I've been doing research on many of the schools in the Carib and am having trouble figuring out which ones are the best to go to.

From what i have been reading SGU seems to be at the top of the heap, however after that I'm not sure which school (AUC, Ross, Saba) seems to take the number 2,3, and 4 spot. Each school's students that i have spoken to seem to have similar gripes (professors that are terrible, unfair questions on tests, lack of clinical rotation spots, lack of support staff on the island). Some of these gripes maybe exaggerated and some might be on target.

Does anyone have any input on how to go about deciding which school to attend? Or more bluntly, how would you rank AUC vs the rest of the big 4?

this has been discussed many many many times, please run a search!

I would not put SGU above AUC for many reasons (I'd put them about equal). First, the residency matches (all that really matters in the end) are about dead even for the two schools. SGU does have supposedly guaranteed exclusive clinical arrangements with NY hospitals, but they have yet to start rotating through all of them and I have already heard that there could be problems with some of them. Right now though, neither AUC or SGU have any clinical problems (rumors, but no problems). SGU does have more graduates, largely as a product of their enormous classes, but that may or may not help come residency time, and it is also dependent on where in the country you'd like to practice (some places are better represented by SGU students, some by AUC).

Here are the things that turned me off to other schools, and made my decision to attend AUC:

Saba - No federal loans (this is big), very small island
Ross - HUGE class sizes, lots of clinical problems, bad island
SGU - HUGE class sizes, bad island, no Baltimore clinical sites, much more expensive

My rank would be AUC > SGU > Ross > Saba
Some people would argue AUC > SGU, but for me, it is.

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AUC 4th Semester

I haven't seen this after searching, but where are AUC grads mostly located?

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AUC May '08

all over, since you can be licensed in all 50 states......the alumni magazine tells where certain grads practice. not sure if that is online at this point

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AUC Post-5th Semester
Undergrad: UC Riverside

Why You Should Choose AUC:

Federal AID: Enough Said

Cost: AUC is cheaper than SGU.

Island: Sint Maarten is a much better island.

Class Size: As someone coming from a smaller university, I can tell you that small class size is a definite advantage when it comes to learning. This made AUC very appealing to me.

More Family/Spouse Friendly: My wife is coming to the island. I want there to be things for her to do while I am in school & when she is not working.



As a side question: I haven't seen this discussed... but since Saba only has Teri loans, how are students going to get funded since Teri has filed for bankruptcy?

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~Slaol

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WCU Biology '07
AUC May '08


"Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little."
~Edmund Burke

Get Involved: PM me if interested
http://www.dagodalahera.org/
http://www.ivdn-africa.org/medical_programs.asp

i am sure there is another loan company lined up

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AUC Post-5th Semester
Undergrad: UC Riverside

SD view,
If you are in fact from San Diego, I would suggest searching the websites of the area's major hospitals and looking up the education information for its physicians in various specialties. I worked for Scripps Hospital for roughly 2 years and my decision to go to AUC was based largely on my interaction and knowledge of AUC grads practicing at Scripps Hospital. I think it helps to find someone in a role that you aspire to reach and I definitely found that in several AUC grads. The Scripps health website is very easy to search education information based on "keyword".
As many will say on this forum, apply to all 4 and do more research on your options. Personally, I did not apply to Ross or SABA and am going to AUC in May. Good luck

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AUC May08
Undergrad: UCSD

SGU grads don't have the word "Caribbean" on their degrees.

haha.....and what a huge advantage that will be when it comes to getting a good score on the step or getting into a residency!

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AUC Post-5th Semester
Undergrad: UC Riverside

it is all relative to your personal choice.....SGU and AUC will get you where you want to be in 4 years, however with SGU you have to live on a less desirable island, unlike st Maarten where you are able to enjoy the great treasures and pleasures

skipper

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My ID says MD....wow!

Formerly known as "AssyrianSkipper"

PGY-1 Internal Medicine
Goal, not to kill anyone during my first month of residency.

No, I cannot help you get a residency.

President and Dean of--
Skipper's Medical Univeristy of the Dutch West Indies--SMU-DWI
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If you fail at AUC, SGU, or Ross why not transfer to SMU, if you fail at SMU, why not try another SMU.