New experiences from a new student

[IAUmed]

Many of you, potential students, are probably wondering what it would be like to pack up and move for school. I can't tell you what you would experience, but I will share a few of my observations so far.

I am a new student to IAU. I have been on the island for 4 weeks now. My initial impression was very depressing. I had heard stories about how nice the island was, and how fun it was going to be. Unfortunately, the people I had spoken to, regarding the island, were people who never left the resorts they stayed at.

The beaches I have seen are not white sandy beaches litered with toursits. Instead, the majority of the beaches I have seen are covered in trash. The water is nice and warm though. You won't have much time to go to the beach anyway.

The locals are generally rude. They show some politeness, but if you give a bum some money, they will find you everyday and you will have to give them more. Sometimes they like to find you in the store and put stuff on the register so you hava to pay for it.

I lost count of how many times I have been cut off in line. It happens at the store, it happens at a restraunt, it happens pretty much everywhere. You can be standing there, waiting your turn, and they just walk in front of you like they own the place. The exception is a restraunt called "scooby's". The owners are extremely nice, and will deliver to you no problem. The food is great too.

So far the school is the one thing that is keeping me sane. I spend so much time on campus, that I do not have to deal with the locals. Our classes begin at 8am. They made a big deal about attendance and punctuation, but most of the instructors are late. The instructors are as expected.

Our physiology class is, by far, the best. Dr. A** is easy to understand and very approachable. He doesn't hide the fact that his test questions are going to be hard. He expects you to learn the information and gives you more than enough help to do so. If I fail this class, its my own fault.

Biochemistry is on the same level, but the instructor has a heavy accent. He is nice enough, and aware that he can be difficult to understand at times. Just ask him to repeat and he will. His lectures are to the point, and follow the book well. From what I have heard, the lippincott biochem review book is all you really need. I recomend purchasing the BRS (board review) book as well.

Embryology.... this class has proven to be the easiest and hardest at the same time. The lectures have been very scattered, and the instructor reads directly from the text. There have been no powerpoint lectures to date, and I have found it difficult to follow. I do not hold it against the instructor, as no one will speak to her directly about the class. Instead, we just complain to each other and do it on our own. Most of my time is spent reading the book, and the "high yeild" book. I recomend purchasing the high yeild book. The BRS for embryo is good for questions, but you are really going to need the high yeild if you want to retain the information.

Doctoring 1 is great. The instructor seems a bit confrontational, but he has to be. The whole idea of becoming a Dr. is to be able to respond accordingly to any given scenario. I've heard mixed reviews of the class. People have told me to read the book, and others have said everything you need to know is in the lecture notes. I read both, because extra information can never hurt. This class is a "sleeper" so don't neglect to study for it!

Clinics- The clinics are great. I love Dr. A*******. He has a special sense of humor, and if you mess up, he will defiantely let you know... every time he sees you. So don't mess up! The clinics are held in either Vieux Fort, or Laborie. I have only been to the Laborie clinic as of now. It is definately 3rd world feel. It is hot, humid, and there will be no AC. You must be accustomed to standing for a long period of time. You must also dress professionally (but no tie required). Your labcoat must be clean, and pressed. I had originally asked what the dress code for school was, and I was told that shorts and t-shirts would be ok. so that is all I brought with me. This however is not the case! You really should invest in some wrinkle free dress pants, and shirts. Short sleeve is recomended. Bring some polo shirts too. You can't were those at the clinics, but you will wear them to class everyday. It's hot, so get some stuff that breathes. I have already seen 3 students pass out while in the doctors office at clinic.

The clinics are the best part of the week. You get to meet the nice locals. They are very polite, and well mannered. Please return the favor. I have already seen my first tumor, and heard my first irregular heart beat. Four years of hands on education is priceless! I cannot stress this enough.

