Thread: impressions of AUC

for anyone who is currently studying in St. Maarten, what are your imprssions of the island and the school? are u happy there or do u wish u were at Ross or SGU?

Originally Posted by darocky

for anyone who is currently studying in St. Maarten, what are your imprssions of the island and the school? are u happy there or do u wish u were at Ross or SGU?

Very happy, especially if you consider the other two are so underdeveloped that they lack even basic things our culture is accustomed to like places to eat and things to do. I mean, I would have refused to move here with my med school honey if it were only a island of goats and cows running down the road (oh wait we do have those, but at least we got BK, McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Domino's, Church's, KFC, stadium seating movie theatres, nail salons, half the whole island speaks english...)

And this coming from a couple who went to an american D.O. school (and we're so glad we quit there and came here for an M.D.). D.O. school is horrible compared to the education you get here. You'll be challenged and really look forward to your breaks to go home, but it's really worth it to come here.

My father in law went to AUC and runs his own office. In fact he just expanded and is hiring two doctors to work under him. So the education here really does prepare you for the real medical world.

Some people will be former AUC students that did poorly in a few classes so they go to another school like ROSS and may talk trash about their time here. Do not let them dampen your spirits. There are students in the U.S. that change schools too so don't let that be an indicator of anything.

And this coming from a couple who went to an american D.O. school (and we're so glad we quit there and came here for an M.D.). D.O. school is horrible compared to the education you get here.

WOW, thats a bold statement.

I wouldn't go so far as to say that DO is horrible compared to the education at AUC. I imagine it depends on where you go. There are a couple of DO schools with really bad reputations. G

howard and louisiana wasn't their step one pass rate around 60% last year?

Originally Posted by darocky

for anyone who is currently studying in St. Maarten, what are your imprssions of the island and the school? are u happy there or do u wish u were at Ross or SGU?

I can tell you that SXM has been a wonderful island to study medicine on thusfar. The campus, while not large, is adequate. Teachers run the gamut from stellar to the opposite extreme. I do know that based on my shelves, I am being prepared for Step I, and that is my main criteria for being here. The campus does have problems much like everywhere else...there are some unfavorable decisions regarding tuition, dorms, cexam scheudules, etc that have been made, however, we b1tch, moan, and most of us adapt and move on. The island does also offer most of the conveniences you would find in the US (although on Caribbean time). If you don't expect it to be the US and are open to mingling with new cultures (which you'd probably be doing in Dominica/Grenada/St. Vincent anyway), you should be fine. If I had to do it all over again , I'd still choose AUC.

Aloha,

Originally Posted by anencephalic

I can tell you that SXM has been a wonderful island to study medicine on thusfar. The campus, while not large, is adequate. Teachers run the gamut from stellar to the opposite extreme. I do know that based on my shelves, I am being prepared for Step I, and that is my main criteria for being here. The campus does have problems much like everywhere else...there are some unfavorable decisions regarding tuition, dorms, cexam scheudules, etc that have been made, however, we b1tch, moan, and most of us adapt and move on. The island does also offer most of the conveniences you would find in the US (although on Caribbean time). If you don't expect it to be the US and are open to mingling with new cultures (which you'd probably be doing in Dominica/Grenada/St. Vincent anyway), you should be fine. If I had to do it all over again , I'd still choose AUC.

Aloha,

I agree with Jon, although things change and we man's best friend and moan about it, AUC is still the best choice I made. Where else wouuld you be able to see "art" at its.... nevermind.

I guess I'm also glad that our class only had 125 to begin with and now we're pretty much down to 80-90 which is a good class size.(newbies... don't be afraid, ~3/4 of you will survive... )

OK let me rephrase then; NOVA D.O. school in Ft.Lauerdale was horrible. Take our schools' semesters 1-3, smash them into one semester, add labs for bio stats, shadow program, and all the other classes along with your anatomy class and every teacher unable to speak clear english....horrible. Go in at 8am and leave at 9pm. Sucky! First semseter mind you.

And let's not forget the majority of patients where we live (about 90%) are all over the age of 75 and are retired millitary. They wouldn't allow a D.O. to touch them with a ten foot pool. "None of that new age bullcrap for me sonny, just get me a doctor!"

Originally Posted by rrod

howard and louisiana wasn't their step one pass rate around 60% last year?

As far as Louisiana goes, this is untrue. Louisiana med schools (three-Shreveport, New Orleans and Tulane) all score 90-94% every year on step one. This is first time test takers.

There are some below average medical schools in the US as with DO schools. LSU is not one of them. I have met some incompetent(dumb-***) MDs over the years and I have seen RNs that knew more than the MDs. There are good and bad MDs just as there are good and bad DOs. I know two DOs that did allopathic residencies in ER medicine and they are as knowledgeable as any of the MDs they practice with. AUC will produce excellent physicians and some not so.