Caribbean Medical School Experience Follow-Up

[@kevinjubbalmd]

Have another day in the life of a Caribbean med student coming out in a few weeks. Done making Caribbean videos for a while otherwise I'll have to rename this channel Caribbean School Insiders. I'll have a live stream in a few days when as cross 100k real time. It'll be an AMA (ask me anything) and I'll answer your questions about COVID-19 and other things. Let me know what other content you want me to make!

[@brownproud8511]

Kevin Jubbal, M.D. lol 😂 now you are kinda making fun of them !

[@TheMedLife]

Awesome video! Keep crushing it, much love from The Med Life

[@jwin351]

Hey doc firstly thank you for your videos they have been informative and no bs pardon my language. I myself am a carib grad from Ross I matched this year into my top program in so cal. I have always advocated to my friends and family to get into a US MD or DO school if they can, but I have a few friends from college that are on their 5th cycle at applying even after post bac. One such friend messaged me after seeing that I matched and asked if they should go to a carib school or just give up on pursuing medicine. I told them my experience and tried not to sugar coat anything, but I do not want to be the person that outright crushes someone's dreams. I have told them medicine is such a large field and there's many ways to contribute such as PA, nursing, pharmacy, and etc. What would your advice be? Also I wanted to say to the current carib students may you be at SGU, ROSS, AUC, etc I don't think doc is trying to make things personal it's just what comes with the territory of attending a carib school and the statistics. What I can say though is you already made a decision to attend so make the best of it and work hard, filter out the distractions. There is hope people do match and obtain great residencies. One of the things I can say about carib students is that we have to go through so many challenges and hurdles that it makes you a better person, more committed and passionate. Also a recent thing I have learned throughout the residency interview trail is that many of us carib students have the "soft skills" that some US students lack possibly because we did not have 3.8+ gpas or 33+ mcats going directly from college to medical school. Another plus is that if you do interview at a program with current carib residents I generally noticed that we try to help each other out. Hopefully this gives everyone some hope, and try to ignore the negativity and make the best of what you have!

[@fidel2xl]

Hey, good video --- but I think you need to clarify "Caribbean Medical Schools". I'm from the Caribbean (Trinidad & Tobago), but I'm a dual citizen of the USA and T&T. The Caribbean Medical Schools that you seem to be referring to, are US schools domiciled in Caribbean territories and are geared for US and Canadian citizens, as I understand it. Those are not true 'Caribbean Medical Schools" --- those are sub-par US-Medical schools, for US students, but the for-profit entities are simply legally physically domiciled in the Caribbean. Those US-based Caribbean Medical schools are not for citizens of the various countries in the Caribbean. They're for US and Canadian citizens. However, the Caribbean does indeed have very good medical schools --- the NON-USA/NON-Canadian medical schools that are truly owned by the specific Caribbean localities (the specific countries) that the particular schools are based. Those schools cater to the locally-based students from the various Caribbean countries. Also, those schools offer the very same type of programs and options that you would see in a good US-based medical school. Cheers!!

[@amxnaesthetic]

We are tired of the lies, Kevin! We appreciate your honesty.

[@DrDeusExMachina]

Match Stats: MD>DO>>>>>Carrib Look at statistics. Or don't - evidence is rough. You can bury your head in the sand to protect your ego. Whatever floats your boat.

[@lsv99822]

"I care more about your success than I care about your feeling" - Dr. J. This one hit me right in the feels. This is why you are my mentor. Thanks to you and your team, I've gone from some guy working in IT just making money to make money to being a medical school hopeful to help people, be a leader, and to follow my purpose. As always, THANK YOU, Dr. Jubbal.

[@kevinjubbalmd]

Much love brother

[@jlau5634]

I’m a premed adviser. This is essentially my motto. I care about success. I’m all about success. I’m not interested in “tickling anyone’s ears.” (And unlike those premed advisors that went on Dr.Jubbal’s SGU trip, I would have been questioning those numbers, too. The caribb meds get away with a lot of “smoke and mirrors.” I didn’t hear Dr. J mention the additional struggle Caribb med students have during hurricane season except for maybe power outages. A few years ago, when AUC med was significantly damaged, the students had to scramble and absorb additional costs moving to the UK to continue their education. Most had to rebuy everything as they were evacuated with just minimal items and their apts were looted. I’m glad that Dr. J talks about the debt that caribb students take on. $400k is a scary amount, coupled with any undergrad debt, and when you’re likely only going to match primary care, the future income probably won’t support that much debt.

[@fortbball24]

SGU Grad here. Wasn't competitive enough to get into a US school when I first applied (decided to go into med school too late in the game). Got in to SGU, crushed it, busted my butt, grew a ton as a human, matched into my number one radiology program at a large university hospital. The fear of failure and attrition and knowing you need to ROCK step 1 (maybe now step 2?) are great motivators to take care of business all day every day. Totally worth it to go down there!! I would just add that it should not at all be your first choice. They gave me the chance so I'm thankful, but I understand it's not anyone's dream school.

[@brownproud8511]

Very well said !

[@amannaan2000]

Hey Mitchell, what do you mean by decided to go into med school too late in the game? your age? if so what age were you?

[@Mr-E.]

Hello Mitchell, hope all is well! What year did you graduate from SGU? Did you find any bias or negativity during rotations or residency later?

[@shl2133]

Well said!

[@frisforfrancium]

I'm a canadian 4th year student at SGU and I wish I had seen your videos 4 years ago. Hopefully your videos will prevent people from making the same mistake I did.

