re: Would You Use A Doctor Who Graduated From A Med School in Caribbean?

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These are very far from being similar. A chiropractor who has completed a doctorate program still isn't a physician. Osteopaths are most definitely physicians in every sense of the word. For all intents and purposes, when discussing physicians, MD=DO. Most DOs go on to receive the same allopathic residency training. There are many who do go on to practice osteopathy, but the vast majority of them wind up in competition with US MDs before anyone else for residency spots.



And, lastly, chiropractory is loosely based on the teachings of osteopathy, minus the medical training. Osteopathy basically is regular allopathic medicine + physical manipulation. To not regard a DO similarly/the same as an MD who graduated from the same residency program is a farce, at best.




Also, you'll rarely find an osteopath who practices osteopathy who doesn't rave about it and explain how superior it is to allopathic/md practice.



ETA: in no way am I suggesting that all DO > Caribbean MDs. That's just the general trend I've encountered, the perception I've come to gather. Much like USMD grads, there's plenty of good and plenty of bad that come through. Board certification is probably your best bet to distinguish who you want treating you, then personality, and once you've gotten past that, consider asking where they went to school. It's not all that important.

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Let me guess, you're a D.O.

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Let me guess, you're a D.O.

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No. I'll give you another hint: I'm not an FMG, either.

I am sure I have. Used to be due to quotas potential Jewish doctors were blackballed in med schools so went overseas.

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Well as a medical student that was accepted into both a caribbean school and the Oschner program, I say freak that noise. The Ochsner program is over a $100K more expensiv

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Well since I'm on Faculty and vote on who gets in the residency you either better make a 260+ on the step score or know somebody unless youre doing IM,FP, or Peds

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Well since I'm on Faculty and vote on who gets in the residency you either better make a 260+ on the step score or know somebody unless youre doing IM,FP, or Peds

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IM is my first choice right now. I know I do not have the coordination or the desire to be a surgeon.

ETA: I know some ppl that are high up at UMMC in Jackson.

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know somebody

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that's always the equalizer

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ETA: I know some ppl that are high up at UMMC in Jackson.

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Great place to do IM. Good facilities, good group of residents (they seem like a big team/family), middleish sized program, If you're considering subspecialty beyond that, it's especially good- they basically have them all and love to hold on to their own.

Caribbean route is a great option in a number of cases. Yours sounds like one of them (especially being at American). The real bad rep comes from the "you'll let me into med school without taking the MCAT?" And actual Un-worthy of MD people who go despite being told it isn't a good route.

I met one guy while I was doing rotations. I forget which school he was from. He failed Step 1. Passed within 5 points of failing on his second try. Passed CK with the lowest possible passing score (which would have been failing 6 months after he took it). Failed CS on his first attempt. He had also failed whatever the most number of classes they would allow him to fail before kicking him off the island. Without a miraculous turn of circumstances where he either saves a PD's life or gets one's daughter pregnant, he'll probably never practice medicine. He was given one interview at a program he was working at during interview season. That was all. And it was a formality at that point (I checked. He didn't match in that program). Going to an island school when he couldn't get into a US one was definitely a bad choice in retrospect. My guess, after working with him, is that anyone who advised him in the first place probably told him not to go that route anyway. But letting people in that do that, and it's not necessarily uncommon, kills the reputation in a lot of people's minds. I've met enough Caribbean folks that were good docs to know that they're out there, though. Don't let idiotic perspective on a message board mess with you.



ETA: good luck. And remember that the knee bone is connected to the shin bone.

Do 99% of people know where the professionals they deal with graduated from? And all professionals will tell you they know people from all schools to avoid and to use. School IRL makes no difference.