Case studies- The senior students said it was too easy, and voiced their opinion to the administration. The Dean ripped us a new one today in class. He asked why no one has started our presentations yet, and we replied "we have a test on monday". Apparently this is not a viable excuse. It kind of gave me a negative impression, and a feeling like they want us to fail, but then again it seems like they just want to make it hard so we actually have to apply ourselves. They have made it clear that we are expected to avoid food, and sleep, so we can complete the work load and study. It's too early to tell, but feel free to ask for updates.

So do I regret my choice to come here? Personally, I'd have to say no. I like a challenge. I like the 4 years of hands on. I really like the friendly instructors, and their willingness to be available 24hours a day. The island life is sub-par, but I didn't come here to party so it doesn't bother me at all. I like it here so far. I would definately recomend this school to my friends. Any questions?

[IAUinsider]

Case studies- The cases have been he senior students said it was too easy, and voiced their opinion to the administration. The Dean ripped us a new one today in class. He asked why no one has started our presentations yet, and we replied "we have a test on monday". Apparently this is not a viable excuse. It kind of gave me a negative impression, and a feeling like they want us to fail, but then again it seems like they just want to make it hard so we actually have to apply ourselves. They have made it clear that we are expected to avoid food, and sleep, so we can complete the work load and study. It's too early to tell, but feel free to ask for updates.

Well said, however, to clarify the notion of 'case studies'...make it a note that our program-which sets us apart from all the Caribbean Medical Schools-is our Case Studies Program. And, coming from a senior student, Case is where the heart of most of your knowledge is going to be built from, later to be fortified. That being said, if case studies were to be a 'breeze' what would be the point? By undertaking your goal to become a physician, you must start from day 1 and learn to be able to handle the work load that comes with it and be able to handle what life throws at you, regardless of whether a test is up and coming. What this is doing is preparing your for you future-perhaps in an ER setting, where you find yourself juggling between several patients when your shift is supposed to end-so take it from those that have been where you have been and thought the same way when we came...do what you came here for and work for it to the same intensity that you want it. The old adage goes best here: what you put into something, is what you're going to get out of it...Good luck!

[IAUStudent006]

I applaud you for your honesty and interest in getting the truth out there. No school is perfect, and getting the information out there to help bring about change is a necessity.

As IAUinsider stated; Case Study is the crux of our school - and in time - you'll learn how we all have about how it can supplement your classes.

As for the teachers and the classes - those are issues that will have to be dealt with by administration. However, I am glad to hear that you are enjoying the majority of your education so far, and that hopefully things will on get better from here on out.

As senior students, our goal is to make sure that younger students are better off than when we were. We want you to be better prepared when you get into more of the "medical" courses. Your experiences down here will be invaluable to you and if you use them properly, you'll surely succeed.

Keep up the good work and I'm sure we'll be hearing more of you on ValueMD soon enough.

[iaustudent06]

Yes, most of that stuff was true, when I was on the island. The truth is it still is hard when you come back... from learning brand new things at kaplan you thought should have been covered in basic science, dealing with the housing issues from hospital locations, higher cost of living compared to the island, but view these distractions as a question - how bad do you want to be a doctor?

Step one will basically ask you this 350 times.

[pcpenny]

That was very helpful. How do you compare IAU with Spartan and which school is better and why?
How many faculty members are there at IAU and how often do you go to clinics while attending basic science?

[IAUmed]

I'm not really sure how spartan is. My entire opinion is based off what I hear from the other students, and the few spartan students I have met. The school itself is across the street from a heinekin/guiness brewery. I've heard that they don't have the case based study, nor do they have the clinics in town. So you are automatically losing out on the extra hands on training, and the case studies.

Their school is located outside of the main town. The facilities look old, but relatively well maintained. I have not been inside them. They have been around for a while, but have been banned from a few states.

I think the key difference is the case studies and clinics that IAU offers. A typical week at spartan would include lectures and most likely a few lab classes. My week is much more involved. We have the lectures, and the labs, as any medical school would. However, we also add the clinics and cases as more classes.

