Is Saba an option for me?

[Tristan]

Hey guys I'm a Canadian interested in Saba. I am interested in them the most after seeing the many Canadians get residencies here in Canada.
One question I have right off the bat is how many times will I have to move around in my 3rd and 4th year? Will I have to move like every 6-12 weeks?

I'm in nursing (male if anyone is curious) so I am hoping that clinical background will help me getting admission because I have shadowed doctors and nurses. Anyways I was thinking of extending my education to 5 years instead of ding the normal 4 to get the rest of the pre-requisites like the chemistry and biochemistry. If I have a shot I will totally do it. If not then I will just be suffice with trying to get into an NP program one day.
Here my marks if anyone cares...just mediocre with mediocre extra curriculars which is why I think Saba is a better bet than Canadian medical schools for me. I am not ashamed to go to a Caribbean school at all. Fun in the sun and med school what could be better?

biol214-microbiology for health sciences 86
nurs201-nursing care of clients-87
biol213-pharmacology for healt sciences-79
nurs200-nursing concepts-80
nurs203-nursing therapeutics-83 This was essentially Pathophysiology.
Psych202-psychology of language-75
nurs102-health assessment-88 Had cool stuff like how to do an OSCE
biol105-anatomy and physiology-71
nurs100-intro to nursing theory-71
nurs101-nursing as a profession in todays society-78
psych101-introduction to psychology-74

You can clearly see the lower marks are in my first year when i was lazy.
overall I have a 77.7% average and a 81 average last year. The rest of my courses I did not bother putting here because they are graded in pass or fail. I have all P's but they dont figure into calculations I assume.

Let me know what you guys think, If I should pursue Saba or not.

Thanks a lot guys and girls!

Tristan

[Tristan]

Nevermind, someone delete thisI obviously embarassed myself.
As someone in a PM so eloquently put it. Stay a nurse I will never make it as a MD.

[candu]

Apply and see, what Saba says

Why Saba only?

But there are other Med schools

Apply to them

If you want to be an MD pursue it

There are many nurses who became good MDs

[icesage]

Nevermind, someone delete thisI obviously embarassed myself.
As someone in a PM so eloquently put it. Stay a nurse I will never make it as a MD.

I agree with Candu. You should apply to SABA and others but some of the other med schools need the MCAT so, maybe you want to call and talk to the admissions offices of the various schools to see how you can strengthen your application. BTW, we have had quite a few nurses come through here at SABA and from what I know they all did well/are doing well. So, don't knock yourself down before even getting in the ring.

[desihakeem]

I would consider other options as well especially considering whats going on in Saba. Just my 2 cents.

[Tristan]

Thanks guys, I'm still debating taking biochemistry and all the others.
I'm not taking my elf out of the equation yet, but I think some times I would rather fail out of medical school rather than wondering if I should apply. But then some times I would rather not even risk the debt.
As for other schools I am looking at St. Matthews as well, they appear to me to be a half decent school.

Do we have to move every few weeks once in clinicals? Or is there a more central location to do all my rotations that you stay there for the remainder of your clinicals?

[WaiWahine]

Nevermind, someone delete thisI obviously embarassed myself.
As someone in a PM so eloquently put it. Stay a nurse I will never make it as a MD.

Tristan,
Follow your dreams, no one can stop you. I've noticed that some folks assume an elitist stance or negative attitude when others strive to follow their dreams and the best bet, in my mind is to simply ignore them. As the saying goes, if there's a will, there's a way. :D
Enjoy the journey!

[Shiz77]

Nevermind, someone delete thisI obviously embarassed myself.
As someone in a PM so eloquently put it. Stay a nurse I will never make it as a MD.

Don't ever let anyone tell you what to do, if you're unsure, take it slow. Judging by the marks you put up you're probably in 3rd year, so take your time, finish your degree and then see what you want. Write the MCATs too, highly suggest it and don't listen to some random PM please. If you're going to carib be 150% sure that's what you want, the Carib route is definitely the road less travelled ;). Good luck.

[I Was Justin You]

I would consider other options as well especially considering whats going on in Saba. Just my 2 cents.

What exactly is goin on there right now? What do you mean?

[Tristan]

I was wondering what is going on there as well?

