Concerns

[tiger15lily]

With all of the recent comments and warnings that us incoming students are getting, I'm just wondering if there is anyone who is deferring or transfering to another school instead of going to Saba. This is really for students who are going to Saba (for example september 08) not for students currently in Saba (not that you guys aren't just as important :)). Any feedback would be nice because all this talk is a little unnerving. Just for the record, this post isn't really meant to restart all the old posts telling us about the goings on a Saba and I started it as a new thread so it wouldn't get lost in all those posts!

[covarubious]

i am applying for may 2009 but after all this i am reconsidering as well, i am looking at AUC and a few others... i'm still hoping they can get this school back on track though

With all of the recent comments and warnings that us incoming students are getting, I'm just wondering if there is anyone who is deferring or transfering to another school instead of going to Saba. This is really for students who are going to Saba (for example september 08) not for students currently in Saba (not that you guys aren't just as important :)). Any feedback would be nice because all this talk is a little unnerving. Just for the record, this post isn't really meant to restart all the old posts telling us about the goings on a Saba and I started it as a new thread so it wouldn't get lost in all those posts!

[mflaherty]

my daughter is coming in sept08 she knows what is ahead can't help but wonder about the rumors though. is it that bad? or are they raising the benchmarks/

[cauz]

Hey lily,

I'm accepted for Sept 08 and I'm not gonna lie the last few days have been a bit stressful. Reading all the posts over the last couple of days makes for a nervous and confused student! I have sent an email to the admission staff (who are supposedly having a meeting today to discuss the problem) so whenever I get a response back I'll post it up here for you to read!

Lily are you in the September 08 Class?

[JeebusLives]

Today was the first day i saw all the faculty members cars parked at 8am since they usually show up at different times. So im guessing they did have a meeting. Hopefully they'll see that how they handled the past week's events and the direction the school has gone in the past few months is wrong. We'll see what happens.

[tiger15lily]

Hey lily,

I'm accepted for Sept 08 and I'm not gonna lie the last few days have been a bit stressful. Reading all the posts over the last couple of days makes for a nervous and confused student! I have sent an email to the admission staff (who are supposedly having a meeting today to discuss the problem) so whenever I get a response back I'll post it up here for you to read!

Lily are you in the September 08 Class?


Hey cauz,

Yep, I'm september 08. I totally agree with the confused part but I am glad to hear that there is possibly something in the works for fixing the problems that we've all heard so much about! Hopefully they respond to you..in my experience so far they've been really helpful and quick with reponses.

[Da86]

Ya Im accepted for Jan 09, and getting kind of nervous...but I would think that since the situation has escalated so much and may start affecting the schools rep, they are definately going to try to solve the condition. I dont think the school will throw away their reputation and effort by ruining the school now...
I called the office and talked to a lady who said that the faculty will be holding meetings and hopefully talking to students by early or mid next week.
Hopefully everything will go back to normal...but its kind of nerve wrecking just waiting, especially since Im not on the island and cant witness things first hand

[cauz]

Hey Lily,
The response I was given is....

"Yes, there has been a lot of talk about the most recent Histology exam! We validate all of the individual course exams against the USMLE shelf exams to ensure that the proper materials is covered in all of our courses. The correlation between the items on the recent Histology exam and the shelf exams is quite high, as it should be. I know the professors and administration on the island are looking into the specific exam to find out what may have gone wrong. There is absolutely no reason to for concern regarding the academic quality of the program.

I can understand your concern or anxiety, as choosing a medical school is a big decision. I promise you that the administration is looking into what happened, so don’t let this one isolated incident tarnish your opinion of SUSOM. We continue to be an excellent program that can help you reach your dream of becoming a practicing physician"

It sounds like they are looking into what happened. I know they have always been helpful to me.

