# Thinking of Transferring



## blindfury86 (Dec 11, 2006)

I'm about to give my 2nd Year exams in a week, and I've got a proposition to think about...

Windor School of Medicine in the Caribbean is accepting me as a transfer student into their 3rd semester contingent upon passing this Prof. So what do you guys think? Should I transfer? Windsor isn't all that, but my brother and cousin both go there. I'd only have to study for 2 semesters there and the clinicals would be in the states. I also wouldn't be losing any time, I have 3 years left in Pakistan, and it'd take me 3 years to graduate from there. I'd graduate with an MD from them but with an MBBS from here.

Pros of staying in Pakistan... hahahaha, kiddin' right? Doing a radio show is fun tho.
Pros of going to the Caribbean... beaches, sand, blue-green water, western toilets, Johnny Depp

Cons of Pakiland... bombs, dying, inflation, Zardari...etc...
Cons of Caribbean... Hurricane Season. 


Help me decidddddddde..........


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## Smeer (Jan 29, 2006)

blindfury86 said:


> I'm about to give my 2nd Year exams in a week, and I've got a proposition to think about...
> 
> Windor School of Medicine in the Caribbean is accepting me as a transfer student into their 3rd semester contingent upon passing this Prof. So what do you guys think? Should I transfer? Windsor isn't all that, but my brother and cousin both go there. I'd only have to study for 2 semesters there and the clinicals would be in the states. I also wouldn't be losing any time, I have 3 years left in Pakistan, and it'd take me 3 years to graduate from there. I'd graduate with an MD from them but with an MBBS from here.
> 
> ...


I would stay in Pakistan. I know the facilities are horrible and none of your clinical experience is in America, but if you're experience at Nishtar is anything like my experience at KE, you're stuck with students of a higher caliber than you're going to find at a school like Windsor. Based on my knowledge of Windsor, it's essentially a USMLE crash course where they give you your degree ASAP and then just focus on getting you through your steps so you can start your clinical rotations. I'm just not down with the basic philosophy of that system. As horrible as the facilities in Pakistan might be, the system is designed to teach you medicine and not to get you through a test. And I would say that based on the high scores you see a lot of Pakistani graduates receiving on the USMLE, it's safe to say that the system helps you build enough study endurance to do well. MastahRiz made a good point on another thread that unless you're planning on going to St. George's or Ross in the Carribbean, it might be a better idea to just stick to Pakistan.

Just my two cents, I haven't done any research really and I'm still in my pre-clinical years. I do have a friend attending Windsor, and from what he told me the system there raised a lot of doubts in my mind about its quality of education. If I'm wrong about anything, my apologies in advance. Good luck on your decision, definitely one to think about!


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## farhatrehman8 (Aug 18, 2008)

I would go to Carrabien. In USA they like Carrabien Graduates better than Pakistani for Residency.


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## MastahRiz (Jan 26, 2006)

blindfury86 said:


> I'm about to give my 2nd Year exams in a week, and I've got a proposition to think about...
> 
> Windor School of Medicine in the Caribbean is accepting me as a transfer student into their 3rd semester contingent upon passing this Prof. So what do you guys think? Should I transfer? Windsor isn't all that, but my brother and cousin both go there. I'd only have to study for 2 semesters there and the clinicals would be in the states. I also wouldn't be losing any time, I have 3 years left in Pakistan, and it'd take me 3 years to graduate from there. I'd graduate with an MD from them but with an MBBS from here.
> 
> ...



Well, it seems like you're mind is kind of already made up. Regardless of how well the school is known, it's an attractive opportunity to leave Pakistan for a Caribbean medical school, especially one that lets you do half your work in the US, and one that has two siblings at it. Like you said though, Windsor isn't all that, and you're absolutely right. No Caribbean school is seen as being equivalent to a US medical school. The only two that come close are St. George's, and Ross. St George's requires a bachelor's degree like any american medical school and is therefore perceived better than Ross. The rest are rather faceless.

Before making up your mind though on the advice you find here, I'll tell you this: no one in this forum knows enough about Windsor to really tell you the pros and cons. If you had said St. George's I would've said sure, go for it, but I, along with most everyone else here, have no clue about Windsor. Your brother might be a better source of information.

What you should try to find out before making up your mind is what the average USMLE score is for that school, and what the acceptance rate into residency programs is for Windsor. You might even find that it's equal to that of KE's, AKU's, or even Nishtar's. You should also keep in mind that program directors see transferring from one school to another as a negative indicator of your performance at that first school.



Smeer said:


> I would stay in Pakistan. I know the facilities are horrible and none of your clinical experience is in America, but if you're experience at Nishtar is anything like my experience at KE, you're stuck with students of a higher caliber than you're going to find at a school like Windsor. Based on my knowledge of Windsor, it's essentially a USMLE crash course where they give you your degree ASAP and then just focus on getting you through your steps so you can start your clinical rotations. I'm just not down with the basic philosophy of that system. As horrible as the facilities in Pakistan might be, the system is designed to teach you medicine and not to get you through a test. And I would say that based on the high scores you see a lot of Pakistani graduates receiving on the USMLE, it's safe to say that the system helps you build enough study endurance to do well. MastahRiz made a good point on another thread that unless you're planning on going to St. George's or Ross in the Carribbean, it might be a better idea to just stick to Pakistan.
> 
> Just my two cents, I haven't done any research really and I'm still in my pre-clinical years. I do have a friend attending Windsor, and from what he told me the system there raised a lot of doubts in my mind about its quality of education. If I'm wrong about anything, my apologies in advance. Good luck on your decision, definitely one to think about!


