any spartan grads or current students

[wasselm]

Hi to all of you,

I have been trying to ask questions to current or graduates of spartan but i have got no response, does this mean that all people on this forum are from different schools?
because if that is the case then why do you guys have this thread?
or is it that current students are not willing to help incoming students?
i have heard that this is a very good site to get some advice from students about the school, but it seems to me that there are no students in this forum from the school.

again i would like any person who had some experience with this school to give me an advice...

any advice from you guys will be greatly appreciated.

thank you very much for taking the time and responding, not just reading and moving along.

[RN2DR]

i'm a recent grad. i'll tell you the same things you have already read. spartan is one of the cheapest schools you can attend. you have to work very very very hard to get to where you want to be. and i mean very hard. u need to start studying review material for the usmle from the first day of class.
i recently matched into my first choice (obgyn) at a great facility in florida. i had to study my balls off for the step exams. every carib student/grad that was interviewing was on the same level. no one ever said "why did you go to spartan over ross." your end goal needs to be--score extreemly high on the usmle. that's the only thing that set me apart from the other students.
on the island you need to show up to class (all classes! this isn't undergrad where you can pick up someone's notes and do well). get used to island life and don't get caught up in the drinking crowd. there will be students that want to party every weekend, but you'll have to stay focused and goal directed. getting into school is easy. making it through will be the hardest thing you've ever done in your life. but, if this is what you really want, you'll make it just fine.
some classes are great, some classes really suck, some professors are outstanding, some professors are very poor. but you'll still have to show up and put in the effort.
hope this helps. send me a message if you need any more info.

[wasselm]

Thank you ery much for taking the time and writing back, i have decided to go to spartan on MUA, and will be attending in may. hope to have a good exprience and be as successful as you are. wish you all the luck in your residency.

[StillTrying]

RN2DR- I really appreciate your response. I also am considering Spartan but wasselm is correct, there are not a lot of Spartan students who are on this site compared to other schools....so its a little scary.
So many questions..ha ha

You have done so well...that is great ! Your future looks bright.
I hope I have similar success !

Thanks again !

[ASIANDOC]

Personal thoughts and experiences shared.

Discussion:

Just a message to share my past 27 years experiences in Medicine.In 1980 I was in my home country med school but forced to leave to avoid political prosecution and discrimination,I came to America and learned about schools like AUC and Univ Dominica but decided on [Univ Dominica] but at that time I simply could not adjust to Island living and the facilities as well as no financial option were available,my money started to ran out fast,I decided to go to cheaper school,and have nothing but unusual success since.During my long term career I took exciting jobs including overseas position in helping gov upgrading its healthcare system by reviewing standards,preparing for Joint commission inspections[JCIA],grading grads levels and reviewing schools standards in mid east and Eastern Europe for the purpose who to hire,participate in discussing affiliations with Harvard and Johns Hopkins international,etc
& If I have to review your school[I never claim I am expert but someone with little background] I will start with review the curriculum,basic sciences facilities,faculty,accreditations,clinical affiliation,and most importantly to me:where are the grads,and how are they doing?
many info I can get from the school website then Catalogue as a start,then search the web to identify grads,look at state boards for actions against them,look at state reviews,and form initial conclusion.
the catalogue gave me great deal of info:
http://www.spartanmed.org/pdffiles/SHSUcatalog2005-2008.pdf
on page 13 the arial view of the campus gives me good idea and the campus seems adquate for basic sciences,16 faculty including dupty of min of health on board and 4 library staff.admin,etc and the photos of the labs all seems little small but reflecting the small classes and students total # and that is acceptable.
clinicals in Chicago,MD,GA,and few other places seem to be used by most carribean schools and the standards of such hospitals exceeds most third world counties hospitals standards[many major teaching hospitals I reviewed overseas do not have MRI,private rooms,new books,etc],so I am satisfied with the basic sciences and clinicals,looking at grads I am also happy to see grads in exceptionally hard to get places and in large numbers and many have 20 years practice solid history.looking at approvals and reviews I can only find one review in 1985 by California that disapproved the school and at that time the school was in a different facilities and hardly any history or grads
also with some experience in this area we know any accreditation process is useless if given for life because standards change with time!!.Another review by the supreme court of OK stated the grads education and after USA residency is considered LCME comparable despite a state board disagreement,also on this issue the Dept of education did list St Lucia as a country as comparable standards to LCME and another review results will be available by end of May ,2007.

my conclusion:
the schools have all basic elements that is require to produce successful competent physicians and for students who are serious and hard working they can do exceptionally well and in my opinion and experience visiting many 3rd world countries school,it exceeds them,yes I looked at 100 years old buildings and ancient libraries but as the lady on Wendy's commercial said "where is the beef"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!huge bun bit coin size humberger,and that explain many of such schools grad have hard time passing USMLE and the most items on the agendas of state boards is why x applicant took >7 yrs to pass and waiver requests?

hope above can be helpful to officials and students.

