Advice for incoming students

[SmoothObturator]

For those students who are well above 3.0 GPA why are you considering AUA? Did you do horrible on your MCAT's? If so, take it again. I was an AUA student and I had to face loan issues and I decided to come back to the states and take my MCAT's again. The quality of education is good but...the professors just teach what was on the shelf exams. The material is condensed but doable. If you really want to learn the material well because medicine is your calling it's not the place for you. There are many students who cheat just like any other schools however it happens more here.

I'm sure you're probably thinking...oh, you just had a bad experience there, trust me most of my friends now who are attending and attended will advice you to take your MCAT's again. Once you get to the island, you'll immediately have this gut feeling that you wished you studied harder for your exams and the MCAT lolz But you'll try though then once in a while you'll get a little crazy being surrounded by the same people everyday and it will get to you. Sometimes you'll feel as if you're warped back into your high school days when people just love to ** and spread rumors just as if most of the students had found a new freedom outside their parent's house. You'll notice that there's a lot of partying and no studying yet they have a copy of the shelf exam in their laptops and some notes by Dr. A from Anatomy that they think just by studying the slides would pass or probably read Vik's notes religiously.

You'll sit in the buses or in your cars looking around thinking...I need to get out of here soon and keep myself sane because these high school kids are driving you nuts. But you'll keep cool and make sure you steer yourself at the right direction or you'll get sucked up into thinking you need to be "cool" with your peers and party almost every weekend and get by. You'll be in your DPS class on a hot afternoon and Dr. E and Dr. W will yell at you because you don't know how to check for the parasternal heave lolz and he'll roll his eyes and tell you how AUA students don't know how to check vital signs and you'll either say to yourself, "I really want to be a good doctor and I should study more even though sometimes it feels like there's not enough time-so I respect that he says this to us", OR you'll say, "F* him he doesn't look like a doctor he looks like a dirty Antiguan anyway, he's so mean!".....So he'll grade your tests he'll either nod at you and asks you for your last name to make a mental picture of one of the better students or one of those students whom he knows is going to make a medical blunder sometime in his/her career and suffer a malpractice suit lolz

So you just have to be smart. Just because you got into a medical school in the Caribbean it doesn't stop there, you need to keep moving forward however for me, moving forward means learning the material well and being in a good environment to achieve it. I couldn't stand AUA, I felt as if I was just getting by. My grades shows clearly that I have studied my *** off and good works pays off however, our shelf exams clearly told me that most of the material that was presented to us was not a full spectrum and there are missing pages in the education thus I don't want to go through the entire cirriculum without having a full idea of the basic sciences and later when I take the USMLE I want to be well prepared.
I'd advice most of you to retake it and take it in the states because title IV loans and also the quality of the education.

I was in your shoes once, I was so excited to get into medical school no matter what but I learned it the hard way and you have to be strong and go with your heart not because it's the only school that accepted you or it's the only way. AUA is just like any other business out there and it's up to you to think if the tution and education are at par.
But obviously, I know what most of you are going to do which is to go ahead and get to the island....you'll see...trust me. Just remember, you're first reaction is usually the correct one. Take care guys!

P.S.-To my roommates who supposedly did not have the anatomy shelf exam I got an A verified by Dr. H. All those nights and mornings you guys drove me crazy by being noisy from goofing around paid off for me and when I needed your help just to show me that you guys had the exam because I only had 3 hours of sleep the night before, thanks...BRS was my bible and yours was the prior anatomy exam which I heard they changed this year lolz

I know you guys are taking the class again! LOLLLLLL!!!

[ngoc]

For those students who are well above 3.0 GPA why are you considering AUA? Did you do horrible on your MCAT's? If so, take it again. I was an AUA student and I had to face loan issues and I decided to come back to the states and take my MCAT's again. The quality of education is good but...the professors just teach what was on the shelf exams. The material is condensed but doable. If you really want to learn the material well because medicine is your calling it's not the place for you. There are many students who cheat just like any other schools however it happens more here.

