Maybe we could get the new owners to change the name of the school.

[bigguy]

Hey y'all,

Now that it's official that the school is sold, maybe we could rally for a name/identity change for the school. When I was going through pros and cons of schools, the only con Saba had was it's name, but it was a big enough con for me to consider spending a another 150K to have a degree that reads St. George's hanging on my wall, rather than Saba University.

From a brand marketing perspective Saba University is a terrible name. As anyone who attends Saba knows, it is perpetually mispronounced. It sounds like a school based in latin america, and it has no meaning, no distinction and no cachet. It also screams foreign medical school.

I'd much rather have a degree that referenced some vague religious affiliation (St. Someone) that's common among medical institutions and schools, or a totally generic sounding name that sounds good, but doesn't really mean anything, like Union School of Medicine.

Because of the name Saba, I feel like I'm going to spend my career explaining to patients that I went to a foreign medical school in the Netherlands Antilles, and then I'm going to have to explain what the Netherlands Antilles is. I think if the school had some generic sounding name like, St. Luke's College of Medicine, people would be more likely to just think that it's some school they'd never heard of in the mid-west.

The school could phase out the Saba University slowly, by initially calling the school something like "St. Luke's School of Medicine at Saba University" and ultimately do away with it altogether in a few years. For former grads, they could offer the option of having their degrees re-issued under the new name.

My undergraduate college changed it's name, and it resulted in a massive number of new enrollments and charitable gifts to the school's endowment.

Also, a name change that wasn't island specific would make the school more mobile, if they ever chose to relocate it.

I'm curious about other people's thoughts.

Bigguy
Ps. Here are my top name suggestions:
St. Luke's School of Medicine
St. Vincent's School of Medicine
Union School of Medicine
Unity College of Medicine
Abraham College of Medicine

All you do and all you see is all your life will ever be. ~Pink Floyd

[gianefiasco]

How about Equinox Capital University School of Medicine... EFUSM..VERY catchy AND generic!!!

[rdecastro]

You've been partying, haven't you?

[JeebusLives]

just add saint to the beginning of the school's name. most christians wont know its not a real saint anyways.

St. Saba School of Medicine

[bhs2a]

hmmmm....... some of those names sound pretty nice. I do have to agree that anytime I tell someone I am going to Saba University School of Medicine I get some type of look; then the usual questions.

And all of BigGuy's suggestions have a "ring" to them. The only one I am not crazy about is Union. Maybe we should conduct a vote.

All in favor of a name change say "I"; followed by your favorite name of BigGuy's or your own suggestion.

The only negative I see about a name change would be that Saba has established a good reputation with some PD's. Opinions???

[MissCrabette]

I won't be attending Saba myself, but I do care about the school's future. I don't think a name change would be a good idea for a couple of reasons.

#1 Saba has established a good reputation and the name change would create confusion at first, which is not what the new graduates need in order to secure a residency.

#2 A name change might be seen as a sign of instability in the program. That's not how the school wants to come across. The school sale might turn out to be a great thing, but it it does create a degree of uncertainty and a name change would only add to that.

I'm in favor of keeping the name unchanged. Besides, pretty soon you'll be able to say you went to school in the Netherlands. No more Netherlands Antilles.

[bhs2a]

Pure wisdom MissCrabette. Very good points.

[Boulderunner]

actually now we can tell people we went to school in Holland I believe. as the netherlands antilles no longer includes saba. we are a direct municipality of Holland. sounds a bit better.

[teratos]

There was a scam school called St. Luke's. I think it was in Liberia. You don't want St. Luke's. G

[rdecastro]

actually now we can tell people we went to school in Holland I believe. as the netherlands antilles no longer includes saba. we are a direct municipality of Holland. sounds a bit better.


Not until 1 July, I understand.

[medschool22]

yea, let's change the school name, good idea....NOT

first off, sorry, but those suggested names suck.

secondly, Saba has a pretty good rep. Why change the school's name, and have to "start over" in a way?

[LaCatin]

If you think a name change will help any school, check in to Tulane's Sophie Newcomb College fiasco. The unpopular decision to dissolve the college probably did more damage than Katrina. I personally will be just fine with SUSOM.