[misteeq]

I've also been accepted for Jan'09 semester and the recent events are really starting to stress me out as well! I said no to MUA and picked Saba because of the school's better reputation and better match list and better clinical affiliations etc etc..But im really confused now as to my decision. I messaged a student currently in Med I and he had nothing good to say about the recent histo exam..Im wondering if i should start looking into Ross/AUC..which will bring forth other financial issues especially now with the CanHELP gone!
On the other hand i think we should be a little more patient and try to get all the info before making any rash decisions..For those of us planning to go in January its a little better and hopefully things will be more settled down by then!

[maserati]

Hey Lily,
The response I was given is....

"Yes, there has been a lot of talk about the most recent Histology exam! We validate all of the individual course exams against the USMLE shelf exams to ensure that the proper materials is covered in all of our courses. The correlation between the items on the recent Histology exam and the shelf exams is quite high, as it should be. I know the professors and administration on the island are looking into the specific exam to find out what may have gone wrong. There is absolutely no reason to for concern regarding the academic quality of the program.

I can understand your concern or anxiety, as choosing a medical school is a big decision. I promise you that the administration is looking into what happened, so don’t let this one isolated incident tarnish your opinion of SUSOM. We continue to be an excellent program that can help you reach your dream of becoming a practicing physician"

It sounds like they are looking into what happened. I know they have always been helpful to me.



*** THIS REALLY FRUSTRATES ME ***

They're making it sound like the recent histo exams are the ONLY problems/concerns.

Completely ignoring student-overcrowding / lack of clinical spots / unprofessional faculty (drug use or dismissed from other medical & educational practices) etc.

[brob311]

Did you think they were going to write a message like such:

Dear Prospective student,

Ahh fiddlesticks, we have been caught! If I were you I would send in an application to Ross, AUC, or St George now, b/c this one is getting out of hand. I knew it would be sometime before someone found out about SABA harboring MD's with suspended licenses. I must admit, we are trying to hold more students back so we can 1. get more money from them, and 2. delay the process to get them in clinicals, so we can try to fix it before they get there.

The Histo exams were made impossible on purpose. You sir, are a modern Sherlock holmes for discovering this.

Kudos

Admin.

[icesage]

Did you think they were going to write a message like such:

Dear Prospective student,

Ahh fiddlesticks, we have been caught! If I were you I would send in an application to Ross, AUC, or St George now, b/c this one is getting out of hand. I knew it would be sometime before someone found out about SABA harboring MD's with suspended licenses. I must admit, we are trying to hold more students back so we can 1. get more money from them, and 2. delay the process to get them in clinicals, so we can try to fix it before they get there.

The Histo exams were made impossible on purpose. You sir, are a modern Sherlock holmes for discovering this.

Kudos

Admin.

brob311, this is hilarious and so true. LOL :)

[Sun76]

please don't go to saba. You'll wase you money here.
I am 1st semester here and I'll transfer to AUC even i pass all my classes.
Again, please don't go to saba.

[wolfvgang22]

As a user like you I have to say this:
I admit that I am a student in 4th year clinicals, and not on the island now. Maybe things are different now, I don't know.

I do know from my time on the island that crazy hard tests are given from time to time. I've seen 30+ students fail an individual test before, in my own class. In the end it worked out for most of us; out of the 70+ students that I started basic sciences with, 55 left the island at the end of 5th semester with me. Four or five others had dropped a class and were in the class behind me and later joined us in clinicals. Three or four dropped out or left for various reasons (couldn't hack med school, hated the school or island, etc.)

Keep in mind also that the USMLE step 1 is a crazy hard exam, too, so the professors have to balance helping students pass with making tests rigourous enough to prepare students properly. This is not easy to do (as a former teacher, I know!) Make what you will of my experiences, maybe they apply here, maybe not.

Now as a moderator I state:

Make what you will of all the suddenly new posters cropping up in the last couple of days to complain about the test, or the leaving of professors, and so on. Maybe they are legit. I know at least some are posters with multiple accounts and some have already been banned. From a moderator's stand point, it is hard to catch them all when many students, both legitimate and those with multiple accounts use public library computers. We do not want to limit bonafide students's free speech if at all possible, but users violating site rules with multiple accounts discount what perhaps the legitimate users are trying to say in good faith.

