Impressions of SUSOM from a 1st semester student

[tanthalas]

Ok,

I'll jump onto this thread throughout my journey here at Saba University.
I'll try at least once every block with updates.

So we're done with 3rd block and heading into our 4th block of exams in another week or so. We're doing head/neck for anatomy.

Lots of Canadians down here!! Even better that many are from Toronto!!
We outnumber the yanks like 3-2 or something...
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Island life:
1. small island where all the locals know each other
2. no issues with safety so far, unless you count locals ogling the girls in our class
3. there is a beach, that comes and goes depending on the season
4. the island has various 'villages'. the school is in The Bottom. There is 1 grocery store: My Store that accomodates The Bottom. In terms of restaurants and places to eat.
a. school lunch counter: not that great & overpriced, but convenient
b. a cafe connected to Matthews dorms: overpriced food (i.e. $8 for generic cheeseburger & everything else is more expensive)
c. My Store grocery has a place inside that sells sandwiches & meals. Better pricing and better food
d. A chinese restaurant: not very good & expensive

5. There are other villages such as Lower/Upper Hell's, etc, but in terms of places to dine & get groceries that would be Windwardside. There are a couple of groceries and 3 decent restaurants. Saba Treasure (great pizza!!), Eden (French inspired, most gourmet), Brigadoons (Great food & the owners are cool). These 3 restaurants should be featured in any Caribbean travel book.

There is also Swinging Doors (open mic night on Wed), Guidos, & Scout's place (Sabaoke on Fridays) in terms of hanging out and getting drinks. Its more developed here due to the tourist diving industry.

Basically be prepared to come and study. Not much to do except scuba dive, hang out, and some local outings like karaoke on Fri nights.
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Curriculum:
1. You take Anatomy theory (includes Embryology), anatomy lab, histology, and evidence based medicine, a class on using various search techniques to obtain info on diseases, etc.

2. The professors for the most part are very good. You can tell the histo prof Dr. S really cares about you and teaching. The anat. dept consists of 4 guys. Dr. B, Dr. A, Dr. P, Dr. L. They rotate in and out for lectures throughout the semester and run the lab classes.

3. This semester our blocks were as follows: Back/Thorax, Upper/Lower Limb, Abdomen/Pelvis....Now we're on Head/Neck.

4. To pass the class you need a 75%. Which I think is a pretty high standard relative to other schools. Anything below a 75 is an F, 75 - 79: C, 80 - 89: B, 90+: A.

5. Our entering class which I think has been the biggest was 101. Our total class for anatomy was 104 since there are 3 people from the previous semester that are retaking. Our histo class also had a couple of students from previous semester.
Block 1: 97 students took the anatomy exam 42 F's, 96 students took the histo exam, 35 F's.
Block 2: 94 students took the anat. exam, 23 F's, 94 took the histo exam, 24 F's.
Block 3: 92 took the anat. exam, 14 F's, 93 took the histo exam, 7 F's.

At this point we're down to 89/101 students we began with. Some of them have completely dropped and headed back home due to personal, grades, acceptance to a US school, etc. Some have dropped anat and are only taking histo.

I would imagine that by the end of the semester we will have lost a couple more people and definitely have some that drop at least 1 class.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
In order to continue on you have to take a Shelf exam for anatomy and pass it with a 75%.
So for 5th block we'll have a cumulative histology exam, cumulative anatomy theory & lab exam + shelf exam.
They take it serious here and its no joke. Be prepared to come and study your bootie off.

Its not getting into a Caribb school thats tough. Its getting out.
---------------------------------------------------------------------

