Reality Show???

[razfuz]

I'm posting out of serious concern surrounding the latest news here on Saba.

Does anyone disagree that Saba, or any caribbean medical school, allowing the producers of Laguna Beach come in and make a reality show on the life of caribbean medical students is a BAD IDEA?

Sure, there is probably some financial gain in the short term for Saba. But, this is a very dangerous and risky ploy that could devastate the careers of IMGs.

It's hard enough dealing with the attitudes and biases against caribbean medical schools. I can't even imagine what it would be like after having our school EXPLOITED nationally.

Just imagine interviews in the US or Canada. Imagine what future patients will think. Imagine what our American or Canadian-trained colleagues will think. Image another black mark in the history of caribbean medical schools.

I am not here at Saba to get my 10 seconds of fame. I am here to become a physician.

[stateofequilibrium]

After watching a few episodes of Laguna Beach, I think this would be a veeery veeery bad idea. Make it all about the partying and shallow talk. Why Saba though? I would imagine one of the bigger schools, or the "party school" like AUC would fit more into a reality program? Unless the scenary of Saba fits more with the "backwoods" look.

[krust3]

I talked to a "higher up" in admin after being solicited by this dude. Definitely a bad idea. This person said it was totally out of his/her hands and it was approved with the idea of getting Saba some press. This person also admitted that he/she had never seen any of the laguna beach/hills productions.

So i then gave a brief 25 minute synopsis of Laguna/Hills and why Lauren needs to dump her man and also how Jason is two timing jerk. I mean, come on! Open ur eyes girl, he's no good for you!... uh.. Oh, ya sorry.

anyway, I think he/she got my point that this is bad news regardless of which school gets involved.

[darkmansaad]

i for one support the laguna beach-ization of saba. i mean it would be boring and all but it would give me and mr diesel money a shot at running in slow motion shirtless through the mountains of saba while a theme song plays in the background (im pullin for "shes a maniac" but i am very flexible) a la baywatch. any tv show watching young white people enjoy their money and cause drama is something i support

[gianefiasco]

i for one support the laguna beach-ization of saba. i mean it would be boring and all but it would give me and mr diesel money a shot at running in slow motion shirtless through the mountains of saba while a theme song plays in the background (im pullin for "shes a maniac" but i am very flexible) a la baywatch. any tv show watching young white people enjoy their money and cause drama is something i support

WOW couldn't have said it better myself. ITS about time saba was "lagunized".

I mean goats and inbreeding was cool 150 years ago , but come on people!

[medschool22]

anybody remember which school was on "Fraternity Life" its first (and only?) year?

exactly.


(I do, I went their for 2 years)

[Boulderunner]

guess i better start practicing my 'Blue Steel" look. or perhaps el tigre would be better...they both come so naturally!!



then when Im interviewing for residency ill just strike a pose and theyll know who i am instantly!!

[miasma]

this is the dumbest thing the school could ever think of...ridiculous.

[Leighcrna]

mtvU.com (http://www.mtvu.com/partners/st_georges_grenada/) .......Doesn't sound like they are being negative toward caribbean medical schools...maybe we are overreacting?????:confused:

[thedirtychemist]

Well, I don't know about this one guys. My opinion is that since it's for TV, then they will have to accentuate some aspect of Saba to try to make it appealing or dramatic. In other words, people who will be watching this show will be learning about Saba the hollywood way which is not always the most honest way.

All in all, I think it poses a threat to potentially make us (carib students) look bad.

[Canadaguy]

I agree with some of the above posters. Nothing good can come from this. Maybe I'm just skeptical when it comes to the media...

[Boulderunner]

heres the thing. this show is going to be made. I actually interviewed for the show, and the guy doing the interviews said the show is going to air for certain, and it is going to be one of the carib med schools. so my take on it is that we should try our hardest to make sure that it is done on saba so we have some control of how carib schools are portrayed. all carib med schools are bunched together. to the US a carib med school is a carib med school. they dont realy differentiate. so do we want the students at AUC deciding how all carib med schools are portrayed or do we want saba to be the major school deciding how carib med schools are portrayed. the guy interviewing said that the auc students were for the most part a joke compared to us. they partied a lot more. were less serious about their studies and were typical;ly from far more affluent backgrounds.he thought we were mpre seroius as a whole and seemed far more concerned about studying. like i said the show is going to air;they already have the name they just need to decide on where to shoot, and i think that of all the potential schools ours will show best the trials and tribulations that we go through to pursue our passion. so it is incumbent on us to show the world that school in the caribbean is about more than partying.

[bhs2a]

That is great reasoning Boulderunner. But which school do you think mtv would want to shoot?

I hope they aren't trying to make a show about sex, drugs, and rock & roll while attending med school in the Caribbean. That would be our demise. Our meaning "Caribbean students". But on the positive side, if they show our dedication to medicine and pursuing our dreams in the face of obstacles...... that would rock.

