Anyone applying for Sept. 2009?

[oligo1]

Just seeing if anyone is applying for September 2009 in the Caribbeans, or is it too early?

[DoctorORG]

Just seeing if anyone is applying for September 2009 in the Caribbeans, or is it too early?


I am .... but I am going to wait until I get my MCAT score back I think in late September..

[oligo1]

Hey DoctorORG,

Where are you thinking of applying? I am having a hard time deciding which school I like between the top 4: SGU, Ross, AUC and SABA. Each one has their perks.

I like Saba because it has a small class size(75) and is the cheapest. While the island is pretty baron, it will help me study hard I think, although it would be nice to go out once in a while.

I like SGU because they have a Clinical part to their curriculum right in the beginning.

Do you have any opinion about these top 4?

[DoctorORG]

I am going to apply in mid October, cuz I found out it takes a month for me to receive my MCAT results...
I think all of those 4 schools are good schools in terms of academics... but I will probably choose Saba due to financial reasons... I don't think I have more alternatives at this point...

best of luck to you,

[seattle]

I have been accepted for the September 2009 class and will be attending. For those of you wondering about what to do......I did a huge amount of research on this subject. Here is my opinion..........

Of the 20 schools in the Caribbean, the so-called "Big 4" (SGU, SABA, Ross, and AUC) are the most established and have a proven track record of successful graduates who have gone all the way through the residency programs and beyond.

You cannot go wrong with any of the Big 4. It comes down to a question of which school is the BEST FIT for YOU. And that depends on various factors:

(1) What kind of location would you study the best in?
(2) What is the subculture of the students in that school? It does vary!
(3) Cost of education (what can you afford)?
(4) Number of students who have successfully graduated.
(5) USMLE pass rates (good for all 4)
(6) Accreditation geographic footprint (all 4 are in 50 US States)
(7) Curriculum presented
(8) Size of entering classes
(9) Length of basic science program in the Caribbean
(10) Difficulty of acceptance into the program

For each of the above consider these points first.......

(1) If being on a rather remote location for 16-24 months is not going to be an issue in terms of studying, then SABA is the most remote. AUC is on a very tourist type island and lots to do and distractions if you want it.

(2) Subculture of students varies in general. I found SABA and SGU students to be extremely friendly, and helpful. AUC has its bunch (at least the ones I came across) as a bit boastful and bombastic. Not all, but many were like this towards me.

(3) SABA is the most affordable of the Big 4. SGU is the most expensive. In reality you will pay DOUBLE the amount when all is said and done at SGU compared with SABA. Remember you are still considered an IMG according to Residency Directors during the Match someday.

(4) All Big 4 can realistically say they have graduated thousands. It is a true statement. The only difference being SABA has been around since 1993 and the other 3 are much older going back to the late 1970's. Hence, it is not a surprise that the SGU,Ross, AUC have 3,500 - 7000 graduates versus SABA is around 1500 currently.

(5) USMLE pass rates are very good for all 4. No need to argue which one has the highest or best. It is a function of the class as a whole and strengths of that particular group that year. SGU may say that in 2000 they surpassed the US USLMLE pass rate of 92%. But again it was for that one year only. In general, all Big 4 have respectable pass rates for FMG schools.

(6) Accreditation is a BIG DEAL. California, NJ, FL and NY are the toughest Medical School Boards for a Caribbean school to get approval. All Big 4 are approved by these states. Many have argued that it doesn't matter is a school is not CA approved. However, remember that a dozen of so states blindly follow the CA approval decision, hence you limit yourself if you decide to go to a non-approved 50 state school. Use CA as the litmus test so to speak when deciding. You will have more respect and options when you graduate.

(7) Curriculum presented - All these schools will prepare you for the USMLE Step 1 exam. The content is the same, schools only differ on how they chronologically sequence that information to you. Take time to compare the sequence of classes presented and see which one makes you feel more comfortable.

(8) Size of entering classes varies enormously so choose wisely. Do you feel comfortable in class sizes as big as 300-400? SGU, Ross are huge entering classes. AUC as about 180 and SABA is about 85 at a maximum. I like smaller classes, more attention. But that's me!

(9) Length of time in the Caribbean = varies with the school in general it will be at the shortest 16 months for Ross, but remember your 5th semester is in the Bahamas. I believe now Miami is also a possibility. SABA is 20 months, and SGU is the longest at 24 months because they are on 2 semesters per year and give an entire summer break at end of Year 1. Not so with the other 3 schools.

