AUC STUDENTS(for those who don't know....)

[StudentAUC.]

The school most certainly did not give this info ahead of time, but it's crucial that the lower semesters understand this policy. Just so you know, students who do not begin clinicals by Nov 1st WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE MATCH ....meaning, you must wait an extra year after clinicals are done to go through the match. This means, for those who start in a January semester, you MUST stay on track.....extra semesters will screw you over. Also, make sure you plan to take the USMLE right after you get back because it takes 4 weeks to get your results, and the school takes 2 weeks to contact the hospitals to let them know you are coming(which is ridiculous in my opinion...). So basically, you can't take a review course after you get home (although i believe you MAY be able to squeeze the 4 week PASS Program in....depending on their start dates. Anyway, I found out this information on my own so I just wanted to share it with you. Moreover, if the hospital you wanted doesn't have a start date that begins at a certain time, you may be screwed also. Not to scare you, but you NEED TO KNOW this so that you can plan accordingly. Honestly, make sure you check on those start dates well ahead of time so that you can plan for your USMLE. Good luck in your studies

[sara12]

isnt there a kaplan review course allready included in 5th semester though ? do u really need to take another one when u leave the island?

[Scott1981]

The school most certainly did not give this info ahead of time, but it's crucial that the lower semesters understand this policy. Just so you know, students who do not begin clinicals by Nov 1st WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE MATCH ....meaning, you must wait an extra year after clinicals are done to go through the match. This means, for those who start in a January semester, you MUST stay on track.....extra semesters will screw you over. Also, make sure you plan to take the USMLE right after you get back because it takes 4 weeks to get your results, and the school takes 2 weeks to contact the hospitals to let them know you are coming(which is ridiculous in my opinion...). So basically, you can't take a review course after you get home (although i believe you MAY be able to squeeze the 4 week PASS Program in....depending on their start dates. Anyway, I found out this information on my own so I just wanted to share it with you. Moreover, if the hospital you wanted doesn't have a start date that begins at a certain time, you may be screwed also. Not to scare you, but you NEED TO KNOW this so that you can plan accordingly. Honestly, make sure you check on those start dates well ahead of time so that you can plan for your USMLE. Good luck in your studies

well ive known about the nov 1 rule since my 1st semester here. they have said it before in the clinical town hall meeting. where were you? secondly, the whole 5th semester is a review course. how much "more" studying time do you need? you basically have pretty much no classes other then the h&p. the rest IS a review course. if you dont study that last semester on the island..... do you really think that you are gonna get much done at home? but thats your choice and if you need extra time, then more power to you. good luck.

however, i want to talk about the logistics of if you start clinicals nov 1. clinicals are 72 weeks long. lets pretend that you are able to do them all with no gaps (which is extremely hard if not impossible to do with electives). 72 weeks is about year and 5 months. that means that you would get done in april. now trust me, thats with only 3 months to spare.

if you waited to december or january....... you would be done with one or 2 months to spare. now coming back to earth here..... you are gonna probably gonna have gaps in cores (if dont get mi or kern) and definetely in electives because you are on your own for them. it just seems like there wouldnt be enough time to make the jul 1st start date to begin with if you started after november.

i didnt plan on starting in may based on the match cutoff. but ive actually got plenty of time to burn because its physically impossible to make the 2007 match for me.

for you..... i think you should take the usmle right when you step off the plane. the material will be the freshest in your mind after running through all the shelf exams. then give or take 4 weeks to get your grades back and start up asap. you cant be choosy on your site....... time is your enemy and its not the schools fault that you started in january. take whatever they have whether its chicago, new york whatever. if you have to jump around then fine.... at least you started by nov 1st. plus you can always start at norwalk...... i may be wrong, but dont they have psych start dates every month or so?

[StudentAUC.]

