Thread: convincing my advisor....

It's about that time that I begin to discuss "post-college" plans with my premed advisor. I have informed him of my plans to attend AUC, but he seems extremely skeptical. I've tried to assure him that although many Caribbean medical schools have low pass rates on the boards, AUC is pretty reputable. He still doesn't seem to agree. He thinks I should do a postbac program and improve my gpa, then apply to stateside schools.

I know that in the end it is my decision to apply and I don't need his or any other's "opinion," but it would at least be nice to have him understand (especially b/c I would like a rec from him).

Has anyone else been in the same predicament?? If so, what did you do??

For those who have a low or lower than average GPA than the matriculated American student, this is the standard advisor advice. I was told the same thing, (GPA 2.99), but decided on foreign medical education anyway. In my class were a number of students with Master's Degrees in various areas b/c they took this advice. Didn't help them a bit; they were sitting right next to me.
If you are going to apply off-shore/foreign, choose one of the Big Three.
Personally I am in my 3rd year at St. Chris and although I believe it is a great school that has prepared me well for the Boards and clinicals, I would still advise on the schools with the proven track record. Make St. Christopher's a very respectable 4th choice.
Just my point of view.

My counselor shared that same mindset... until she visited SGU. You could start by showing him the website (stats) of AUC; most of them have never been to the websites of any caribbean schools much less taken a plane ride to an open house.

One of my professors had a daughter who had many friends from SGU and a neighbor going there as well. So he had a good outlook on Carib schools.

Originally Posted by alphachidoc2be

It's about that time that I begin to discuss "post-college" plans with my premed advisor. I have informed him of my plans to attend AUC, but he seems extremely skeptical. I've tried to assure him that although many Caribbean medical schools have low pass rates on the boards, AUC is pretty reputable. He still doesn't seem to agree. He thinks I should do a postbac program and improve my gpa, then apply to stateside schools.

I know that in the end it is my decision to apply and I don't need his or any other's "opinion," but it would at least be nice to have him understand (especially b/c I would like a rec from him).

Has anyone else been in the same predicament?? If so, what did you do??

my premed advisor told me to not take any anatomy classes in college... i wish i could go back and tell him a thing or two. as far as stateside schools... from someone that has been waitlisted from them.... i know guys that had a 3.9 GPA and upper 20's on the MCAT and still could not get in... anyways... show your advisor all the info from the website and maybe he or she will change their mind. plus, the usmle passing rate is rising.

Originally Posted by alphachidoc2be

It's about that time that I begin to discuss "post-college" plans with my premed advisor. I have informed him of my plans to attend AUC, but he seems extremely skeptical. I've tried to assure him that although many Caribbean medical schools have low pass rates on the boards, AUC is pretty reputable. He still doesn't seem to agree. He thinks I should do a postbac program and improve my gpa, then apply to stateside schools.

I know that in the end it is my decision to apply and I don't need his or any other's "opinion," but it would at least be nice to have him understand (especially b/c I would like a rec from him).

Has anyone else been in the same predicament?? If so, what did you do??

Many, if not most of us have been there, done that. It's very common. Ignore the pre-med advisor's advice, he clearly doesn't know much about caribbean schools.

Personally, if I had to do it all over again I wouldn't have wasted my time trying to change my pre-med advisors mind. I would instead have obtained a recommendation from another professor who is more open-minded and supportive.
I thought I had changed my pre-med advisors mind, but instead he just wrote an atrocious letter.
I got accepted anyway on the strength of my application, but don't let that happen to you. 8)

(p.s.-- I did the post-bacc. It wasn't worth it.)

yeah, that was my thought on the postbac.... not worth it! my greatest fear (ok, not GREATEST, but up there!) is that i'd spend all that time doing the postbac, and still not get into a stateside school.... thus, wasted a lot of money and time to put me right back where i started.

i think my advisor is just generalizing, since if you clump all caribbean med schools together, their average pass right is pretty low.... but when you look at them individually, you realize that there are definitely some "outlyers" that are pulling the average down, and schools such as the big 3 pulling it up.

thanks for the advice, everybody!

Originally Posted by alphachidoc2be

yeah, that was my thought on the postbac.... not worth it! my greatest fear (ok, not GREATEST, but up there!) is that i'd spend all that time doing the postbac, and still not get into a stateside school.... thus, wasted a lot of money and time to put me right back where i started.

i think my advisor is just generalizing, since if you clump all caribbean med schools together, their average pass right is pretty low.... but when you look at them individually, you realize that there are definitely some "outlyers" that are pulling the average down, and schools such as the big 3 pulling it up.

thanks for the advice, everybody!

THe postbac route is mostly beneficial if you wish to go into admin(as if you got a MPH) or if you wanted to do go into pathology or a more research oriented field(as if you got a MS/PhD) after you finish your 4 year MD program.

i heard the same thing from many advisors and even from my own when i informed him that i was leaving DO school to go to AUC. but many, who have low score but are fully capable of being in med school are usually told to follow this path.

i have come to a conclusion. i think many advisors wanted to do this path and ended up continuing with a phd and were two lazy to actually GO and GET the MD from a carib school. i think many, not all, are kicking their own but that they didnt make a move. this gives them sour grapes about the carib.

im from orlando, what the heck am i gonna do with a masters in biology? he told me to do it to boost my GPA to get into a MD state school. i had a 3.6 science, 3.65 overall with a 26 mcat and still didnt even get an interview at the 28 MD schools that i applied to. my answer was that if i wanted to get an MD, i have to consider doing post bach.

i cant wait to email him in a year showing letting him know that he is doing a DISSERVICE to potential students of AUC while i am in clinicals alongside US grads.

My advisor told me the same thing. he said I'd never be a doctor. Please see below. G