[@kevinjubbalmd]

Good luck to you!

[@Djme2]

hows it going for you guys right now with coming back for residency? with the whole covid-19 situation

[@frisforfrancium]

@@Djme2 unclear yet. I assume it's business as usual for interns to start July 1st. Most / maybe all med schools are finishing their 4th year clinicals online

[@frisforfrancium]

@agapp11able Canadian med students should apply directly to US MD schools and DO school before considering Caribbean, imo

[@frisforfrancium]

@agapp11able Completing an MD in the Caribbean as a non-US citizen and applying for US residencies (as is the norm for Caribbean schools) puts you into a category called non-US IMG. This is the lowest match rate category. You need to score 20-30 points above US students in the USMLEs to even have a chance of residency programs looking at you. Also, many programs will NOT look at you application because you require a J1 Visa... Something that my school did not tell me about when they recruited me. I feel like if the school had been up-front about myself having to score almost a whole standard deviation above my US colleagues, and the J1 Visa situation I would have reconsidered.

[@luve5369]

I am a Caribbean student, I made it, and I would not recommend anyone to go to Caribbean school.

[@kareemismail8654]

Lu Ve I disagree , the UWI is a very good institution especially for Medicine

[@lelabb4110]

but you made it..elaborate on the why not's/ Thanks

[@ceomoneymaker3783]

What are you doing now?

[@luve5369]

@@kareemismail8654 UWI is good if you plan on staying and practicing in the caribbean, This video talks about "American" Caribbean school where the school has accreditation to practice in US, not the case w/ UWI.

[@lordmasterization]

Very few people on here are planning on practicing in the Carribean.

[@olasunmbookedele3629]

I am currently in a US DO school and I will say one of the reasons I chose to go here is because of the honesty. During my interview it was made clear that competitive specialties are harder for DO students and there's data to prove that. I think making an informed decision is very important before going to any medical school. Being an international student it was very difficult to even get schools who would look at my application but I feel blessed that I didn't give up. Yes I need to work harder to match into a competitive specilaty and thats the truth.

[@duckersj5623]

I am international student too. I am lil bit skeptical to choosed the DO route. What do you think I could do better to get into MD??

[@olasunmbookedele3629]

@@duckersj5623 my undergrad degree is not from the U.S. so that was a major issue also a high MCAT score would have improved my chances

[@duckersj5623]

@@olasunmbookedele3629 may I asked where do you graduate and which medical school you going to?

[@jorgesolis7897]

Which DO school do you attend?

[@kathrynlaurenhong6356]

As a med student, your channel is one of the only ones I look to for advice. Love how brutally honest and genuine you are.

[@kevinjubbalmd]

Thanks for watching!

[@luckyaustralia3346]

@@kevinjubbalmd Dr.Jubbal, what is your opinion, DPM in US or SGU?

[@amirabouseif5008]

SGU Grad here. All your points tackle very real issues, they are well researched and discuss adversities that we faced during different stages in our education. Thank you for your honesty, pre meds need to hear this in order to make informed decisions !

[@reems4325]

You're very thorough Dr. Jubbal! A smart and honest man is dangerous for bulls*t programs! Awesome video

[@georgelampros4593]

everything he says is sooooo spot on man go to a US school

[@AhmadAzizov]

Damn this was a true talk. I don't remember him swearing this much lol.

[@kevinjubbalmd]

#authentic

[@thill29]

@@kevinjubbalmd this one is a classic!

[@TheOnlyTinMS3]

Dr. J is putting his hands down against these delusional people lmao 👏 “I’m not even white.” I’m ded

[@TheOnlyTinMS3]

@Justin Vo LOL I'M SURVIVING BRO.

[@Pete-da-peter]

TheOnlyTin MS2 hey tin. Is that you bro. How are you

[@drraltz]

Love your stuff man! 2nd year DO student, and very aware of the disadvantages that we face. But the underdog mentality definitely lights a fire under my ass. Kudos to the Caribbean students who are still hustling' and pursuing their dreams! Keep it up, friends :)

[@IdkIdk-pv1mx]

Lol @3:05 when an SGU admin slams u for “getting drunk” one night, then says u can come back but makes a point of saying u have to pay. People only get that salty when u right my dude

[@TerenceThomas]

I applaud you for having the integrity to make a response and follow up! Even more validity to your initial points😂😂

[@Gooner5]

"I care more about your success than I care about your feelings". Hits deep man. It's like I'm checking in on my mentor that speaks to me through KZbin. Keep challenging us Dr. Jubbal!

[@TheCoyoteHill]

You’re being a really good person for being honest. People need to know the truth. Otherwise, a lot of people would end up somewhere they don’t want to be.

[@gtkse]

sgu grad now resident here, agreed with your first video thanks for showing the truth. My success was 100% me learning proper study strategies and improving test taking strategies. The school if anything held me back and I just worked on my own and just went in to take exams.

[@christiancasteel5962]

Great video. You definitely need to make a video analyzing the data of the 2020 match. This is the first merged MD/DO match in history!

[@kevinjubbalmd]

Absolutely

[@mariak.copello5016]

This is the reason why I follow you. Honestly, I appreciate so much your honesty and straightforwardness.

[@iKhanKing]

At a US MD school that does prosections, and I'll be honest, I love it. I have absolutely no interest in being a surgeon, so I far prefer the quick to-the-point style of prosections,

[@eshepard682]

Buddy, i'm a Caribbean student and I know full and well that this is an uphill battle. You are just speaking the truth. At the end of the day this is an independent effort.