My opinion and experiences shared.

and of course its my personal opinion[above not to recommend or attack the school but just expressing opinion and personal experiences over 2 decades].

[StillTrying]

You made some excellent points ASIANDOC !

Thanks !

[wasselm]

Thanks to you guys for taking some time and giving some information about the school. I will be going to the school in 18 days and hope to find what I am looking for over there. I will post more often to this site about my findings about the school.

Again thanks for the information from all of you.

[Kirst]

i got off the island two years ago, and yes it's hard not to get distracted during basic sciences. i wish i stayed focused and didn't skip out on classes, but i managed to kick myself back in shape for the clinicals and honored all of my rotations but two. i just took my step 2 CS and will be starting obgyn in chicago off cycle this winter if my work visa pulls through on time.

some people like rn2dr give it all right from the start and get through on time with flying colors. some people like myself fall off track here and there, but pull it off in the end. and of course some people just don't get through period...

really it's all upto you. the caribbean stigma, the spartan rumors, they're just and only that, and won't hinder you from becoming and working as a doctor.

[AUCMD2006]

RN2DR- I really appreciate your response. I also am considering Spartan but wasselm is correct, there are not a lot of Spartan students who are on this site compared to other schools....so its a little scary.
So many questions..ha ha

You have done so well...that is great ! Your future looks bright.
I hope I have similar success !

Thanks again !


its only numbers, the other schools take in a lot more students than spartan so they haver a higher percentage of us wasting our time on here. spartan is what it is, a cheap alternative vs an expensive one. they charge less tuition so expect no golden facilities not many US/UK faculty but in the end you gotta pass they exam. contact about half a dozen states you want to do residency and consider working in and make sure it is ok there (this goes for any school actually) other than that follow the same advice at any school--don't party overload, study, and make it through

good luck

[ASIANDOC]

its only numbers, the other schools take in a lot more students than spartan so they haver a higher percentage of us wasting our time on here. spartan is what it is, a cheap alternative vs an expensive one. they charge less tuition so expect no golden facilities not many US/UK faculty but in the end you gotta pass they exam. contact about half a dozen states you want to do residency and consider working in and make sure it is ok there (this goes for any school actually) other than that follow the same advice at any school--don't party overload, study, and make it through

good luck

Based on my reseach,the big 4 among others catered for US medical schools who failed admission[sorry about this expression but its the reality] to fullfil their dreams and by far the student body and faculty are from US ,in contrast to Spartan and based again on available info they caterted to all international applicants,you see the pakistani and Saudi who graduated and returned home,you see the Nigerian and St Lucian faculty,you see grads practicing law and judges,you see CEO's and teachers,so from my observation Spartan crowd including faculty and students mainly international group and the big 3 are US group and that is very important observation I noticed in my reviews,rarley you see grads from St George for example practicing in Liberia or Dubai,but its common with Spartan and per my search spartan has licensed physicians in 48 states,and much more licensed grads all over the world like Tiawan,Liberia,Dubai,Saudi Arabia,Nigeria,UK,Scokholms,to name few based on just internet search.



just my personal opinion & observation

[ASIANDOC]

inspirational story I read on the internet like to share with you.

Put on earth to make a difference


... Health Center Inc. CEO Dr. ……. is leaving his position to head back to his home country of Ghana to run for president. Exiled twice from Ghana, he thinks he now has a chance to make a difference.

Dr. …. is a bright, ambitious professional whose talents as a physician and social activist could very well make him the next president of the West African nation of Ghana.

A native of the first sub-Saharan country in colonial Africa to gain its independence, … has lived in ....since 1998. He is now looking forward to moving back to his beloved country to make a difference not only as a physician, but as president.

… seeks to become the country's next president in 2008 and has already waged an international campaign to help him achieve his goal.

He has lived in ... since 1998, when he joined the ...Health Center Inc. He served as vice president for clinical services for a year at the state's largest community health center before becoming the facility's interim chief executive officer. … has served as CEO since 2002, but is now ready to move back to Ghana to have more of a presence among the constituents he's trying to reach.

"It is important that I get there for more people to see me and hear my message. I've done quite well living here and still doing that, going up there for visits, but it's time to be there full time.

"The (HC) board is going to have a meeting to discuss what kind of arrangement they will have for running the center and to discuss modalities for hiring a new CEO," … said.

