I would have no problem starting my career in one of those 4 states. But what if, down the line, I'd like to move closer to family?

Should I wait until UMHS is accredited in my state? Or would it be OK to practice a few yrs in, say, NJ or NY and then would I be able to apply for a license in my state (which is close to those 2)?

How does this work? If I attend UMHS when its only approved in a handful of states, does that affect me downt he road as far as options?

Students from medical schools that have ECFMG approval are eligible to sit the USMLE (licensing exam). Students who pass the exam are then eligible for licensure in the various states. Each state has its own requirements and you should check the requirements of the states where you would like to practice before applying to any particular school. As I mentioned elsewhere, UMHS is in the process of being recognized by ECFMG.

Several states have their own accreditation process. The four that I mentioned previously are good examples. Having state accreditation has certain advantages unrelated to the licensing exam issue above. UMHS wants to provide those advantages to its students. If you search ValueMD for other threads related to state accreditation, you will learn a wealth of information related to these advantages.

Where can I find a good general discussion, in layman's terms, of what it takes to get certified in, say, Virginia or Maryland or Pennsylvania?

Do these states usually follow NJ and NY?

Would a UMHS person be able to give me any inside info, or will their response always be "do some research"? I realize i need to do research--trust me, I do the research myself and don't believe or rely on what others say. However, it would be nice, as *part* of the research, to get some UMHS feedback considering that your business is preparing students to be doctors and you presumably have more experience and access to know this information.

I'm not exactly sure what "inside info" means. Since I am a UMHS official, it doesn't get much more inside! Having said that, I will always tell you to do your own research. "Inside info" from ANY school official is suspect. We obviously are making our schools sound good. Some because they want to sell you their product and some because we really believe our schools are good. No matter what the motivation is, we are not unbiased. Keep in mind that non-official opinions that are posted here also may be biased. Some people are misinformed; some have been wronged and have an axe to grind while others are just generally mean spirited people. My advice is to always go to an objective source (e.g. state medical boards) and get your info from them. I also think it wise to get it in writing so that you have documentation later if you need it. When you've gathered all the information that you can, make the decision that is best for you!

by "inside info" i mostly meant, is UMHS anticipating accreditation by a good number of states by the time their first classes graduate? i realize they can't say for sure--i am wondering if they have some sort of plan of attack to do this. yes i realize the Ross connection and the fact that Ross is approved everywhere--i'm just wondering about the prospects for UMHS achiveving that.

I think your phrase "approved everywhere" is the key here. The senior administraiton of UMHS is the same group of people that got Ross University School of Medicine to the point where it was at the time of the first sale. If they could pull it off once, they ought to be able to do it again.

We are already working on the states' accreditations and have a very systematic plan to acccomplish all the goals that you are asking about. At this time, the plan has already been implemtned and now it is just a matter of systematically taking each step as we are eligible.

Since you already realize that I can't say whether we can have the majority of those accreditations in place by the time that the first class graduates, I'm not going to say it. As you follow along on this site, you will learn that I will either tell you the truth, tell you that I know but can't tell you or tell you that I don't know. When I don't know but somebody else does, I will get you the information you need. In this case, no one can give you any more than an optimistic opinion.

NY and FL are more liberal approvals and in most concern with clinical rotations within the states. they have basic criteria after paper work and site visits, probably take a year to completely be approved depending on when they start the process. California, which is more of a state-wide licensure acceptance, is out of the picture for UMHS for years. they require a lot of data by pass rates, graduate data, etc etc that this school will not be able to provide for awhile. Don't come to this school under the assumption of practicing in California or participating states using this list.

Another term which I think the school official and yourself are confusing is the term "accreditation". The only accreditation body in the United States is the LCME which foreign schools or Caribbean for that matter are not covered under. States have particular criteria they require for either clinical rotations or licensure and some have lists. These lists are of approval and disapproval but does not mean they are of the same standards of the LCME. California approval is the closest thing to that standard, regardless it is still an accreditation body.

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I do trust that its the same group of people, which is the only reason I'd consider UMHS rather than wait a year or two and take a shot or two at applying for US schools. Experience (I'm not that old but still...) has taught me that the time when you really need to ask questions is the time that you are almost thinking you dont need to question things.

I will probably apply to UMHS this cycle.

Do you think it would be absurd for me to apply for May? It's almost March... Also, when does the May semester start? I think my Spring finals and graduation are about May 7th... so is May totally out of the question for me? Should I just wait and apply for Sept (in which case I will take the MCAT in May and apply to a lot of places other than UMHS as well).

Just wondering if May would be out of the question for a May graduate who doesnt take his last final until the first week of May. By the way, I had a GRE score above the 95th %tile so I'd be submitting that instead of MCAT since I have the MCAT scheduled for May....

Orientation and registration will begin on May 7th and continue through the 11th. Classes will begin on May 12th. Obviously, the later that you arrive, the more of orientation that you will miss. A last minute arrival means that you will be harried getting into and stocking your apartment, getting phone and internet service and setting up a bank account. It is better to arrive a bit before classes start so that you can take care of business and get to know your fellow students, the faculty , the program and the island.

While it is technically possible for you to register as late as the 16th, I would not recommend starting late. Medical school is hard enough without starting after classes have begun. You will be responsible for the material that has already been covered. The good news is that the class will be small so the insturctors will have office time to assist you but you will still be struggling to catch up at the same time that you are attending the ongoing classes.

Obviously, the final decision is yours to make.

As for the GREs and MCATs. UMHS does not require the MCAT. Neither do we require the GREs. If you want to submit either in support of your application, you are welcome to do so but neither is required.

if you are in the realms of competitive for a US school, it is better to wait and apply there 1st.

the caribbean should be the last resort, not the first choice.

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