[@aida9660]

Thanks for your follow up, I never comment, but here goes. I'm not well versed in the US medical school application process, but as a Canadian, I can tell you first hand, that you can apply 4/5 times to a Canadian medical school and not get one interview. Canadian med schools are extremely hard to get into, it's almost like a lottery at this point. Not to mention, if you have one bad undergrad year, you're done. You may never get into a Canadian med school, ever. This is why many Canadians study medicine in the Carib/Ireland/UK/Aus. I'm not sure of the stats but there are many IMG doctors in Canada, who don't face stigma at all. I admire your honest approach and trust me, I was also told by a higher up faculty member at my Canadian uni to go to SGU (who knows if he got a kick back from it, because he was extremely pro SGU, it was weird). Nevertheless, I'm currently studying medicine in the UK and I am very grateful for it. It was a super tough process and I beat many international applicants for my spot. Once I graduate, I'm guaranteed to get a job in the UK and if I don't match into residency in the USA/Canada, I will complete my training in the UK and move back to Canada through reciprocity. The problem with Canadians studying medicine in the Caribbean is the possibility of never matching, compared to studying in the UK, where you can complete your accredited training (even surgery etc.) and then write the Canadian exams to move back home. However, the USA does not recognise UK training, only Canada/Australia/Middle East/South Africa recognise UK training. You still need to match to a US residency, if you're an American med student studying in the UK and you plan to move back to the USA. Or, you can remain in the UK, as a doctor - not a bad gig either.

[@kevinjubbalmd]

Thanks for sharing! My understanding is that getting into medical school in Canada is more competitive than what we experience in the US which is already quite competitive

[@aida9660]

@@kevinjubbalmd very competitive! it's easier for a Canadian to get into a US med school than a Canadian med school. In fact, US schools, hold spots for Canadians.

[@KukiRoxx]

I love your authenticity, your honesty and your dedication, Dr. Jubbal. This is why you are my mentor and I follow all your study strategies, I am inspired by you immensely. Please please keep doing what you are doing! and a LARGE THANK YOU TO YOU. For giving it to us straight.

[@sparklinRed22]

Thank you for making this video and the last one! I am a 3rd year SGU student and I was so relieved to hear your honesty. I felt like "wow. finally someone is acknowledging what I have been saying since I started". I will say that sgu gave me an opportunity.. and at that time in my life (due to personal circumstances) retaking my mcat and reapplying wasnt an option for me. So I dont regret going to sgu... But when giving premeds advice, I always recommend reapplying MD or applying to DO before coming to sgu. To get thru 5 terms of basic sciences takes grit but it also takes luck... and I'm grateful everyday that I was lucky enough to make it off the island. The vibe you experienced is accurate... the negative environment was probably the biggest obstacle at every stage. Learning to overcome it (thru prayer , healthy coping strategies, and regular sessions with psych services) was the hardest thing I have ever done.

[@belencita9526]

How’s it going? Did you match at your specialty of choice??

[@Painter38R]

Did you match?

[@habib080]

lmao they said you were too busy getting drunk when you visited SGU. That's hilarious

[@kevinjubbalmd]

😂 literally had 2 drinks on one night. No other alcohol the entire trip. Maybe I should have drank more.... 🤔

[@DrDeusExMachina]

More Like J Cornball. How are you going to come at someone so aggressively and then pretend like you want to have a courteous discussion?

[@coco21384]

Dr. J you’re a boss, and thanks for not sugar coating things

[@MikeSmith-zo6eu]

As a 2022 SGU grad, who just got their diploma 2 weeks ago, and waiting for the match. All I can say is I truly believe it’s the student, not the school. Of course SGU should not be anyones first choice, and although they provide a lot of guidance and a support, at least that was my experience, there is also a lot of negatives. If you want it, go get it. At the end of the day, it’s every person for themselves. If you want to be a doctor, you gtta bust your butt and get things done. SGU met me halfway, and it was up to me to finish the other half, and thank god I was able to. I had no issues on the island or in clinicals, but that’s my experience. I definitely heard a lot of problems that others were having, but again everyone’s perspective is diff. I was thankful to be rotating and working on earning my degree, I was thankful to be taking step 1 and 2, etc. Everything is this video and the other one is correct, but at the end of the day, SGU is providing a quality service, for those who work their ass off to get that service. I know my journey has been hard, and I look at my degree with pride. Good luck to everyone, at any school

[@Fandomonium456]

I’m a DO orthopedics resident, and I couldn’t agree more with what you’ve said in this video. It really isn’t about how smart you are, it’s about how hard you work and get to where you need to be. I’m glad you made this video because I have premed mentees that want to go into orthopaedics as well but are willing to go the Caribbean route, and as tempting as it may be, there is so much reality to the struggle it is being a Caribbean med student. Even I couldn’t ignore the fact that (before the merger) as a DO student I was going to have a tougher road matching into a competitive MD residency, and even though I did, and this year had a higher percentage rate of DO’s matching into ortho vs. MD’s, there is still an uphill battle when it comes to matching into the top programs of competitive residencies. I appreciate you for putting it out there, the propaganda and advertisements for schools like these are everywhere, and if you aren’t properly informed, it could really put a damper on your entire career trajectory choosing this route.

[@olorunferanmioni211]

can I email you about advise on matching into an orthopedic residency as a DO students

[@MachineGunKali]

I love his videos. I don’t even want to be a doctor but he is so informative that I have no choice but to tune in. I try to apply some of the things he says to my nursing career. I watch videos in specialties and everything he says to aid me in my career path.

