New Student Orientation

The new student orientation lasts from about 8-12:30 every weekday.  Various staff or professors address different topics that we were encounter during our trip.  We were welcomed by Dr. Weaver, the Associate Dean of Student Affairs; he was funny and seemed very down to earth.  Dr. Weaver was a widely respected surgeon before decided to focus on developing the next generation of surgeons and doctors in general.

One thing that stood out was the huge class that nearly filled the large classroom at the St. James Academic Center.  The official count hasn't been released yet, but it is at least 450+ students.  However, Ross provides lots of resources and staff in the Center of Learning and Developing to try to provide personalized attention to this huge class.  The staff took time to explain the differences between "The Curriculum" and the accelerated curriculum, as this is the first year we are given an option.  The non-accelerated program seems more appealing to me, because of the scheduled study breaks before the examinations.  However, doing this track means four more months on the island.

On Tuesday we were greeted by dean Joseph Flaherty via videoconference.  He was once the dean of the University of Illinois School of Medicine, at one time the biggest medical school in the U.S.  He assured us that we are receiving a top notch education and that rigorous preparation has been taken to provide us with the best chance of success.

Other orientation topics included:

• study strategies
• time management
• pass/fail system
• Ross only assigns high pass, pass, or fail grades for the first semester.  Letter grades are given for the other semesters.
• clinical education
• campus life
• There are many opportunities to get involved in different clubs/ organizations.
• history of Dominica
• semester one schedule
• foods of Dominica

First day on the island

It always seems like no matter how long i start packing in advance, I always rush to get my luggage together.  It is difficult to figure out which of your items are essential to take on the island and which aren't.  I rushed to get to the airport bus from Bakersfield by 6 and was at LAX at 8 for my flight that left at 11:50.  I read in the airport, and ran into a student I had met at the information seminar a few months back.  I slept the whole way on the flight from LA to Miami.  Then I took the flight from Miami to San Juan and met a few more students from Ross who were sitting nearby.  The lady behind me was from California as well, about 2 hours from my hometown.  San Juan to Dominica was where things started getting tricky.  I didn't have problems with Liat, but it was the TSA in the San Juan airport that took forever to let people through the security gate.  I rushed to get to my flight a few minutes before takeoff.  The winding road heading from the airport to Jenner Hall, on Ross main campus, wasn't that bad, the driver was a good tour guide and really nice.  The people from my semester seemed pretty laid back and friendly; we'll see how long that lasts when exam time comes.  When we got in they had a mini orientation and slideshow.  After that they fed us a good meal of chinese food.  Finally, I headed to my apartment and got settled in.  I came in amazed at how much greenery there is, just hills of tall trees and bushes.  In Bakersfield, I'm used to dust and tumbleweeds.  It really does look like an untouched island.  I think I'll really enjoy it here.

My journey to a Caribbean school

I get the question "why the Caribbean?" quite a bit, to which I semi-jokingly respond..."Uhhh... the beaches, tropical weather, beautiful scenery, beautiful people, fresh fruits, veggies, and fish, hiking trails, scuba diving, festivals, and Caribbean music!"  Truthfully, I probably won't have too much time to really enjoy the island, except for a few times throughout the school quarters, but it is nice to have those options.

I spent the last two years of my last two years of my college career facing an uphill battle trying to offset some pretty bad grades.  My first semester of college, I failed both general Chemistry and general Biology, the two classes that pre-med students were especially supposed to excel at.  I retook gen Chem and got a C- the second time.  I barely passed gen Chem 2 with a C.  I was afraid to visit counselors out of fear that they would tell me to consider a different career, and one of my favorite professors informed me to consider microbiology or nursing.  However, even when I had second thoughts about medical school, I always knew that I would regret at least not attempting to follow my dreams and get in.

During my junior year I realized that in order to look more competitive I needed to do more volunteer work and get into research.  To fit the mold of the typical pre-med student, I jumped at the first opportunity to participate in research, even though I had little to no interest in the project.  Due to my lack of interest, I didn't go to the lab very often and when I did I was unproductive.  This ended up being a hinderance, as my professor didn't write me a strong letter of recommendation.  I also volunteered at a hospital, which truthfully I didn't too much care for either.  I imagined that I would be interacting with physicians, following around technicians, and moving around among different units in the hospital.  However, I was mostly wiping down and sterilizing benches and beds, providing patients with blankets and water, and stocking the rooms with supplies.  When the department was fast, the days went by much faster, but during the slow days 4 hours seemed like forever.   There are only so many blankets and sheets to restock.  I felt like I was standing around a lot.  When I tried to observe doctors operate or interact with patients, I was often given dirty looks or asked "can I help you?" by the assistants.  I had much more fun and felt more productive volunteer with the American Lung Association or with the Boys and Girls club, which I actually enjoyed.  The medical experiences I spoke about were the times when I shadowed a nurse practitioner in family practice and a radiologist.  Trying to become a cookie cutter pre-med student instead of following my passion and immediate interests ultimately ended up hurting me during interviews.

