Also, you don't know what their path was and what they had to do to get there. Lastly, I never said it was impossible to get a residency as an IMG. I said it was more difficult.

yes , you are true, they maybe very very high competitive , 👍

Dr.Andre connotation I'll call you out right now with a PGY-1 General Surgery from MUA he made it to Hopkins because he worked hard for it. so don't put this negative connotation on IMG's they work hard to make it to the US and dont have this chip on there shoulders like you do.

Ash Ketchum this video isn’t for Canadians. It’s for American students. I advise Canadian students and there are many caveats for them. The research supports exactly what I said. Furthermore, you clearly haven’t done your research because the “limited” spots are not designated for IMGs, they’re open to IMGs. Those are 2 very different things.

Clearly your biased and egotistical. Your "research" is flawed. Also your wrong about spots being "open" not "designated" Yes, there are spots open to IMG's. However, there are also "designated" spots within certain faculties in Canada. Not 100% on the U.S.A but I am sure there is at least one in America. Haven't done the research on the U.S.A medical school curriculum. Also considering you had to make additional videos and not be able to portray it all at once in a "educational" way shows you lack "rigorous" research skills. But of course your a Doctor so you would know......no pun Intended.

Ash Ketchum again, the subject matter discussed involves getting American residencies. There are no American universities that designate spots for IMGs. If you don’t like the content, don’t watch the videos. But, to insult me and say I don’t know what I’m talking about or haven’t done the research is ignorant. It shows that you don’t do research, because if you had done your research you would know that I am the leading expert in medical admissions (not egotistical, just the truth). I wish you all the best in your journey, and I hope that you find the advice you are looking for to reach your goals!

Dr. Andre Pinesett: The Pre-med Productivity Expert An Insult is only what you make of it. Take it as advice. Also just because there is no "designations" in the U.S. Doesn't take away your bad articulation of portraying Caribbean Schools.

How high is "very high"? Are you referring to those that enter the match or everyone who matriculates?

He is just misleading people. The data that he is talking about shows the entire world's FMG and U.S grads. Not all FMG came from the same medical school system, and not all foreign medical are not in U.S medical school standards. Everyone have to take the USMLE whether you are U.S Grad or FMG to apply for residency in the U.S. Now that significantly determines your match for residency. You are right SGU have matched over 890 people.

Exactly, a lot of the information regarding Caribbean medical schools is out dated now. E.g. now there are schools like MUA AUA ROSS SABA SGU all being approved by California. These schools match more than 300+ people every year. SGU and ROSS matching more than 600+ a year.

Listen to what he is saying. He is right on the money. I have lots of friends that are FMG that can't pass USMLE. But I don't know of anyone from a US medical school that can't pass this exam. Dr. P is telling you the truth.

@@rogersc4107 how about Spartan health science university at ST Lucia?. They are telling..they provide assured clinical rotation inUSafter 3years of premedical and basic science at Careebian. They don't have any specific requirements for getting into their university

Puerto Rico’s medical schools are accredited US schools, since it’s an American territory

I guess you wanted to answer somebody else, because nothing you wrote has any connections to my previous comment. I just wrote about the quality of medical education in northern/ western europe and about the chances to get into a residency program in the US. I simply felt that the innuendo in the video was that the european medical education is inferior to the one provided in the US an answered to that. I have no desiree to work there as a physician nor would I say that it should be easy to do so.

Where did you go Doc?

Yep. I'm a DO student and I got roughly 18 ACGME interview invites this season. There is a DO bias but it is absolutely incomparable to what Caribbean students face.

As a US MD student, I wholeheartedly agree with you.

What does AUC stand for? Can you give more info regaring why you withdrew please?

not ready or what?

what happened

@@Seansyy62 Went to SGU instead...almost doctor now. Carib med school not so bad....still going to be doctor.

@@azavala5 what kind of specialty are you allowed and what about the tuition cost?

PocketfulofPosie He didnt say it was impossible. He just said it was highly unlikely.

Sarah, are you planning to attend a Caribbean med school?

Sarah Baghdali, medical schools do not care which college you attend as an undergraduate student. What they do care about are your grades, MCAT score and extracurricular activities. One of these extracurricular activities should involve shadowing a physician and volunteering in a hospital in order to gain some insight into whether medicine is right for you.

23magneta I'm pretty sure a 3.8 from Harvard looks better than a 3.8 from an unknown small school, considering all other factors are the same.