[@medbae]

Please this honesty is what we need, thank you!

[@heatherlynne4662]

I'm awaiting to hear if I was accepted into a Caribbean Medical School program now. I, like most, applied to US med schools first, but my MCAT score was too low, and the entire process was so tiring and expensive, I couldn't do it again, and turned to a Caribbean School. However, the reason I didn't get in had a lot more to do with time management, similar to the reasons you left residency. I was working 55+ hours per week to support a family and taking over 16 credits at a time for 5 years straight, including summers to double major. I burned myself out and didn't study for the MCAT like I could have if I had not continued to work full time. My biggest problem with U.S. medical schools is how they care about the numbers too much, taking the best numbers first, even though I have 6 years of direct medical care experience and a good GPA. All of this to say, I'm grateful for the Caribbean schools, not just for students who didn't take undergrad seriously or didn't know how to study, but for nontraditional students who couldn't prioritize undergrad above all else, and suffered the consequences. I so appreciate you making these brutally honest videos, so that I know exactly what to prepare for, and I know in my heart I'm not below average and I will make a great doctor. So, even with the honesty and hate you received, I think this is exactly what I needed to hear (and many others), so that my focus remains clear and I know exactly the tools I will need and the motivation I will need to continue to have to match into a competitive residency. Long-winded comment, but just wanted to give you another perspective of why someone might have chosen Caribbean. New subscriber here by the way and I love your content!

[@bintouj5227]

I appreciate the radical honesty

[@androo19]

I remember this one post on reddit about this guy that didn't make it through the Caribbean process. His family took private loans and now are on the hook 200k+. A week later there was another post from someone saying their brother committed suicide and that he didn't make it through the Caribbean process and now the family was on the hook for private loans... Don't know if true but regardless it's very important that everyone understands this specific process and the financial repercussions. Thanks Dr Jubbal for increasing awareness. Best of luck to those that choose this route and please make sure that you and everyone else around you understands this process. Make sure this isn't a decision purely of emotion and passion but includes forethought, reason, and planning Just found this channel and am loving the content. Love the realism.

[@fawazsyed7883]

Great video! No sugarcoating, no pandering, just straight and objective facts. And if that's making people defensive, then it's an ego thing, as you mentioned.

[@Saveren_]

So when I apply to medical school, you’re going to review my application. Period. You’re awesome.

[@johnanderson1254]

No dude I was super appreciative that you made that original video. I was considering going to a Caribbean medical school but you shed light on a ton of problems I didn’t even realize existed. Keep it up man. We appreciate your info and insight.

[@bellefeu4933]

the people who get mad are the same people who know you're right.

[@bpoole99251]

This!!

[@asyed1497]

Dude I F***ING LOVE THIS VIDEO 😂😂! You rock man, keep doing you.

[@georgelampros4593]

sgu sucks lol

[@morganoconnor8425]

Hope you’re doing well Dr. Jubbal!! Stay healthy!

[@kevinjubbalmd]

You too Morgan!

[@raymetal7]

Thanks Dr. Jubbal for speaking the truth! It's really important for the premeds who're considering Caribbean med schools to know all this.

[@antoniosaavedra7806]

Ya I shadowed a nephrologist who went to the school in the Caribbean and he got a fellowship position at UCSD. He is faculty at a couple different schools (not like professor status), he writes questions for the recertification exams, he is a practicing nephrologist, started his own conference to guide nephrologist into private practice, and has his own talk show. It is just saying that you just have to make your own journey. Would I repeat his journey, not ideally, but I know that if you are committed, people will notice and respect that.

[@shivi22]

I'm British and just graduated from a London medical school. I came across some Caribbean medical students during my final year rotations. I found the whole system of going so far away and paying so much for medical school bizarre. Additionally the amount of time and effort they had to take just to organize their own away rotations whilst studying for examinations was really awful. They were definitely treated differently by the consultant than myself and it was hard to see. Thank you for your honestly on the matter, I hope it helps people to decide where to go.

[@lehvak8567658]

I'm a Canadian and did medical school in London at the time when the university cap went up to £9,000 for domestic students there was a big uproar - I still saw their fees as a bargain compared to what international students had to pay (no fee cap and London medical schools were charging £30,000-£50,000 per year at that time). What the British people sometimes find surprising is how much international students have to pay. It's not just the Caribbean medical schools, the international students is a big market and source of income for universities and UK universities are also running these 'foundation programmes' that make promises for students to get in to UK medical schools and many of them don't get in.

[@kromatic3610]

The devil works hard but Dr. J works harder. 🤣

[@vishalt2340]

I did med school in India in a tiny little place called Manipal. During my years of med school (2010-2015) we did have a bunch of Caribbean students come over to do their preclinicals in an international program called KMCIC following which they would do their clinicals in the states. We lived in pretty much the same dorms and hence I can 100% vouch for what Kevin is saying, the attrition rates were insanely high ESPECIALLY for the amounts the students are being charged. I'm in touch with a large majority of them , great bunch to hang out with but unfortunately very few of them are currently in residency at this time. They didn't talk very highly of the Caribbean schools either and it seemed like they were pretty much relying on themselves to get into residency. I think if a US premed wants to go medical school they might as well look at other countries including China, Russia, other parts of europe etc for a more affordable and efficient experience. On a more positive note, I think the Caribbean grads still have it a lot easier getting into residency in the states in comparison to international graduates from elsewhere, they're already doing their rotations in the states, majority of them have citizenship and great communication skills all of which are taken into account during the selection process.

