Help! Wanting to go to CMI in the Philippines, then go on to practice in the US..

[ChelseaA]

I've browsed the threads/posts and have gotten some excellent in-depth information about med schools in the Philippines, but I'd like some of my more basic questions answered.

My questions are:
What are the 'extra fees' or 'donation fees' for an American going to CMI, or are there any? I heard that the med schools that charge the heavy donation fees are in or near Manila, which may charge up to $20,000 (which isn't much in comparison to US med schools, I realize...but since there's less of an opportunity for me as a US citizen to get loans/scholarships, that makes a big difference)

If I finish up med school (and residency?) in the Philippines, being a US citizen, will I be readily accepted to practice medicine back in the US?

I have heard that, in general, teachers at most med schools in the Philippines are harsh on their students, and act as they almost do not want their students to do well. Is this at all true?

I've heard that CIM's ways of teaching and exams differ from other PH med schools.(Problem-based learning?) True or not?

"Clinicial Rotation": what is this and why is it an important factor when choosing a PH Med school?

Is it better to do your 'residency' in the same country which you completed med-school, even if your goal is to practice medicine in the US?

As you can probably tell, I do not know too much about medical schools yet, and namely international med schools. I only started researching this morning, so any basic or 'for-dummies' replies would be appreciated!
Thanks!

[Zut Alors!]

I've heard that CIM's ways of teaching and exams differ from other PH med schools.(Problem-based learning?) True or not?

True. They've adopted PBL, which seems to polarize people a great deal. Some I've talked to love it, and some loathe it. I'd avoid it because personally because I don't think I'd learn efficiently from such a system. Educate yourself on what PBL is and decide if you feel it's right for you.

"Clinicial Rotation": what is this and why is it an important factor when choosing a PH Med school?

Not sure I understand the question; all med schools, in every country in the world, involve clinical rotations. That just means you learn by being in the hospital, in a clinical setting, as opposed to learning by rote in the classroom. In US med schools, for example, the standard curriculum is years 1 and 2 are didactic learning and years 3 and 4 are filled with clinical rotations; i.e. 12 weeks of internal medicine, 12 weeks of ob/gyn, x weeks of y specialty.

I believe all PI schools are about the same as far as the amount of time they dedicate for clinical rotations; I suppose the only reason you would worry about clinical rotations in a school's curriculum is to ensure you see a diverse amount of pathologies. If you are going to a school that's affiliated with a tiny hospital in rural Missouri, you might not see as interesting stuff as you'd see in L.A. As far as the Philippines, though, I don't think you'll be lacking in the interesting and diverse pathologies department, regardless of the school. CIM should be just fine for that.

Is it better to do your 'residency' in the same country which you completed med-school, even if your goal is to practice medicine in the US?

No, that's not better. Medicine is fairly universal, but not completely. Sure, people in many countries use the same textbooks and learn the same material. But how the bureacracy works varies greatly. Doing a residency in the Philippines will get you some more clinical experience, true, but it's not really worth the time investment. When you go to the US afterwards you'll just have to adapt once again to a very different system. You might as well throw yourself into that system sooner, not later.

I would reccomend, though, doing the 1-year internship right after your 4th year of med school; that is, if you wish to practice in California. I believe California requires 72 weeks (you'll have to check the exact number) of clinical rotations, and that all med schools in PI fall short of this requirement. That means that you could run into trouble getting licensed in California down the road. So if I went to med school at CIM, I'd plan on being there 5 years versus 4.