[GFLIP]

i love it when i tell people i go to SABA and they ask, "where's that?" ... and i say, "SABA" ... why would i want to change that?

[gianefiasco]

After Consulting with some Student Council reps The followng names have been submitted by admin as up for discussion.

1. The Chuck Norris ACademy of Medicine- Degree will come branded on cowhide leather, with an embossed graphic of Chuck Norris's fist.

2. The Macgyver College of Medicine - Graduates will be encouraged to fashion there own degrees using a string, a penlight, and the Moon's gravitatonal pull.

3. Diesel School Of Medicine - New emphasis on sports medicine and the appeal of chiseled abs. Sleeveless scrubs mandatory, and shirts optional on Campus.

[JeebusLives]

Bad Use of Sarcasm
yea, let's change the school name, good idea....NOT

Good Use of Sarcasm
After Consulting with some Student Council reps The followng names have been submitted by admin as up for discussion.

1. The Chuck Norris ACademy of Medicine- Degree will come branded on cowhide leather, with an embossed graphic of Chuck Norris's fist.

2. The Macgyver College of Medicine - Graduates will be encouraged to fashion there own degrees using a string, a penlight, and the Moon's gravitatonal pull.

3. Diesel School Of Medicine - New emphasis on sports medicine and the appeal of chiseled abs. Sleeveless scrubs mandatory, and shirts optional on Campus.

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

[krust3]

3 top notch suggestions Fiasca.

Certainly Saba University doesn't have the same appeal as something like Slippery Rock University, but a little creativity goes some distance here.

I never knew how to pronounce Saba and thoroughly butchered it during my admissions interview, which clearly underminded my pre-acceptance self proclaimed knowledge of the school's and island's history. Apparantly nobody cares, or truly knows, how to pronounce Saba.

I'm rather proud of the fact that i'm in med school (anywhere) and could give a damn what ill thoughts people have conceived as a result of the school's name. I also understand though that this does matter some people and for that i propose a different take on the name. perhaps something that embraces our West Indies culture....

next time someone asks you where you go to school (where you got your MD from) conjur up your best deep voiced rastafarian accent and belt out a "Saba!" Kinda like the way Shaggy or Sean P@ul throw out a "Shaba" in some of their dope lyrics. Don't even say university or anything. A hearty Jamaican "SABA!" should suffice..... and your street cred is re-instated sir. Thank you Sean P@ul!

I agree a shallow "St. Anything" would roll off the tongue, and never make waves to anyone who happened to overhear you whisper what school you attended. But then again who cares, it's still better than "american university of the caribbean"!


SHABA!

[gianefiasco]

AHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA


I go to SHABA!!!!!

[yashar1981]

complaining about where saba is ha, well just imagine me in the custom's room in JFK international, and the first thing they ask is 'sir where are you coming from and where are you going to?' and i says, Saba ... long sotry short, i Missed my flight and had to convince these agents (who were multiplying by minute) that there is actually a place called Saba...

[GFLIP]

why were you there in the first place?

[yashar1981]

it's still under investigation!!!

[darkmansaad]

wow yashar, i have seriously never laughed this hard after a valuemd post. well done.

on a separate note i agree with gianefiascos #3 suggestion. i believe as a patient you are more willing to listen to your physician with long flowing hair as his bulging biceps palpate your cremasteric reflex and his chiseled abs remind you of the healing power of diet.

and to pass your final CSA you must win a posedown against a member of the elite gym crew, now accepting applications

[SuzieJ]

I'm rather proud of the fact that i'm in med school (anywhere) and could give a damn what ill thoughts people have conceived as a result of the school's name.

Agreed.

And I believe I'll be taking your advice in regards to your novel way of pronouncing the school. :)

[gianefiasco]

it's still under investigation!!!

LMFAO.....this thread has brightened an otherwise Dark and stormy Shelf Study marathon.

To hear this story from Yashir1981 itself is worth its weight in Anthrax!.

SHABAA!!!!!

[trauma77]

What does the sale of SUSOM mean for the current students? Tuition hike? Affiliation changes? Who purchased the school?