2nd semester courses to look forward to: biochem, physio, genetics, epi.
Shelf exam for biochm & physio.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Additional comments:
We have a great class made up of good people for the most part. I'd like to see every single one make it to 5th semester and beyond. But if previous classes are any indication, our 89 students that we have now we'll be cut down more by the end of this journey. I would say that from the first day of class...by the time you reach 5th semester & you look around. You'll only have 50 - 60% of your class left that are completely on track with the 20 months of basic sci. Most would have dropped a class here or there and held back a semester or two.
Even only after 3rd block we're down to 89 'full time' students (students taking histo + anat). Thats a 12% decrease from day 1.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Students: the upper classmen have been great. many try to help you out getting adjusted and giving advice to be successful in 1st semester. There are TAs for histology and anatomy. The anatomy lab exams are critical because they can save your butt for your overall grade. Lab exams make up 40% and theory makes up 60%. You got to do well on the lab exams in case you screw up theory. So the TAs are there to help you through that.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Anatomy lab sort of sucks. Its split into 2 groups of approx. 50 students. Maybe 10 students per cadaver. Its crowded when a professor is showing a pro-section. Lots of inconsiderate students during lab time.
You do most of your learning after hours, since the cadaver labs are open 24/7.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
For the most part the TAs are good. There are a couple that seem like they're TAs so they can hit on 1st semester girls. Creepy.......considering many of the girls are away from home for the 1st time, thus vulnerable & easy targets.
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Emotional aspect:
1. you are coming to an isolated island
2. many will be homesick
3. its a 3rd world country
4. the water comes from rainfall and collected in cisterns
5. water conservation is huge
6. if its yellow let it mellow, if its brown flush it down
7. internet is decent, but don't expect what you have at home
8. lots of hooking up occurs. just think of 1st yr of university or summer camp.
9. hormones are rampant
10. some relationships from home will suffer.
11. its a strange world. seems like normal rules from back home don't apply. cheating may occur. people that you would never be friends with back home are your friends here, etc etc.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Thats it off the top of my head. Any incoming or prospective students, you can post questions and I'll get to them as I have time.

[ZIMAgo]

do they have condoms on this island or do you kids still use tube socks like back in Canada?

[tanthalas]

yup.. condoms can be obtained at the pharmacy or the chinese rest.
:P

[ZIMAgo]

I'd trust a tube sock more than a condom from a chinese rest.

[tanthalas]

I'd trust a tube sock more than a condom from a chinese rest.
lmao... :shock:

[Tellingitlikeitis]

my advice

keep your head under the radar. dont ever get on admins bad side, just get through it, and use saba to get your diploma.

[tanthalas]

my advice

keep your head under the radar. dont ever get on admins bad side, just get through it, and use saba to get your diploma.

agreed. i just want to survive each semester and take the boards.

[Tellingitlikeitis]

taking step 2 and cs next week. and than you never have to see another annoying canadian and their roots clothing collection

[B_W_]

Sorry there Abercrombie.

[Idiots]

I'd just like to point out that this is absolutely not a third world country...

No emancipated people dying of starvation on the side of the street, no 3 inches of feces sitting in the gutters, the houses are made of cement and mortar and not sheet metal and cardboard...

Trust me, if you think this is a third world country, then you ain't seen nothing yet. Heck, there's plenty of rural places in Canada that aren't as well developed as Saba.

[rokshana]

I'd just like to point out that this is absolutely not a third world country...

No emancipated people dying of starvation on the side of the street, no 3 inches of feces sitting in the gutters, the houses are made of cement and mortar and not sheet metal and cardboard...

Trust me, if you think this is a third world country, then you ain't seen nothing yet. Heck, there's plenty of rural places in Canada that aren't as well developed as Saba.

really?? everyone in Saba has a guardian?? So who's the Daddy?:)

[WaiWahine]

really?? everyone in Saba has a guardian?? So who's the Daddy?:)

lol! Great question :)

[ElGuapo]

Maybe it's just semantics but Saba would be considered a 3rd world country. A 3rd world country does not necessarily have to feature widespread abject poverty.

It certainly is quite a bit different from what many of us might be used to back home in the U.S./Canada.

[Gigi25]

wow...missing the simple island life

[tanthalas]

wow...missing the simple island life

I think things have changed quite a bit since you were here.

Currently, our entering classes are 101+ compared to the 60 - 70
in the past. The upcoming Sept. class is suppose to be even bigger.

[tanthalas]

Ok so block 4 head/neck are done.
Block 5 consists of:
1. Histology final: cumulative: 50% new material, 50% from blocks 1-4. Over a 1000 powerpoint slides to look over
2. Anatomy lab practical: cumulative
3. Anatomy & Embryology Theory: cumulative
4. And on top of that we need to take the Anatomy Shelf exam.