I'm sure you're probably thinking...oh, you just had a bad experience there, trust me most of my friends now who are attending and attended will advice you to take your MCAT's again. Once you get to the island, you'll immediately have this gut feeling that you wished you studied harder for your exams and the MCAT lolz But you'll try though then once in a while you'll get a little crazy being surrounded by the same people everyday and it will get to you. Sometimes you'll feel as if you're warped back into your high school days when people just love to ** and spread rumors just as if most of the students had found a new freedom outside their parent's house. You'll notice that there's a lot of partying and no studying yet they have a copy of the shelf exam in their laptops and some notes by Dr. A from Anatomy that they think just by studying the slides would pass or probably read Vik's notes religiously.

You'll sit in the buses or in your cars looking around thinking...I need to get out of here soon and keep myself sane because these high school kids are driving you nuts. But you'll keep cool and make sure you steer yourself at the right direction or you'll get sucked up into thinking you need to be "cool" with your peers and party almost every weekend and get by. You'll be in your DPS class on a hot afternoon and Dr. E and Dr. W will yell at you because you don't know how to check for the parasternal heave lolz and he'll roll his eyes and tell you how AUA students don't know how to check vital signs and you'll either say to yourself, "I really want to be a good doctor and I should study more even though sometimes it feels like there's not enough time-so I respect that he says this to us", OR you'll say, "F* him he doesn't look like a doctor he looks like a dirty Antiguan anyway, he's so mean!".....So he'll grade your tests he'll either nod at you and asks you for your last name to make a mental picture of one of the better students or one of those students whom he knows is going to make a medical blunder sometime in his/her career and suffer a malpractice suit lolz

So you just have to be smart. Just because you got into a medical school in the Caribbean it doesn't stop there, you need to keep moving forward however for me, moving forward means learning the material well and being in a good environment to achieve it. I couldn't stand AUA, I felt as if I was just getting by. My grades shows clearly that I have studied my *** off and good works pays off however, our shelf exams clearly told me that most of the material that was presented to us was not a full spectrum and there are missing pages in the education thus I don't want to go through the entire cirriculum without having a full idea of the basic sciences and later when I take the USMLE I want to be well prepared.
I'd advice most of you to retake it and take it in the states because title IV loans and also the quality of the education.

I was in your shoes once, I was so excited to get into medical school no matter what but I learned it the hard way and you have to be strong and go with your heart not because it's the only school that accepted you or it's the only way. AUA is just like any other business out there and it's up to you to think if the tution and education are at par.
But obviously, I know what most of you are going to do which is to go ahead and get to the island....you'll see...trust me. Just remember, you're first reaction is usually the correct one. Take care guys!

P.S.-To my roommates who supposedly did not have the anatomy shelf exam I got an A verified by Dr. H. All those nights and mornings you guys drove me crazy by being noisy from goofing around paid off for me and when I needed your help just to show me that you guys had the exam because I only had 3 hours of sleep the night before, thanks...BRS was my bible and yours was the prior anatomy exam which I heard they changed this year lolz

I know you guys are taking the class again! LOLLLLLL!!!
Can anyone please verfify this info? I am applying for AUA Jan 2010 and I am scared after readingt this. I have a friend who is in his 3th year right now and he said that the school prepared him well for step 1. I know that AUA has a problem with loan right now, but I rather deal witht the loan and receive a best education that the school can provide other than I have to pay a hugh amount of money and don't get as much as education like SmoothObturator said here. Thanks for all inputs

[md12886]

OP is TROLL..... :crazy:.