Lectures + Labs + clinical rotations (us based)= typical school (spartan)

Lectures + Labs + clinics + case study + Kaplan review + Intro to clinical medicine + Clinical Rotations (US based) = IAU

We also take the US board exams. The same exams the US schools give out. Yeah, IAU is alot more work, but as someone previously stated "how bad do you want to be a doctor"? Although, from what I hear the spartan kids do throw nice parties.

I'll try to elaborate on tuesdays (case study presentation) festivities. I'll also try to post my thoughts on the exams since this will be the first of many to come.

[pcpenny]

Thanks a lot for your very informative reply. So the major advantage is tha hands-on clinical experience and case-based study.

I hope you won't mind asking a couple of more questions.

How often do you go for clinics and where are the clinics located?

From which trimester do you start case-based study and how often the classes are held for case-study?

Thanks in advance.

[IAUStudent006]

Thanks a lot for your very informative reply. So the major advantage is tha hands-on clinical experience and case-based study.

I hope you won't mind asking a couple of more questions.

How often do you go for clinics and where are the clinics located?

From which trimester do you start case-based study and how often the classes are held for case-study?

Thanks in advance.

Clinics are done once a week - the class is broken down into groups and sent to different clinic sites each week. On top of that - the entire school holds clinic sessions on certain weekends through out the year where they go to towns in St. Lucia and provide screenings for Diabetes and Hypertension as well as other health problems.

The weekday clinics are held in two locations - Laborie and Vieux Fort. They are done with the help of Dr.'s on the island and students work with the staff at each clinics to practice basic patient care.

Classes for case study are held approximately 3 times a week - although it does vary from semester to semester based on the number of students that are in each class. Each semester has its own case study sessions and you start case study from Semester 1.

[IAUKap]

About case study; it gives students the potential to learn a lot of information on specific topics. If you learn something well enough to teach it to your peers, it will stay with you for a long time. I am in my fourth semester now and I can still recall information from my first two case study presentations...

my 2cents

[rspr41]

Everyone that attends IAU for the first time feels overwhelmed a bit by case. It’s a natural feeling because when you first get here, you have no idea what to expect from case. Throw in the fact that the amount of material they expect you to learn in a short period of time (a week) seems quite daunting. However as the week do progress and the semesters roll by, you realize that the glue that holds together that big chunk of knowledge (aka what you learn in the first two years of med school) is ingrained because of case. Applying what you learn with case makes retention much easier on the students. While it might not seem that way at first, everyone always changes there minds later on....


just my four cents....

[felixthekat]

I am a new student as well and I was also "surprised " by the conditions of this island. But after getting over the culture shock and the intense feelings of being homesick, I realized that my purpose here was to become a doctor by any means necessary. The school is not perfect, and no school is but I look at the positive aspects of it. Some professors are clear- they make me enjoy the subjects. Some professors can't teach- they make me study more in order to appreciate the topics. The dean is "hard to please"- he just wants us to be our best, so we must rise to the challenge. After being down emotionally for my first two weeks, I am starting to enjoy the *** pain that is going to be the rest of my life. I know that this island has some pitfalls, but it also has charm. Look outside out classroom window once in a while. Enjoy the beauty in between the stressful periods. I am!:D
In a little while, we will be doctors.
By the way I really like clinics and case studies.
Keep ya head up!

[ULTRON]

I'm intrigued by everyone's honesty here. I'm a potential transfer student wishing to transfer into the IAU clinicals next year after my Step 1. I'll be attending an IAU information seminar sometime soon. We'll see how it goes....

[felixthekat]

Well Ultron, thank you for stopping by and we hope that you enjoy the seminar. Which school are you coming from?

[hejire]

I find this forum a great one.It gives me the opportunity to be part of events at IUACOM.I am applying for Jan08 class.I am looking forward to a wonderful time.

[IAUinsider]

N.B. Should you have any questions that you would like have answered/interested in first hand experiences/etc, feel free to PM any of us on ValueMD or call the Dallas Office and have them yield you some contacts to get in touch with.

