Getting In Is Easy, Getting Out is Hard

A lot of people ask a lot of questions about getting into Ross. Are my stats good enough? Will I get in? What was the interview like? How long did it take to hear if you were accepted after the interview? I certainly asked myself these questions and spent hours rummaging through posts on ValueMD to find answers. Well, in retrospect, I shouldn't have worried so much. Ross is NOT hard to get in to. In fact, you may be hard-pressed to find someone who was rejected. The hard part is doing well at Ross. I will now impart my knowledge...

"Are my stats good enough to get in?"

- To get in, you need to provide your transcripts (including your GPA in undergrad), your MCAT score, your application, and two letters of recommendation.

1) GPA: All kinds of GPA's get into Ross. I've seen anywhere from a 2.8 to a 4.0 get in. Therefore, you can stop sweating bullets if you GPA falls in this range. However, if your MCAT is also low, then you may be in trouble.

2) MCAT: I personally know two people who got in with a 20, one person with a 21, and a few people with a 29 or higher. I think the MCAT/GPA dilemma is inversely proportional. If you have a low MCAT (low 20's), then your GPA better be pretty high (around a 3.4 and higher). If your MCAT is pretty high (around a 28 or higher), then you can get away with a bit of a lower GPA (around a 3.0). Let's face it, if your GPA and your MCAT were both pretty high, you'd be applying to an American school. Most Ross applicants have either a low MCAT or a low GPA.

3) Application: Be truthful and remember EVERYTHING you wrote on your application. Your interview consists of you, your interviewer, your transcripts, and your application. They will be looking through and asking questions from your application throughout your interview.

4) Letters of Recommendation: I personally think these are not really all that important. I say this because Ross asks that you send them a professional letter and an academic letter from a professor. According to the Ross website, "At least one letter of recommendation should be written by a pre-medical professor acquainted with your academic ability." I sent them a letter from a doctor I shadowed as my professional letter, and a letter from my psychology professor (whom I did research with) as my academic letter. Now, this isn't exactly what Ross asked for but either they overlooked it or simply didn't care.

5) Research: I don't know how heavily research weighs into their decision. However, every person that I know who was accepted had either research and/or lengthy (about a year or more) volunteer experience.

- Overall thought: When Ross says that they consider applicants holistically, they aren't kidding. Ross' GPA and MCAT cut-offs are pretty low. Therefore, they really took a look at your entire application (GPA, MCAT, LORs, transcripts, research and volunteer experience, and your essays). Consequently, about 60% of applicants are offered an interview. This percentage was given to me by my interviewer during my interview.

NOTE: I know that some may feel offended by what I've written above or think that I believe Ross/Caribbean schools are a joke. This is absolutely not the case. If I genuinely believed this, I wouldn't be here at Ross, would I? I think Ross (and Caribbean schools in general) give students that do not fit American medical schools' standards an incredible opportunity to become doctors. The education at Ross is just as good (if not better in some cases) and the quality of doctors they put out is in no way subpar to American doctors. That being said, what I've written above is what I have personally seen and experienced. I have yet to meet a current Ross student that did not have an area of weakness (GPA or MCAT) on their application. I, in no way, am putting Ross down or giving Caribbean medical schools a bad reputation. I am extremely grateful (as is every other Ross student I have met) to Ross for giving me the opportunity to be here. But to think that it is not easier to get into a Caribbean school than an American school would be a complete denial of the truth. More than anything, I have been truthful about my experiences and have tried to offer hope to those students that have lost it. Sometimes the American Medical system gets it wrong and denies students that perhaps didn't have a 4.0 and 38 on their MCAT but would still make great doctors. Thankfully, there are schools like Ross and other Caribbean schools that look past those areas of weakness and allow students the opportunity to fulfill their dreams. If you choose Ross (or another Caribbean school) and you start to feel down about your choice, know that most people would have given up. As my friend Sean wrote my boyfriend, "remember, you're on the path to becoming what you've always wanted to be. Ross may not make your dreams come true but at least you didn't give up on them, you found a way. In 16 months, it will have all been worth it."

"What was the interview like?"

- A lot of people get stressed over the interview. Well, it's nonsense. I interviewed in Miami and it was a very personal and informal experience.

It went like this:

1) My interview was at 10:00 AM and I showed up at 9:30 AM. The receptionist offered me something to drink not knowing it would end up all over her if I took her up on it. My interviewer called me into an office and he pulled out my file. He looked over my application and transcripts and asked about 20 questions. I was nervous and rambled on and on so I'm sure that cut down his opportunity to ask more questions - especially since he had another interview scheduled for 11:00 AM.

