UNIBE is a great opportunity . It is certainly the nicest of all the others. You will get out of it what you put into it. The books are there, so study hard and you will become a great doctor. The tuition is also a great opportunity because it is so much lower than any school in the US .
Personally, I hated the people and their ways, but I was there to become a doctor not to romance any Dominican. I also felt the city was very dirty and the men were PIGS.
Housing was 250 US dollars a month for a studio apartment with a generator and evrything (except phone and internet) was included in that price. You will need a generator because there are blackouts every day. There are lots of apartments available near the school since there's a graduating class every semester. Students that are leaving also sell their furniture and appliances at a good price.
I spent a lot of money in cab fare because I didn't have a car. If you choose to have a car, be careful: they drive like maniacs and do NOT obey any traffic laws; then, there are those that would hit you just to get money out of you. But cabs have their dangers too: they can spot someone from the US a mile away and will overcharge you. There have been nightmarish stories about the public transportation, so avoid that, specially if traveling alone. Prices for needed goods are 3x what they cost in the US, so try to stack up at Wal-Mart for everything from pencils to shampoo .
My life there was very luxurious . I had a cleaning lady, ate at different restaurants almost every day, and vacationed at different resorts every semester. All my clothes went to the dry cleaners and went to the hair dresser at least once a week. I also traveled to the US at the end of every semester. All this was financed with the available student loan per semester without a need for alternative loans.
Do start to study for the USMLE from day one and make it a goal to be ready by your 3rd year. Everything after that will be smooth sailing.
Tuition does not include books. But every semester students from the previous one sell their stuff cheap and there are always the copy centers. You can have an entire book copied (there are no rules, remember?!)
Ah, I forgot to mention: My best friends today, I met at UNIBE. After four years sharing and identifying with each other, UNIBE gives you the opportunity to build beautiful friendships that would certainly last forever; all doctors!!!!!
Good luck.