Sounds like you have no friends. This guy is full of bull shit. He just wants you to fail.

See that statistics I posted above, and my video addressing the statistics specifically. They advertise because they have to have students to pay the bills.

Some pretty impressive residencies here: postgrad.sgu.edu/ResidencyAppointmentDirectory.aspx?year=2017 Not all IMG's are the same!

Or earn a national merit scholarship for medical school or join the military to pay for medical school. There are still options

Also there loan forgiveness and consolidation program for physicians

Tom Forrest that makes total sense. Good luck! If you need MCAT help check out my course!

I think you bring up a good point, that it's important to look at possible motives people may have. His business is indeed to sell coaching l pre-med advice. However, all the points he made are true. He is giving his own opinions about IMG's based on his experiences w/ other students and statstics. Saving someone from making a $100k+ debt bad decision is commendable.

The only way to be a good physician IN THE US is to get it from THE US. Each country practice medicines differently. The fact that international medical schools have lower standards for admission is a good indicator. Being a doctor SHOULD not be easy.

Khanh Dao international medical schools have lower standards??? that is definitely not true! So Canada, European countries, and some Asian countries have lower standards I think not!

They do have lower standards. If you are going make a comeback. You need to provide evidence not just base off of your feelings like your first comment. For example, most Asian countries have lower standards for their medical profession as a whole. Specifically, Vietnam, if you are comparing it to the US's. The fact that you think healthcare standard is "universal" is bit funny.

Khanh Dao first off I said some, and to assume that all foreign Medical schools have lower requirements for Medical school entrance than the US is delusional. Evidence??? GOOGLE IT! I am an Emory University student, and I know for a fact that getting into Oxford School of Medicine is no walk in the park. I also know how rigorous the education system as a whole is in places like China and Japan. I want even start with the Canadian medical schools. Lower standards??? please. Evidence boy bye.

You're insane if you think Canadian medical schools have a lower standard compared to the US. Maybe for the VERY top schools, but definitely not for the majority of schools.

mima D the video title is "the truth about caribbean schools"

Dr. Andre Pinesett: The Pre-med Productivity Expert my comment refers to the 'international medical schools' part of the video title.

That’s one person.. and not you .. a lot of ppl have bad experiences

My friend went to Saint James school of Medicine. He is a resident at Legacy hospital.

lol. I didn't argue that the American healthcare system is the best. It is hugely flawed. I am simply stating the facts that if you are someone who wants to practice medicine in the admittedly inferior (sort of) american health care system your best chance is to go through an american medical school. Stay on topic!

Dr. Andre Pinesett: The Pre-med Productivity Expert My reaction was due to the fact that you make practising medicine in the U.S. sound like the holy grail. Apart from high income and low tax I really don't see the benefits. To stay on topic I'd argue that 'international medical schools' can't be generalised with regards to quality of education which frankly makes the premise of this video flawed.

fwins: this video is targeted towards American students who want to practice in the U.S. Obviously, things may be different if they want to practice in a different country. He said nothing about the quality of the U.S. healthcare system or about the quality of education in the Caribbean. What he said was absolutely true: the standards to be accepted to a Caribbean medical school are lower than the standards for a U.S. medical school. It is also very difficult (though not impossible) for a Caribbean medical school graduate to match into a residency in the U.S. I have friends who did very well at St. George's University and have not been able to match into even primary care in the U.S. They graduated 3 years ago and still haven't been matched into a residency, so their chances of ever practicing medicine in the U.S. is pretty much zero. Being as good as a U.S. medical school graduate is not enough if you graduate from a Caribbean school; you need to be superior.

23magneta well said!

Well throughout the video Andre talks about "international medical schools". If by this he means exclusively the Caribbean medical schools, he might have a point. I realise now that the title does suggest this and that I might have overreacted a bit after watching the video. No hard feelings.

DrProfX Your clearly not a Physician with that articulation.

