Welcome, Pre-med Advisors!
Thank you for visiting Ross University School of Medicine's dedicated pre-med advisor page! We created this page to serve as a quick reference as you advise your students on their medical school opportunities. We invite you to explore the information below to get a sense of our admissions philosophy, get some quick facts about our program and curriculum, and explore our student and graduate outcomes.
OPPORTUNITY AND OUTCOMES: RUSM AT A GLANCE
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RUSM is a well-known, well-established Caribbean medical school dedicated to giving qualified students an opportunity to earn their Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree. With a limited number of medical school seats in the United States and an AAMC-predicted physician shortage looming as early as 2020, we believe our role in educating tomorrow's physicians has never been more important.
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In 2019, 650+ RUSM current and former graduates attained residency appointments. The majority of RUSM graduates secure residency positions through the National Resident Matching Program,® several with some of the most prestigious teaching hospitals and leading medical centers in the United States. View the current 2019 list here.
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Despite some claims of an impending "residency squeeze" that may impact graduates' chances of attaining residencies, a recent report in a top medical journal states that fears of a residency shortage are unfounded. Read more here.
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RUSM has deep US ties, from its dedicated, credentialed faculty all the way up to the institution's top leadership post. Heading up RUSM's medical program is William F. Owen, MD, Dean and Chancellor, who previously ran University of Illinois College of Medicine, one of the largest medical schools in the United States. Learn more about Dr. Owen here, or check out a profile of one of our esteemed faculty members.
A DEEPER DIVE: THE RUSM PRECLINICAL CURRICULUM
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Students begin their academic study on our technologically advanced campus on the island of Barbados, in the West Indies. RUSM's preclinical program, called Medical Sciences, follows an integrated, organ systems-based teaching model. This means that courses are organized by the systems in the body, like the digestive or respiratory system—an approach that give students the opportunity to examine the physiological, biochemical, and anatomical processes of an organ system all at once. This model, which mirrors how medicine is actually practiced, is in use at many medical schools in the United States.
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RUSM integrates active, hands-on, clinically relevant activities directly into the preclinical curriculum. Though students still absorb knowledge through traditional lecture-based instruction, these hands-on clinical experiences—like simulation, standardized patient cases, and small-group learning, to name a few—train students to think like doctors early in their medical education.
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We understand that every student learns at his or her own pace. As students near completion of Semester 1—depending on their academic progress in that semester—some may qualify to join RUSM's Standard Accelerated Curriculum. Take a look at the detailed breakdown of the two curricular tracks.
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RUSM offers the Academy for Teaching and Learning (ATL), a voluntary resource through which students can leverage advanced adult-learning techniques and progressive technology to enhance their study skills and maximize their potential for medical school success. The ATL is available to assist students who are at risk of academic difficulty, as well as those who are performing well academically but want to take advantage of any resource that could help them do even better.
US CLINICAL ROTATIONS: THE MAJORITY OF A STUDENT'S RUSM EDUCATION
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After completing the Medical Sciences curriculum and passing USMLE Step 1, RUSM students head to the US for the clinical sciences curriculum, or clinical rotations. Clinicals represent the majority of a RUSM student's education. Students rotate through affiliated RUSM teaching hospitals, alongside students from US medical schools, and complete cores in family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, obstretrics/gynecology, and surgery. All told, the clinical phase is 90 weeks long.
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RUSM students can undergo all of their cores at a single location, which eases the transition from Medical Sciences to a clinical academic home. This approach can place students closer to home, facilitate enhanced faculty interaction, and allow students to practice applying to residencies through mock interviews, among other benefits.
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Explore our single-location clinical opportunities in greater detail here.
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For a deeper look at one of our affiliated hospitals, check out this profile of Michigan-based St. Joseph Mercy Oakland.
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Through the Rely On Student Services (ROSS) model, students can receive the support they need from a centralized support hub. Featuring extended weekday and Saturday hours, the ROSS model connects each individual clinical student with his or her own coordinated team of advisors, including clinical and financial aid advisors, writers, and student advocates. Learn more about the ROSS model here.
STARTING UP: ADMISSIONS AT RUSM
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The Admissions Committee of the faculty gives serious consideration to all candidates showing the potential to meet the rigorous academic requirements of a highly structured curriculum. At RUSM, we don't solely on MCAT and GPA when we're considering an applicant—rather, we put just as much thought into a student's non-academic qualifications, such as life experience, social maturity, and volunteerism. US citizens, permanent residents, and other eligible noncitizens can apply for federal loans through the US Federal Direct Loan Program. Scholarships are also available for those who apply and quality. View a complete list of RUSM's admissions requirements.
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Since we operate under rolling admissions, there are no application deadlines. RUSM seats 3 classes per year (January, May and September). Applications may be submitted as early as one year prior to the semester to which a student is seeking enrollment. We continue to accept applications for each semester until all seats are filled. In the event that all seats are filled before an applicant receives a decision, the application is automatically considered for the next available semester.
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If our Admissions Committee deems an applicant has the potential to succeed at RUSM but may benefit from additional strengthening in the basic sciences, they may grant that candidate conditional acceptance. This acceptance is contingent upon that candidate successfully completing the Medical Education Readiness Program (MERP), a 15-week medical school preparatory program with a strong record of student success. MERP is held in Miramar, Florida for US students, and Toronto, Canada for Canadian students. Students who do not successfully complete the program are entitled to a full refund of the program fees. Learn more about MERP here.
LET'S TALK: TAKE A TRIP TO CAMPUS, ATTEND A LIVE EVENT, AND MORE
We'd love to talk to you about students from your institution who ended up attending RUSM. We regularly provide pre-med advisors, as well as students and their families, the opportunity to take a closer look at what our program has to offer.
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Our live admissions seminars feature admissions staff, faculty and alumni who are available to answer questions and share their RUSM stories.
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RUSM admissions officers are stationed across the United States. To contact an Associate Director of Admissions for your region, please visit our dedicated admissions contact page.
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Often, we're able to arrange campus trips for interested pre-med advisors—or, if it's more convenient, an admissions officer can take a trip to see you to talk about what our program can offer your students.
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For general questions, reach out to our Office of Admissions at [email protected] or 1-855-637-6778.