[swinginislanddoc]

complaining about where saba is ha, well just imagine me in the custom's room in JFK international, and the first thing they ask is 'sir where are you coming from and where are you going to?' and i says, Saba ... long sotry short, i Missed my flight and had to convince these agents (who were multiplying by minute) that there is actually a place called Saba...


HAHAHAH During my surgery rotation I was trying too explain to my roommate, a New York transplant to southern FL, where Saba was so that he would stop claiming that Saba HAD to be really close to Jamaica. I was laying it out, starting with FL then moving down to the Bahamas....

"The Bahamas are south of Florida?"

:neutral: "Yes...."

".......I thought they were off of North Carolina."

:shock: "Um, no.... You DO know the Florida Keys are off of Florida, right?"

"Well yeah...I knew that......"

I still laugh at him for that one.

Anywho, I just usually ask if they know where St. Maarten or St. Barths is...if not I start with Puerto Rico, work my way past the Virgin Islands and the start of the Caribbean chain. All else fails I just shrug and walk away. ;)

~S :cool:

[medschool22]

you guys are hilarious.

Anything is better than the "American University of the Caribbean" LOL (i was accepted there, and had planned on going there...but Saba accepted me...so I can make fun of AUCers lol)


*** cares what the name of the school is. That's pretty trivial. It's not like someone won't ask "so where is that located" (that would be the next question in a pretty standard set of "i need to think of something to talk about" type of questions)

[teratos]

Anything is better than the "American University of the Caribbean" LOL (i was accepted there, and had planned on going there...but Saba accepted me...so I can make fun of AUCers lol)

um, yeah. They'll be really upset. :rolleyes: G

[finishingfifth]

AUC students are too busy enjoying an island that resembles civilization to care about SABA's opinion. Hey, arent you guys owned by a school that doesn't have Cali. BTW, ask a program director which school he would prefer, AUC or some random equinox subsidiary.

[js_paramedic_1979]

SID:
I'm currently on Surg in FL.. I explained the (location of the island / name of the school) at least 4 times today!! I think maybe this is b/c the hosp lists the school name on our ID badge.. On a side note, last week they actually went through the match list from Saba.. They remembered names and talked about where the students matched.. I was pretty impressed to see this type of follow-up!!

take care,

[medschool22]

AUC students are too busy enjoying an island that resembles civilization to care about SABA's opinion. Hey, arent you guys owned by a school that doesn't have Cali. BTW, ask a program director which school he would prefer, AUC or some random equinox subsidiary.

i thought fanboys only existed for game consoles :D

[gianefiasco]

i thought fanboys only existed for game consoles :D
lol well they also exist for japanese anime series as there are a few 4th semester Naruto fanboys for sure!

[ResearchingGuy]

Pleeeeeaassseeee...

No more Saints!:mad:

I think they are all pretty much used up by now anyhow (maybe "St. Lance" or "St. Beyonce" or something like that might still be available).

As for the "Big Four" (or "Big 3" and the '"little brother") St. George's set the pace as the many "St. Also-ran's" show. American University of the Caribbean was kinda up front with its name ( I always admired that) and Ross sorta flew under the radar ( I've seen a number of residency listings saying it is New York - it also sounds a little like "Rush" if you mumble). I think the name Saba is great because it is named after the place where it is located (like AUC? or, say, Ohio University?)

Besides, I always enjoyed the exchange mentioned previously:
"Where did you go to school?"
"Saba"
"Where is that?"
"Saba"

As for me, I just tell people I went to a small private school down south.;)

But seriously folks, I always liked Saba, even before I interviewed and called it "Sobba". I still like Saba. It's a good place and a good school. I'm proud to (almost be) a graduate.

As for the sale. First I've heard of it. Anybody got a link that can give us more info?

Best of Luck!

PS - As for other breaking news, check this out to see what Dr. **** is up to. He could be setting a new trend:

AACOM | Inside OME (http://www.aacom.org/insideome/2007-05-May.asp#item12.1)

[rdecastro]

Where did you go to school?

SUSoM, pronounced Sue-SOM (long O in the SOM).

If they ask again, tell them you've got to do a rectal on them.