'Africa is in trouble'
… has already resigned from his job as ..HC's CEO, and his last official day on the job is March 1. In the meantime, he is working on his political campaign and sharpening his agenda for change.
… is no stranger to Ghanian politics, having been exiled twice as a United Nations refugee for activities including his participation in student-led demonstrations against a militaristic regime.

He has since become a strong, viable presidential candidate who is looking forward to making a difference in a country plagued by high infant mortality and slow trade growth rates.

"I and quite a number of people I know have been increasingly concerned about the problem of Africa in general, and Ghana in particular," dr said.

"When you look at Africa, 250,000 women die from child birth complications every year currently. About a million children under five die every year from malaria. When you look at things like trade, Africa accounted for six percent of the world's trade in 1980. By 2000, it accounted for two percent of the world's trade," he said.

….. said the United Nations' goals to rectify the extreme poverty-stricken conditions of Africans by 2015, including the provision of clean drinking water, access to health care and reductions in infant and maternal mortality, have not become a reality.

"According to the latest report by the U.N. itself, no sub-Saharan African country will meet those goals until the end of this century, which is about 94 years out. Africa is in trouble in spite of all the things that you hear," said .. who was born in Ghana's Volta region.
… began his education at the University of Ghana Medical School in Ghana, West Africa in 1980. He stepped into the Ghanian political scene as a young student leader in the 1980s, when he was president of Commonwealth Hall at the university and eventually became president of the National Union of Students.

"I was the first medical student in the country ever to hold those positions. There happened to be a military government in power, so I was one of the leaders who led protests to return the country to elective government. As a result of those protests, my education was interrupted," said ……., who became a wanted man in connection with a coup and, subsequently, became a U.N. refugee for a year in Africa before returning to resume his studies.

"I was arrested and detained and ended up having to report every day to the police for maybe about six or seven months," said ……, who was exiled again in 1987, when he spoke against the military regime as keynote speaker during the National Union of Student's 25th anniversary celebration.

"They declared me wanted again, and I had to leave. This time around, I lived in Africa for 18 months and then relocated to Canada. After I finally left in 1987, I didn't go back for about 15 years," he said, adding that he kept in touch with people with whom he was politically involved when he arrived in North America.

"I remember in 1996, when the guy who is currently president, Mr. (John), was in Chicago for a fund-raiser. I was the person who chaired the fund-raiser for him in 1996. I was honored by the party in North America for my outstanding contribution to the party, so I know a lot of people. I've known them for some time," ….. said.

'Keys to turning

Africa around'
… is running on the National Patriot Party ticket. He said the presidential primary is slated for later this year, perhaps as late as December, with the general election set for November 2008. He has a campaign coordinator in Ghana, with 50 campaign members having met in December to strategize how to best reach Ghana's 10 regions and 230 constituencies.

"I have met party executives in about six of the 10 regions. I have a team in Ghana, and I have a team abroad. I have had people calling in from Britain, Australia and Canada," said …., who has a campaign Web site at .... and has already written several articles for Ghanian newspapers.

He said the "keys to turning Africa around" involve dealing with "the three evils" of corruption, ethnocentrism and excessive partisanship. He said British Prime Minister Tony Blair set up a 17-member Africa Commission in 2005, with Blair in the introduction of the commission's report describing Africa as "the scar on the conscience of the world."

He said there must be a "reverse migration" of Africans back to the continent so that their talents, skills and resources can be pooled to bolster the continent's reconstruction. He said North America has the "largest concentration of black professionals in the world" in doctors, lawyers, engineers and teachers and that there are "a lot of interlocking opportunities ... to send the know-how and the example of professionalism that people here have that I believe would help out."

"For example, if you are a teacher here, you can actually teach a class in Africa living here because of teleconferencing technology. If you are a tenured professor, you can take a year off and go and teach and come back," ..said.

Outside of fighting corruption, creating jobs and attracting Ghanians back to the country, he said his two other goals include fixing the country's health care system with an emphasis on preventive health and health promotion and applying technology for the country's development.

"I'm not talking about cutting-edge technology; I'm talking about appropriate technology. Sometimes we don't move from horses and cattle ... to combine harvesters. Maybe there are intermediate technologies that will make people about 10 times more efficient. They may not make our living standards the same as here, but will make it a lot better," dr said.

'Focus on the

next generation'
…, who has two young sons, …., and … with his wife, …, said he is moving back to Ghana to fulfill what he considers a mission to serve the poor and underprivileged.

"I think we must make a difference in the world. We are too consumed by our own interests and our own wealth, and I think that we were put on Earth by God to make a difference. Most people think that I have put on the table more ideas than any other candidate.