[Cyberia]

OP is TROLL..... :crazy:.
Agreed..is every class taught great..no..of course not. Are there classes that are taught well..yes. Do you have to study material that wasn't taught in the classroom..yes. Does everyone who does well on the shelf exams have a copy of the shelf? no..at least i've never had a copy...Also as i've progressed at AUA, my shelf scores have gone up significantly since med 1/2. In med 3 i started doing rapid review question banks and USMLE world questions. The more questions I do, the better my scores have become.

[SmoothObturator]

Can anyone please verfify this info? I am applying for AUA Jan 2010 and I am scared after readingt this. I have a friend who is in his 3th year right now and he said that the school prepared him well for step 1. I know that AUA has a problem with loan right now, but I rather deal witht the loan and receive a best education that the school can provide other than I have to pay a hugh amount of money and don't get as much as education like SmoothObturator said here. Thanks for all inputs

LOL What is there to verify? It is my opinion, you can take it or forget it. I attended AUA May 09 and lived in Five Islands, if one of you guys know this area it's near the Royal Antiguan Hotel. I wouldn't know this information unless if I knew the area.

You don't have to listen to my opinion and you can just see for yourself. I understand that before I attended AUA, I did a lot of research on the school and based on the brochures and the great advertising online I was sold. I was constantly going on the webpage just because I was so excited to start and I couldn't wait to get my life started. Sorry if I came forth this way however, I'm just a open minded student who wants a quality education. Medical school is a big investment. The commitment and the dedication is only best for those who have the heart to do so and I want nothing less than I'm capable of. My experience opened my eyes to what I was capable of, I knew that if I tried harder in my MCAT's I would have gotten the grade however, I was upset and I was angry at the fact that I was going to be set back one more year until I could be interviewed again in order to be considered at an U.S. medical school.

I'm not someone who is steering you away from your dreams anywhere however my goal was to give a biased opinion on the education, that's it. I wrote it the way I see it and experienced it. When I first took that cab to my housing I knew I was going to fight to stay here education wise and also mentally. I've met friends and they have said the same thing. We had our fun at St. John's eating at Australian Ice Cream or eating at Big Banana and just spending our post Anatomy exams at Hideway Bay so I'm just letting you know, for your sake to please check out the island before you come and walk around the school and speak with the students. That is the ONLY way you'll have a good outlook on the school. Last semester one of my friend's friend came down from Florida to check out the school and she asked so many questions about the school and went back and took her MCAT's.

Since I am now back in the states and finished the MCAT's, I can honestly say that while I was in Antigua there is no way someone has time to blog in valuemd on a regular basis if you were really into your studies unless it is like your main homepage and you see the new replies most of the time but most of the people in here are just students who HAVE NOT YET been in Antigua or been a student at AUA. I was farrrr too busy studying for Anatomy, DPS, and Histology every damn day to even have time to blog so keep this post in consideration. If this was not enough proof to show that I've been a student then I don't know what else.
So just keep in mind that this is not to scare you it is just my opinion just like everybody else in this forum. Goodluck!

[ngoc]

LOL What is there to verify? It is my opinion, you can take it or forget it. I attended AUA May 09 and lived in Five Islands, if one of you guys know this area it's near the Royal Antiguan Hotel. I wouldn't know this information unless if I knew the area.

You don't have to listen to my opinion and you can just see for yourself. I understand that before I attended AUA, I did a lot of research on the school and based on the brochures and the great advertising online I was sold. I was constantly going on the webpage just because I was so excited to start and I couldn't wait to get my life starded. Sorry if I came forth this way however, I'm just a open minded student who wants a quality education. Medical school is a big investment. The commitment and the dedication is only best for those who have the heart to do so and I want nothing less than I'm capable of. My experience opened my eyes to what I was capable of, I knew that if I tried harder in my MCAT's I would have gotten the grade however, I was upset and I was angry at the fact that I was going to be set back one more year until I could be interviewed again in order to be considered at an U.S. medical school.