[@ballerkid97]

Hey man, I agree with a lot of the things you're saying for sure. The problem is that a lot of people don't do their research before deciding to go to SGU. I'm currently a second year at SGU and I've seen a lot of people drop out/repeat a term already. I've also noticed our class getting smaller and smaller as the months go by. I think a main reason for that is solely because SGU takes people who aren't ready for medical school. It is for profit, and their business model is such that they'll do anything to get more students. But most of the people that I know who have completely dropped out just didn't have what it takes to be in medical school and it was quite apparent when I was interacting with them. And in terms of culture shock, at least everyone I know believes that you don't really feel like you're outside of the US unless you go off campus, which doesn't happen a lot. You brought up the issue of not having a safety net and it's a REAL issue. A lot of my friends and I are fine and excelling but that's only because we use the fear of failing as motivation, exactly what you said. However I really don't think it's as high as 30%, I'd estimate about 15%, which is still a lot but not as exaggerated as 30%. I'm not sure which students you did talk to, but the majority are very diligent, super hard working, and love the island. I feel like you took all the negative things students say and really honed in on it, however the truth is SGU is giving us all a chance, and everyone is thankful for that. Yes, it's very important to get to the bare bones and focus on all the significant problems, but I think they're a bit exaggerated in these videos. Bottom Line: If you run out of options and really want to pursue medicine, SGU gives you a foot in the door. It's your job to bust it open

[@ladygrace7585]

"I care about your success more than your feelings" dang, that hit different 😶

[@itsdocdaniel]

Thank you for the honest follow up, and for standing your ground on so many topics. Former student here.

[@Tiggerbell006]

Love how straight forward and honest you are!!!

[@DD-tq4wd]

Thank you for your honest feedback. I wish I would have had access to you as a little Pre-Med who didn’t know what he was doing. I successfully made it through the first two years (as well as their Charter Foundation program prior to starting their January cohort) of SGU’s program. After I performed poorly on the MCAT I felt crushed and was lost because I had just paid a company thousands of dollars to help me do well. I didn’t know what to do going forward and decided to apply to SGU just after that one application cycle. I was grateful to get in (after passing the Charter Foundation program 🙂) to SGU and have learned a lot about myself as a student since. But because of the circumstances with larger class sizes and the whole dynamic I had to push myself to become a better student, because like you said there wasn’t something to fall back on (except for piles of student debt I guess 🙃). Out of necessity I pushed myself. I’m nowhere near the top of my class and still have to work everyday to become a better student. I appreciate your honest video for pre-med students, advisors, and current medical students. Hopefully pre-meds can turn to you if they get caught in a similar position as me, and current students and attending physicians can get a little “insider” view of the Caribbean medical experience. I don’t know what the US-medical experience is like so it’s hard to compare. But it’s true about groceries, about transportation, about the whole environment of the island. I’ve lived in a 3rd world country prior to Grenada (which I consider developing) so the cultural shock wasn’t a problem for me. I went out more than most students and saw almost every beautiful thing on the island and I have many local friends who I love. That being said, students should for sure think long and hard about their decision. There are many unnecessary stresses that medical students don’t need on top of being medical students. And just like one of your quotes stated, SGU has good plans but the execution isn’t always on point. I always tell pre-meds who I know to do their research and to apply a few times before exploring off-shore medical school options, but at the same time to never discredit the Caribbean route if you’ve tried all you can (because at the time I myself didn’t know what more I could do). Although it is an uphill battle, I’m grateful to be at the point where I’m at today. I’ll eventually get to where I want to be if I work hard and have the right mindset. Good luck to pre-meds preparing to make those decisions and current med students in your studies! I am an open book and am happy to answer people’s questions about my personal experience. Stay happy and healthy out there everyone! Thank you again Dr. Jubbal!

[@albavelez4320]

Hello, can you advise me please ? My son has doubts to going to SGU... We live in New Jersey, my son pass the MCAT test but has low GPA, I think 290 , and he apply to to many medical school and rejected... now his think to do the masters 2 years instead to go to SGU

[@DD-tq4wd]

@@albavelez4320 I know people who had about the same GPA as your son but did great on the MCAT and still got into medical schools. I also know many who did masters programs but still did not get into medical school, and some who did. I would say if he were to choose a masters program, to do one that is attached to a medical school and grants admission if he does well. And that he REALLY needs to work hard to do very well so that the school has no excuses to turn him away. Ultimately he just needs to decide if he wants to try to improve his competitiveness in other ways and reapply (maybe with the help of MedSchool Insiders) or do a Masters program. I think he should give it one more attempt at the US MD or DO route before applying to a Caribbean school. That's just my opinion though. I went for the Caribbean route and it has worked out for me and no school is perfect no matter where you are in the world. But it would be less expensive and less stressful for him to attend a school back in the States if he worked hard and got in next cycle. And if he doesn't, then he can look at the Caribbean route. :) Hope that makes sense. One perk though about SGU would be the strong SGU presence in NY and NJ. He could easily do clinical rotations on the east coast at good locations. But again, I would normally advise pre-med students to give it one more attempt at a US MD or DO program. Tell him good luck in decision and journey!

[@ahmdm51]

Hey man can u update us on your journey ,, did u match into your residency of choice?

[@DD-tq4wd]

@@ahmdm51 for sure! I did match into the residency of my choice (psychiatry) and was fortunate enough to match at my #1 spot! I did a interview on Match A Resident’s KZbin page about it in case you want to check it out.