Pretty well said. I'd stay in Pakistan too, unless I was transferring to one of the 2 well known Car. shcools. Also, if blindfury is anything like 99% of other medical students that I've met in Pakistan, I'd assume that how much medicine he actually learns in school or how well trained of a doctor he's going to be is probably very low on his list of priorities when it comes to actually getting the residency and the high USMLE score. Do correct me if I'm wrong, this isn't meant to be personal in any way- it's just the way it is. The students I know think of *nothing else*. (This is why attendance is such a strictly enforced rule.)

That being said you can safely assume that no matter where you graduate from as long as you have a high USMLE score you will eventually get a residency, if that's your main concern. Pakistani schools are lightyears ahead of other countries, even if a few Caribbean schools happen to outrank them.



farhatrehman8 said:


> I would go to Carrabien. In USA they like Carrabien Graduates better than Pakistani for Residency.


Hasty generalization. *Some *Caribbean medical schools are seen as better (basically Ross, and St. George's). Others aren't even based on an English medium, and wouldn't come anywhere close to comparing to AKU, KE, Shifa, or RMC.


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## cooldude89 (Feb 14, 2007)

just a few questions first well it depends. If that schools means that the residency your aiming for will look at you in a better light then by all means go for it because that's the goal in the end. But if that Caribbean school is ranked on the same level as any other foreign school then its the caliber of the student that counts then its best if you stay here

so did go to college like i know that in order to get into a LMCE schol you need to have some college credits and take the MCAT's is it the same for this Carribbean school?


Hey sameer, in the future are u thinking of transferiing to a school as Ross or St.George if offered admission?


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## Smeer (Jan 29, 2006)

cooldude89 said:


> Hey sameer, in the future are u thinking of transferiing to a school as Ross or St.George if offered admission?


Nope. If I wanted to go to medical school anywhere other than in Pakistan, it would be in America, and if that were the case I wouldn't have come to Pakistan. Also, I only have a high school degree, so I'm positive neither of those institutions would extend me an offer to transfer in the first place, especially when both schools reject so many applicants who are well-qualified.


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## ramzan.nadia (Jan 22, 2008)

Hey folks I just checked ASMB list of Disapproved Schools, Windsor University thats located in Saint Kitts & Navis is one of those disapproved ones meaning that people graduating from them cannot get into a residency program in States anymore..This list just came out. They might get approved in future but I think its very risky... .hope this helps..


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## blindfury86 (Dec 11, 2006)

I was actually leaning towards staying in Pakistan ;-)
Did Johnny Depp throw some of you off?

Thanks for the advice everyone, maybe I should tell my brother to transfer out of Windsor...

By the way what are the "rankings" of Pakistani Medical Schools? How does Nishtar rank? I have an option to transfer within Pakistan as well, should I consider doing so?



cooldude89 said:


> just a few questions first well it depends. If that schools means that the residency your aiming for will look at you in a better light then by all means go for it because that's the goal in the end. But if that Caribbean school is ranked on the same level as any other foreign school then its the caliber of the student that counts then its best if you stay here
> 
> so did go to college like i know that in order to get into a LMCE schol you need to have some college credits and take the MCAT's is it the same for this Carribbean school?
> 
> ...


Here is the deal, some schools require that you fulfill prerequisites of admission into the school in order to transfer, so you'd need MCATs and all the premed courses done. Some Caribbean schools don't require the MCATs, so you're clear. I finished most of premed in a University before coming here, I actually had over half my degree done. I didn't take Organic Chem, but if you've completed Biochemistry in a medical school, the school will cut you some slack.

If you're interested in transferring to an American Med School, Darthmouth Univeristy has an open seat and wants to fill it, you have to have 3 years of college or the equivalent in credits in an American Univeristy... I was a semester shy of fulfilling those credits. Drexel University also has about 5 seats vacant, but you need to take the MCATs. 

This is a good one. They also accept transfers for students who are experiencing adversity or difficult circumstances in their current medical school. So make a nice story of how political instability, hostility towards foreigners, sky-rocketing inflation, erosion of basic infrastructures, impending war, "failed-state" status, and subsequent acquisition into India are all factors of why you can't study in Pakistan. Submit it to your local congressman, and see if you don't get a seat somewhere in the USA. 

That's my next move. 

-Humza


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## Imy_Coke (Aug 6, 2007)

Im so gay johnny really through me off, dont take it the wrong way , im just happy you see, hehe. Even after starting MBBS im still such a boy, tis what a shame, 
Anyhew i cant rewrite the dudes name who posted after you but hes right, in light of the fact that in windsor youll get a good review of high yield topics with no fundamental basis, itll be like a kid driving a V8, just telling you my 2 cents. 
Although dude i bet if you got the price there are good colleges as well, Even in PK, it used to be mainly a fundamental view (excl.KE) with all these GOVT. colleges, but now if you got 6 lakhs per annum you can go almost anywhere in pk to study mbbs. 
Post Script- Excl. KE b/c all my friends from there say you can do the entire years work in the last 2 weeks of your uni.exams-but maybe thats cause all those kids have such high marks, damn it all...
P.p.S> if anythin seems incoherent its cause my UHS II MBBS Zin 5 days, WTH
A>H>


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