<p>“focus on other professional studies”</p>
<p>What does this mean? Are you thinking about going to law school or getting an MBA too? Or am I misinterpreting “professional studies”…</p>
<p>If you think 2 years is important, ask yourself this hypothetical:</p>
<p>When you’re retiring at age 65, are you really going to look back and say “Gee, I really wish I had been in practice for 38 years instead of 36…” </p>
<p>And again, to point out the positive in an otherwise grim picture that BDM and I have painted - about 50% of IMG’s do in fact get residency positions. So it’s not like it is impossible. The point though that we’re trying to make is that there are many risks associated with it. </p>
<p>I think of the two options like this: Option A (the traditional route) - it’s like a roller coaster, the hard part is reaching the top (getting into medical school), but after that, it’s going to take a rare mishap to prevent you from reaching the end (earning an MD, getting a residency, finishing that residency).</p>
<p>Option B (going abroad for a 6 year program) on the other hand is like driving from east to west through Colorado - it starts out flat, and pretty easy (admissions and classwork abroad) but after you get through Denver, there are all these mountains in your way. And even while you’re driving on the interstate, there are a lot of potential rockslides, avalanches, runaway semis, and so on (Visas, Immigration, travel, USMLE, residencies). And when you actually go over a mountain, there’s always that ledge (and subsequent drop) right there.</p>
<p>So it’s really up to you and which path you feel like taking. Personally, I think it would be pretty horrible to go down to the DR, complete the coursework and then not be able to come to the US and actually finish your training and be able to practice. And none of this even begins talking about issues that are just more inherent to an accelerated program (burnout, finding out you really don’t like science, costs, etc.)</p>