[@jaylathomas9357]

Y’all just pissed Dr. Jubbal off, lol

[@fidel2xl]

Hey, great video --- but I think you need to clarify "Caribbean Medical Schools". I'm from the Caribbean (Trinidad & Tobago), but I'm a dual citizen of the USA and T&T. The Caribbean Medical Schools that you seem to be referring to, are US schools domiciled in Caribbean territories and are geared for US and Canadian citizens, as I understand it. Those are not true 'Caribbean Medical Schools" --- those are sub-par US-Medical schools, for US students, but the for-profit entities are simply legally physically domiciled in the Caribbean. Those US-based Caribbean Medical schools are not for citizens of the various countries in the Caribbean. They're for US and Canadian citizens. However, the Caribbean does indeed have very good medical schools --- the NON-USA/NON-Canadian medical schools that are truly owned by the specific Caribbean localities (the specific countries) that the particular schools are based. Those schools cater to the locally-based students from the various Caribbean countries. Also, those schools offer the very same type of programs and options that you would see in a good US-based medical school. Cheers!!

[@livelovelife32]

Wonder why your comment didn't get a like from him? Would be nice to hear what he has to say about actual Caribbean medical schools rather than sub-par American ones that are residing in the Caribbean. Honestly when I clicked on his videos I thought that's what he was going to talk about. Instead the comparison seems to be American schools within the US vs American schools that don't reside on US soil. Except those American schools not residing in the US are called 'Caribbean schools'. I find the grouping title a bit misleading but oh well. Based on the way he was speaking maybe he considers actual Caribbean med schools not even worth looking at because they aren't American and the people graduating from one aren't looking to work in the US?

[@dr.pewpew2619]

@@livelovelife32 the reason this remark didn't get noted is because it's only partially true. Let's stick with SGU: they're headquartered in NY, this is true. But, that is only to assist US citizens qualify for loan guarantees. SGU is a Grenadian school. Full stop. They have a full undergraduate programs, and something like 5% of their graduating medical and veterinary students are Grenadines. Now, that might not sound like a lot, but the whole country is only 100,000 people.

[@dayaf0]

Man so many people are ignorant and don’t know how to listen. Thank you for speaking facts.

[@donnazupnick1223]

I have so much respect for someone who comes out and speaks the truth

[@marlintill5599]

Thank you Dr. Jubbal for being honest, this provides clarity!

[@darochacamila]

What I like about your channel is, even though it's directed to us pre med, it applies almost universally. I'm a Brazilian physician and I wish I had seen your content during med school. It would sure make things go way smoother. However, I still find it useful now while I prepare for my residency program

[@kevinnguyen6990]

Thank you for making this video. Despite all the criticizers, I appreciate that you are standing your ground with facts and appreciate your brutal honesty instead of appeasing to them. As an undergrad that's working on MCAT and raising my GPA, I'm glad I got to watch this before starting my journey towards the medical school application process!

[@GABRIELJACMEL]

I want to say thank you for your brutal honesty on Saint George University. It is fair to say there is a good and a bad about any institution even In United States. I am the type of person that does not take what anyone say as "the gospel, " but I do take the time to digest what the individual have to say. And than take the time to do further investigation on my own. From my personal investigaton, if you must go to a Carribbean medical school. Make sure your undergrad courses are solid beyond the typical biology, chemistry , organic chemistry and physics courses. Make sure you have taken courses in immunology, genetics, anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, histology, microbiology, biochemistry and a course in pharmacology. Why? you need to be prepare as much as possible academically for medical school, more specifically Caribbean medical school. In addition establish excellent study habits, stay away from other classmates that are intellectual leeches. Caribbean medical is a Darwinian environment, medical school is not meant to be easy. Yes, I agree NOT EVERYONE DESERVES TO BE A DOCTOR. Some students just want to go to medical school because of family pressure, and/or possible economic stability on being a doctor.

[@paradiseheaven]

This content is amazing, can be applied to a lot of other subjects in the world.

[@mustafashah3222]

LOL I never comment. But MANN I LOVE THE BRUTAL HONESTY. New found respect for you 👏 sounds like you genuinely mean well

[@Stereotactic_Shwermaectomy]

Hey man! We met while you were reviewing your video by subway in Grenada and we had a wonderful conversation. Dude, love your material, keep being objective. I have no reservation on what you said. For me, at the end, I cared more about becoming a doctor than anything else in the world. By no means is it easy there and I mean by no means. And if you think you know, you don’t! But you have got to eat, breath, and live for the dream because of all the other stressors you have that you mentioned in your previous video. It is absolutely a high stress environment!! I fully plan on taking this stress and cultivating it to make me a better person. Keep doing amazing, brother. It was an honor to meet you man.

[@sassycassie843]

I appreciate this honesty so much. Thank you for the insight

[@Thugbert0]

Really appreciate this video. I am a MS4 US MD, so I know about this. Great resource for my family friends who had questions about Carribean schools.

[@TWEEK0423]

I have gotten turned down from every medical on the US for a year and a half. I'm left with Caribbean schools, your videos make me sick to my stomach about wanting to be a dr.

[@brichard11]

Why are US medical school class sizes so small if we are still facing a doctor shortage and the US govt has recently increased funding for residencies?

[@joseloor4762]

I love the fact that you are tell me the same thing my mother told me and she is a MD. I wish your program existed and I was able to afford your program back in the day 20 years ago

[@yusufqureshi9579]

I got an SGU ad on a video making fun of SGU😂

[@babybon1]

Can you go more in-depth as to why allopathic schools are on a higher level than osteopathic schools?

