Episode 33 - Medical Education Readiness Program (MERP) Prerequisite Updates

In celebration of the Ross University commencement, Dr Ryan Azarkhail was nominated by his peers to represent the graduating class as this year’s student speaker. Dr. Azarkhail quickly became a champion and advocate for the student body while in med school. Along with becoming the SGA President in 2019, he served multiple leadership roles, including Clinical SGA Honor Council Senator, and SGA Class Representative. He continued volunteering his time outside the classroom as a member of the Welcome Committee and the International Medical Foundations Orientation for newly enrolled students, as well as serving as a Student Ambassador.In this episode, he joins me for a conversation about his journey.

In this episode, we are celebrating our MATCH 2023 results! The process to receive your medical degree from RUSM is the same as medical schools in the United States—it includes the successful completion of the medical school curriculum, then clinical rotations, and the passage of all three parts of the USMLE. This year Ross University School of Medicine's first-time residency attainment rate for 2022-2023 graduates is 97%*; so far 592 graduates attained residencies in this cycle in 25 medical disciplines. My guest today is one of them: Dr. Elizabeth Armenis.*First-time residency attainment rate is the percent of students attaining a 2023-24 residency position out of all graduates or expected graduates in 2022-23 who were active applicants in the 2023 NRMP match or who attained a residency position outside the NRMP match.

In this episode, we focus on international students, highlighting scholarships, academic pre-requisites, and student support available. At Ross University School of Medicine, we welcome international students and encourage you to apply to our MD program for any of our three classes: January, May, or September. My guest today is Rachel Durcan, Senior Associate Director of International Partnerships.

As a Ross Med student, you will spend one third of your time in Barbados. Most students live in a student community known as The Villages of Coverley. Alternatively, our students can choose to live off-campus as well. My guest today is Leah Gibson, the Housing and Property Manager. She talks about the different options of housing, what’s included, what to bring and how to get around. For the complete list and prices, please see our website.

There are many specialized fields that doctors can pursue after their Internal Medicine residency. In this episode, Dr. Roberto Swazo talks about his path to Pulmonary and Critical Care. This specialized field focuses on patients suffering from injuries and diseases of the respiratory system, which includes the lungs, trachea, diaphragm, and other related structures. At the time of our conversation, Dr Swazo was a Second Year Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellow, at Indiana University. He has since completed the fellowship and is now a Cardiac Intensivist and Pulmonary Hypertension Specialist, at Orlando Health.

Did you ever consider going on an international medical mission? If so, you definitely want to hear about this new partnership we have! Ross University School of Medicine recently signed a partnership with Vida that gives a financial grant to all eligible applicants who successfully complete the Medical Education Readiness Program (aka MERP). Contact our Admissions Dept directly for more information on this grant. In the meantime, let’s learn more about Vida. My guest today is Ana Salas, their Student Engagement Director.

Continuing to share the experience of current students, in this episode, we meet Alex Kirby who is finishing her 4th semester in Barbados. Alex shares why she chose Ross, how her study techniques have changed and some things she wished she knew ahead of time.

In this episode, we meet Vanessa Aragones, a current student who just finished 5th semester and is getting ready to take Step 1. Vanessa talks about her transition to the island and how she developed her support to succeed in med school.

Attending medical school requires a major financial commitment. Ross University School of Medicine (RUSM) is committed to providing medical school applicants and active medical students with information to help fund your education through financial aid, including medical school loans and scholarships. My guest today is Josh Verwijst, from our Student Finance Dept, and he will be discussing options in financial aid, cost of living and scholarships.

Medical Education Readiness Program (MERP) offers a 15-week preparatory course that provides customized academic assessment and study plans; a supportive, diverse community of expert instructors and peers; and the building blocks needed to instill confidence essential to a successful medical school experience and practice. This is a follow-up to Episode 2 with the most recent updates to the MERP pre requisites.