2) This is a list of questions that have been asked in interviews before. I have highlighted the questions that I was asked.

Why do you want to be a doctor?
What types of leadership positions did you have in college?
What types of clinical experience do you have?
Will you be able to survive on the island?
What has been your greatest hardship and how did you deal with it?
What was your favorite class in college and why?
What other schools have you applied to?
What was the result of applying to those schools?
Why were you not accepted to a US medical school?
Why are you applying to Ross?
Are you content with becoming an Foreign Medical Grad vs. being a US Medical Grad?
What is your weakness?
What is your strength?
What do you know about living in Dominica?
How do you feel about living in a third world country?
How do you deal with stress/pressure?
If you could change something about yourself, what would it be?
Why would you be a good doctor?
What do you feel are the most important qualities in being a good doctor?
What do you do to alleviate stress?
What are your hobbies?
Are you a leader or a follower? Give examples...
What exposure have you had to the medical profession? Healthcare experience?
What did you do when you volunteered at ----?
What do you think you will like most about medicine/being a doctor?
What motivates you to pursue this field?
What makes you unique?
What other field would you choose if you do not get accepted to any Medical School
(Caribbean or otherwise)?
Why did you get (insert bad grade) in (insert class)?
What was the most challenging class for you during your undergraduate studies and why do you think so?
Will you be able to handle living in a foreign country?
What characteristics do you possess that makes you adaptable?
What are the characteristics of a good/bad doctor?
How would a friend describe you?
What do you think would be the hardest part of the medical school curriculum for you
and why?
What are your study habits?
What field of medicine interests you most and why?
What do you know about Ross and why did you choose to apply here?
What else would you like to tell the Committee about yourself that is not included in your essay or application?
Do you have any questions?

- I found these questions on ValueMD in the interview sticky in the Ross forum. I wasn't asked anything that wasn't on this list. Go through it and formulate your answers in your head. At the same time, do not memorize your answers so it doesn't seem rehearsed. I would also recommend going through the interview sticky and reading people's personal experiences. The interview seems to pretty much follow the same order and questions for everyone.

- This piece of advice also came from ValueMD: "Don’t freak out. Stay calm and composed. The interviewer will inform you that he/she is not the one to make the admissions decision but it is rather a Committee who decides your fate. However, he/she will take notes during the interview and write a summary, which will be sent to this Committee. Incidentally, during a recent Ross University Open House held in NY the following statistics were cited: 'If you have been granted an interview, there is a 65% chance that you will gain admittance to Ross University School of Medicine.' So the interview is somewhat important. Dress professionally; be well groomed, and well mannered."

3) After the interview, you watch a 15 minute video about Ross. There's not much to be said there.

4) After the video, my interview was done and I went home. I was in and out in 1 hour including the 15 minute video. However, my cousin and boyfriend had an extended portion to their interviews. After the video, they (along with a few other interviewees) had a question and answer session with a 5th semester student. This lasts until people run out of questions to ask. Then they were invited to tour the Miami campus and have lunch (on Ross' tab!) with the Dean of the school in the cafeteria. Of course, I was swindled and got none of this. Regardless, it's a pretty easy-going albeit day-consuming experience.

5) As far as attire: dress nicely. Girls go in business suits (either skirt or pant). Men go in suit and tie.

"How long did it take to hear if you were accepted after the interview?"

Here's how it went for me:
1) I interviewed on Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2007
2) Status on Embark changed to "committee review" on Monday, Nov. 12, 2007
3) Application status on Embark changed to "decision made" on Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2007
4) I called the person who interviewed me at 10:30 AM and he told me over the phone that I got in for the January term on Thursday, Nov. 15

So, as you can see, the process went by very fast. It takes AT LEAST a week because your application with your interviewer's recommendation has to be sent to Dominica for the committee review. And since the committee meets once a week on Wednesdays, you have to hope they get to your application. If not, you'll have to wait another week till they meet again. Everyone I know, including myself, found out if they got in in about 10 days (from the interview).


This is everything I can think of regarding getting in to Ross. Here is the link to the interview sticky on ValueMD. Read it! I received all of my information through that sticky and through personal experience. Hope this all helped... Good luck!

http://www.valuemd.com/ross-university-school-medicine/121739-interview.html