Block 5 histo makes up 32% of our grade.
Block 5 anat + shelf make up 36% of our grade.

Class average for block 4 anatomy: 88% pretty good considering that block 1 average was: 76% with 42 people failing. For block 4 we had 6 students fail (< 75%)

Class average for block 4 histo: 84%: 15 students failing (< 75%)

As mentioned before our class started off with 101 students.
We have 91 students left. From those 91 first semester students,
86 are still taking both anatomy/histo. The rest dropped anatomy and
will re-take next semester.

I have a feeling by the time the semester is over we'll be at 75-79 students from
the original 101 that were in both classes.

Not all left for academic reasons. We had several leave for personal reasons or if they found a better gig (like got accepted to a US med school).

We'll definitely lose some folks completely since Saba has a strict rule of kicking you out if you fail 2 classes while at Saba or fail 1 class while on probation (i.e. dropped a class in a semester)
So the people that dropped anatomy and are only taking histo...if they fail histo they're gone for good.

It sucks to see your classmates/friends being dropped. Not good for morale.

In terms of the material for 1st semester.
Both anat & histo have been very fair. The professors here really do
want you to succeed and give you the tools to do so. But some just didn't get
the hang of it and put themselves in a hole early on.

My advice to incoming students: Start the semester off strong. Get good marks your 1st & 2nd blocks, so you build a cushion as you get into 3rd and on.

Also, although anatomy takes up SO much time....you MUST make time for histo and build a nice cushion going into 4th & 5th. These 2 blocks are the most likely blocks to hurt your grade, just by the sheer amount of information. We're responsible for 1000 powerpoint slides for 5th & have to take a cumulative anat + a Shelf exam (retired USMLE q's)

Aight....off to bed. Any incoming students, just drop questions here and I'll try to get to them. I'll also end up meeting most of you since I'll be one of the anatomy TAs.

[ElGuapo]

I would add that while you should aim to do well on block 1 and 2, don't be discouraged if you don't. It can take a while before you find the right formula to study. I found that when I first started, I was working SUPER hard for block 1 and 2 in anatomy. But I failed both. It wasn't due to lack of effort.

But then, I just found a different way of studying for block 3 and since then it's been smooth sailing and that includes subsequent semesters.

Obviously you have to work hard, but it's equally important to work smart. It can take some time to find a method that works for you. Your approach might be very different from those employed by other students, but if it works for you, stick with it.

Oh, and don't let it bother you if it seems like some people know WAY more than you. There are some folks that will make you feel extremely ignorant. You'll be surprised to find that you're doing far better than many of these folks. You'll also be surprised to find that some of the people who seem absolutely clueless are smoking all their classes.

Also, remember to find some time to unwind. The students that do best here are the ones that also have a social life and engage in many extra curricular activities. It's NOT the students that live like hermits, stay up all night studying and have no social life.

You CAN find time to get a decent amount sleep, get some exercise, have a social life AND do very well in all your classes.

[NikolaTesla]

Very well said Guapo...

[kt_96]

Which way of studying did you find worked for you, ElGuapo??

[tegraphile]

75%... yikes. That is pretty high (depending on a curve, etc.). I guess we fall between you guys, since our passing is 70%. Not as high as Saba and not as low as Ross (65% passing)

[tanthalas]

75%... yikes. That is pretty high (depending on a curve, etc.). I guess we fall between you guys, since our passing is 70%. Not as high as Saba and not as low as Ross (65% passing)

Yep...no curve. Just straight up 75%.
Its a killer no doubt.

I was always curious what the pass % was at AUC and Ross. Thanks!

[rxprital]

Hi tanthalas,

Thanks for providing such invaluable and detailed information through this blog...I applied for Jan 2010...have my interview in Aug...fingers crossed...

But in the meantime...could you shed some light on what exactly are these blocks? is one block like one sem or something?

Has anyone compiled a list of things to bring with you the first time around (esp. a girl's list) that you could post on here...appreciations!


[QUOTE=tanthalas;1133097]Ok so block 4 head/neck are done.
Block 5 consists of:
1. Histology final: cumulative: 50% new material, 50% from blocks 1-4. Over a 1000 powerpoint slides to look over
2. Anatomy lab practical: cumulative
3. Anatomy & Embryology Theory: cumulative
4. And on top of that we need to take the Anatomy Shelf exam.

