After two application cycles to Canadian medical schools — zero interviews the first time, a handful the second — this premed from Ontario made a decision that changed everything: she packed up and headed to St. George’s University School of Medicine in Grenada. In this episode, she walks through exactly how she got there, from growing up as an immigrant child helping her family navigate the healthcare system, to a five-year co-op undergrad, a master’s degree, a second MCAT, and ultimately the realization that the Canadian system’s stat-driven, seat-scarce process simply wasn’t going to open for her. She talks honestly about the financial side — private bank lines of credit, OSAP, and a merit scholarship from SGU — and about what it actually feels like to sit down with a tuition bill that size. Once on the island, she found that Caribbean medical school is nothing like the vacation stereotype: class sizes in the 500-to-600 range thin out every term, and she routinely puts in 12 to 15 hours of studying a day. Her strategy for handling the pressure of IMG status, uncertain residency prospects, and being far from family comes down to one discipline: focus only on what today requires.
What You’ll Learn:
– Why Canadian medical schools function as a stats-first filter and what that means for applicants who are strong but not perfect on paper
– How to research Caribbean medical schools beyond Reddit — including what data points actually matter for Canadian and US students
– What the financial pathway looks like for Canadian students attending a Caribbean school, including private loans, provincial aid, and institutional scholarships
– Why the “Caribbean school is easy” stigma is inaccurate and what the real academic demands look like from a current student
– How to stay mentally grounded when the pressure of loans, IMG status, and an uncertain match future is constant
Full show notes coming soon!
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I just received my admission to XXXXX! This is unreal and almost feels like I am dreaming. I want to thank you for all of your help with my application. I cannot overstate how influential your guidance and insight have been with this result and I am eternally grateful for your support!
IM SO HAPPY!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR HELP, IM INDEBTED TO YOU! Truly, thank you so much for all your help. Thank you doesnt do enough.
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I got into XXXXX this morning!!!! It still has not hit me that I will be a doctor now!! Thank you for all your help, your words and motivation have brought me to this point.
I wanted to once again express my heartfelt gratitude for your help in providing feedback during my secondary applications. Your guidance has been instrumental in my journey.
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