Thread: Fil/AM considering Philippine Medical School

I am a female that recently graduated. I am reviewing for the NMAT and MCAT. After reading some threads, I feel that going to the Philippines might be a big mistake for me esp if I plan to return to the USA and practice. Please let me know what is the best match for me if I would consider the Philippines.

Is the savings worth the education that I will get? Or will I have a hard time returning back to the USA.

Thanks

Originally Posted by VAUSAFILAM

I am a female that recently graduated. I am reviewing for the NMAT and MCAT. After reading some threads, I feel that going to the Philippines might be a big mistake for me esp if I plan to return to the USA and practice. Please let me know what is the best match for me if I would consider the Philippines.

Is the savings worth the education that I will get? Or will I have a hard time returning back to the USA.

Thanks

Do your best to stay in the US. Apply to Osteopathic schools (DO) if your stats are a bit lower.
But if you study hard and pass all the USMLE steps, I have not heard of any US citizen having difficulty getting into residency. The only problem you will encounter is getting into competitive specialties (surgical fields, dermatology, radiology). But if you can be happy with primary care (FM, IM, Peds) many programs especially in Family Medicine don't fill during the match.

Originally Posted by trauma

Do your best to stay in the US. Apply to Osteopathic schools (DO) if your stats are a bit lower.
But if you study hard and pass all the USMLE steps, I have not heard of any US citizen having difficulty getting into residency. The only problem you will encounter is getting into competitive specialties (surgical fields, dermatology, radiology). But if you can be happy with primary care (FM, IM, Peds) many programs especially in Family Medicine don't fill during the match.

My plan is to take the NMAT this November. Then do the MCAT for Jan 2010 so I can apply for Med School in the USA in May 2010. If the MCATs are not favorable then I will go to the Philippines for med school.

BTW where are you taking your med school?

Ace the MCATs. Put some cash together and do Kaplan prep. You should score 30 and above in order to be considered. Combined science GPA should be high. If not, try to pad it with "easier" science courses.
As far as residency, read my other posts. Generally for US grads residency is not a problem except for the "easy-lifestyle" residencies. Despite what you read about here, general surgery is NOT competitive at all. Ortho, Plastics-combined, Optho, Urology, and ENT are still competitive. General surgery programs generally are full on non-US grads except for the top programs.

If I were you I would re-think medical school. There's too much self-sacrifice involved.

VAUSAFILAM,
Good luck with the exam, I'm also applying for the NMAT exam this Nov in Cali.I have worked with a lot of FMG's and they're all very good. One of the Attending in the MICU where I used to work, graduated from the Phil. I don't think you will have problem getting back here since you are a citizen. FMG who is a US citizen or a green card holder has a better chance of being matched(of course after passing step 1,2 USMLE).A friend of mine who is an MD from India told me that FMG's from India usually spend 1 year doing nothing but review for the USMLE and that's why they're able to get 90-95 score.But even if your score is not that high, she told me that if you choose less competitive choice like IM, Family Med(according to the last matching this is only half filled)you have a good chance.Among the 10 thousand FMG's who applied , I think 42% were matched.So just do your research and good luck again.

consider the fact that in the Philippines you are working with a far longer schedule than just 4 years. Consider:
1) To license in california, you need to delay your graduation and do your clerkship for an extra 20 weeks.
2) You will receive NO USMLE prep in school, and schedules in filipino schools do not realistically allow you to take step 1 before graduation (summer breaks are a month or less after second year). Plus you need time to do practice USMLE questions to get out of the filipino style modified multiple choice and find the exception type questions, and into the US style pick-the-best-answer-out-of-the-group types.
3) Given these hurdles, it is likely you will NOT complete your step one and step 2 requirements in time for the matching deadline for the year after you graduate. So you will either have to find a residency to take you without the matching program, or you can apply for matching to start residency TWO years after graduation.

Within this context, consider trying very very hard to get into domestic schools. If you really can't, I still feel the philippines gives a far better education than the Carribean schools, at 1/12th of total cost. However, if you speak spanish, there are lots of very good spanish-language med schools in dominican republic and mexico, which are as affordable as the Philippines.

I have applied to US med schools this summer but I am not that positive on my chances of getting in for 2010, so caribbean or phil med schools is my backup since I don't think I can wait another year to reapply here. Anyways, I'm going to register to take the NMAT also this november but I'm just not quite sure how to do it. Good luck!

Originally Posted by beachbum

I have applied to US med schools this summer but I am not that positive on my chances of getting in for 2010, so caribbean or phil med schools is my backup since I don't think I can wait another year to reapply here. Anyways, I'm going to register to take the NMAT also this november but I'm just not quite sure how to do it. Good luck!

The contact person is Mr Godfrey Vergara
PO Box 3553 Granada Hills, Ca 91394 USA
Tel 818-612-4490
NMAT - Nov 7'09 LA, California
Registration date - June1-Oct 7
Reg Fee- 30.00- Bulletin of Info & Practice tests Part1 & 2
Test Fee- 350.00
Hope this helps, I'm taking NMAT too this Nov, see you in LA.

Mr Vergara is the contact person as described above. If you can't get into any US allopathic or osteopathic schools, Caribbean or Phil. schools are possibilities. If you are considering Caribbean, only do it if you can get into the 4 schools there that are recognized in 50 states (SGU, Ross, AUC, Saba). It will suck to be in debt for 100-200K and cannot practice in at least 15 states. Philippine schools won't prepare you for USMLE but they are very affordable and can practice in all states.
About speaking Spanish, 4 Puerto Rican schools are LCME and considered American medical schools.

Originally Posted by trauma

Mr Vergara is the contact person as described above. If you can't get into any US allopathic or osteopathic schools, Caribbean or Phil. schools are possibilities. If you are considering Caribbean, only do it if you can get into the 4 schools there that are recognized in 50 states (SGU, Ross, AUC, Saba). It will suck to be in debt for 100-200K and cannot practice in at least 15 states. Philippine schools won't prepare you for USMLE but they are very affordable and can practice in all states.
About speaking Spanish, 4 Puerto Rican schools are LCME and considered American medical schools.

Hello guys, FYI I have the books needed for the NMAT/MCAT reviewers and have decided not to go to the Philippines. Let me know if anyone is interested.

Trauma,thanks for all the information that you have posted.....what do you think about Physician Assistant or PHD Physical Therapy? Thanks