(10) Each school is unique in its admissions standards, however in general compared with the other 16 or so offshore Caribbean schools, these 4 have higher standards and are relatively tougher to gain admission into. In general, you should expect to exceed a 3.00 in overall and science GPA categories prior to applying. SABA and Ross grade averages hover around 3.2 for admission, and SGU, AUC around a 3.4. These are averages and applicants do have a standard deviation that varies. But it is safe to say any grade averages that fall below 3.00 will have difficulty even with a high MCAT score. Furthermore, SABA is the only one out of the Big 4 that places a much heavier emphasis on grades than the MCAT. That may be a factor in which school you get into.

EACH of the BIG 4 are very good, reputable schools with a proven track record to back them up. There are points to consider at least the major ones that I have outlined above. Use this and also add points to this in your search. Make a comparative matrix and then assuming you are accepted to all 4 decide which is the best fit for YOU personally. But you will get to the MD destination no matter which one you choose!

[ngoctranly]

@seattle:It's a very informative post! Thank you for sharing with everyone.
@oligo1: I also take what seattle wrote here into account when I applied to Caribbean School. I just shoot for one (Saba) actually, and I got accepted for September last week. Do your search, decide what is most suitable to you, then apply. Hope to see you on Saba island though! :-) Good luck!

[Cgrove]

Thanks Seattle for all your information. You basically summoned it all up with all your reserach. I too, have been performing due diligence and the one issue I found you may have missed is that from a financial standpoint Ross, SGU, and AUC all get federal stafford loans while SABA is private loans only. Currently Ed-Invest I believe.

[MDisME]

Congrats on your acceptance, Seattle!

[kgupta6]

Applied in mid-February, interviewed in the first week of march, accepted on Tuesday for September 2009!

I've personally been to both Saba and AUC and have been debating which one to go to for quite some time now. I'm from near Toronto so the really attractive quality which Saba presents is that a student can do some of his core rotations and quite a few of his clinical rotations in various provinces and at many university hospitals back in Canada. No other Caribbean medical school really provides this service, nor do they have the 10-12 students that match into Canadian residencies every year (or at least they don't go forward and publish those facts).

St. Maarten is a great island, lots to do, lots of distractions, many conveniences. But Saba is about 15-20 minutes by plane from St. Maarten or 1.5 hours by high-speed ferry, so if you need to go to the island then it's definitely achievable.

I've heard AUC has a slightly better reputation on the west coast, especially in California, but that's debatable, and still wouldn't be enough to give anyone a significant advantage (at the end of the day you're an IMG).

Saba has small class sizes and an intimate atmosphere for those who like to study in groups. Furthermore, the assistant dean told me on my visit that they help students get clinical sites of their choice (if possible).

And you're looking at about $90,000 USD for Saba in tuition vs. $145,000 USD for AUC... and since I'm Canadian that translates to a huge saving for me :D, but that's beside the point.

So all in all both great schools.... but Saba seems more attractive to me!

SEE YOU ALL IN SEPTEMBER! Someone should start a facebook group.

[ngoctranly]

Hi kgupta6,
congrats on your acceptance (actually we had our interview on the same day!!! :-) ) Yes, I created Facebook already!!! Please join us ,the name of the group is 'Saba University School of Medicine - September 2009 Class'
:p


Applied in mid-February, interviewed in the first week of march, accepted on Tuesday for September 2009!

I've personally been to both Saba and AUC and have been debating which one to go to for quite some time now. I'm from near Toronto so the really attractive quality which Saba presents is that a student can do some of his core rotations and quite a few of his clinical rotations in various provinces and at many university hospitals back in Canada. No other Caribbean medical school really provides this service, nor do they have the 10-12 students that match into Canadian residencies every year (or at least they don't go forward and publish those facts).

St. Maarten is a great island, lots to do, lots of distractions, many conveniences. But Saba is about 15-20 minutes by plane from St. Maarten or 1.5 hours by high-speed ferry, so if you need to go to the island then it's definitely achievable.

I've heard AUC has a slightly better reputation on the west coast, especially in California, but that's debatable, and still wouldn't be enough to give anyone a significant advantage (at the end of the day you're an IMG).

Saba has small class sizes and an intimate atmosphere for those who like to study in groups. Furthermore, the assistant dean told me on my visit that they help students get clinical sites of their choice (if possible).

And you're looking at about $90,000 USD for Saba in tuition vs. $145,000 USD for AUC... and since I'm Canadian that translates to a huge saving for me :D, but that's beside the point.

So all in all both great schools.... but Saba seems more attractive to me!

SEE YOU ALL IN SEPTEMBER! Someone should start a facebook group.