[PSU07]

Well this is my first post on valuemd and will keep them coming. I am a new student here at IAU and have had a good experience so far. As other students have already mentioned, I was definitely surprised by the conditions of the island when I first arrived, but this feeling soon left as soon as school started. There isn't much to do at this end of the island, but I think that is a good thing as I am here to become a doctor and would rather not have any distractions. Now on to the classes. Like most schools, there are some "good" classes here and others which aren't that good.
Physiology
The physiology professor here is amazing in my opinion and so far has made that class pretty easy for me.
Doctoring
The same goes for Doctoring.
Embryology
Embryo was a short 6 week course and thank god for that because the "professor" was absolutely terrible.
Biochem
The professor in this course has excellent credentials, but can't teach for ****. Thank god for lippincott because otherwise a lot of us would be screwed. However, the administration is bringing in a new professor who hopefully will be a lot better.
Case Studies
we just got a new professor who is great. In my opinion, he makes case a lot of fun
Clinics
Clinics are interesting and what makes it even better is the doctor in charge of clinics.

Hit me up if any you have questions.

[immunologic]

PSU,

Whats the tuition for Basic sciences?
How much is rent for a 2 bed room apt in safe area?
Are there baby sitters available?
Why does medloan not give us more loans for living expenses?
Does the administration give you transcripts if you want to transfer out after step 1s?
Can we have internet at home?
Is there a decent children's hospital to handle emergencies?


Now did you tell me to hit you with questions?I did, how about hitting back?
Any questions?:D

Thanks in advance!

[iaustudent06]

Whats the tuition for Basic sciences?

IAU ~ Tuition, Fees & Financial Aid (http://www.iau.edu.lc/tuition.html). It can change, call Dallas office to confirm.

How much is rent for a 2 bed room apt in safe area?

It runs normally around $400 US.

Are there baby sitters available?
There was a day care center in one neighborhood. Although I can't imagine it as the same "quality" as in the U.S.

Why does medloan not give us more loans for living expenses?

Not under school's control... Association of American Medical Colleges (http://www.aamc.org/programs/medloans/students/start.htm)

Does the administration give you transcripts if you want to transfer out after step 1s?

Yes, IAU ~ Forms for Download (http://www.iau.edu.lc/forms.html)


Can we have internet at home?

Yes, through Cable and Wireless.


Is there a decent children's hospital to handle emergencies?

St. Jude's is the "best"

[immunologic]

Thanks iaustudent06!!
That was hard work, answering all those questions, but hats off to you mate, thanks again!

[sr1980]

I was shocked when I heard the secretary shouting at 1 of our professor. She has attitude problem & is always very rude. Recently the college got rid of a competent biochemistry professor but they ignore the real issues.

[IAUStudent006]

I was shocked when I heard the secretary shouting at 1 of our professor. She has attitude problem & is always very rude. Recently the college got rid of a competent biochemistry professor but they ignore the real issues.

First of all, any issues that are related to a teacher and the secretary are none of your business really. Whatever happened between them is their issue - and you getting involved is completely unnecessary. If you feel that she has an attitude problem - then thats something completely separate and its something that you'd have to take up with her.

As far as the biochem professor goes - thats your opinion. If other students felt another way - well thats their opinion as well. The teacher is gone and you'll have to move on. If you believe that we ignore the real issues - then tell us what the real issues are?

[IAUinsider]

I was shocked when I heard the secretary shouting at 1 of our professor. She has attitude problem & is always very rude. Recently the college got rid of a competent biochemistry professor but they ignore the real issues.

As far as personal conflicts go, ValueMD is not the place. Think of ALL the conflicts and discussions that go on in a day; Conflicts happen, misunderstandings can occur, and discussions take place ALL the time. It's part of life; however, bear in mind that such conversations would FILL up 1,000's of pages on valueMD and that such instances are better reserved for personal conversation, rather than on here, in my opinion.