I did not start in January so this doesn't affect me, I just thought that the students who did should know so that they can plan accordingly. I've heard mixed reviews about Kaplan. Some people say it helps, others say it's worthless. When it comes to USMLE, the additional review courses are good not to re-teach the info, but to give good pointers on exactly how to take the exam. i understand the logistics behind the nov 1st rule, it's not even the school's policy, i believe that's universal, but i think the school needs to let students know about it ahead of time. i was at the meeting 2 semesters ago when they talked about it, but the only reason it was brought up is because a student asked about it. if he didn't ask, they would not have said anything. i just think that all students need to be given info like this ahead of time.

[wifeofDr2b]

StudentAUC, what are you smoking? This information IS out there and it isn't being hid from anyone.

You love to stir up emotions. As far as "WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE MATCH..." you need to finish your sentence. They will be eligible but for what year is the question. If a student started in Jan 04....the first match they could possible be eligible for is in '07....but you are right, that is if everything lines up properly: taking USMLE, getting your scores back in time, getting your clinical assignment lined up and started, doing rotations back to back, etc. But all of those things are really out of the control of the student, so who knows if things would add up in a timely manner. You just don't know. Factor in that many graduates from AUC and other schools recommend having 2 months set aside to take time off to interview for residency, since many rotations will not let you schedule many (if any) hours off to interview for residency. So when you add up everything that is out of your control to begin with, it makes sense for some not to bank on getting the match in '07 if you started in Jan '04....there are just too many unknowns that are out of your control that may interfere with the timeline. Has this stopped students from matching or graduating? No. Has this stopped students from starting in January at all....probably a few elected to wait to start basic sciences another time....but look at the January classes, obviously it isn't stopping some people.

It basically comes down to each indivicual January starter what will work best for them....put all their eggs in one basket and hope the timeline works out for '07 (as my example above), or have some flexibility and realize you have several months to play with, ....so if you need to wait for "that spot" you really want for clinicals, you can, if your rotations end up not being back to back for whatever reason...it's not the end of the world, and you then also have the flexiility to travel to your residency interviews and not be faced with penalties for taking extra time off from your rotations. Factoring all that together, you will see that a January starter WILL NOT have A YEAR to wait for match.

In my example above, I didn't even add in how some students may have to take an extra semseter or that other students may want to do a review course, or take a few months to take Step 1. Bottom line, it will still work out. If you start in Jan 04 (like my husband did) and if you do wait for the '08 match, you are not behind at all....it is still an MD degree in 4 years.

Additionally, the clinical dept. has said in the past (it was even published in the AUC newsletter not too long ago) to allow 3-4 weeks to get your USMLE scores and another 3-4 weeks to get your clinical assignment set up through them. These are just estimates. Yea...watch out everyone...you're about to be screwed over :roll:

[teratos]

studentAUC is just trying to be helpful. Obviously there are people who don't know that. There are also people who get more stressed out about things than others, too. To some, this is a big deal. To others, it is really nothing. G

[YODA]

Thanks wifeofdoc, you just saved me alot of typing. This information is out there, you just gotta listen and pay attentions, and go to all the meeting/events and ask questions. The school is not trying to hide this information, i asked and found out about it during my first semester.

I plan on taking the test within 2 weeks of leaving the rock, i know another person who is stopping off in san juan on the way home to take it. Just be aware of the timelines and be willing to do your part to make the match.

Later
YODA

[sweetpea]

I am really confused right now. So lets say that you miss being placed in the Match for the year that you are done with clincals. Are you guys saying that you have to wait a entire year for placement. They don't have leniency for that. Do you guys have to pay back your loans if you wait that year?

[AUCMD2006]

kaplan:

its whatever YOU make out of it. By the time you get to 5th you are pretty burned out so if you don't pay attention, take notes etc then you don't get much out of it but of you push through and do your work then it is worth it. i paid attention in my weak subjects and the ones i was confortable with i reviewed on my own.

how to take the usmle: you don't need another review course for this just show up the first day fo kaplan or read the first 50 pages of the Q book. they go over strategies and all you will ever need.

other review courses, if you took kaplan seriously you don't need them. if you partied your 5th semester it may be worth it. how did i come up with this? sample of people i know that have taken them.....about 15 people i know took either falcon or pass. the ones that took 5th semester seriously felt it was a waste of time and some even stoped going b/c after siting in class from 8-4 studying wasn't feasable and did more on their own.....one did say that the isolation helped. the ones that slacked 5th semester said it was worth it.