Block 5 histo makes up 32% of our grade.
Block 5 anat + shelf make up 36% of our grade.

[QUOTE]

[wolfvgang22]

Ok,

I'll jump onto this thread throughout my journey here at Saba University.
I'll try at least once every block with updates.

So we're done with 3rd block and heading into our 4th block of exams in another week or so. We're doing head/neck for anatomy.

Lots of Canadians down here!! Even better that many are from Toronto!!
We outnumber the yanks like 3-2 or something...
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Island life:
1. small island where all the locals know each other
2. no issues with safety so far, unless you count locals ogling the girls in our class
3. there is a beach, that comes and goes depending on the season
4. the island has various 'villages'. the school is in The Bottom. There is 1 grocery store: My Store that accomodates The Bottom. In terms of restaurants and places to eat.
a. school lunch counter: not that great & overpriced, but convenient
b. a cafe connected to Matthews dorms: overpriced food (i.e. $8 for generic cheeseburger & everything else is more expensive)
c. My Store grocery has a place inside that sells sandwiches & meals. Better pricing and better food
d. A chinese restaurant: not very good & expensive

5. There are other villages such as Lower/Upper Hell's, etc, but in terms of places to dine & get groceries that would be Windwardside. There are a couple of groceries and 3 decent restaurants. Saba Treasure (great pizza!!), Eden (French inspired, most gourmet), Brigadoons (Great food & the owners are cool). These 3 restaurants should be featured in any Caribbean travel book.

There is also Swinging Doors (open mic night on Wed), Guidos, & Scout's place (Sabaoke on Fridays) in terms of hanging out and getting drinks. Its more developed here due to the tourist diving industry.

Basically be prepared to come and study. Not much to do except scuba dive, hang out, and some local outings like karaoke on Fri nights.
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Curriculum:
1. You take Anatomy theory (includes Embryology), anatomy lab, histology, and evidence based medicine, a class on using various search techniques to obtain info on diseases, etc.

2. The professors for the most part are very good. You can tell the histo prof Dr. S really cares about you and teaching. The anat. dept consists of 4 guys. Dr. B, Dr. A, Dr. P, Dr. L. They rotate in and out for lectures throughout the semester and run the lab classes.

3. This semester our blocks were as follows: Back/Thorax, Upper/Lower Limb, Abdomen/Pelvis....Now we're on Head/Neck.

4. To pass the class you need a 75%. Which I think is a pretty high standard relative to other schools. Anything below a 75 is an F, 75 - 79: C, 80 - 89: B, 90+: A.

5. Our entering class which I think has been the biggest was 101. Our total class for anatomy was 104 since there are 3 people from the previous semester that are retaking. Our histo class also had a couple of students from previous semester.
Block 1: 97 students took the anatomy exam 42 F's, 96 students took the histo exam, 35 F's.
Block 2: 94 students took the anat. exam, 23 F's, 94 took the histo exam, 24 F's.
Block 3: 92 took the anat. exam, 14 F's, 93 took the histo exam, 7 F's.

At this point we're down to 89/101 students we began with. Some of them have completely dropped and headed back home due to personal, grades, acceptance to a US school, etc. Some have dropped anat and are only taking histo.

I would imagine that by the end of the semester we will have lost a couple more people and definitely have some that drop at least 1 class.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
In order to continue on you have to take a Shelf exam for anatomy and pass it with a 75%.
So for 5th block we'll have a cumulative histology exam, cumulative anatomy theory & lab exam + shelf exam.
They take it serious here and its no joke. Be prepared to come and study your bootie off.