In reference to the 'real issues', what are they, exactly? Teachers come and go all the time, it's part of career. I 'personally' have had many teachers during my tenure here, but never has it come to mind that teachers are forced out of a job. The brighter side of this particular situation is that another teacher was in place and that no gaps in your education were taken. Teacher preference is hard to combat, due to different teaching and learning styles-Just focus at your task at hand-Study, Study, Study! :)

[IAUmed]

I disagree with sr1980's opinion of our secretary. I speak with her on a daily basis and she has always been polite and friendly with me. She has assisted me with getting my student visa, settling into my new house, and even getting dinner reservations at coconut bay. I somehow doubt that arranging dinner reservations was part of her job, but she did it for me anyway. Thats just the type of people that work here.

As for the arguement that took place... I don't know what happened, nor do I care. The things I do care about is that we have a biochem instructor who is extremely knowledgeable and, in my opinion, much more approachable.

I liked the previous instructor, but I like the new one even more. I see him in the library speaking with students on a regular basis. I recently spoke with him about the pace of the course. I personally enjoy the faster pace, but I heard several students complain about it. The new instructor seemed very concerned and was very receptive to it.

If there are any other issues you would like addressed, please feel free to contact the faculty directly, or your class rep. I'm also always open for discussion.

[IAUAZ07]

Im a little disappointed at this comment because the argument between the teacher and the staff was not abt u or who knows if there was even an argument. first of all, u eavesdropping and making it a general comment like its a regular thing, no need for any postage on the internet for other ppl to see since it aint abt anyone business, ppl have arguments all the time so no need for the drama.

anyways, the receptionist is a very nice person and i get along with her really well. i have no issues with her nor i will ever have any issues with her because she is a nice person and does her job well, she even goes out of her way to make everyone comfortable and feel welcome.

in conclusion, this person need to mind there own damn business and stop posting irrevelant info on the internet, with all that time using he/ she needs to put that time in studying since we have exams coming up soon.

[felixthekat]

Frankly I am disappointed at SR1980's rants here on Valuemd! This is not the place nor the manner in which one approaches issues.
1. If you are unhappy with someone, or their behavior you need to approach them on a one to one basis rather than cowardly post your feeling here not knowing if the person you plan to attack will ever read your message. The argument did not involve any students, so what you need to do is let grown ups deal with the grown up issues and quit being so nosy.
2. The issue with the biochem professor is beyond our control right now. What matters is that we have a new biochem professor now, so you need to put your head in the game and study. Professors come and go, so suck it up! Quit crying over spilt milk. Maybe you have not noticed but we have an exam on monday.
3. What other issues are there? My advice to you is that either you put it in writing or else ask the SGA President for the procedure. That's what he is there for, to listen to students complaints. Please follow procedures and don't be so childish as to "throw stones and run!"
I don't mean to be harsh but honestly, when you have problems with people- you have to be brave enough to say something to their face. As doctors we will be faced with a whole set of people and if you cannot deal with a accommodating friendly secretary, how will you deal with irrate patients? If you can't deal with people arguing how will you deal with you chief resident breathing down your neck and reprimending you? I really hope that you can grow from this and grow to represent the school properly. We all are here to become physicians- and in this process we must learn to be proud of wherever we choose to study, for us it's IAU! So if you have suggestion on making this school better, please feel free to let us all know!
No hard feelings!;)

[amsaforever]

:-star
:bored:I was shocked when I heard the secretary shouting at 1 of our professor. She has attitude problem & is always very rude. Recently the college got rid of a competent biochemistry professor but they ignore the real issues.

Who still uses words like "shouting"?
a) someone over the age of 40
b) someone not from the states
c) all of the above:confused:

True/false?
The quote seems to favor a proff:confused:

Is it the proff that got fired in the statement above?

[PSU07]

Well said felixthekat.

[IAUmed]

This is a public forum, and should not be censored. SR1980 has every right to post anything they feel may be of interest to the readers, and they have every right to respond. Although most of us do not agree with what was said, please refrain from personally attacking the individual, and direct your angst in the form of a rebuttal.