AUC

this isn't pre-K heres a little surprise: your daily activities will NOT be scheduled down to the last minute...you may have to be creative and come up with your own potty breaks and even wake up all on your own.....hehe ok enough sarcasm. either listen to the clinical fair, which is difficult b/c they go over every single thing on the powerpoint including timelines and you tend to tune in and out, or read the clinical packet its all in there. they are upfront about timelines and don't sugar coat by telling you you will make it and have your choice of sites. victor says over and over again that you can move through clinicals fast by either going to a core site or doing the "shotgun approach" and take whatever is open.

studentauc si right about one thing, you should question everything the school tells you simply b/c it is for profit and you are number two on their priority list but none of the things he/she has come up with are worth the paranoia.

Loans:

you can defer up to a year but that is a total amount so if you deferred 2 months in undergard then you only have 10 months left. i think there is also a financial hardship deferement.....

[microphage]

Having Kaplan at 11:30 am is great.

It reminds me that I have to get out of bed and go sign in for attendance. (5 grand tuition for an alarm clock.......hummmmm I don't think I'm getting my moneys worth )

[tRmedic21]

The sky is falling, the sky is falling!!!!

I started in a January class, and I knew about the Nov 1st thing by 2nd semester at the latest, I think. Whatever. Some of the people in my class chose to go the 'kamikaze' route, trying to finish in time for the '06 Match. I decided this route was NOT for me. Trying to get electives set up on your own is time-consuming, and you may end up taking a month off here or there. Heck, I even know some people with several months off (not by choice) in their core schedule, when they are doing EVERYTHING at a major AUC clinical site.

Bottom line is, don't get in too big of a hurry, and don't count on everything going smoothly. This will work out fine for my wife and I, we'll take some extra time in clinicals to smell the roses, stretch it out a bit, have some time for interview season, and still have relaxation time or time for another baby before we start residency.

I kinda like the schedule, myself. :D

[anencephalic]

I hate 5th semester. Maybe it would be better if I weren't in so many fre@kin' meetings....

Maybe I could actually get some studying done? Or not.

rrod is right...by the time 5th rolls around, you are burned out...think about it. Your US Counterparts actually have summers off! You go to school year round with anywhere from 10 - 16 days off between semesters.

Trust me...after 3 hours of k@plan video followed by another 3 hour of H&P, let me know how motivated you are to cram another 5 hours in of quality study time.


ALoha,

[tRmedic21]

...let me know how motivated you are to cram another 5 hours in of quality study time.

Indeed, I know where you're coming from, Jon. It sucks, doesn't it?

Anyways, another thing that hasn't been mentioned is that just because you aren't eligible for the Match one year, doesn't mean you have to take a whole year off. To be eligible for the Match, everything has to be completed months in advance, but you can finish everything right around Match time and then try to scramble for a spot. While NRMP won't give you the list of unfilled programs if you didn't go through the Match, there are places every year (look next week if you don't believe me) where you can find the list of unfilled programs and contact them yourself and send in your CV, etc. While most of these programs are primary care programs, and alot are community-based, etc., to some of us, it doesn't matter. If it saves you a whole year..... heck, you can get transitional spots or a prelim spot, hoping to work it into categorical the next year, etc. Thus far, as IMGs we are still eligible to sign outside the Match with any program who will take us, but the NRMP is trying to take that option away from us. They want to be the monopoly holders of who gets into what program (Nazis!).

Just a few things to think about, and if you've got any connections, or if you want to do some research to help strengthen your CV, or whatever, a little time off before the Match might not be a bad idea. :wink:

[DrShikima]

...let me know how motivated you are to cram another 5 hours in of quality study time.

Indeed, I know where you're coming from, Jon. It sucks, doesn't it?