But if it is Laguna style ..... that sounds like the sex, drugs, and rock & roll.

So what do all the smart people out there think? If they make Caribbean medical schools look like parties, what kind of impact are we looking at?

[tpw2k]

wow so this is actually serious? LOL, I thought it was some kind of joke. I am coming in sept 07, will I be able to get a role? Can I play the villian?

I can't believe this is serious.

[playarf]

IMO, this is a horrible idea, and will only bring negative attention to school.

[GFLIP]

reality TV = lots of hook ups

[stephew]

mtvU.com (http://www.mtvu.com/partners/st_georges_grenada/) .......Doesn't sound like they are being negative toward caribbean medical schools...maybe we are overreacting?????:confused:

remember: a reality show needs ratings. its not about their personal philosophy. MTVU may have a nice (if juvenile and not the image you want report) on sgu. this says nothing about what a reality show would be like. remember "Real World" the first reality show? Use some savvy about this. its a scary idea.

[regnart]

Hard to believe this.

[Leighcrna]

I agree Boulderunner, if this thing is a go, i hope who ever is chosen will represent the school well. I heard Harpo Production (Oprah's company which is Oxygen channel) is where it will be aired? Maybe this will help us all to start acting professional in social and business settings on the island...remember If you live your life like the whole world is watching they should not have too much good stuff to put on the airways anyway, Right? Yes i know they can edit, but would you rather them edit you saying i hate studying or go to AUC or St.George's editing partying and hook ups? As a caribbean school, we will be classified in the group no matter where this thing is going to be produced.....Also with new owners, do you really think this million dollar company would let a TV show come in and destroy their new investment? If the show portrayed us as a joke then what would that do for future enrollments and their mega profits?

heres the thing. this show is going to be made. I actually interviewed for the show, and the guy doing the interviews said the show is going to air for certain, and it is going to be one of the carib med schools. so my take on it is that we should try our hardest to make sure that it is done on saba so we have some control of how carib schools are portrayed. all carib med schools are bunched together. to the US a carib med school is a carib med school. they dont realy differentiate. so do we want the students at AUC deciding how all carib med schools are portrayed or do we want saba to be the major school deciding how carib med schools are portrayed. the guy interviewing said that the auc students were for the most part a joke compared to us. they partied a lot more. were less serious about their studies and were typical;ly from far more affluent backgrounds.he thought we were mpre seroius as a whole and seemed far more concerned about studying. like i said the show is going to air;they already have the name they just need to decide on where to shoot, and i think that of all the potential schools ours will show best the trials and tribulations that we go through to pursue our passion. so it is incumbent on us to show the world that school in the caribbean is about more than partying.

[Boulderunner]

its not an mtv product. it is going ot be aired on the oxygen channel. I didnt even know that this channel existed till two days ago. the producer said that the style they are looking for is more like gray's anatomy (the reality show about docs not the fox drama sitcom). i dont think there will be nearly as much exposure as people think, especially when it airs on a channel for oprah winfri

[Leighcrna]

Check this out.....Variety.com - Fox anatomy lesson (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117955082.html?categoryid=14&cs=1)
http://www.variety.com/graphics/photos/_mugh/hayek_salma.jpg
Hayek

"Ugly Betty" exec producer Salma Hayek is expanding further into television, setting up a medical-school drama at Fox....they are going to be following an IVY league school first year students....I did not realize us future doctors were so interesting...i guess we can thank "grey's anatomy" for that!...:oops:

[krust3]

now i've put a lot of thought into this whole deal....

originally i was against it all, but now i'm starting to see that only good can come from this. My only concern at this point is what the show theme music should be.

i'd like to suggest "It's hard out here for a pimp", which was a street credible yet delicate piece popularized by the movie "Hustle and Flow".

i think this song accurately portrays our lives as caribbean medical students. Where we the students are pimps, and as with medical school, pimpin' aint easy.

if that doesn't garner us "RESPECK" from residency directors, i don't know what will.

[gianefiasco]

FInally YOur coming around...ANd I hope it has nothing to do with me flexing topless on my balcony for the past 45 minutes to the Greatest Hits of the 80's. BUT I digress... I agree with your choice of themesong, its got oscar credibility and has not gotten its full due as the cultural land mark it is


Other candidate songs:
"D1ck Don't fail me now"- Mike Jones
"Dipset Christmas" Dipset
"PAAARTY ALAARM" - some german techno band

[Leighcrna]

I knew you would figure out something to get your 15 minutes of fame on the new show...i can just see it now, you singing the theme song "Its hard out here for a pimp", with the hair and green sunglasses ,you should have a HUGE fan base...Can i have your autograph, now????..:D

now i've put a lot of thought into this whole deal....

originally i was against it all, but now i'm starting to see that only good can come from this. My only concern at this point is what the show theme music should be.

i'd like to suggest "It's hard out here for a pimp", which was a street credible yet delicate piece popularized by the movie "Hustle and Flow".

i think this song accurately portrays our lives as caribbean medical students. Where we the students are pimps, and as with medical school, pimpin' aint easy.

if that doesn't garner us "RESPECK" from residency directors, i don't know what will.

