Thread: Need an honest opinion

Hey, I am considering studying medicine at this school, but here are my concerns:
1- This school's forum has more negative insights about the school's reputation, teachers, environment, commitments towards its students' medical future and many other important qualities a medical student should look into, and most of these opinions are coming from students that are enrolled in the school.
2- The school doesn't have a clear track of its graduates. Little do I know about any XUSOM graduate doing residencies in the U.S.
3- How credible and safe the journey of the students is? I mean does a dedicated student face some obstacles in finding spots for clinical rotations without any delays? And more importantly can the school secure and guarantee residency appointments for the students as smoothly as they claim?
4- Even if they are able to secure those residency spots, these spots aren't among the top wanted residencies. I mean all they provide at their website is a bunch of family and internal medicine appointments and a single one for surgery located in NY, the same state XUSOM is having serious issues with in applying for core rotations eligibility! (according to a thread on XUSOM's forum).
5- I understand what some other argue about the reputation of the school getting stained by a bunch of childish students squandering their time and money around the island and not being serious in studying. But what about the other serious good students? Do they face the same issues those bad students are?

I need an honest well supported opinion here folks. I mean if these questions can't be answered by XUSOM's current students, then I guess I should stop thinking about the school.

Hello Trashtalk,
I will try to address your concerns in numbered format. But first, thank you for taking the time to think about these points. One of the main reasons we post on here is to raise awareness...NOT to trash the school. None of us can speak of the intent towards those that can change the policies of the school (administration) or those who have the most leverage (investors). But we raise these issues in the hopes that future conversations will be more productive as we equalize the massive imbalance of situational awareness between potential student (captured benefactor) and the school.

1.While a few people do come on here speaking about the school in what could best be described as subjective observations, the anonymity that allows us the perceived freedom to blow a whistle is also a hindrance in backing up one's credibility. That said, those of us who've learned the tricks of this trade (of for-profit foreign medical schools) try to point out in objective terms where the school is lacking compared to others, and where promises have been outright ignored. All in all, there will be many who will be disappointed with this or any school...as the department of education points out- roughly 50% of foreign candidates with american passports get any residency. So with Ross, AUC, SABA, and St. George fulfilling most of those spots...that means the residency rate for the rest of the schools (by deduction) must be incredibly lower.

Unfortunately, I wish I could say that the school's defenders on here should balance out the comments. I say unfortunately because the ones I've chatted with are disproportionately from the pre-med portion of the school (or have gotten past that gauntlet and are now studying in the basic sciences). Most if not all of these students, as well intentioned as they are, have only their high school education to compare against the education provided by this school. None of their education is transferable to another school. I'll explain why later, but if all you knew was being attacked, and you are on track to spend well over $100,000 out of pocket (no FAFSA loans for this school), wouldn't you defend it? It would be pretty depressing if the warning bells we toll rang true when you fail out/ can't get past Step 1 or 2/ or can't get into a residency. And as a last point to all of those reading this in the pre-med program...there's a reason the American schools no longer offer this option- the failure rate is too unpredictably high.

2. As for graduates, there are only between 20-40 per year. True, some of them want their privacy maintained and therefor don't want the school to post where they got a residency (as one poster on this forum claims). But its hard to imagine that there isn't a single grad who would be happy to write up a signed recommendation for the school because they made it to a residency. Even one testimonial implies its possible to get a job (if not misleading that more than one-in-a-class can make it); tired marketing that we all see through...but worrying when even that isn't up!

I know this much, I'll have a residency...but not because of anyone I met through the school. All my interviews were because of people I personally knew in positions to help.

3. Personally, I transferred in after doing all my cores elsewhere. I can't speak to this. But I know this: a whole soap-opera could be written based on the history between the school, MedStars, attending physicians in Atlanta, and the students who paid the entire expense (financial, reputation, and emotional) for the affair! A shadow of the student body still rotates in Atlanta, but most are diverted to Chicago where the stench of prior misconducts are too distant to warn others for.

4. It was bragged to me when I was interviewing that "One of our recent grads just got into a Yale position!" I should have asked the name before paying. Asking afterwards, I was told it was a matter of graduate privacy. So I guess it goes to credibility that I couldn't find XUSOM listed under any of their residents. If a friend of mine from my prior medical school didn't actually get into a Harvard residency, I would've not believed the administrator and walked out the door.
As for NY, the school actually hasn't applied for NY verification and accreditation; verification being they evaluate the curriculum and do an on-site visit of the campus on the island. The administrators say they're in the process...but the NY state department of education says otherwise. (I've posted their phone number on an earlier post.)

Its nice for the students who stay in the school upon NY accreditation because the residency programs know your school is better than the witch-craft taught in a 3rd world African school (just a random selection of derelict education...no particular offense intended) that also has met the minimum standards of the World Health Organization. But its even better for those students that transfer out of the school because the other schools can rate your transcripts relative to their syllabus- with both schools having met the higher standards of NY ed. department. Currently, 14 foreign schools have passed the vetting of the NY Dept. of Education. XUSOM hasn't even applied.
Remember those pre-med students out of high school? Could you imagine having over $100,000 dollars of un-accredited, non-transferrable XUSOM education if they don't match- without even a bachelor's to fall back on? Yikes!

5. Yes, I've heard the drunken pitch, "I went down for vacation, and came back with a MD!" before. Personally, I came from a state with only a single medical school that followed the standards of Affirmative Action. I believe in the values of social engineering, but after being wait-listed, and refusing to take on the debt of an out-of-state school, I went the Carib route. While I've certainly matured in my time as a professional student, I can say with certainty that the school has far more to do with the reputation of the student body than those who are riding through on their parents' dime (again, no FAFSA and its important to note that some without personal means have worked hard in their own right, supported financial by a family that believes in them- but then there are those others we all hear about).
The bigger Carib schools use the 5th semester as a bottleneck. Those students that get through academically on the curve, but are found lacking in maturity seem to have a tough time passing 5th semester. While I don't personally approve of this, it is one way to safeguard for an intact reputation.
I would argue another route is to require that students pass the shelf exams at the same percentage rate as the American schools (ie. >70%) while down on the island. Surely the students cannot be held purely to account for the expected low exam results.
So do they face the same issues? Yes- of course. Some could be cynical enough to say that they pay the same rate, as an explanation. But the truth is, there's no tract for those who've passed with a certain GPA and step score, versus another tract. So yes, everyone is lumped in together...at least until you do your electives.

You have to find those on your own.

And while it may sound like one long bash-fest, I do believe in my username. The school is young. It has a way to go. Its just unfortunate that the jesters have to look foolish to get the emperor to realize he has no clothes.


...so do think about this school...it has the possibility and capacity to allow you to get certified to sit for the step exams and possibly beg your way into a residency. But the work is far more than advertised.

@abettertomorrow

Thanks for addressing my concerns. After digging through the forum, I think what you've just explained would be the most definitive note about what this school has to offer. I noticed that your presentment comprises a questioning tone rather than a conclusive answer and that's in my opinion is due to the lack of any certified record of the school's graduates and I believe a questioning tone is scary enough to repel me from this school.

Abettertomorrow: Couldn't have said it better myself