You guys are right I should not listen. :D
The reason I balked so quickly when I saw that PM was that it is conflicting inside me. I am just so nervous to fail out. I really do enjoy the sciences but can I pass them? I am just so cautious that I barely do uncalculated unobvious moves. Moving to the Caribbean for medical school would just shock everyone, probably even myself because it is not a sure thing that I can come back to Canada. It is not even a sure thing that I will be successful in completing it. But I just itch to have that responsibility that they have. It is so rewarding and fulfilling to dedicate your life to medicine and I want to do it. This is not a feeling that I get by just watching ER or something, It just interests me so much!
And when I did my second year with the science courses I enjoyed it, and I think it is evident in my marks around a 3.7 GPA, I was doing even better but the exam period was brutal for me. Lots of exams close together, not that I am making up excuses :rolleyes:

I am also looking into PA school. But in Canada there is only one and it is at McMaster which is notoriously hard to get into. The US looks enticing especially University Alabama Birmingham surgical PA.
How does this plan sound.
Take biochemistry in the winter with an overload meaning 5.5 credits for the year, or take it without Quantative reserach methods Nurs305 (crappy course) and go with 4.5 credits. Take Psych215 (instead of nurs305) in the summer with some biology courses. Next fall don't do my preconsolidation (kind of like a mini residency) and take organic chemistry 1, then do my preconsolidation in the winter semester with organic chemistry 2. And finally do my final consolidation in the OR (it's pretty sweet) and graduate that summer of 2010.

[jar22]

I was wondering what is going on there as well?

You guys are right I should not listen. :D
The reason I balked so quickly when I saw that PM was that it is conflicting inside me. I am just so nervous to fail out. I really do enjoy the sciences but can I pass them? I am just so cautious that I barely do uncalculated unobvious moves. Moving to the Caribbean for medical school would just shock everyone, probably even myself because it is not a sure thing that I can come back to Canada. It is not even a sure thing that I will be successful in completing it. But I just itch to have that responsibility that they have. It is so rewarding and fulfilling to dedicate your life to medicine and I want to do it. This is not a feeling that I get by just watching ER or something, It just interests me so much!
And when I did my second year with the science courses I enjoyed it, and I think it is evident in my marks around a 3.7 GPA, I was doing even better but the exam period was brutal for me. Lots of exams close together, not that I am making up excuses :rolleyes:

I am also looking into PA school. But in Canada there is only one and it is at McMaster which is notoriously hard to get into. The US looks enticing especially University Alabama Birmingham surgical PA.
How does this plan sound.
Take biochemistry in the winter with an overload meaning 5.5 credits for the year, or take it without Quantative reserach methods Nurs305 (crappy course) and go with 4.5 credits. Take Psych215 (instead of nurs305) in the summer with some biology courses. Next fall don't do my preconsolidation (kind of like a mini residency) and take organic chemistry 1, then do my preconsolidation in the winter semester with organic chemistry 2. And finally do my final consolidation in the OR (it's pretty sweet) and graduate that summer of 2010.

SABA is a good medical school and if you complete it successfully, you will get to practice in canada...reflect on the points ive highlighted.
close exams=brutal for you? I think you really really need to overcome this before you get to the island.
not sure if you'll be successful? there's not much assurance in PA schools either. they arent that easy from what I hear from friends. there's no assurance in anything in this world and after all, being successful depends on you and not on any other factors.
moving to caribbean = shock? it might be a shock for everybody but probably you'll be pre-occupied by studies and you wont even have any time to think of that shock. goal is to get there and leave the island ASAP and that by passing all of them (subjects) on time.

[Tristan]

Good call on the shock not being very noticeable if I immerse myself in my studies.
What I meant was that I think December 8th classes finished, and my microbiology, pharmacology exams were december 10th in the morning, and then pathophysiology was december 11th. That was tough because I did not have enough time to review everything solidly. I still did ok, but more time I would of done better. Actually my pharmacology exam went well because my mark went up 1% ahah

Too be honest I come from a big city (Ottawa) and the school I go to is in a tiny town (Peterborough). So maybe the island won't shock me that much.

How close are the exams in medical school?

[avenable]

Saba is an excellent school that and is absolutely one of the top choices if you are planning on coming to the caribbean. I agree jar22 though about close exams, we have "exam days" on which we take our exams for each class that we are currently in. For second and third semesters this is 3 exams in intensive courses... just something to think about and yes, you do get used to it.

About the PA programs.... I was at UAB for a while. Their surgical PA program is excellent and one of only two in the US (that I'm aware of).

Good luck!

[12345can]

there is also a PA school at Manitoba as of this year if you are looking into that route...

its a masters which would be a nice