A few questions from a perspective applicant!

[Newfie2008]

Hello Everyone!

I am considering applying to SABA sometime this year and have several questions regarding the school and the island. I know the answers are probably hidden in some other threads, but I figured I would ask them here to maybe get a quicker response.. Here goes:

1. Do you get any time during the semesters or at least between semesters to go home? (btw, I am from Eastern Canada).

2. For the Clinical rotations, can you do some or all of them in Canada?

3. How long are the optional summer breaks?

4. Is it easy to get residencies in Canada in all specialty areas?

5. Is it hard to get a loan, being from Canada, such as a RBC LOC or National Student Loan?

6. What your overall feelings about the school and island? (Please try to be as non-biased as possible..haha)

Thanks a lot in advance for answering,

Newfie2008.

[KingMo]

1. yes
2. all...absolutely not. some...if you set up your own.
3. we have optional summer breaks?
4. no
5. not sure (most likely yes though)
6. read the 1000 other threads.

[Newfie2008]

Exactly how much time is there to go home between and during the semesters?

Anyone know about this optional break in the summer?

As for Clinicals in Canada, what ones are normally easy to get?

Does RBC require a co-signer if attending SABA?

Thanks all!

[wolfvgang22]

I will answer briefly before you get flamed for not searching. Please do a search next time.
Exactly how much time is there to go home between and during the semesters?

Anyone know about this optional break in the summer?

As for Clinicals in Canada, what ones are normally easy to get?

Does RBC require a co-signer if attending SABA?

Thanks all!
1. 3 weeks, occassionally only 2.5 weeks depending on the calendar.
2. There is no optional break in summer. Leaves of absence are discouraged unless it is an emergency.

3. Don't know. Search the forums, this is asked a lot as 50% of school is candian.

4. I don't intend this in a mean way, but this kind of question asking with no effort at searching for the answer by yourself first will get you in big trouble down the road in clinical rotations (ie; really poor grades). Please see the financial aid forum, the topic has recently been discussed about RBC loans if you haven't already. Link is at top of page. I know this is not user or customer friendly, but this is how the medical world is.

[Newfie2008]

Thanks for the pointers and answers. I've tried searching for things in the past and my efforts have not been as successful as I would like. I don't think we should be drawing any correlations between searching on a forum and grades in Clinical rotations as the two, I imagine, are quite different. I have never been on a forum like this before and I thought that asking questions were the point. Maybe I should be asking "How do I do a search and get results that I really want, instead of lots of pointless threads to mead through?" Anyways, back to my original purpose. As for the summer breaks question, the reason I asked the question is because of this quoted from the SABA page:

"The total time required to complete the Medical Degree program is 40 months of continuous instruction. Students who elect to take a break during the summer semesters will be able to complete their M.D. program in approximately 48 months."

Being relatively uneducated about this University and reading the above, I assumed that it meant that we could take a break during the summer semesters and complete the M.D. program in 48 months versus 40 months. How is this quote intended to be understood?

Thanks again for your replies.

[KingMo]

Actually, it sounds like a total waste of time. But when I first researched the school and didn't find what I was looking for on the school website (totally outdated and uninformative)...I read 200 or 300 of the most recent threads. They'll give you an idea on the currenet state of the school and situations that are arising. It also answers a lot of questions.

[Newfie2008]

Thanks for the reply!

[Experienced]

Sorry if my frank comment was considered flaming.

E.

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[Newfie2008]

I wasn't aware we were arguing...Anyways, I think this is below aspiring physicians. I was just asking questions. I don't think there is any need of bickering...

[Experienced]

I wasn't aware we were arguing...Anyways, I think this is below aspiring physicians. I was just asking questions. I don't think there is any need of bickering...

No, actually you weren't just asking questions. You (in a series of statements) told our beloved Wolfie that he was full of you know what for suggesting to you that there is likely a correlation between your skill and willingness to do some work on your own and your success years later on clinical rotations. You hinted that you know better. Ergo, my comment.

E.

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[Newfie2008]

Okay. Thank you for your comments.

[wolfvgang22]

Hey, I'm 4th year now. I was hoping for some groupies, or at least a cheap award of some sort, but instead I got a hypotensive patient with CHF and acute on chronic stage V renal failure at 4:30pm on a friday afternoon. Followed by a brief lecture on how to properly format my 1,000th H&P.
I'm not complaining, I'm getting my tuition $$$ worth :D

[icesage]

Newfie2008. You should be able to get line of credit from RBC for $150,000. SABA is in their system and that is how I got my line of credit. You may be asked for a guarantor. Also you can probably squeeze some money out of your provincial government student aid. I am from Ontario and I get approx. $9500/year (not a lot I know but its better than nothing and its interest free as well). Be nice to Wolfgang!!!