5th Semester IN THE US!!??

[juan_angeles21]

Hi everyone,

I've been reading the threads and a few people have mentioned the fact that Saba is considering doing Semester 5 in the US. Is this true? If so, that's great! Does anyone know approx. when this will take affect if it does happen? I start in May 06, I'm hoping that it will be available for my 5th semester (sept 07). I also hope that the current students at Saba are supporting SUSOM's decision. Any comments on that?

I think it would be a wonderful experience in Saba, with the addition of having clinical training before 3rd year in the US. I'm very excited about the possibility, i'm sure others are too. This information has made me more confident in my decision of choosing Saba, i'm glad to see that the school continues to be amtitious and that they are truely concern with the value of education for their students. I would appreciate any information that people have. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to support the decision. Thanks

JA21

[chiro-md]

there seems to be alot to still work out yet we the 1st semester though that we mite be the first ones but were not sure of that now. The news is that they have the sites there that will take the 5th semester but they have to change the curriculum because they have path II in the 5th and they would have to move it to a different semester. They also said that they don't want to screw up a good thing meaning are board scores which are above 90 % pass rate. I was glad to here that. So that is the news for the 5th in the US.

[JJOM23]

Where would 5th semester be if it were changed?

[spaslam]

5th semester would be in Miami, like Ross and AUA, I am guessing. There were rumblings several semesters ago about this, but nothing ever came of it. Who knows. I think it may be an issue of Fla. being more willing than many states to accomodate school's like ours.

[swinginislanddoc]

Hey Spas,
I actually was told by my friend (who just finished 4th) that the 5th semester would be in Boston. Makes sense since it's close(r) to the home office.

I lived in the Miami area for three months during surgery - those are some drivers you don't wanna be around. Yikes!!

~S :cool:

[spaslam]

Boston would be great...we need more Mass. connections for our school. There is so much here (I am in Boston now). But it all smacks of elitism with the big med schools here having a monopoly. It seems they don't often consider outsiders, nevertheless foreign students. One radiologist I know (Maine native) tried to come to Boston for rotations from Univ. of Texas med school with no luck.

I hope someone breaks in at the Lawrence, Mass., Family Practice Residency...that program is supposed to be great, but they don't do anything but FP for students yet. Maybe if someone got in there and did well they would reconsider. Also, if anyone has had luck in Boston for rotations pls let me know. I have a friend working at Lahey Clinic, but she has not been able to help me out much.

[juan_angeles21]

Thanks for the replies. Seems like it's still in the early stages, I'm really hoping that it goes thru soon. I understand the complications of rearranging the curriculum when the student body already has a 90% passing rate on the boards. Does anyone have an idea of what the outcome will be, or is it mostly idle talk? Maybe they should have a voluntary option for students who want to go to the US for the 5th semester vs. students who want to stay on the island. I know its not as easy as it sounds...

Can you please let me know who i can contact to get more information. I think we should all push towards achieving semester 5 in the US. Feel free to post any problems that you forsee or if anyone has any opinions about the issue. I'm sure we would all love to here them. If anyone receives new information, please keep us inform.

JA21

[sabaspouse2006]

Well, I'm not a student and I truly believe that my vote doesn't count, but since you asked about forseeable problems, I wouldn't want to go to the States four months early. I have a daughter who will be in school soon. I don't want her jumping from school to school to school any more than she has to. She is already facing many changes so my husband can attend medical school/clinicals/residency. I wouldn't want to add another change just so we can live in the US for an extra four months.

In addition, we really love it here on Saba and will be sad to leave. All things being equal and if we were given the option, we would likely choose to remain on Saba.

R/

[scoobz1981]

In Dec of 2004, they said that they would have the 5th semesters in Miami by August 2005... it hasnt happend yet, so I am assumin there are some snags and complications of that! I wouldnt hold my breath...

Val

[spaslam]

reliable sources confirm boston sometime next yr. stay tuned...