I'm not someone who is steering you away from your dreams anywhere however my goal was to give a biased opinion on the education, that's it. I wrote it the way I see it and experienced it. When I first took that cab to my housing I knew I was going to fight to stay here education wise and also mentally. I've met friends and they have said the same thing. We had our fun at St. John's eating at Australian Ice Cream or eating at Big Banana and just spending our post Anatomy exams at Hideway Bay so I'm just letting you know, for your sake to please check out the island before you come and walk around the school and speak with the students. That is the ONLY way you'll have a good outlook on the school. Last semester one of my friend's friend came down from Florida to check out the school and she asked so many questions about the school and went back and took her MCAT's.

Since I am now back in the states and finished the MCAT's, I can honestly say that while I was in Antigua there is no way someone has time to blog in valuemd on a regular basis if you were really into your studies unless it is like your main homepage and you see the new replies most of the time but most of the people in here are just students who HAVE NOT YET been in Antigua or been a student at AUA. I was farrrr too busy studying for Anatomy, DPS, and Histology every damn day to even have time to blog so keep this post in consideration. If this was not enough proof to show that I've been a student then I don't know what else.
So just keep in mind that this is not to scare you it is just my opinion just like everybody else in this forum. Goodluck!
Thanks SmoothObturator:)

[rahulb]

Not reading that wall of text

[Seit El Doctora]

Can anyone please verfify this info? I am applying for AUA Jan 2010 and I am scared after readingt this. I have a friend who is in his 3th year right now and he said that the school prepared him well for step 1. I know that AUA has a problem with loan right now, but I rather deal witht the loan and receive a best education that the school can provide other than I have to pay a hugh amount of money and don't get as much as education like SmoothObturator said here. Thanks for all inputs

I am with you on that too, every time i read posts like this they scare the crap out of me and you never know who to believe and who's right and who's just complaining. I really hate this. I had an interview recently and I am waiting to hear back and this doesn't help.

[determinedtobedoc]

LOL What is there to verify? It is my opinion, you can take it or forget it. I attended AUA May 09 and lived in Five Islands, if one of you guys know this area it's near the Royal Antiguan Hotel. I wouldn't know this information unless if I knew the area.

You don't have to listen to my opinion and you can just see for yourself. I understand that before I attended AUA, I did a lot of research on the school and based on the brochures and the great advertising online I was sold. I was constantly going on the webpage just because I was so excited to start and I couldn't wait to get my life started. Sorry if I came forth this way however, I'm just a open minded student who wants a quality education. Medical school is a big investment. The commitment and the dedication is only best for those who have the heart to do so and I want nothing less than I'm capable of. My experience opened my eyes to what I was capable of, I knew that if I tried harder in my MCAT's I would have gotten the grade however, I was upset and I was angry at the fact that I was going to be set back one more year until I could be interviewed again in order to be considered at an U.S. medical school.

I'm not someone who is steering you away from your dreams anywhere however my goal was to give a biased opinion on the education, that's it. I wrote it the way I see it and experienced it. When I first took that cab to my housing I knew I was going to fight to stay here education wise and also mentally. I've met friends and they have said the same thing. We had our fun at St. John's eating at Australian Ice Cream or eating at Big Banana and just spending our post Anatomy exams at Hideway Bay so I'm just letting you know, for your sake to please check out the island before you come and walk around the school and speak with the students. That is the ONLY way you'll have a good outlook on the school. Last semester one of my friend's friend came down from Florida to check out the school and she asked so many questions about the school and went back and took her MCAT's.

Since I am now back in the states and finished the MCAT's, I can honestly say that while I was in Antigua there is no way someone has time to blog in valuemd on a regular basis if you were really into your studies unless it is like your main homepage and you see the new replies most of the time but most of the people in here are just students who HAVE NOT YET been in Antigua or been a student at AUA. I was farrrr too busy studying for Anatomy, DPS, and Histology every damn day to even have time to blog so keep this post in consideration. If this was not enough proof to show that I've been a student then I don't know what else.
So just keep in mind that this is not to scare you it is just my opinion just like everybody else in this forum. Goodluck!
Wait if you attended only one semester then how did you get to stay outside of university housing.