Its not getting into a Caribb school thats tough. Its getting out.
---------------------------------------------------------------------

2nd semester courses to look forward to: biochem, physio, genetics, epi.
Shelf exam for biochm & physio.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Additional comments:
We have a great class made up of good people for the most part. I'd like to see every single one make it to 5th semester and beyond. But if previous classes are any indication, our 89 students that we have now we'll be cut down more by the end of this journey. I would say that from the first day of class...by the time you reach 5th semester & you look around. You'll only have 50 - 60% of your class left that are completely on track with the 20 months of basic sci. Most would have dropped a class here or there and held back a semester or two.
Even only after 3rd block we're down to 89 'full time' students (students taking histo + anat). Thats a 12% decrease from day 1.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Students: the upper classmen have been great. many try to help you out getting adjusted and giving advice to be successful in 1st semester. There are TAs for histology and anatomy. The anatomy lab exams are critical because they can save your butt for your overall grade. Lab exams make up 40% and theory makes up 60%. You got to do well on the lab exams in case you screw up theory. So the TAs are there to help you through that.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Anatomy lab sort of sucks. Its split into 2 groups of approx. 50 students. Maybe 10 students per cadaver. Its crowded when a professor is showing a pro-section. Lots of inconsiderate students during lab time.
You do most of your learning after hours, since the cadaver labs are open 24/7.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
For the most part the TAs are good. There are a couple that seem like they're TAs so they can hit on 1st semester girls. Creepy.......considering many of the girls are away from home for the 1st time, thus vulnerable & easy targets.
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Emotional aspect:
1. you are coming to an isolated island
2. many will be homesick
3. its a 3rd world country
4. the water comes from rainfall and collected in cisterns
5. water conservation is huge
6. if its yellow let it mellow, if its brown flush it down
7. internet is decent, but don't expect what you have at home
8. lots of hooking up occurs. just think of 1st yr of university or summer camp.
9. hormones are rampant
10. some relationships from home will suffer.
11. its a strange world. seems like normal rules from back home don't apply. cheating may occur. people that you would never be friends with back home are your friends here, etc etc.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Thats it off the top of my head. Any incoming or prospective students, you can post questions and I'll get to them as I have time.
Seems like not much has changed from 2005, I first stepped on the island. A few different professors, and more students accepted into the school, but otherwise, same-old stuff. Good post, thanks.
:)

[tanthalas]

[QUOTE=rxprital;1137455]Hi tanthalas,

Thanks for providing such invaluable and detailed information through this blog...I applied for Jan 2010...have my interview in Aug...fingers crossed...

But in the meantime...could you shed some light on what exactly are these blocks? is one block like one sem or something?

Has anyone compiled a list of things to bring with you the first time around (esp. a girl's list) that you could post on here...appreciations!


[QUOTE=tanthalas;1133097]Ok so block 4 head/neck are done.
Block 5 consists of:
1. Histology final: cumulative: 50% new material, 50% from blocks 1-4. Over a 1000 powerpoint slides to look over
2. Anatomy lab practical: cumulative
3. Anatomy & Embryology Theory: cumulative
4. And on top of that we need to take the Anatomy Shelf exam.

Block 5 histo makes up 32% of our grade.
Block 5 anat + shelf make up 36% of our grade.


Blocks are how the semester is split up.
So for instance.
1. Block 1 occurs approx. 2 weeks into the semester. for anatomy you learn thorax/back. As well as 2 weeks worth of histology

2. Block 2 occurs 3 weeks AFTER block 1, and it continues until the END of the semester (i.e. block 3 is 3 weeks AFTER block 2, block 4 is 3 weeks after block 3)

3. Block 5 is the last block of exams you take. Its cumulative for both anatomy and histology. Also during this time you have to take a US Shelf exam for anatomy.

Some schools don't go on the block system or they may have less blocks in a semester. Some schools use 'mini's' instead of blocks.

For things to bring, I'm sure somebody compiled a list on here before. It really depends on if you're going to be at the Hillside dorms (very nice) or Matthews (crappy). You can cook at Hillside, but you can't at Matthews.

[tanthalas]

Seems like not much has changed from 2005, I first stepped on the island. A few different professors, and more students accepted into the school, but otherwise, same-old stuff. Good post, thanks.
:)

Congrats on your residency!

When you were here in 2005-2006, how many people failed as they progressed? From sem 1, sem 2, etc?

[wolfvgang22]

Congrats on your residency!