"A lot of what I'm doing is more of setting up Web sites and other things, so I will continue to champion the issues of the poor and underprivileged. I hope that their concerns will dominate the councils of our government. We need to focus on the next generation rather than the next election, and I think there is too much of that going on," .. said.
.. received his bachelor's degree in microbiology from the University of Toronto, Canada, and his medical degree in 1991 from Spartan Health Sciences University in Vieux Fort, St. Lucia.

He completed his family practice residency through ….Wisconsin.

He is a licensed physician in South Carolina and Wisconsin and a diplomat of the American Board of Family Practice and the American Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review Physicians.

[dt]

.. received his bachelor's degree in microbiology from the University of Toronto, Canada, and his medical degree in 1991 from Spartan Health Sciences University in Vieux Fort, St. Lucia.

He completed his family practice residency through ….Wisconsin.

He is a licensed physician in South Carolina and Wisconsin and a diplomat of the American Board of Family Practice and the American Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review Physicians.


nice. thanks for the article.

I found the webpage: Diasporian News of Sunday, 4 February 2007 (http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/diaspora/artikel.php?ID=118494)

[MD04]

Ross admits more than 280 students each semester.
in a year , about 900 students but i see only 1/3 of them get into residency.
They know how to take advantage of federal loan program.

[wasselm]

inspirational story I read on the internet like to share with you.

Put on earth to make a difference


... Health Center Inc. CEO Dr. ……. is leaving his position to head back to his home country of Ghana to run for president. Exiled twice from Ghana, he thinks he now has a chance to make a difference.

Dr. …. is a bright, ambitious professional whose talents as a physician and social activist could very well make him the next president of the West African nation of Ghana.

A native of the first sub-Saharan country in colonial Africa to gain its independence, … has lived in ....since 1998. He is now looking forward to moving back to his beloved country to make a difference not only as a physician, but as president.

… seeks to become the country's next president in 2008 and has already waged an international campaign to help him achieve his goal.

He has lived in ... since 1998, when he joined the ...Health Center Inc. He served as vice president for clinical services for a year at the state's largest community health center before becoming the facility's interim chief executive officer. … has served as CEO since 2002, but is now ready to move back to Ghana to have more of a presence among the constituents he's trying to reach.

"It is important that I get there for more people to see me and hear my message. I've done quite well living here and still doing that, going up there for visits, but it's time to be there full time.

"The (HC) board is going to have a meeting to discuss what kind of arrangement they will have for running the center and to discuss modalities for hiring a new CEO," … said.

'Africa is in trouble'
… has already resigned from his job as ..HC's CEO, and his last official day on the job is March 1. In the meantime, he is working on his political campaign and sharpening his agenda for change.
… is no stranger to Ghanian politics, having been exiled twice as a United Nations refugee for activities including his participation in student-led demonstrations against a militaristic regime.

He has since become a strong, viable presidential candidate who is looking forward to making a difference in a country plagued by high infant mortality and slow trade growth rates.

"I and quite a number of people I know have been increasingly concerned about the problem of Africa in general, and Ghana in particular," dr said.

"When you look at Africa, 250,000 women die from child birth complications every year currently. About a million children under five die every year from malaria. When you look at things like trade, Africa accounted for six percent of the world's trade in 1980. By 2000, it accounted for two percent of the world's trade," he said.

….. said the United Nations' goals to rectify the extreme poverty-stricken conditions of Africans by 2015, including the provision of clean drinking water, access to health care and reductions in infant and maternal mortality, have not become a reality.

"According to the latest report by the U.N. itself, no sub-Saharan African country will meet those goals until the end of this century, which is about 94 years out. Africa is in trouble in spite of all the things that you hear," said .. who was born in Ghana's Volta region.
… began his education at the University of Ghana Medical School in Ghana, West Africa in 1980. He stepped into the Ghanian political scene as a young student leader in the 1980s, when he was president of Commonwealth Hall at the university and eventually became president of the National Union of Students.

"I was the first medical student in the country ever to hold those positions. There happened to be a military government in power, so I was one of the leaders who led protests to return the country to elective government. As a result of those protests, my education was interrupted," said ……., who became a wanted man in connection with a coup and, subsequently, became a U.N. refugee for a year in Africa before returning to resume his studies.

"I was arrested and detained and ended up having to report every day to the police for maybe about six or seven months," said ……, who was exiled again in 1987, when he spoke against the military regime as keynote speaker during the National Union of Student's 25th anniversary celebration.

