Island Med Student

I receive this question so frequently, that I finally decided to address it formally in a blog post.

So, if you go to Ross, will you be able to get a good residency?

The short answer? Yes, absolutely. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you WILL get a good residency. While Ross can help you along the path towards a good residency, it’s ultimately up to YOU to obtain a good spot. Your dedication, how much you study, your USMLE step scores, and your performance during clinical rotations, are amongst the many factors that determine what kind of residency position you will ultimately get.

Now, I have said that it is possible to get a good residency as a Ross graduate, but the reality is that Ross is a Caribbean medical school. And although you might be just as smart and just as good as one of your U.S. counterparts, you will still be looked at as an IMG (International Medical Graduate). This means that it might be a little more difficult for you to get positions at the very top hospitals, but it doesn’t mean you can’t. You will just need to try a little harder, and your Step scores definitely have a lot to do with this.

Some people have also asked about getting into more competitive residencies, such as surgery and radiology. Is this possible as a Ross graduate? Absolutely. But again, you will have to work. Check out this PDF, which lists Ross 2008 graduates’ residency placements. Ross publishes this document every year, and if you’d like to check out previous years’ data, go here.

I have also been asked if Ross graduates can get Canadian residencies. From what I’ve heard, it is more difficult to get Canadian residencies, but it’s possible. You can check out the above list for proof. That’s all I know about that. I’m not Canadian, and have no intentions of moving to Canada, so this is not something that I’ve ever researched.

What about eventually practicing medicine abroad?

I don’t know the laws and regulations in every country. However, if you graduate from Ross, go through a U.S. residency, and obtain state licensure, you can practice in that state. I believe most countries will consider your M.D. degree to be valid. I’m sure there are licensure laws specific to each country, but I can’t cover all of them. If you are looking at practicing in another country, I would research their specific policies and regulations.

For more information about obtaining a residency and links to specific issues specific to Foreign Medical Graduates, check out this article on Medscape.

That’s all I can think of for now. I hope that was helpful for some of you. Please leave a comment or email me if you can think of anything I missed.