Hey readers,
For those who have asked, yes I do still read the site and I am still available to answer questions. I am in my clinical years now and I'm having a blast. This site was mostly meant as a repository for my views on a lot of important questions that get asked. If anyone has further questions I will be happy to write a response and post it here.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I'm a senior in high school and I would like to pursue a career in medicine. Which undergrad major should I choose? I'm pretty lost.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 4 answers that already.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing all these!
ReplyDeleteYou need to reevaluate foreign medical schools and your view on them. Your post a few years ago regarding those attending SGU came across as naive, inaccurate, and self-promoting. After you do some research and find that those attending SGU actually scored higher on the USMLE Step I, on average, than those attending US medical schools - you might change your mind.
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid that I disagree anonymous. Truthfully, I don't recall what post you are referring to, and it quite possibly may have been naive. However, my stance today is the same: foreign medical schools should be a 3rd line option after at least two admission cycles focusing on both MD and DO schools in the US.
ReplyDeleteThe "statistics" that you are referring to about the SGU program's USMLE score is a farce. SGU filters their students, so that only those that they are confident will pass after they have sat for a in house exam that some claim is even harder than the USMLE. What you won't be able to find is the number of students that washed out before that. A good example of this is their match list. Sure it seems to be pretty decent, with a number of students going into competitive specialties or programs. However, if you have the time feel free to COUNT the number of matches and compare that to the number of entering students (don't forget to double that original, as SGU still has fall and spring classes I believe). I have no doubt that the pre-clinical education at SGU is sufficient for a good student, but there are a number of deficits. You have to live in a foreign country, you are discriminated against during the match (some programs don't even look at FMG applications), you have to spend your clinical year bouncing around the country, and overall your clinical training may or may not be on par with students learning at more established teaching hospitals. Further, now that the number of schools are opening, the potential number of spots open to FMGs is going to dwindle in favor of home grown students. Hopefully, more residency spots will be created, but do you really want to risk your career and the crippling debt you will accumulate during medical school abroad on that hope? If you can stay here, stay here. If you are truly determined to be a MD no matter what, weigh the risks and benefits of going abroad if you were unable to stay here. Nuff said.
Also, I believe you mean the pass rate on the USMLE, not the average.
Hey Bud,
ReplyDeleteJust found your blog through a google search and have been reading many of your thoughts and views of medical school and different topics. I am not a medical student myself but rather a physical therapy student but am intrigued by some of your views.
Anyways, Good Luck to you.