[determinedtobedoc]

For those students who are well above 3.0 GPA why are you considering AUA? Did you do horrible on your MCAT's? If so, take it again. I was an AUA student and I had to face loan issues and I decided to come back to the states and take my MCAT's again. The quality of education is good but...the professors just teach what was on the shelf exams. The material is condensed but doable. If you really want to learn the material well because medicine is your calling it's not the place for you. There are many students who cheat just like any other schools however it happens more here.

I'm sure you're probably thinking...oh, you just had a bad experience there, trust me most of my friends now who are attending and attended will advice you to take your MCAT's again. Once you get to the island, you'll immediately have this gut feeling that you wished you studied harder for your exams and the MCAT lolz But you'll try though then once in a while you'll get a little crazy being surrounded by the same people everyday and it will get to you. Sometimes you'll feel as if you're warped back into your high school days when people just love to ** and spread rumors just as if most of the students had found a new freedom outside their parent's house. You'll notice that there's a lot of partying and no studying yet they have a copy of the shelf exam in their laptops and some notes by Dr. A from Anatomy that they think just by studying the slides would pass or probably read Vik's notes religiously.

You'll sit in the buses or in your cars looking around thinking...I need to get out of here soon and keep myself sane because these high school kids are driving you nuts. But you'll keep cool and make sure you steer yourself at the right direction or you'll get sucked up into thinking you need to be "cool" with your peers and party almost every weekend and get by. You'll be in your DPS class on a hot afternoon and Dr. E and Dr. W will yell at you because you don't know how to check for the parasternal heave lolz and he'll roll his eyes and tell you how AUA students don't know how to check vital signs and you'll either say to yourself, "I really want to be a good doctor and I should study more even though sometimes it feels like there's not enough time-so I respect that he says this to us", OR you'll say, "F* him he doesn't look like a doctor he looks like a dirty Antiguan anyway, he's so mean!".....So he'll grade your tests he'll either nod at you and asks you for your last name to make a mental picture of one of the better students or one of those students whom he knows is going to make a medical blunder sometime in his/her career and suffer a malpractice suit lolz

So you just have to be smart. Just because you got into a medical school in the Caribbean it doesn't stop there, you need to keep moving forward however for me, moving forward means learning the material well and being in a good environment to achieve it. I couldn't stand AUA, I felt as if I was just getting by. My grades shows clearly that I have studied my *** off and good works pays off however, our shelf exams clearly told me that most of the material that was presented to us was not a full spectrum and there are missing pages in the education thus I don't want to go through the entire cirriculum without having a full idea of the basic sciences and later when I take the USMLE I want to be well prepared.
I'd advice most of you to retake it and take it in the states because title IV loans and also the quality of the education.

I was in your shoes once, I was so excited to get into medical school no matter what but I learned it the hard way and you have to be strong and go with your heart not because it's the only school that accepted you or it's the only way. AUA is just like any other business out there and it's up to you to think if the tution and education are at par.
But obviously, I know what most of you are going to do which is to go ahead and get to the island....you'll see...trust me. Just remember, you're first reaction is usually the correct one. Take care guys!

P.S.-To my roommates who supposedly did not have the anatomy shelf exam I got an A verified by Dr. H. All those nights and mornings you guys drove me crazy by being noisy from goofing around paid off for me and when I needed your help just to show me that you guys had the exam because I only had 3 hours of sleep the night before, thanks...BRS was my bible and yours was the prior anatomy exam which I heard they changed this year lolz

I know you guys are taking the class again! LOLLLLLL!!!
one more question, if you had an A in anatomy how in the world you ended up with a 2.49 in Med 2. You must have done horrible in something else.

[SmoothObturator]

one more question, if you had an A in anatomy how in the world you ended up with a 2.49 in Med 2. You must have done horrible in something else.