When you were here in 2005-2006, how many people failed as they progressed? From sem 1, sem 2, etc?
Well, back in 2005 we started with I think 77 people. We graduated basic sciences with 55, but maybe five of those were those who dropped back from previous semesters.
The biggest single drop in my estimation was during first semester. Four or five people left within that first semester due to not liking the island, not being cut out for medical school, or missing family and home. After first semester we lost one or two due to medical conditions or family illness. Most of the others simply just dropped a class and graduated basic sciences one semester later. That was mostly in second semester, and then again in fourth semester, if I recall correctly. Second semester had biochemistry and physiology, making it tough for everybody. Fourth had pathology and pharmacology, which made it tough for some other students.

Two people were expelled for allegedly passing notes during a test, I think that was in second semester.

In clinicals it's much harder to keep track as we are spread out around the U.S. I heard of one person in my class that was expelled during clinical rotations for alleged sexual harassment of other students, but I only heard about that third hand so I don't know the details.

People don't tend to tell you if they don't match, but I know of at least two cases of people who didn't match, and didn't scramble into a residency position, but kept trying and networking, and still managed to get a position outside the match by July.

[tanthalas]

So here's the update:
We just finished block 5 for histo today.
It was a cumulative exam and you were responsible for every slide seen this semester.
It was brutal to say the least. 50% was from block 5 material and 50% was from block 1-4.

Last Friday we wrote our block 5 lab anatomy exam, on Monday we wrote our block 5 theory exam, and today we had the histo final. Tomorrow is the US anatomy shelf exam that accounts for 20% of our grade.

So for 5th block anatomy:
35 A's, 31 B's, 12 C's, 8 F's.
An 'F' at Saba is anything less than 75%.

86 students wrote the exam. 3 are students retaking from last semester, so
83 from our starting class wrote the exam.

We started off with 101 students and in terms of anatomy have lost 18 students
since May. I would guess by the end the semester we'll be in the 75 - 79 student range going into 2nd semester.

Its been a brutal semester but definitely do-able if you work hard and manage your
time effectively. There's little room for error and so you HAVE to be on top of your game from day 1.

I can't wait to be done tomorrow!!

[tanthalas]

Histo block 5 grades in: out of 92 students, 24 failed.
Overall for the class: 13 failed.

Advice for incoming students. Take
EVERY course seriously. Don't just rely on powerpoint slides that the prof is using.
Crack open a book and do some old fashion studying.
Its tough because anatomy takes up ALL your time with lectures + lab + going into lab afterhours, but make sure you dedicate time for other classes.

We've got the anatomy shelf exam at 8 AM and the semester is done done done.

[Confused 20]

Thank you for contributing such an informative post. Would you be able to inform us of the textbooks that were essential and that you often used and the textbooks that you never used? Many students have stated that they only used 1 or 2 books a semester and that the rest were useless. Would it be a wise idea to purchase the textbooks beforehand and read them in their entirety as preparation for Saba? Also can you tell us about how your class is performing in "Intro to Research Skills for Evidence-based Medicine"? Is everyone passing this course? Furthermore, would it be possible for you to share a typical day as a Saba student? How much hours do you study in a day and in a week on average?

Lastly, can you tell me as a future student at Saba how I may prepare for the first semester given the fact that I do not have much of a science background and also very little knowledge in gross developmental anatomy and histology and cell biology? Is anatomy all about memorization and therefore learning all about the human body prior to entering Saba would be very beneficial to an individual. Are there any courses I should take in preparation and any textbooks I should read that will prepare me for taking these aforementioned classes at Saba?

Thank you in advance for any input that you can provide on the above questions. Have a great day and good luck with your future studies at Saba.

[tegraphile]

I noticed someone asked about passing at AUC; it's a 70% here.

Our anatomy shelf exam counts for less of our final grade (I can't recall off-hand), so those who have performed well enough in the block exams should be in a good position to pass the class overall, even without a strong performance on the shelf exam.

Do Saba curve the shelf according to the individual class performance or do they use only the national average?

[tanthalas]

I noticed someone asked about passing at AUC; it's a 70% here.

Our anatomy shelf exam counts for less of our final grade (I can't recall off-hand), so those who have performed well enough in the block exams should be in a good position to pass the class overall, even without a strong performance on the shelf exam.

Do Saba curve the shelf according to the individual class performance or do they use only the national average?

They tack on 15% since in the US its 60% to pass the shelf and Saba is 75% to pass.

