ortho for Carribean student

Just do as best as you can your first 2 years, go into your 3rd year with an open mind and THEN start worrying about ortho. A lot can change over that time, you might find another field you love once you have more clinical experiences. Either way, you are gonna have to do well.

Good luck along the way.

Jackets5: fatpad gives you some very very good advice. At this point in the game, there is one thing you should know followed by one thing you should do. Know that you getting into Ortho should you later choose to do so is possible. For now, you should keep your head down and worry about doing as well as you possibly can on a day-to day basis.

Since most programs here in the U.S. will be unfamiliar with your clinical training/skills it will later become essential to your mission to do sub-i's here and to show off your skill.

thanks for the advice i will take it. However, i will be doing my clinical rotations in the United States so i will have the opportunity to do away rotations at some schools and my home hospitals. I know ortho is what i want . I was scholorship football player in college at a BCS school, have had several ortho procedures done on my self. Also, i have spent over 500 hours with my own ortho surgeon in his office and OR.

Honestly, you would make your life easier if you were able to transfer to a US program after second year. There are some caribbean grads in ortho programs, but other than maybe Newark, or possible detroit, you will have an uphill battle matching on the east coast. Based on the competiveness of the chicago programs, the easiest one to get into would be UIC. Not trying to be wet blanket, but only the absolute best of the best caribbean grads are able to match into US ortho programs. You will also need to do very well on boards (>235 would be best) and you should have some meaningful ortho research. Hope this helps.

well yeah i know its going to be tough. i probaly not apply unless i score 240+, im getting involved in research (1 semester student). Worse comes to worst i will apply to internal medicine and do a sports med fellowship. However, i want ortho really bad and im willing to make it my number 1 priority over the next three years in order to make it happen. I appreciate any suggestions. thanks guys and take care.

As a caribbean grad, who went unmatched last year, i second the transfer choice: either md or DO program. In fact, as a DO you will have the ability to apply to both DO and MD ortho programs, which certainly gives you a better chance than being a caribbean grad. Especially, if you're not from St. Georges or Ross, which are about the only caribbean schools that have some sort of record of placing people into ortho.

i think i can give u some good advice as i was once in your shoes........

i didnt get into a US school at first....went to St George's for a year......and then transferred to a US school....i think you should make every attempt to transfer if u are truly interested in orthopaedics....i transferred into Drexel University which i know has taken several caribbean students (6 from my 1st year class at st george's eventually transerred in.)...i got in after my first year and then 5 more after their second year..................

anyway, ortho was easy after that as long as you maintain your grades and dominate the boards....i can't underestimate the importance of your board scores these days....it is extremely competitive as u know and most programs screen applications by board score....i know at my current ortho program, the step I cut off for an interview keeps climbing do to the competitive nature of ortho.....

so with that being said, if at all possible, look into transferring earlier than later....it will make your life easier if u are looking to get into ortho....good luck......

listen to the advice...transfer if possible. Less than 1% of all ortho residents are non USMGs. That is fewer than any other specialty there is a much higher percentage of people with board scores below 215 or 210 than their are non US grads, so there is no bigger hurdle to overcome.

i agree......transfer is the best option....but definitely do not underestimate the importance of Step I......

Jackets5,

Best of luck with pursuing your dream. I have currently been in practice 18 months, and know that there is NO other field than ortho that I would be nearly as satisfied with.

You have received some great advice. Transfer if you can, and make ROCKING step 1 an absolute priorty. Whether justified or not, step 1 is the most important part of your application.

THE or one of THE most recruited specialties, but as mentioned above, ortho is a small world, and those who act like a$$holes are still blackballed when they go looking for a job. THE most intelligent person I have worked with is currently struggling finding their ideal job because of their condescension (sp?) toward staff and other residents during their training. Simply making it into a training spot in no way guarantees a good job, despite the significant need in the market for orthopods.

Best of luck in your pursuit. I assume based on your posts and name that you played ball at GT. I am a fellow ACCer as I am a Hokie, but don't hold that against me.

If you have any specific questions, PM me.

Later, ED

Well, good luck to you. I was recently in your position. I started at SGUSOM and didn't know a thing about ortho. A lot of profs/doctors told me that I would become an orthopedic surgeon based on my build, so I decided to give it a look at. I went to the hospital in GND, shadowed and orthopod there, and fell in love with the field. Realizing that I was from the Carib, I decided that I wouldn't secure an ortho residency, and gave up on the dream. During my MS3 year, I did a 1 month rotation in ortho, and knew that I had to be an orthopod, no matter what. During my MS4 year, I applied for transfer, and was accepted to a stateside allopathic school as an MS3. Yes, I will have to repeat MS3, but ortho is significantly easier from a stateside school.

Had I not been accepted, I would still have applied for an ortho residency. My stats were good (247/99, 3.82 GPA, honors in all rotations), but I knew that I would be fighting for a seat with more impressive candidates from carib schools. I decided that I would apply for ortho, and if I didn't match, I would scramble into a prelim GS. I would reapply for the match and look for pgy-2 openings somewhere.

It is possible to match from a caribbean school...people tend to make ortho seem inconceivably difficult, but after speaking with 3 carib ortho residents, it isn't impossible. It might be harder, but it isn't impossible. An SGU grad recently matched into ortho (univ program) with ~220 on step 1, and was called by another program bc they were upset they didn't get him. He was very friendly, fun, hard working, etc. Made some great contacts, and had people fight for him. Another SGU grad I personally spoke to got into a university program with ~235 step 1, top 10 in a class of ~300, etc. He told me not to listen to the people that say 'ya won't make it'...if he did listen to them, he wouldn't have been where he is now.

Point: don't listen to many of the elitists on this forum that will tell you that you have no shot. If you want it bad enough, you can get it.

Good luck!

there is a caribean pgy III at UVA, she is the first in history I think, but she is extremly bright and everyone loves her. She actually started residency in the carebean and was offered a pgy III spot which is essentially unheard of. Can be done, but transfers your best bet. Playing sports will help i played d 1 bball, but not the end all be all. good luck boss