Anyways, another thing that hasn't been mentioned is that just because you aren't eligible for the Match one year, doesn't mean you have to take a whole year off. To be eligible for the Match, everything has to be completed months in advance, but you can finish everything right around Match time and then try to scramble for a spot. While NRMP won't give you the list of unfilled programs if you didn't go through the Match, there are places every year (look next week if you don't believe me) where you can find the list of unfilled programs and contact them yourself and send in your CV, etc. While most of these programs are primary care programs, and alot are community-based, etc., to some of us, it doesn't matter. If it saves you a whole year..... heck, you can get transitional spots or a prelim spot, hoping to work it into categorical the next year, etc. Thus far, as IMGs we are still eligible to sign outside the Match with any program who will take us, but the NRMP is trying to take that option away from us. They want to be the monopoly holders of who gets into what program (Nazis!).

Just a few things to think about, and if you've got any connections, or if you want to do some research to help strengthen your CV, or whatever, a little time off before the Match might not be a bad idea. :wink:

Great Advice!!

Can you or buzz lightyear give us more information on applying to programs outside the match and where you can find the listing of unfilled programs each year? Anything else can you offer as in applying after the July 1 (is it July 1?) start date for most residencies?

Thanks in advance....

[StudentAUC.]

...let me know how motivated you are to cram another 5 hours in of quality study time.

Indeed, I know where you're coming from, Jon. It sucks, doesn't it?

Anyways, another thing that hasn't been mentioned is that just because you aren't eligible for the Match one year, doesn't mean you have to take a whole year off. To be eligible for the Match, everything has to be completed months in advance, but you can finish everything right around Match time and then try to scramble for a spot. While NRMP won't give you the list of unfilled programs if you didn't go through the Match, there are places every year (look next week if you don't believe me) where you can find the list of unfilled programs and contact them yourself and send in your CV, etc. While most of these programs are primary care programs, and alot are community-based, etc., to some of us, it doesn't matter. If it saves you a whole year..... heck, you can get transitional spots or a prelim spot, hoping to work it into categorical the next year, etc. Thus far, as IMGs we are still eligible to sign outside the Match with any program who will take us, but the NRMP is trying to take that option away from us. They want to be the monopoly holders of who gets into what program (Nazis!).

Just a few things to think about, and if you've got any connections, or if you want to do some research to help strengthen your CV, or whatever, a little time off before the Match might not be a bad idea. :wink:

Very helpful info indeed. As far as the transitional year, how do you go about applying for that? Meaning, can you do that at just about any hospital? Also, for those residencies that actually require a transitional year (ex: anesthesia), does that count towards it, or would you have to have done the transitional year at the same hospital you do your residency?

[tRmedic21]

There is alot of info there about residency, and I think you'll find quite alot about the Match and the unfilled programs there. Just be prepared to wade through hours of stuff. :lol:

As far as a transitional year, I don't think it will count for most residencies. Many programs offer a transitional year, but the thing is, it is sort of geared towards people who haven't decided on a residency yet, so they will tour several different areas, sort of like your clinicals, but with more responsibility, I would imagine. But to my understanding, you'll be rotating through diff IM fields, FP, surg, all over again. Thus, if you get accepted into a program later that wants a prelim year of IM, you won't have done a full year.... only part of one. Now, if you KNOW you want IM or Surg later on, you can go for an IM or Surg prelim spot, instead of a transitional spot. Then it's possible that when you match into a program the next Match year, they might take you as a PGY-2, instead of 1.... but maybe not. This is very program specific, and they have to have a PGY-2 spot open at the time for you.

Transitional year spots are through the Match, just like any other spot, so if they don't fill, they'll be available for scrambling into. If I remember correctly, there are usually quite a few spots in Prelim and Transitional that often go unfilled, so you should have a good shot at one. The downside is that you may end up doing another year of residency, but it's better than a year flipping burgers, and you could have a great shot at making connections and getting more letters of rec, doing some research, and possibly even slipping into a categorical spot.