any regrets?

[gebbils]

any regrets about going to Ross?

[wildream]

How about this question: Any regrets for that patient on that picture for putting himself/herself under the care of that doctor with the hammer? lol

[Neuro3]

I don't have any yet but I'm just finnishing 1st semester. Maybe ask me after next semester :P

[awdc]

No regrets. Not saying that everything is perfect but overall, I'm satisfied with things here. If there's any regret I have, it's knowing that I could have done much better during undergrad but not having the maturity to do so. And if I had, then maybe I wouldn't be here. But given my circumstances and having spent a little time in a career I really didn't care for, I'm definitely happy being here at Ross.

[Cuando2]

dunno, but we dont have access to the high-tech equipment that many US meds have with their affiliated hospitals. we get access to hospitals with equipment from 1991 more often that students that go to US schools. i guess that sucks becuase the old-eqiupment operators always talk of the benefits of having nicer, newer machinery, but we never get to see that nice, new machinery in action!

[MDSomeday]

No regrets about comming to Ross. Nothing but regrets about Dominica and the locals. And to think at one time I actually found this place to be beautiful. Silly me.

[BackindaUSA]

Ross has a lot more going for it than many US med schools. The only advantage they have is the USA. Texas has even made it difficult for them.

Yes, I am sure you are bitter about somethings on the island. If I said I was not I would not be truthful, get over it. Now that I look back, it is not so bad. Work hard and study. Before you know it you will be in clinicals, hopefully not still bitter.

Ross is still only one of a handful that have the Stan simulators. They will get more in the near future and PBL will use them to aid the students. My class only used the simulators in 4th sem. Most US students don't see them til residency. Not sure if SGU even has one, AUC does not.

Well I am sure that didn't leave an impression. Oh well, best to you all.

:?

[dora_the_explorer]

No regrets at all, love the school and the opportunity it gives, too bad is in Dominica, an 18th century land with unfriendly locals. Oh well…can’t have everything uh?

[homerbrave]

Only regret was not going to Ross earlier and wasted years in graduate school.

[MDSomeday]

Yes, I am sure you are bitter about somethings on the island. If I said I was not I would not be truthful, get over it. Now that I look back, it is not so bad. Work hard and study. Before you know it you will be in clinicals, hopefully not still bitter.

:?

Tell that to my 2 kids and wife that had to more or less starve for 2 weeks because some local broke into the house and stole every penny we had. Tell that to my 2 kids who could only bathe at other students houses for 7 weeks because the landlord is too lazy to get the water line fixed. Tell that to my 2 kids!

[zedpol]

Very dramatic. Do something about it. Maybe you are doing something about it but it Drives me crazy to listen to people complain about stuff and then sit around passively and do nothing. Move if your landlord is so bad, complain to the housing office, the robbery thing sucks, and i am sorry about that but most locals are very nice. If you were in the USA living in bakersfield and the same thing happened to you would you complain about all the locales? Keep your chin up :) Realize that we have much more than most people here, and that makes us a target. It bring the bad people from all over the island to this one spot. I'll be the first to say that portsmouth sucks donkey, mainly because we are here. Anyways i guess the point i am trying to make is we have a high concentration of miscreants around us. I am sure I don't have to tell you to take extra precautions, but i say that mainly for the new 1st semesters (welcome) that are coming down here for the first time. Anyways I hope things turn around for you and your family.

Peace,
me

[BrotherMan]

Messing around the summer between my junior and senior year instead of studying for my MCAT.

[LakeForest]

Zedpol, man!!! I guess you are mad!!! "...high concentration of miscreants..." where do you come up with this?? Hanging out too much at Tweeddale's woodshop???









-love ya bro...don't take me too seriously :lol:

[jim]

I agree with the above post. i regret applying over andover again, and going to grad school thinking that would make a difference. I dont regret anything else. I am doing an excellent residency now,and love it!

[tah33]

i have to agree with zedpol, the island was tough getting used to but it was a learning experience for me and i look bak and laugh!
yes evn at the centipede that crawled up my shower !NOT... but...

i think the locals are freindly and not as bad as some say, and i have been around alot of the world and have some form of reference for comparison . it was a good expereince for me personally
but sanity does lie on the mainland after 16 mnths of mosquitoes and centipedes.

[Swaydaa]

Getting ready for the match...I'll get back to you in MARCH!!
There is one thing that is killing me now...money! $1800 or so dollars for step 2 CS and CK (took CK last month and CS august 31st) $90 to register for the match. It's gonna be $900-1500 to register through ERAS (money difference depends on step 2 score). If greater than 220 on step 2 it will be $900(scored 230 step 1, but going into competitive field).
Then..in the next few months, I'll be spending $300 on a suit and about $1000 to interview (plane tickets..etc.).
No regrets so far!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[smith_99]

no matter where you go to school you will always get out of an education what you put into it. i personally do regret that i had to live on that island for 16 months. i don't know what people are talking about if they say the locals are friendly or people are complaining too much. the only friendly locals i met wanted something. i was robbed 3 times...and yes i reported it to the cops and the school and everyone else who didn't care. but the place is survivable. so if anyone wants to come here they need to decide how badly they want to be doctors. it will be a rough time, bt it is a tradeoff for the rest of your life as a doctor.

