transferring to Saba post step 1

[timex]

Hi , I have passed step 1 and am looking to transfer from my school over to Saba. Officially the answer is no, but in reality, I have seen one case of this happening. Are they saying ont thing officially and really considering it on a case by case?

[ducman]

Officially - SUSOM does allow transfers... I have met several students during clinicals who transferred in to SUSOM. The following is from website.

TRANSFER APPLICANTS OR ADVANCED STANDING Depending on space availability, consideration is given to applicants from schools listed by the World Health Organization. SABA University does not support M.D. programs that do not reflect a solid foundation of traditional medical education and will not consider coursework completed through a distance learning program. Students with unsatisfactory records or dismissal for any reason from other medical schools are not considered for advanced standing. Acceptance is contingent upon the recommendation of the Admissions Committee and on the basis of space available within the class. Basic science transfer applicants may be accepted to the second or third semester and will not be considered beyond the fourth semester.

Students requesting to transfer directly to the clinical medicine program will stand a better chance of acceptance if they have passed the U.S.M.L.E. Step I with a minimum board score of 200. For licensure purposes, all clinical transfer students must complete a minimum of 30 weeks of rotations (2 semesters) through SABA University.

Transfer students must meet all documentation requirements of a new student and must be in good academic standing. Students applying for transfer must fulfill the same documentation requirements of a new student including:
An official transcript from the current institution, including undergraduate programs.
Verification that the student was a registered medical student and coursework was completed on site.
A statement that the student has met all outstanding financial and academic obligations. SABA University does not offer advanced standing credit for courses taken in Doctor of Chiropractic, Physician Assistant, Podiatry,Doctor of Dentistry or other allied health professional programs other than coursework completed through an accredited MD institution.

[aspiringmedstudent]

I know of one person since I've been at Saba (am in 5th semester now) that transferred to Saba after taking the USMLE Step 1. It's not as glamorous as what the website says, unfortunately.

The student who is currently in my class was required to take the full course load for 4th and 5th semesters. This particular student alse supposedly did exceptionally well on the Step 1. ( >> 200) Not sure how they make the decision between allowing the student to go straight into rotations or to the classroom. It is possible, though, that other schools may not meet (what Saba considers) course requirements. They may just require you to take classes regardless. This is definitely a way to for them to get more $$. ;-)

BUT, that said, I do understand why they would require classroom work. On Saba, they pay close attention to you. I am confident that your presence and attitude on the island and in the classroom has some impact on when/where you to go to clinicals. USMLE first, but definitely, secondary aspects are at play here. It would make sense they want to know the people they are putting into their clinical sites.

This is all my speculation, of course :)