[jerry collins]

There was a short lived series about americans studying at medical school in Jamaica. There is also a movie called Bad Medicine about americans studying medicine in south america. I dont think a series would begood for us.

[ducman]

Excellent post Jerry.

A brief description of Bad Medicine from TV Guide:


To capitalize on the media attention given to foreign medical schools after the US invaded the small Caribbean island of Grenada (ostensibly to rescue 600 American students from a communist takeover), 20th Century-Fox ground out this unfunny comedy. It takes place at a Central American medical school that caters to American students unable to gain admission to colleges stateside. Steve Guttenberg is a young man who ends up at one such medical school, which is run by the dictator of the country, Alan Arkin. On arrival, Guttenberg discovers Arkin runs the medical school like a boot camp. Once the initial shock wears off, Guttenberg makes friends with Julie Hagerty, a young nurse who wants to be a doctor. The noble med students decide to subvert Arkin's despotic rule by setting up a secret hospital to help peasants. The laughs are few and far between in BAD MEDICINE. Arkin, as usual, is wasted here, as is Hagerty. Director Harvey Miller shows little talent behind the camera and lets his script wallow in obnoxious humor.

[Leighcrna]

BAD MEDICINE was a 1985 comedy fictional "movie" based on a novel...alot different than a reality tv show.... see the link..Bad Medicine (1985) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088765/) .......... with that said those shows and negative "press" described above did nothing to keep me or anyone else from obtaining our MD degrees in the caribbean setting or placing in good residency programs across canada and the states in the last 22 years. I agree, we need to be careful how this is portrayed, but honestly the decision looks like it is out of our hands. So what can we do? We can make sure those who get on the show represent the schools well.......whether it be Saba, St George's, or AUC. We can show the that we are getting good residency spots, our education is tough, we get high step 1 scores, and that we all come from well known Universities in canada and the states, show IMGs involvement in different organizations (whether thats campus based or medical mission based, etc)....If the producers find that boring then good, they dont produce the show, if they find it interesting then good, we can shed some positive light on IMGs....i guess what i am trying to say is complaining and stressing over how this is going to ruin our careers is obviously not going to get anyone anywhere or keep them from showing up here or over there.......what we need to figure out is how we (caribbean IMGs) can (all schools include on this) turn this negative thing into a positive reality show?????

[BTH]

Yep, if it's going to happen then the best we can hope for is for something positive to come out of this. Hey, if it gets produced then I'll be sure to watch when I'm doing my rotations. Ciao.

[summerwind]

The producers of the show have also talked to SGU students and administration. They too are weighing the pros and cons of hosting such a show.

[rokshana]

however the chancellor at sgu has said that if the student body is against it, then sgu will not participate. There is an sga meeting about it tomorrow.

someone earlier asked how can we stop this? Its gonna happen anyway? Its stoppable simply if the schools - all of them - agree that this is not a good idea and that they won't participate in this venture.

if this production company was responsible for shows like trauma: life in the ER or the residents (on tlc), then maybe the response would be different, but i seriously doubt a production company named gogo lucky productions is making a high brow show

do you really want some show like this to be on the schedule while you are out there interviewing for residencies?

[gianefiasco]

WEll I personaly hope It takes a "survivor style Format" and each episode another medical student is "voted off the island" and MUSt literally leave the medical school!!

NOW THAt is a show I would watch!:D

[darkmansaad]

the more hours this show is shot in the gym the better the outcome will be i feel.....

[sheikh1]

What the .....

[rokshana]

WEll I personaly hope It takes a "survivor style Format" and each episode another medical student is "voted off the island" and MUSt literally leave the medical school!!

NOW THAt is a show I would watch!:D

and the winner gets to transfer to a US school? hmmm... i could support that...

[gianefiasco]

the more hours this show is shot in the gym the better the outcome will be i feel.....

I think we should talk to the ocals about using that local station to broadcast a workout show. Working title ideas: "power hour", "diesel Time", "Flex or die". The channel as it is goes unused except to showcase local candidates during these rigged elections. JUst imagine tuning in to sculpted Abs, Bulging Biceps and/or flexing glutes........

[genialg]

Although I haven't started school yet, I don't think SABA should do this.

If SABA students are protrayed in a bad light, all carib schools would be looked at in a bad light. Viewers will think that if a small medical school on an island with 1500 people has drama then ALL the schools do(they do, but they are going to make drama as the centre stage not studying).