[tanthalas]

Thank you for contributing such an informative post. Would you be able to inform us of the textbooks that were essential and that you often used and the textbooks that you never used? Many students have stated that they only used 1 or 2 books a semester and that the rest were useless. Would it be a wise idea to purchase the textbooks beforehand and read them in their entirety as preparation for Saba? Also can you tell us about how your class is performing in "Intro to Research Skills for Evidence-based Medicine"? Is everyone passing this course? Furthermore, would it be possible for you to share a typical day as a Saba student? How much hours do you study in a day and in a week on average?

Lastly, can you tell me as a future student at Saba how I may prepare for the first semester given the fact that I do not have much of a science background and also very little knowledge in gross developmental anatomy and histology and cell biology? Is anatomy all about memorization and therefore learning all about the human body prior to entering Saba would be very beneficial to an individual. Are there any courses I should take in preparation and any textbooks I should read that will prepare me for taking these aforementioned classes at Saba?

Thank you in advance for any input that you can provide on the above questions. Have a great day and good luck with your future studies at Saba.

1. There are many students with absolutely no science background in terms of undergrad. Obviously the students that have a background are going to have an easier time.
A. 1st semester: anatomy/embryology/histology/evidence based medicine
You don't need any books for EBM. And as long as you do the assignments on time, you're going to be fine.

Anatomy takes up a lot of time. You have lecture from 10-12 and then lab at either 1-3 or 3-5. You will also be going in after hours to lab to make the connections between anatomy theory and a cadaver.

Books needed: students will be selling off their books, but certain ones you should buy. BRS Anatomy & Netter's.
The theory book we used this semester was Moore's, but I believe that future semesters will be using Snell's.

The books you need for histo will be sold by students or you can check them out in the library.

[Confused 20]

Thank you very much for your reply. Would it be helpful if I purchase the textbooks immediately and begin studying them prior to the start of class? Also, do you believe taking classes such as Anatomy and Physiology I and II, Biochemistry, Genetics, Microbiology, and Pharmacology helped you a great deal to excel in medical school? Lastly, would you be willing to sell me your class notes, powerpoint slides and handouts you received from your professors, and all the other materials you received in your classes that you studied from? Please pm me so we can work out a price. If not, do you know of any of your fellow classmates who may be willing to sell their notes and powerpoint slides?

Thank you in advance for your reply. I hope you did well on you finals and good look in your second semester

[darkmansaad]

sorry to tell you guys this but your basic science shelves mean less than you think. Only about half of the US schools use it for any grading purposes and those that do give the test with about a day or two to prepare, often they give ALL the shelves together with minimal studying time. Taking the test on saba with up to a week to prepare and then thinking you are scoring near the "national" average can serve to lull you into a false sense of security.

However the clinical science shelves are REALLY useful as I have heard from US students that they are the best way to prepare for Step 2. Not only do we not have access to those, but the CCE exams arent that well written. But hey, at least the schools tryin to give us something.

This is not a criticism as as much as it is a warning to not get complacent when you score great on your shelves, i know too many people with 90s on their shelves who didnt get a 90 on their Step 1...a shame. And we should all try to get access for saba students for clinical shelves, its not gonna help me im almost done but for future students it will be a boon.

[amyames]

sorry to tell you guys this but your basic science shelves mean less than you think. Only about half of the US schools use it for any grading purposes and those that do give the test with about a day or two to prepare, often they give ALL the shelves together with minimal studying time. Taking the test on saba with up to a week to prepare and then thinking you are scoring near the "national" average can serve to lull you into a false sense of security.

However the clinical science shelves are REALLY useful as I have heard from US students that they are the best way to prepare for Step 2. Not only do we not have access to those, but the CCE exams arent that well written. But hey, at least the schools tryin to give us something.