"They declared me wanted again, and I had to leave. This time around, I lived in Africa for 18 months and then relocated to Canada. After I finally left in 1987, I didn't go back for about 15 years," he said, adding that he kept in touch with people with whom he was politically involved when he arrived in North America.

"I remember in 1996, when the guy who is currently president, Mr. (John), was in Chicago for a fund-raiser. I was the person who chaired the fund-raiser for him in 1996. I was honored by the party in North America for my outstanding contribution to the party, so I know a lot of people. I've known them for some time," ….. said.

'Keys to turning

Africa around'
… is running on the National Patriot Party ticket. He said the presidential primary is slated for later this year, perhaps as late as December, with the general election set for November 2008. He has a campaign coordinator in Ghana, with 50 campaign members having met in December to strategize how to best reach Ghana's 10 regions and 230 constituencies.

"I have met party executives in about six of the 10 regions. I have a team in Ghana, and I have a team abroad. I have had people calling in from Britain, Australia and Canada," said …., who has a campaign Web site at .... and has already written several articles for Ghanian newspapers.

He said the "keys to turning Africa around" involve dealing with "the three evils" of corruption, ethnocentrism and excessive partisanship. He said British Prime Minister Tony Blair set up a 17-member Africa Commission in 2005, with Blair in the introduction of the commission's report describing Africa as "the scar on the conscience of the world."

He said there must be a "reverse migration" of Africans back to the continent so that their talents, skills and resources can be pooled to bolster the continent's reconstruction. He said North America has the "largest concentration of black professionals in the world" in doctors, lawyers, engineers and teachers and that there are "a lot of interlocking opportunities ... to send the know-how and the example of professionalism that people here have that I believe would help out."

"For example, if you are a teacher here, you can actually teach a class in Africa living here because of teleconferencing technology. If you are a tenured professor, you can take a year off and go and teach and come back," ..said.

Outside of fighting corruption, creating jobs and attracting Ghanians back to the country, he said his two other goals include fixing the country's health care system with an emphasis on preventive health and health promotion and applying technology for the country's development.

"I'm not talking about cutting-edge technology; I'm talking about appropriate technology. Sometimes we don't move from horses and cattle ... to combine harvesters. Maybe there are intermediate technologies that will make people about 10 times more efficient. They may not make our living standards the same as here, but will make it a lot better," dr said.

'Focus on the

next generation'
…, who has two young sons, …., and … with his wife, …, said he is moving back to Ghana to fulfill what he considers a mission to serve the poor and underprivileged.

"I think we must make a difference in the world. We are too consumed by our own interests and our own wealth, and I think that we were put on Earth by God to make a difference. Most people think that I have put on the table more ideas than any other candidate.

"A lot of what I'm doing is more of setting up Web sites and other things, so I will continue to champion the issues of the poor and underprivileged. I hope that their concerns will dominate the councils of our government. We need to focus on the next generation rather than the next election, and I think there is too much of that going on," .. said.
.. received his bachelor's degree in microbiology from the University of Toronto, Canada, and his medical degree in 1991 from Spartan Health Sciences University in Vieux Fort, St. Lucia.

He completed his family practice residency through ….Wisconsin.

He is a licensed physician in South Carolina and Wisconsin and a diplomat of the American Board of Family Practice and the American Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review Physicians.


this is very inspiting story. thanks for picking up this article.

[ASIANDOC]

And I believe that's why Spartan grads are not as many as schools like SGU in US mainstream medicne,a school that graduate 75 students per yr differs from school that graduate 500/yr,also based on my search very high # of spartan grads go into many aspects of careers,I found so many adminstrators[CEO's],many work as directors in pharmacueticals[Gerber],many judges and lawyers using the medical knowledge to help in medical cases,professors in healthcare fields,TV health educators,dept of health leaders,insurance co[medical directors],and huge # practicing in their homeland.
I have seen inspirational after inspirational stories and I believe such success despite the allegations of limited resources of basic education should be the materials for any journalist dream to show that if someone chasing a dream ,the dream will evetually chase them.such grads were able to put harvard,cornell,columbia and other big names next to Spartan name on physicians details hospital websites all over the USA.EXAMPLE:




"If you have a dream and you chase it and work hard for it...the dream eventually will chase you....everywhere .. "ASIANDOC"

personal thoughts and opinion

[ASIANDOC]

nice. thanks for the article.

I found the webpage: Diasporian News of Sunday, 4 February 2007 (http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/diaspora/artikel.php?ID=118494)

yes,that was the article and you must be good in internet search,and since this doctor is a public figure now,its ok to post info.,his website

The Arthur Kobina Kennedy Campaign Website - Home (http://www.arthurkkennedy.com/)