I spent probably too much time looking at my chances of getting into post-baccalaureate programs and average GPA's for school, acknowledging that I was below the ranges of any U.S. MD or DO schools. My junior year, I created the hypothetical situations of if I get A's in  the rest of my classes (bringing me to a 3.3) and a 30 on the MCAT, I might have a chance to get into a medical school.  In hindsight, I spent too much time speculating and creating hypothetical situations instead of doing my best to simply be successful one day at a time.   I graduated college with an overall GPA of 3.18, probably closer to a 2.7 or 2.8 when using the AMCAS grading scale and a 25 MCAT score.  Looking at these numbers led me to seriously consider attending a Caribbean MD school.  I first considered going to a Caribbean school when I attended a medical conference at UC Davis.  Based on the negative stigmas attached to Caribbean schools, such as (you won't get a residency in the U.S., the classes are overcrowded, and they're overpriced, the attrition rates are ridiculously high) I didn't give the Caribbean schools much consideration.    There were reps from Caribbean schools at the booths, and the Caribbean schools seemed like a legitimate option.

I realized that graduates from Caribbean schools are actually capable of attending competitive residencies, after looking at statistics from the lists of residency matches.  I felt that Caribbean schools would provide a quality education, as the curriculum is similar to U.S. medical schools.  Also, many schools do a great job of preparing students for the USMLE, as it is especially important for a foreign grad to perform well.  Particularly in Kern county, where I live, there is a large percentage of doctors who are foreign medical grads, and I have met at least three doctors in the county from Ross University.  The application process is much more quick, taking a few weeks as opposed to a year for U.S. medical schools.   I considered doing a postbacc program, which I explained in a previous post.  It also seemed like a great time to be exposed to medical process in different countries and probably more hands-on opportunities because of loosened regulations oversees.  At Ross I was really intrigued by the Salybia mission program, which provide health fairs and medical care for residents of Dominica.  I also was impressed at how aggressive some of the Caribbean schools were in securing contracts with hospitals, guaranteeing a certain number of rotation spots for clinical education.   I am glad to know that many of the professors at the Caribbean schools are strictly there to teach, so they wouldn't have other major obligations such as research to attend to.  I am pleased with the choice to attend Ross University, and i believe that I will be receiving an education on par with many U.S. medical schools and even surpassing some schools, because of the professors' strict commitment to teaching.

Packing my barrel

Wow, I never imagined I'd be bringing this many items to the island.  I figured it would worth it to purchase a 55 gallon barrel filled with "essential" items.  Some people make it seem like we're the new contestants on a season of Survivor, because of the rural conditions so I just wanted to make the transition somewhat easier.  Others make it seem as only the spoiled Americans buy the barrel to bring their fruit loops, Cheetos, and oreos.  Overall the cost of the barrel and shipping is $280.  I hope it's worth the price considering the convenience of: not having to scramble to find and buy items from Dominica at significantly higher prices, having a barrel to return items in when leaving the island, and bringing my favorite foods that are unique to the U.S.   I just finished sending my barrel off to Olarte transport in LA.  From Olarte it goes to Miami where Tropical shipping ships it to Dominica.  Overall, it should take the barrel 2 weeks to arrive at the island, about a week after I arrive.  Oh, and shot out to the dudes who ship an ice chest full of T-bone steaks to the island, using dry ice to preserve it.  That's extreme dedication to premium cuts haha.  I'll just be looking forward to the various types of fish I can get on the island.

My barrel packing list:

• George foreman grill
• Blender
• Ipod alarm clock
• Blow drier
• Bath rug
• Crock pot
• Rice cooker
• Applesauce
• Cliff Bars
• Canned goods
• Binders/ notebooks/ losse paper
• Fan
• White board
• Shower curtain
• Blanket
• Reusable grocery bags
• Pull-up bar
• Nuts: peanuts and pistachios
• Grains and beans
• Pitcher
• Other random items

In hindsight, I probably would've got the 75 gallon barrel.  It seems like a lot but I was surprised at how quickly I filled the 55 gallon barrel, forcing me to leave items out.