It would be nice if all the carib schools said no, but I would like a small school with no reputation to get this docu-drama. Schools like SABA, AUC and SGU all have a good reputation ...and this could be lost .

[darkmansaad]

for all people who are concerned about our school possibly having a bad rep
kindly refer to previous posts about the gym, diesel hour, or flexing in general

that should answer all your questions

[gianefiasco]

for all people who are concerned about our school possibly having a bad rep
kindly refer to previous posts about the gym, diesel hour, or flexing in general

that should answer all your questions

*TOTAL BODY FLEX*
THE ONLY MEANING OF "REP" THAT MATTERS IS HOW MANY TIMES U LIFT A WEIGHT!!!
*Head explodes*

[JLea]

As someone who has worked in the television business for over 20 years, I feel qualified to put in my $.02...

Oprah runs the Oxygen network. She never has, and in my opinion never will, put a show like Laguna Beach on the air. I've done work for her, I believe that I know her style. She is all into overcoming, not portrayal of wild parties. The demographics of the Oxygen channel are women, aged 18-34. MTV's demographics are kids, aged 12-24 with the 12-17 year old group being reached most intimately. A series produced in the style of Laguna Beach would not reach her demographic.

Additionally, it should be safe to assume that the owners and board members of the school (even with the just completed sale) would have the sense to include a clause that they would have to approve the show before it aired. Does anyone really believe that the school would allow the show to air if it portrayed the school in a bad light?

Finally, before we assume that the producers will produce a show ala Laguna Beach (just because they did in the past), let's look at our own pasts. I assume that most, if not all of us have done some pretty stupid things in our pasts. Does this mean that we will continue to do stupid things? (Well, maybe the midway party negates this argument...)

I believe that the show has great potential to portray the school and its students in a good light. If it's produced, we need to act as medical students should; professionally. If we behave, then there will be no chance for the show to make us look bad.

Just my $.02!

[cavalletti]

SGU has officially declined the request to host the show on their campus. Maybe Saba will be the location of choice.

[rokshana]

As someone who has worked in the television business for over 20 years, I feel qualified to put in my $.02...

Oprah runs the Oxygen network. She never has, and in my opinion never will, put a show like Laguna Beach on the air. I've done work for her, I believe that I know her style. She is all into overcoming, not portrayal of wild parties. The demographics of the Oxygen channel are women, aged 18-34. MTV's demographics are kids, aged 12-24 with the 12-17 year old group being reached most intimately. A series produced in the style of Laguna Beach would not reach her demographic.

Additionally, it should be safe to assume that the owners and board members of the school (even with the just completed sale) would have the sense to include a clause that they would have to approve the show before it aired. Does anyone really believe that the school would allow the show to air if it portrayed the school in a bad light?

Finally, before we assume that the producers will produce a show ala Laguna Beach (just because they did in the past), let's look at our own pasts. I assume that most, if not all of us have done some pretty stupid things in our pasts. Does this mean that we will continue to do stupid things? (Well, maybe the midway party negates this argument...)

I believe that the show has great potential to portray the school and its students in a good light. If it's produced, we need to act as medical students should; professionally. If we behave, then there will be no chance for the show to make us look bad.

Just my $.02!

with all due respect to your 20 years in tv, have you LOOKED at the tv shows ON oxygen?

Oxygen TV Shows (http://www.oxygen.com/tvshows/)

the bad girls club? rodeo girls? and tori and dean -inn love??

not the network I would want my school (and thankfully mine has say no!) to be associated with. This is NOT a good idea for any of us- i hope saba will listen to its student body like sgu did and go with what the students felt is in their best interest.

[darkmansaad]

pwned................

[JLea]

Rokshanna, I stand corrected. The Oxygen Channel that I did work for carried nothing like the shows that are on there now. (I should have looked.)

It seems that 18-34 year old women have much lower standards than they did 5 years ago and therefore, I guess that Oprah has lowered her bar, significantly.

My mind is starting to change about the show.

[darkmansaad]

If you read my posts you will see that I have zero concerns about the school being portrayed in a bad light. For indeed, I am willing to sign up for the show and take the show to new great heights for the sake of all of us. And by great heights I mean, film the show in the gym while maximum flexing and grunting is occurring. The audience will be too mesmerized by that to notice "red flags" like the high percentage of students watching movies/playing video games in class, students taking shelves they havent been fully prepared for, or my personal favorite the event of a class not taking a shelf exam due to someone "losing it".

and in response to your comment about my vocabulary, all i have to say is = dipset

[rokshana]

Rokshanna, I stand corrected. The Oxygen Channel that I did work for carried nothing like the shows that are on there now. (I should have looked.)

It seems that 18-34 year old women have much lower standards than they did 5 years ago and therefore, I guess that Oprah has lowered her bar, significantly.

My mind is starting to change about the show.

.

i'll have to admit - i too thought Oprah had higher standards.