[@kevinjubbalmd]

I have videos on this on the Med School Insiders channel!

[@azeem9793]

Best premed advisor hands down

[@MalobiVanessa]

the fact you're very straightforward makes me want to watch more and more videos

[@UcheFiasco]

Got an ad for SGU halfway through this video lol

[@stonersiren]

i love how the comment from that person called you out for "getting drunk on clarke court" lmaooo

[@help9020]

I’m a 2nd year med student at sgu. I wish I have seen this video before choosing this school. Sgu is very good at marketing and i am one of the students that fell into their trap. I guess I can’t blame anyone but myself for not doing enough research about the Caribbean. I had other options but I chose this one and now im really regretting it. Ngl this video is very discouraging for me as a current student cause now all o can think about is how much more effort i need to put in, just to be treated like shit during resistance and thats IF i match at all. But honestly though, thank you for making this video so that no one else would fall into this trap.

[@a7h7d38]

What are the other options?

[@nicolasvonderputten9344]

Nice video Dr! Appreciate the brutal honesty, and agree that it's a defense mechanism when you critique the school that someone goes to. Taking in account that even though it's not the same Calibur as a US medical school it still takes tremendous effort on an individual level, economically, and hitting the books. So it's kind of hard to acknowledge that something that costs so much is a piece a cake to someone on another level.

[@SanaKhan-nt9yu]

I really like your videos Dr.J . Some of them are life lessons. My typical day includes doing uw, fa, watching pathoma and msi channel videos at the end of the day :) . Thanks for the amazing videos. They are really good.

[@TheOneZepphyr]

Doc over here spittin' mad facts

[@WittyKitten]

Thank you for being honest! It's incredibly helpful to have someone speak so truthfully and provide facts. I'm currently a premed student doing post-bacc to boost my GPA and will be applying this summer to US MD and DO schools, but many of my fellow premeds who didn't do well in undergrad are considering Caribbean as their only option

[@rdreidmehrabi]

Kevin Jubbal - you are doing God's work. Well done, please continue your work.

[@josesacademy1743]

Also thank you for making these videos I look forward to them and they help me understand the field of medicine more and help me decide on what route to take

[@nailaoulfetzitouni5060]

I am algerian... Come to our school and you Will see the real désastre...

[@TheNtg3399]

Appreciate your enthusiasm for this subject. But I want to see a Dr. Jubbal coronavirus video now lol. Almost all medical students are forced to stay home currently, Step 2 CS sites are shut down until "hopefully" April 13th... and Prometric centers are closed until April 16 (again which may change to a later date).

[@kevinjubbalmd]

I’ll be talking about coronavirus on my live stream in a couple days when we pass 100k!

[@TheNtg3399]

@@kevinjubbalmd Awesome, I will definitely watch it.

[@NM-ze3dh]

Thank u Dr. Kevin for telling the Truth We love Truth!!! God Bless you Sir!!!

[@grav5474]

Can you talk about new DO/MD schools that are opening and what are advantages/disadvantages of being in an inaugural class and how would that effect your residency matching?

[@thill29]

The only major point in your question is answered in one of his videos already posted on Med School Insiders. More MD/DO schools does not equate to more residency spots. So it's not helping by much.

[@grav5474]

thill29 yea I know it won’t increase spots but i’m talking in the aspect will they be able to stand out now since step 1 is pass and fail and will they be looked down compared to students from established schools and their match to competitive specialities.

[@axela4606]

Getting the greatest and best match is done through studying through your own country. In Canada many students go to Ireland, England and Australia to study medicine. Although these schools may be great, the Canadians who return back to Canada struggle to gain match especially in more competitive residencies such as Surgery, ophthalmology, dermatology and fellowships. For instance, a friend of mine studied medicine at University of Sydney. My relative had to take many medical exams and certification and after grinding his butt of he finally got a residency in general surgery. Fun fact he stated that out of the 80 Canadian who returned from Australia, he was one of the 3 student's who received a residency in surgery

[@mrarcade2504]

Awesome video bro. I’m a non us IMG trying to take my step 1 exam from a Caribbean school. I’m definitely an underdog and hope I can get through the exam especially with everything going on in the world today and moving forward. Thanks for the video and keep up the nuance. God bless 🙏🏼

[@serenadesbyjade7057]

Such a great video! The truth is a hard pill to swallow.

[@josephinep5987]

Thank you for this video. It made me reevaluate my acceptance to AUA. After hearing your response and opinions of people ,who actually finished Caribbean, all telling me that they would not do over because they matched into lower tier residencies.I decided to pursue a masters and apply to USMD and Do programs.

[@richardking1561]

Thats probably a better choice - it will pay back!!

[@ofekshmool2092]

Dr. Jubbal only speaks the true facts, love these videos, keep it up!!!

[@hannahcook9477]

Thank you for making videos like this. There is so much misinformation going around regarding where you should and shouldn't apply and what school is equal to what. I remember watching one of your videos a while back and making the decision to retake my MCAT and not apply to a Caribbean and other specific medical schools. I can say that giving myself another chance to get in to a MD school was the best decision I have made. I think premeds need more people to be honest with them about this process. With that being said I think that if you want to be a doctor and have exhausted all other options and really looked at all the costs and benefits. Then go for it.