Charisma, you have incessantly made rude and misinformed statements on my channel. I will again address your misplaced rhetoric in hopes that you will be a little less aloof in your quest to become a doctor. 1. I never promise anyone I can get them into an Ivy league school. Not anywhere on my channel or on my website does it say that. I present an accurate account of things. I promise students working with me, taking my courses, or listening to my videos that I will give you the most accurate and most helpful advice available anywhere. Additionally, I promise that working with me can help students maximize their own potential, whatever it may be. It would be unrealistic to expect everyone to go to an Ivy league school. Similarly, working with young people, it would be unrealistic to have everyone I advise actually heed my advice. Have you never ignored your parents warning or advice and as a result ended up in a bad situation? I have...it is part of growing up and learning. It is by no means a sign that my parents are bad people, haven't given me sound advice, or that I am not close with my parents. 2. I don't tell students that the only way I can help them is if they pay me. Again, you need to do fact-finding before you make empty statements. I actually have 6 speaking events (lectures, workshops) for students that are absolutely FREE over the next 2 months. That means students can come get EXPERT advise from me for FREE. I do this because I understand that not all students can afford to pay for services, so I offer them a FREE option. As an example, my med school interview course, which is available on my website, is 8 hours long. I charge only $199 for it., but if that is even too expensive for students, I held 4 and a half hour med school interview workshop 2 months ago that contained the same material. The price for this workshop was only $20. I am not trying to swindle or force students to pay for anything. I cater to all students!! This is also why I have cut my course price in half right now and am offering payment plans to allow any and every student access to the BEST RESOURCES. I don't have to do this. I could do what other people do and charge thousands of dollars for coaching and instruction. It would be ridiculous to assert that someone expecting a service would always get it for free. You don't go to McDonalds and order a cheeseburger expecting it to be free. 3. As far as this unaccredited and unlicensed coach thing you keep bringing up, you simply don't know what you are talking about. In your last comment you mentioned how you have a mentor that you work with that is an anesthesiologist. You take her advice. My question is, does she have a coaching license? My follow-up question is: do any Ivy league medical school deans have coaching licenses? The answer to both of these questions is no. The reason for this is that coaching licenses are certificates and contain no intrinsic value. My value is proven and I don't have to justify it. You can google me, my credentials are legitimate. I don't have to get a coaching license from some person who doesn't know more about motivating and training people than I do. My expertise is recognized by universities, which is why they reach out to me to have me come help their students. These schools have included Stanford University, UCI, UCLA, and UC Davis to name a few. 4. As a continuance of this, you tried to discredit me by saying that I can't be a consultant because consultants have MBAs and I have an MPH. This is so incorrect, I cringe that you have such a limited perspective of the world. For starters, if you would do some fact checking, you would know that my MPH is a focus on health care management and administration. All of the graduates of my UCLA Masters program work as healthcare consultants, healthcare administrators, and healthcare executives. Second, I have colleagues who are consultants for all sorts of industries who don't even possess a masters degree at all. How is this possible? Because again, a person's value is not in a piece of paper, it is in what they know and what they can deliver. Lastly, if I can't be a consultant, please explain how I am a strategic consultant to The Princeton Review's Admissions Counseling Department? I will tell you how, because I am a recognized expert in medical school admissions and in student development. I was the lead architect for their new medical school admissions product, it is amazing, you should look into it. You can find it here: www.princetonreview.com/med-school-admissions/med-school-counseling 5. The last point I want to address is from your last post, when you told me I don't have any "street cred" and that I am not really black because my wife is not black. That is not only racist, it is IGNORANT. You said your anesthesia mentor is a white woman, do you think she would appreciate you making such a statement? Better yet, do you think it decreases your "street cred" because your lead advisor is a white woman? You're a small-minded person and that is why despite your feigned contempt for me, you continue to visit my RU-vid channel to consume my content and then spit hate-speech. It is 2016, and all races, sexes and religions need to work together and be one community. Simple-minded people like yourself keep working to maintain racial divides and keep discrimination alive and thriving. Educate yourself and grow! So Charisma or Carisma, I don't know how you spell it since you keep changing the name you are commenting under, please become an expert before you try to denigrate someone for spreading positivity and trying to pave the way for students to achieve their goals.

Duc Vu I never said that foreign trained doctors were inferior. The point is, it is more difficult to practice medicine in America as a foreign Med school graduate. Would you agree with that?

Duc Vu I never said foreign graduates were inferior. I said it is harder to practice medicine in America as a foreign grad. That’s the truth, fair or not. How can you disagree with fact?

You do realize 25% of US Doctors are Foreign Grads?

Abtin Haghani LoL. Had you watched the video you would have heard me say if you go Caribbean most likely you will end up primary care (internal medicine included) in New York or the south. I also said that if you ball out in a Caribbean med school you can match into a specialty or a different locale, but that is the exception. Thanks for confirming exactly what I said.

@@PremedProductivity You are an funny. I have looked at lots of US Med School brag about how they are focused at producing Primary Care Doctors and now you are saying that's a Bad thing>