[mshehorn]

I've been reading a lot of posts about the conditions down at dominica and I think people should really consider visiting each place you plan on attending. I didn't get accepted in the US and instead of wasting time I decided to study in Grand Cayman at SMU. It is a tropical paradise fully equipped with Outback steakhouse, KFC, and several Burger Kings. (and yes they do have a dollar menu). I'm not bashing Ross cuz I've heard it is a good school....All I'm saying is give SMU a try. Come visit. The Faculty are all US doctors (everyone I have met so far) so it is very easy to understand their spoken english. Their is a great student/teacher relationship and also between all the students. They are the up and coming school so if you are looking at carib schools so please consider St. Matthews. And hey guys from Dominica, if you want out, SMU takes a lot of Ross transfers. You will not have to worry about being robbed (its not even necessary to lock your house), and running water is plentiful. Good resteraunts are within walking distance and they have beautiful beaches for the rare occasion that we'll get to relax. Good Luck everyone....hope this sways some of you to consider going to Grand Cayman.

[homerbrave]

I am rotating with a fella who graduated from a 6 year old medical school. He passed both step 1 and 2, did all his clinicals in the United States, but the state he wants to practice doesn't recognize his school so now he has to redo 3rd and 4th year!

Be careful with choosing to attend a new medical school, you may run into problems with getting a residency.

[FoxTrot]

Yes, I agree that SMU is "up and coming", but what does it say about the school if it takes all the dropouts from another well known caribbean medical school?
And hey guys from Dominica, if you want out, SMU takes a lot of Ross transfers.

[jim]

st matt's may be a nice place to got o school, but has serious licensure issues in numerous states, and has serious questions stemming from that whole Maine campus thing. as always, buyer beware.

[dallasdoll]

"st matt's may be a nice place to got o school, but has serious licensure issues in numerous states"


I believe you Rossies cant get into Texas at this point.
SMU is just waiting for the CA approval decision in November. For a new school, thats pretty darn good.... especially since NY approval came through... any school is buyer beware... Carib schools are a risk anywhere...

And as for taking Ross Transfers, many of them chose to transfer because of the dreadful conditions they talk about while in Dominica. "Infestation" is a word I have heard alot.

Finally, the MAINE Master's program has had NO effects on any part of licensure... that rumor was floated a while back and is baseless. It is a separate college completely, and the program and is undertaken at the same time as the medical courses... Government loans are through that university and there is nothing that would cause a problem while pursuing the MD at SMU. There is no rule or law that I am aware of that makes it difficult for licensure if you choose to pursue another advanced degree while completing your MD, PhD, DDS, MPH, etc. etc. etc.. common sense.

[FoxTrot]

If thats the case, then they are wimps. :P Dominica isn't that bad, if you can't handle it so much to the point where you go to another school, then that kinda says something about your motivation. 16 months compared to the rest of your life is minimal compared to all the benefits that come with graduating from a well known school where you'll run into a fellow graduate all over the 50 states. As far as Texas, all the caribbean schools are in the same boat with that situation.
[quote="dallasdoll
And as for taking Ross Transfers, many of them chose to transfer because of the dreadful conditions they talk about while in Dominica. "Infestation" is a word I have heard alot.

quote]

[charlottenian]

Hi Guys,

I too got accepted into Ross and SMU.... Ross has a better reputation but when I visited the island all I kept thinking about was when is my departure... The campus was nice and the school has a great structure but the island conditions are too harsh for me.... I picked SMU because the Grand Caymans is a beautiful place (has all your fast food joints), the locals are real friendly and it is easy to get there (direct flight from my home in Charlotte to GCM), Plus you stay on the island for the shortest time.... The only drawback is the island is super expensive (fifth largest financial capital in the world) and SMU is not well known yet... About licensure I could care less about CA or TX since I would never live in either of those states anyways... To each his own though I guess...

[Cuando2]

even though you may never live in Texas, the fact that licensure for our students is denied scares some people into thinking that their home state (or future home state) may be next. I dont know what else to say about that whole point...

also, I would not consider the conditions in Dominica as "harsh." They are different, and like visiting any other foreign country, you will run into situations that show the differences between the country you came from and lived in for many years (the US) and the country you are living in now (dominica)...its oNLY for 16 mos, get over it. I dont see hwo its a major drawback to the school...the school is a separate entitiy from the island obviously. and the argument that St matthews is a good school because they accept Ross transfers who couldnt live on dominica...thats silly becuase those students who found the lack of fast food joints as a reason to undertake the LARGER inconveniences involved in pioneering a transfer from one medical school (in one country) to another med school (in a different country) is just crazy...sounds to me like the transfers are about a lot more (possibly, grades?) than just the lack of fast food joints and dominica island life...which mind you, THOUSANDS of others have endured and succeeded through, so the claim of a small few doesnt warrant much of an argument.