This is not a criticism as as much as it is a warning to not get complacent when you score great on your shelves, i know too many people with 90s on their shelves who didnt get a 90 on their Step 1...a shame. And we should all try to get access for saba students for clinical shelves, its not gonna help me im almost done but for future students it will be a boon.

totally agree with darkman that we need NMBE shelves! however, I hope that if those shelves are implemented there will not be a problem with scheduling them! I know of other carib schools (i think auc and smu) that use the NMBEs and these shelves are only given at certain times of the year in certain parts of the country. thus, students are taking multiple shelves on the same day just to graduate in time!

yet, I hope scheudling problems is not the factor detering Saba from implementing the NBME shelves because they are needed. The CCEs are poorly worded as darkman says and after doing usmleword questions I see that doing uworld would have not helped in my exam prep as exam master has done; yet uworld is the standard for step 2 prep.

i'm glad saba has started using the nbme comp as the exit exam for basic sciences...now it's time to use the nbme's for clinical shelves.


also great posts regarding first semester....brings back my own memories of first semester, ah those were the days :)

[Hugh_Mongous]

I just finished 1st semester as well and I agree with most of what Tanthalas has said. Also, as for studying, remember that although everyone has to figure out what study resources (BRS, powerpoints, text, Rao's notes, etc.) and techniques work well for them, EVERYONE has to put in the time from the beginning. If you don't know what to do, your default should DEFINITELY be to go over the day's powerpoints actively. I know someone who used BRS only for the whole semester and got an A. I know someone who read the textbook only and got an A. And another who used exclusively Dr. Rao's notes and got an A.

Just DON'T FREAK OUT, especially if you have been out of academics for a little while, are not a naturally science or biology major, or have not really studied too hard before. Cover the daily material DAILY and don't fall behind. After I figured out what works for me, I ended up studying less and doing much better.

As for what to do to prepare, perhaps get the Kaplan videos for anatomy and watch those leisurely prior to coming. The Acland series of fresh tissue dissection videos will help you as well if you can get those. Areas of emphasis should be abdomen, pelvis/perineum, and thorax. The videos are not too intense and are more high yield. The class will provide a more detailed examination of the subjects. If you don't know if you can handle the course load, take an upper level course in anatomy, biochem, or something to see how you do and to work on your study skills. Otherwise, enjoy your family and friends because once you get here, you are in it for 20 months.

[Confused 20]

Thank you for such an informative post Hugh. Are there any other courses besides anatomy and biochemistry that one could take that would better prepare him or her for medical school? Also, did you find that the subject matter for medical school anatomy was similar to the subject matter for anatomy in undergraduate except for a tremendous more volume of material? Do you believe that it is possible for someone who is not good at memorizing things to still pass anatomy in medical school? Lastly, I hope that you my pm me if you or any of your first semester friends would be willing to sell me their notes, powerpoints, and lecture materials.

Thank you in advance for your reply and good luck in your second semester.

[tanthalas]

Thank you for such an informative post Hugh. Are there any other courses besides anatomy and biochemistry that one could take that would better prepare him or her for medical school? Also, did you find that the subject matter for medical school anatomy was similar to the subject matter for anatomy in undergraduate except for a tremendous more volume of material? Do you believe that it is possible for someone who is not good at memorizing things to still pass anatomy in medical school? Lastly, I hope that you my pm me if you or any of your first semester friends would be willing to sell me their notes, powerpoints, and lecture materials.

Thank you in advance for your reply and good luck in your second semester.

You put in the work and you'll be fine. Its all about work ethic.
If you have exposure to anatomy/embryology/histology/biochm/physio you'll obviously be in better shape.

[Confused 20]

Thank you for the encouragement, Tanthalas. I believe that I have a good work ethic that I continuously attempt to improve upon. However, I do not have very much confidence because I believe that I am of average intelligence at best. I do not know if it is possible for an individual of average intelligence to succeed in medicine. Do you believe that a student with not much of a science background who is of average intelligence and possesses a great work ethic would be able to excel at Saba and pass USMLE Step 1?

On another note, I wish to inform you that I sent you an email and look forward to your response. Have a great day.

[ElGuapo]

Buddy, high intelligence is not required to master basic sciences. A good memory would help but there's nothing in medicine that's particularly hard to understand. The tough part is retaining the information.

We're not exactly doing quantum mechanics or multivariable calculus here. It's very rare that you'll find yourself thinking "I don't get it." You will however think "Damn, I don't remember" a whole lot.

I think you could be of below average intelligence and still do very well in med school if you're willing to put in the time and effort.