Opinions are like the anus - everyone has one, unless you have some sort of anal atresia combined with a rectal-urethral fistula. In which case your opinion, much like your anus, does not exist. (Sarcasm is always flawless logic)

Thats what makes this forum useful- the ability to post an opinion and have others discuss it. If we start attacking people for expressing their opinions and views, no one will post. People are allowed not to like things. Lets try to remember that, and be more open to discussing it.

[mpIAU]

To pretty much sum up everything everyone else has said, SR1980, keep your personal problems off ValueMD.

[rspr41]

Sounds like someone should spend a little more time studying and a little less time concerning themselves with issues that have no bearing on them

[HowellJolly]

This is a public forum, and should not be censored. SR1980 has every right to post anything they feel may be of interest to the readers, and they have every right to respond. Although most of us do not agree with what was said, please refrain from personally attacking the individual, and direct your angst in the form of a rebuttal.

Opinions are like the anus - everyone has one, unless you have some sort of anal atresia combined with a rectal-urethral fistula. In which case your opinion, much like your anus, does not exist. (Sarcasm is always flawless logic)

Thats what makes this forum useful- the ability to post an opinion and have others discuss it. If we start attacking people for expressing their opinions and views, no one will post. People are allowed not to like things. Lets try to remember that, and be more open to discussing it.

Unless its a cloaca -- immature.

[felixthekat]

OMG! All this embryo talk is making my head spin! All I need to know right now about fistula is the AV fistula as it pertains to physio!!! Good luck to all on Monday's exam! I need more than luck I need prayers!! Candlelight vigil anyone?!?!?;)

[iaustudent06]

OMG! All this embryo talk is making my head spin! All I need to know right now about fistula is the AV fistula as it pertains to physio!!! Good luck to all on Monday's exam! I need more than luck I need prayers!! Candlelight vigil anyone?!?!?;)

When the hurricane hit we had to use candles and somehow a black mark was left on the carpet in the computer room because some idiot dropped it :)

[IAUinsider]

When the hurricane hit we had to use candles and somehow a black mark was left on the carpet in the computer room because some idiot dropped it :)

I wonder how that happened...it looks like SOMEONE may have rubbed [their skin] off the floor...any guesses?!

[iaustudent06]

Ha Ha Ha, black marks, cracked tiles, and the trailing scent of urine!

[hnbaby]

That was very helpful. How do you compare IAU with Spartan and which school is better and why?

[iaustudent06]

Both are considered 3rd tier... IMO, I'd rather say I'm coming from an unrecognized school than a banned school.

[POPO]

Both are considered 3rd tier... IMO, I'd rather say I'm coming from an unrecognized school than a banned school.

Yes, but for my part, I prefer to stay rational and I would choose the one that has the better chances to help me obtaining a license. At the end, it's the most relevant point.

[IAU wellwisher]

IAU is a really good school. No doubts about that. I love IAU !!!!

[wildbillcoyote]

I doubt IAU wellwisher is a student. Sounds more like admin. Just recently, there was a student body meeting with the school owner's son. The school owner's son asked the student body if there was one positive thing that they could think of by coming to IAU. NOT ONE SINGLE STUDENT WAS ABLE TO COME UP WITH ANY POSITIVE THING TO SAY ABOUT IAU. This just goes to show what the students here at IAU think of their own school

[IAU wellwisher]

Its sad to know that you dont have a good opinion of the choices that you have made in your life, rather you choose to find fault with the school.

[wildbillcoyote]

dont worry iau wellwisher, soon enough, you will regret the decision to come to iau too. most of the students of iau wish they had never come to this school

[IAU wellwisher]

I spoke to several students on campus before making my decision. They never said they wished they did not come to this school. Of course there were concerns that were quite typical for a new school. And nothing as negative as your views.

I never regret anything in my life so far. I have learned to live with the decisions that I have made. So my guess is I will be alright with this one too.