[wolfvgang22]

Dr. *********, Saba's founder and president, in person told us here at the school that they are just in the formative stages of trying to make 5th semester happen in the US. He mentioned two or three possible locations, including miami or baltimore. He took a quick hand count in the classrooms and most of us seemed to vote baltimore. Everybody got their hopes, up, despite the fact he cautioned us that he was only kicking around ideas and that no one should get overly excited. He expressly told us not to go around and talk it up like it is a done deal or anything...guess what happened. Administration had to ask people to tell their parents to quit calling the school about it. :lol:
We were recently informed that it won't happen by this september, so no 5th semester in the US for us, which is okay with me, I don't want to have to move my family around more than necessary, as a previous poster mentioned. Sure, I'd love to get more clincal experience in the states, though. Bottom line: don't go to Saba expecting 5th semester in the US, just as you shouldn't have come here before CA approval happened wishing for CA licensure. Take the school for what it is NOW. It may get better. ;)

[miasma]

well thanks for the heads up wolfvgang, much appreciated. i certainly don't mind if 5th isn't in the states, but it would definitely be a bonus. interested to see what develops from this.

[juan_angeles21]

i hope it's not "all talk". Honestly, i wouldn't mind which state the 5th semester would be held. I just think it would be an advantage when competing with other IMGs for residency spots. I think an extra semester of US clinical training would be beneficial to any student. I'm not over anticipating anything, i know there must be a lot more arrangements to be finalized... but when the time comes, i will definetely support the decision; even if tuition goes up (im confident that it will be worth it)

JA

[Chitownguy]

I would love a 5th sem in Boston. Hope it all goes through ok.

[swinginislanddoc]

Boston, Baltimore...... the rumor mill strikes again! It's like a game of telephone, I swear.

They have been talking about this forever. Like Val said they talked about it with some of us (who are long since past 5th semester). The problems include setting up affiliations with hospitals (so that students can get clinical experience - that's the whole point of this after all), setting up housing (can't exactly send 50-something students somewhere with no housing leads) and the curriculum (with part of pathology currently being in 5th semester they'd have to revamp that or set up a path course in the US as well, which means classrooms and scheduled lecture times. Other schools do Path in 3rd and 4th semester, which would be mean a total revamping of the schedule).

There are a LOT of considerations. I know when I was in 2nd and 3rd I was hoping for this to go through. But honestly I'm glad I got that 5th semester on the island. Great place to study, I'm telling you!

Best of luck,
~S :cool:

[scoobz1981]

Exactly... complicated... not to mention with the St. Chris situation, how legal this would actually be

Val

[vfoors]

I may be missing the point here...but what exactly would be the advantage of doing the fifth semester in the U.S. anyhow? Will we have more clinical exposure prior to clerkship? Will here be any real changes to the curriculum? Or would it just be geography. Because if it's just geography, then the hassle of relocating for just one semester would seem quite pointless and just an extra expense.

[swinginislanddoc]

I may be missing the point here...but what exactly would be the advantage of doing the fifth semester in the U.S. anyhow? Will we have more clinical exposure prior to clerkship? Will here be any real changes to the curriculum? Or would it just be geography. Because if it's just geography, then the hassle of relocating for just one semester would seem quite pointless and just an extra expense.


You hit the nail on the head - more clinical exposure. With the way things were when I was on Saba we got a total of three days in the clinic on Saba and didn't see very many patients or a wide variety of pathology. Now they are only getting one day because there are so many people. If Saba expands the campus size, this will allow them to expand the class size, leading to even LESS clinical exposure on the island. If they are going to expand class size (and I do hope they don't expand it by much - this has been the downfall of some of the other schools) they will have to transfer 5th to the US (there will also be housing issues on the island if they expand. Saba can only hold so many people).

Some of the other schools spend most of their 5th semester in the clinic. This gives them more exposure and a slight advantage when heading into clinical rotations, however if you're astute you will be up to speed in no time. It didn't take long in my first month before I was impressing even the 4th year US student I was working with. The clinical experience then gives you the advantage of confidence going in and exposure to the paperwork in a US facility (believe me, it's VERY different from the paperwork on Saba!).

Best of luck!
~S :cool:

[swinginislanddoc]

Exactly... complicated... not to mention with the St. Chris situation, how legal this would actually be

Val

Hey Val! Long time no chat! ;)

You've lost me here. Not only have I not been on VMD for a while, but I don't keep up with the other schools - what St. Chris situation?

~S :cool: Livin' it up in NYC! (At least for another week. ha!)