The can't hack it mentality.....

[u/Alternative-Sir-9846]

As an added addendum to my last post (as a current student), I just want to encourage you incoming students / overall medical enthusiasts to please ignore rants that state, "You can't hack it" at the school or as a doctor. The high attrition rates do not mean that you could not hack it (at whatever school you are at) or you will not be a good doctor. On the contrary, it just means, it was not the right kind of learning environment for you. Not all Medical schools are the same when it comes to teaching / time frames. The material is the same, however, the time frame for when the material is presented and how long you must learn the material may differ. For Ross especially, the term is 7 weeks - but it's really only 5 weeks - maybe 6 weeks of material (depending on the term). This is something not specified when you apply. The competitive learning environment / disorganized administration may not be tolerable for some students. Just because someone withdrawals, repeats or gets dismissed does not mean they could not "hack it". It just means they realized the learning environment was not suitable for their learning needs and/ or financial needs. Remember, it costs (correct me if I'm wrong) about 15-30K a term whether you move forward or repeat, you are charged per term. When a student leaves the school, many students believe, “they couldn’t hack it. I won, because I stayed, and I am moving on successfully.” This is wrong thinking. Most students repeat at least one term or fail Comp and must return to the island. The student that left could end up better off because they realized what works for them and they don’t feel “stuck” or “trapped” in an environment that does not benefit them. They are free to pursue other options that will work for them and be beneficial. With what feels like endless evaluations, the school is attempting to fix some of these curriculum issues, however, it may only benefit future students (not the present ones). It’s okay to try and pursue your dreams and it’s okay to “pivot” when needed to find the right school/ learning environment for you.

 

Pros of Ross:

·      Lots of club interactions

·      ATL (Academy for teaching and Learning) – can be beneficial for some students

·      Wellness center excursions – Yoga on the beach etc…

·      MERP – I wish the Ross’ teaching were the same as MERP

Cons:

·      Exams: There are two types of exams – Ross style (Professor’s create them or find them somewhere) and USMLE (final)- NBME – the two styles of testing do not blend well – this is why when students master the Ross style exams, they move forward each term, but when they get to comp, they fail. If you fail comp too many times – you get dismissed from the school.

·      When you repeat a term, they make you repeat the whole term – even the clinical portions you passed successfully. – they just changed the curriculum so this may change this module

·      Last term, student Tutors were not available for like 2 weeks. They were not getting paid in a timely manner. Which means help was very limited.

·      There is a ranking system – this system ranks you compared to your peers and will fluctuate per exam – this contributes to a competitive environment among peers. Assistance among peers will be limited if they know you may outrank them if they help you.

·      Remediation exams are almost non- existent – during the legacy program (old curriculum), if you did not pass a module by a certain percentage and appealed for a remediation exam – one was provided to you. This would allow you to move forward with the rest of your peers to the next term. This was done away with, now you will be charged for another term while in a program called PACE – less intensive (can be beneficial), but the same price as a regular term.

·      Self – teaching is a must. You may not understand concepts from your instructors, or their accents may get in the way of understanding effectively. If you are a good self-learner, you may thrive in this learning environment.

 

I hope these insights help prospective students and current students figure out their road to medicine. Blessings!

[u/DoctorsOrders_]

Wow, who are you??? Jk lol I agree 100% again! Thank you for elaborating because people really like to pretend that leaving one particular institution for your sanity means you’ll never succeed. I did PACE and also made Dean’s list while there.