Why Go To A Caribbean Medical School

Do you want to go to a medical school but unsure of which school you should pick? It obviously depends on which school you’re able to get into, but if the thought of joining a Caribbean medical school ever crossed your mind, you will know more about whether to pursue that idea or not in this post.

I have listed some reasons why you must join a Caribbean medical school. I have kept in mind all the pros and cons while writing this article, so stop worrying about it being an entirely biased piece.

Why go to a Caribbean medical school?

1. Beautiful location to spend two years of your study life: Medical school is hectic and every day you’ll be totally drained of energy, and it takes a lot to gain the willpower to keep going for almost two years. Imagine if you get a chance to just drop your books in your room and watch a breathtaking sunset every day! Even if your school is a bit away from the beach, you’ll be able to have those refreshing weekend getaways which might not be possible in many medical schools in the U.S.

2. A different learning altogether: If you pick a Caribbean medical school, you’ll not only learn about your course but also learn to live in an entirely different place with different kind of people. It’s a great thing to be out of your comfort zone by putting yourself in an entirely different country. You’ll learn things you have never imagined, and you will grow up to be a very strong individual.

3. It’s a second chance: What if you do not get a spot in a U.S. medical education school and at the same time, you cannot wait for another year? A Caribbean medical school offers a second chance to people who go through this situation. Instead of waiting for a year and hoping to get into a US clinical rotations next year, you can utilize your time better by joining a Caribbean medical school. If you don’t get into a U.S. one in the summer, you can go for the other one in fall.

4. Less competition: You’ll face much lesser competition while trying to get into Caribbean medical schools. It’s because not many people consider studying abroad for medical studies. Moreover, the ratio of applicants to seats available in U.S. medical schools is very disproportionate. You just have a better chance at getting into a Caribbean medical school.

5. Educational advantages: Most of the teachers in Carribean medical schools are paid as compared to the ones in U.S. medical school who are required to work on their research as well. It means your teachers will be able to prepare better lectures for you, and the quality of teaching is much better in a Carribean medical school.

Make sure you pick a genuinely accredited school to take all these advantages without exposing yourself to a significant disadvantage. Do check out Atlantic School of Medicine in case you need a reference.

How to raise the standard of your medical education?

How can you be an above average medical student? There are so many people who begin medical education each year. The competition is increasing, and it’s getting tougher to be at the top. In fact, it’s tough to get into a U.S. medical school. The acceptance rate is very low. Then the hectic course just burns you out. How can you ensure that you give your best performance during your entire medical education career and also stay fresh and welcoming for new opportunities?

1. Consider medical education or pre-med studies abroad

Both of the options are very beneficial. If you’re a pre-med student, you can go for one semester abroad. It’ll give you much better perspective on healthcare, a better resume and exceptional experience that’s unmatchable. Your MCAT scores aren’t the only thing that can get you into a good medical school. Having a good resume and a streak to become an excellent physician is what will get you to places.

If you’re looking for a diverse perspective on medicine and health care, you can do your medical studies abroad. Caribbean medical schools, schools in Philippines and Ukraine are top three places to pursue medical education abroad.

2. Avoid burnout

During your pre-med years or medical studies years, you’re bound to experience a burn out at least once. The hectic course and endless objectives will make you want to give up. Add to it the fact that all the non-med friends you had in high school will be posting cool pictures about their artistic courses, and there you will find yourself buried in books and sneaking time to go through your Facebook timeline! It gets frustrating and will affect your academic performance. Avoid such a situation. Give yourself enough time to enjoy. Have a weekend getaway or pursue a hobby. It’ll boost your overall performance.

3. Work on your resume

You need to add as much experience as you can in your resume. During your medical education, you should try to expose yourself to diverse cultural environments and social services. It’ll not only give you a better understanding of healthcare but also help you understand people better. Studying in a foreign country or a Caribbean school like AUSOM is another excellent way to achieve this objective but if you don’t want that, look for whatever options those are available to gain extra experience and run for those opportunities. Get more information about US clinical rotations here.

4. Focus on experience

During your medical education, always give more preference to practical experience than theory subjects. Those are important, but you will develop real skills only through practical experiments and work.

These are four ways you can improve the level of your medical education. Note that all of these are not at all dependent on which college you choose, but on what choice you make beyond that one choice.