[@dr.jasonfinch9815]

I liked this video much more than your other SGU video, you seem less pissed off and more centered. SGU is a great Caribbean school... It has it's pros/cons but overall it's a great school and I feel like they do their best to help students become MD's. You have to be a self starter and motivated because they will not hold your hand and baby you through like a US school will. It's a great second chance option for those that want to become physicians; however, like you said Kevin, it's best if pre-med students do ALLLLLL that they can to go to a U.S. school. The extra effort made upfront will DEFINITELY payoff in the long run!!! Meaning that it will be easier, less stressed, save a sh#$load of money, and your chances of matching into a competitive specialty will be much higher. If I knew what I know now, I would have hired a coaching service like Med School Insiders and re-applied to a US school (and saved $150,000). Don't me wrong... if a Caribbean school is your only option then SGU is a great choice!!!

[@btaylor5909]

You have some great points - thank you. What blows my mind is the tuition and fees at SGU. According to data from AAMC, the average tuition and fees at US allopathic schools is slightly over 174K but tuition and fees at SGU for 2022 are over $316K :-( Obviously these numbers can not take into account scholarships but that is a difference of $142,000!!! Seriously at what point to prospective students stop listening to the hype about #1 producer of new residents and realize the marketing ploy that is going on here and say NO to SGU?

[@zacharymonks2968]

I love your no-nonsense, no bull shit, your feelings don't matter approach. I'm Caribbean medical students, didn't plan on medical school in my original undergrad, so I didn't work nearly as hard as I could, didn't have much experience. Kicked ass in a post-bach, but hey, I wasn't a strong enough candidate for American schools Now an M2, I take the doubt and negativity as fuel. When I was a chemistry TA in my post-bach people asked me "Zach, how did you get an A in every chemistry class in your post-bach." If they wanted the nice answer I told them i studied. If they wanted the real answer it was 'because I f*cking wanted to ." The problem with many Caribbean medical student is they do not have the growth mindset you speak of, and believe they are doomed to have, subpar grades and have to scramble for a lousy residency in a lousy place. Instead of working their ass off for their dream spot, and killing Step 1, then being the student that shows up an hour early at rotations. Negativity and feeling stuck is the hallmark of Caribbean med student failure. I would tell my students as a TA, "you know that story your parents told you parents told you as a kid? "The Little Engine that Could." Ya, that story has a lot of weight to it." Unfortunately, the opposite mindset is more common in Caribbean students.

[@Seansyy62]

Zachary Monks how can you kill step one when now u can only pass it? Caribs are done for

[@zacharymonks2968]

@@Seansyy62 You are referring to the new Pass/Fail Format? Fortunately for my class the 3-digit scoring will still be implemented when I take Step.

[@Seansyy62]

Zachary Monks what about those people after you? Looks like you are just thinking of yourself.

[@zacharymonks2968]

@@Seansyy62 I acknowledge that the people behind me will have work cut out for them, I'm not saying I don't care. If anything, I think the three-digit scoring system should be in place. I am acknowledging that I am lucky. Chill out.

[@vans4lyf2013]

I love how honest he is

[@mandyads]

I think you should do the same type of video in regards to DO schools. I'm matriculating into a DO school this year and osteopathic medicine was always what I was drawn to, however, there are certain setbacks and stigmas that people like to pretend aren't there. Like you said, the non-traditional path DOES NOT mean you aren't going to be a great physician, but know that there may be limitations you have to fight against. DO worked out perfectly because that's the path I was inspired to take after witnessing DO's work first hand (didn't even know they were DOs) ANDDDD my stats were most competitive for that path. I've only applied to one cycle, 30 DO and 10 MD. I feel confident in my choice, but I'd love to have an "insider" in it's biggest challenges. For example, I love pediatrics... when I originally chose DO as my path, that's what I was solely focused on. Now, I'm thinking of a specialty like surgical ENT with a fellowship in pediatrics. Long story short - what if I decide I want to be a neurosurgeon or orthopod?? But I'm 3 years into DO school... hmmm. As a future DO, this switch makes me incredibly nervous... even if I plan of taking USMLEs. I wish people would talk more about these obstacles.

[@mihirpanchal5754]

Apply to the 15ish programs in ENT that literally only consider DO’s? Audition there, do well on boards and on clerkships, do research if possible, you could even do a research year. Ent as a DO is much more doable then coming from carribean since there’s programs that still primarily only take DO’s but of course you need to crush boards and clerkships first which you need to do as a USMD for ent as well.

[@shreyjaiswal1683]

damn lol, keeping it REAL Dr. Jubbal. Mad respect! Stay safe, sir.

[@johnnyhuang8540]

I am a Caribbean medical student, I believe in excellence, and I will prove myself with excellence. Our school does not offer any research opportunity. So I have to apply myself, and when I request a dean's letter for this, they basically ignored me in email multiple times. When I ask them about how they think about the role of a doctor also as a scientist and leader in one of their speech conference, their answer very disappointed me. His answer is more like doctor is just a health care worker using knowledge of science to solve clinical problems. From that moment, I know why most of them have been in family medicine their whole life, I guess they just expect all of us end the same way.

[@25oscarmu]

Guys, Truth hurt. I love how Kevin telling the truth. Should Kevin start lying on his videos? is that what you wanted?

[@saralee8996]

More downsides to doing the England program are that (1) you won't qualify for US federal loans (hence why the program is filled with Canadians lol), and (2) you can't apply for residency in New Jersey, which is an IMG-friendly state (SGU is trying to remedy that though). It's going to transition into a 2-yr program, so you can avoid Grenada altogether, but I think the first 2 points still apply.

[@rowgab574]

In the middle of this video I actually got an ad for SGU! Oh the irony..

[@adenclemente]

When you get an ad for SGU on this video