Ross Information Session/ New Student Gathering

I went to the Ross information session, where incoming 1st semester students were invited as well, yesterday in Santa Monica and it was a great session.  Most of the information that was presented during the session I was already aware of, but it was good to have that opportunity to ask further questions to the panel, which included Ross University administration, current medical students, practicing physicians, and residents.  They were all very informative and honest about their experiences at Ross.  Some of the information they presented was the significant correlation between RUSM GPA and USMLE step 1, which indicates that Ross does a excellent job of preparing students for the step 1.  That's the goal to do well on USMLE right?

We also had a new student orientation at the Hyatt hotel where they bought drinks and appetizers for us.  We got a chance to meet the other incoming students, Ross staff, practicing physicians, and medical students.  It was  a great opportunity to get insight about the details of the island and what to expect coming in. Two of the students were completed their rotations in my hometown so it was nice to have that in common.  Everyone seemed very nice, and they all felt like going to Ross prepared them very well.  Having a alumni group that large means that most hospitals are familiar with Ross University, making it easier to get a residency.

Pre-Med Extracurriculars

Some of the extracurriculars I have done, I ended up regretting.  Two in particular are research and volunteering in the hospital.  It seems taboo to say that I didn't enjoy those two experiences.  My research probably ended up being more of a detriment instead of an asset to my application.  During the interview for American University of Antigua, my interviewer brought up that my research professor, who wrote my l.o.r., brought up some concerns.... my heart stopped when I heard this.  I then had to try to think about the concerns on the spot, which I was sure had to do with my haphazard attendance during to the research lab.  The ongoing punchline among the research group became... where's Terrance?  I didn't enjoy the research, but I continued out of a sense of obligation.

Volunteering at the hospital wasn't too much fun either.  I was mostly just stocking the same areas over and over until my 4 hours were up.  I enjoyed talking to the patients, techs, and some of the nurses.  One of the nurses had the audacity to say aloud, "this is fucking disgusting" when changing the sheets of an elderly patients who smelt bad with sores all over her body.  The day just seemed to drag on, when the department was slow.  There's only so many blankets or cups or water to bring.  However, it was a valuable experience to see how each of the health professionals worked together.  It was slightly disturbing to see how little time the physicians spent with the patients, they spent a lot of time in their isolated room on the computer. 

My favorite experience was shadowing a nurse practitioner who operated the clinic under a physician who was rarely there.  I admired how he interacted with his patients and how they genuinely trusted him.  He took his time to diagnose the patients and had a personal relationship with them.  He was able to prescribe medications, but still had some limitations as a nurse practitioner; he said that he would've went to medical school if it weren't for him starting a family at an early age.

Don't Cut Yourself Short (Postbacc vs. Caribbean Schools)

My aunt Alma, who is a nurse, gave me the number to a student who attended UCLA/ Charles Drew Medical School.  Alma's coworker, also a nurse, is the mother of the previous medical student, Susan, who is now doing her residency at Kern Medical Center.  When Alma informed her coworker that I would be attending medical school in the Caribbean, she replied with, "I'm so sorry to hear that."  She gave Aunt Alma her daughter's phone number so that I would contact her and hopefully change my mind.

I ended up calling Susan to figure out why she was so unreceptive towards Caribbean medical schools.  She mentioned a few reasons including: her experiences alongside IMG's have shown they are not as prepared, her friend from the Caribbean had over $300,000 in debt, thus concluding that Caribbean schools are 2X as expensive, you won't be able to get a good residency, a postbacc would prepare me better for medical school.  There was a conference at my local school where a UCLA medical school student said that the Caribbean students he rotated with very well prepared.  The median debt for Ross students is $232,743 in federal student loan debt, as posted on their website.  A quick look at the residency placements posted on the Ross website will indicate placements into very prestigious hospitals and specialties.  Therefore, don't simply rely on the opinion of one person when making a decision.

Ultimately, I didn't want to be 30 when entering residency.  Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I would prefer the opportunity to do it at 26.  The only way I would consider doing a postbacc is if I either didn't feel academically prepared to enter medical school or if I was set on getting to an extremely competitive residency.  Going to a U.S. medical school does give you a much better chance to get into a very competitive residency, but it is still very much possible from a caribbean medical school.  NRMP.org provides very detailed statistics on the % of residents that are IMG's.

My point in saying this is to do your own research, in some situations a postbacc might be a better option for some, but some will discourage you based on outdated information.  For me I wanted to get done as soon as possible and am fairly certain that I want to go into a primary care practice.  In essence you are pushing your med school education back 2 years with a postbacc: 1 or more years of classes and a year application process, not to mention the stress of not knowing if you will even get into a U.S. medical school as they are unbelievable competitive.  I made the decision to start school earlier, which means less loans, and a quicker opportunity to pay off the loans I do accumulate.  Medical school is a long enough process in itself, I did not want to lengthen the process.