How to perform well during US clinical rotations?

If you want to make the most out of the US clinical rotations, here are some tips for you.

1. Get used to taking orders: You may know much more than the resident, but you will always report to him/her, and you must show respect to the person in-charge. By maintaining a healthy relationship with your resident, you can learn a lot about how actual hospitals work. You will also be able to spend a good time during the rotations.

2. Act professionally: Maybe you’re interacting with the patient, nurse or the resident doctor, you must always show them respect and act in a responsible and professional manner. You’re undergoing training to be a doctor, and you must act like one.

3. Avoid issues with nurses and patients: Two of the major issues students have during their US clinical rotations are with nurses and patients. As new students, they do not have enough patience to deal with patients, resulting in arguments. One must avoid arguing with patients as much as possible. You will be dealing with such patients your entire life, and you need to deal with them in an amicable manner. Similarly, arguing or being on bad terms with nurses isn’t a good thing. In fact, it will give you a tough time during your stay at the health center. Avoid it.

4. Always alert the resident about significant findings: While checking the patients, you may make a crucial observation, and it’s your responsibility to report it to the resident right away. You should also ensure that you accurately record such observations. All of this will not only help you perform better but also help you be a better doctor.

5. Don’t act on your own: You’re going through the US clinical rotations, and you must understand that. You’re not in a position to prescribe anything or perform any procedure without authorization. Unauthorized methods may land you in deep trouble. As a fresher, it may skip your mind but now that you’ve got a particular warning, remember it!

6. Be punctual and active: Instead of shirking the work, you should always look for more responsibilities. The whole point of US clinical rotations are to build a doctor from a medical student, and it wouldn’t happen if you don’t take the initiative. Go ahead and get some more work. Spend some more sleepless nights at the hospital, even when your shift is over. It will all benefit you and make you a better doctor with more experience than your counterparts.

That’s how you can perform well during US clinical rotations. It also depends on where you’re doing it. Every college has partnerships with different health centers. Colleges like AUSOM give you full information on where you will do your US clinical rotations. Check it out.

Article Source : shorttext.com/81a9f4c1

Top Interview Tips If You Want To Study Medicine

If you want to study medicine and get into a top medical school, you will need to go through an interview, the format of which will depend on the school you pick. But, there are some things common to such interviews. It’s what they expect from you as a to-be medical student and doctor. Thinking along those lines, I have prepared the list of interview tips for those who want to study medicine.

Top interview tips
1. General knowledge on health: You should begin preparing for the interview by getting well versed with the process of getting into medical school, education criteria in a medical school as well as general topics related to health. You must read a daily newspaper to stay informed about recent developments in the healthcare industry. At the same time, understand that you’re not expected to know everything about medicine. So, don’t worry about that.

2. Practice answering under pressure: Medicine is a profession that puts a lot of pressure on you. You have lives to save and often, it’s under circumstances when you’ve to push yourself to try your best no matter what the chances of success are. Most of the times, you will work late nights or answer emergency calls. The profession puts a lot of stress on you. As a doctor, you will need to practice patience and deal with such pressure. In your interview, you get tested for the same skill. They will try to intimidate you with questions just to see if you’re fit to study medicine or not.

3. Focus on non-academic attributes: Apart from knowing about general healthcare, you also require social awareness. Medicine is closely related to it, and in your interview, they may check how inclined you’re at serving the society. It’s a known fact that the inspiration of making your living as a doctor doesn’t come from the material pursuits but rather originates from the sense of responsibility for the people.

4. Learn to think quickly: In your interview, you may be asked several scenario-based questions based on the time you study medicine and practice it. During such questions, your opinion matters as it will give the interviewer an idea of whether you've what it takes to be a good doctor or not. It sounds unfair at that point, but that’s how it’s done.

5. Rehearse the reasons: The question that matters the most in your interview is why you want to study medicine. Think of a real answer for this question. It should be more along the lines of giving back to the society, having a sense of social responsibility and satisfaction of helping out people and challenging yourself every day. I just gave you an idea on how the answer can be, but the ultimate answer has to be framed by you.

Good luck for your interview. You have chosen a great field. Now, go and excel at it. I hope you’ve also applied to Caribbean medical schools to study medicine. They’re a great alternative to U.S. medical schools and still offer you almost same prospects. Check out AUSOM for details.