[saban]

please read "saba - to come or not to come". I am in 1st semester, and I have given my honest advice. I wud go to AUC and if i coudl afford it, St. George.

[RUstudent17]

im a first semester here, i have no problems with anyone, and me and the others who just do our work and dont complain are moving along with no issues while the others make lists and fight till the death so they can change school policies. the people who dont complain are just busy studying so we dont post how crazy they are

[islandgirl36]

My husband has an interview next week and if he is accepted then we are going. I realize that there may be some concerns and it is good to go in with that knowledge. After working in government for the past 10 years, I know that new administration often brings about some headaches and growing pains, but it usually irons itself out. Having said that, we have spoken with many students, past and present, as well as practicing Docs who were educated there and the feedback we have received with respect to Saba has been all very positive and encouraging. It has highly regarded as an international medical school and one of the best reputations in the Caribbean....So we are excited and ready to give it a go! Hope to see/meet some of you soon....especially those travelling with family ( we have kids!) Good luck to all of you! :)

[islandgirl36]

Hey for some reason I can't PM you so would you mind PM'ing me back with your email so that I can email you? I 'd love to get more info about SOS.....:)

[covarubious]

do you have a facebook account? there is an SOS group if you wanna join...

Hey for some reason I can't PM you so would you mind PM'ing me back with your email so that I can email you? I 'd love to get more info about SOS.....:)

[Gigi25]

My husband has an interview next week and if he is accepted then we are going. I realize that there may be some concerns and it is good to go in with that knowledge. After working in government for the past 10 years, I know that new administration often brings about some headaches and growing pains, but it usually irons itself out. Having said that, we have spoken with many students, past and present, as well as practicing Docs who were educated there and the feedback we have received with respect to Saba has been all very positive and encouraging. It has highly regarded as an international medical school and one of the best reputations in the Caribbean....So we are excited and ready to give it a go! Hope to see/meet some of you soon....especially those travelling with family ( we have kids!) Good luck to all of you! :)
Finally someone with a positive outlook :) Nice post! I'm a fourth year and I must admit, all the negative posts had me very worried.

[rdecastro]

My husband has an interview next week and if he is accepted then we are going. I realize that there may be some concerns and it is good to go in with that knowledge. After working in government for the past 10 years, I know that new administration often brings about some headaches and growing pains, but it usually irons itself out. Having said that, we have spoken with many students, past and present, as well as practicing Docs who were educated there and the feedback we have received with respect to Saba has been all very positive and encouraging. It has highly regarded as an international medical school and one of the best reputations in the Caribbean....So we are excited and ready to give it a go! Hope to see/meet some of you soon....especially those travelling with family ( we have kids!) Good luck to all of you! :)

All of the issues, and people, predate the new owners of the school, so thats not a factor.

Next!

[Alz84]

Hi Lily and Cauz

I'm also starting in Sept 08, and also starting to get a bit anxious/stressed out as well. I'm not considering transferring at this point though, might as well wait it out and hope for the best I guess. I've been speaking with a friend of mine who is on the island right now, and she's done a lot to answer some of my questions about what's going on and make me feel better about the situation, it does definitely sound like there is legitimacy to all this, but perhaps a little blown out of proportion. Obviously I'm not there so I can't say for sure. Hope to still see you guys down there :)

[barq]

yah for now, I am not going to jump ship so early. Lets see what these recent developments yield. i'd really prefer to go to Saba, hopefully everything will work out. so lets all pray for the best!

[tiger15lily]

Makes me feel better to know other people are coming with me. I was always going to go because for the obvious reason that I want to be a doctor and also I have nowhere to go and nothing to do next school year. :p If it's as bad as is being said then something will be done about it I'm sure. Look forward to seeing you guys in september!