It's off to New Orleans I go for the weekend, with the wonderful Dave, who made this is birthday present to me in November, so he gets to take leave of his Island Prison briefly to lovingly show me around his old haunts. Naturally, I'll be drinking grenades out of novelty cups.
Woot!
A freshly minted IMG diving into residency
ClusterMap
3 comments:
I'm a senior in college and have been reading your blog I stumbled upon for the past few months (creepy i know) because I, too, was thinking of going the Caribbean route for medical school. Interesting blog--sounds slightly depressing, though. Overall--how do you think it went/is going?
DO in the US or MD from SGU? What would you do if you could do it again?
Thanks!
Hi there! Sorry for the late reply.
I tend to post at the extremes of emotion, which creates a sort of bipolar impression when medical school is *primarily* hard work and boredom, like it would be anywhere else. The only difference is I got a better view.
There are definite drawbacks, of course. There's the stigma of being an IMG and some administrative problems that can make things annoying and occasionally panic inducing. There's being removed from friends and family, thus most people's network of support, but I can also say I really treasure the friendships I made in Grenada.
I can't really tell you on DO versus Caribbean MD, and there's been a ton of internet banter on various websites fighting over that very issue. Ultimately, it depends on what you're looking for.
Both DOs and IMGs have a stigma attached. Whether someone views being a DO or an IMG as a higher stigma depends on the person, including the patient. Some people have had no problems (in both).
Many people (correctly) point out that once an IMG has graduated, there is an MD after the name, while DOs sometimes have to struggle with the simple initials meaning some people don't see them as "real" doctors, even though they are.
I would also say DO if you go with the philosophy of being a DO. Many DOs choose to be DOs due to the greater attention to whole-body treatment and manipulations, and that's a more valid choice for them than any MD.
DOs aren't limited in specialty, so that's not really a factor. They can participate in both their own and the allopathic matches, so that's a bonus, though I believe they have to choose one.
Research both and see what works best for you. I don't think one is unilaterally better.
For me, while I want to practice in the US, I'm also interested in doing work outside the US, and there are very few countries that honor the DO degree yet. That was my deciding factor.
can someone please tell me what opportunities are available for caribbean MD's if they no longer want to practice medicine?
Thanks
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