I lived in Traf. If you know the five islands then you know Traf if located there near the Royal Antiguan and Hideaway Beach. If you guys think I'm bluffing Pillar Rock is next to Traf! And oh, cab drivers names such as Aldren I know too so... no bluffs there. My grade before Anatomy shelf score was 2.49 (DPS and Histo) then they added my Anatomy grade thereafter which was an A which boosted my gpa substantially since it's 9 credits.

Chill with the hate, I'm just here to post an opinion just like everybody else. But all I'm telling you is please VISIT THE SCHOOL BEFORE YOU MAKE YOUR CHOICE, is that so harsh to say? How about this visit every school you apply to in the Caribbean or anywhere just so you have an idea. I think you guys all know that this is an important decision and I'm just here to say please just visit the school and get yourself acquainted with the environment and students-ask around the campus mostly everybody is friendly. Visit the West Campus go to the library and the extension and check out Woods mall it's not too far away but just be careful with the incoming cars. If you're going to invest thousands of dollars for medical school then you should definitely invest in checking out the area, it's just inevitable to say, I wish I did it before but i made excuses for myself like, oh i have no money or I'll do whatever it takes. Listen, this is my opinion like I said take it or just click your back button, who cares? I'm just giving you a piece of my mind and if you guys don't like it tough! It's reality and you all know you're not going to buy a car without test driving it especially this is going to be your residence for 16 months or more. Isn't that fair to say? Ok, take care guys.

[cosine]

I lived in Traf. If you know the five islands then you know Traf if located there near the Royal Antiguan and Hideaway Beach. If you guys think I'm bluffing Pillar Rock is next to Traf! And oh, cab drivers names such as Aldren I know too so... no bluffs there. My grade before Anatomy shelf score was 2.49 (DPS and Histo) then they added my Anatomy grade thereafter which was an A which boosted my gpa substantially since it's 9 credits.

Chill with the hate, I'm just here to post an opinion just like everybody else. But all I'm telling you is please VISIT THE SCHOOL BEFORE YOU MAKE YOUR CHOICE, is that so harsh to say? How about this visit every school you apply to in the Caribbean or anywhere just so you have an idea. I think you guys all know that this is an important decision and I'm just here to say please just visit the school and get yourself acquainted with the environment and students-ask around the campus mostly everybody is friendly. Visit the West Campus go to the library and the extension and check out Woods mall it's not too far away but just be careful with the incoming cars. If you're going to invest thousands of dollars for medical school then you should definitely invest in checking out the area, it's just inevitable to say, I wish I did it before but i made excuses for myself like, oh i have no money or I'll do whatever it takes. Listen, this is my opinion like I said take it or just click your back button, who cares? I'm just giving you a piece of my mind and if you guys don't like it tough! It's reality and you all know you're not going to buy a car without test driving it especially this is going to be your residence for 16 months or more. Isn't that fair to say? Ok, take care guys.

I understand your point but I am going to disagree respectfully. None of my friends visited the island before starting(including me). One big factor is the lack of money. It isnt easy flying into antigua since it can cost around 700 dollars. Second I really dont think you need to visit the island because you should KNOW what to expect. You know it isnt going to be NYC and you know it isnt going to be like America. If you go into the island expecting everything to work fine you will be in for a harsh surprise. I went in knowing it wasnt going to be easy, and I completely met my expectations and i have absolutely no complaints.

I can honestly say( and I speak for my friends also) antigua was one of the best times of my life. I met great people, i saw a new culture, I was able to pursue my goal of becoming a doctor, and above all I had FUN doing it. The beaches are amazing, the education isnt horrible(not the best either but DOABLE).

[SmoothObturator]

Bottom line, this blog was very opinionated on my part just like everybody else. However, I am strongly advising incoming students to visit the school. I understand that money is an issue but at least you'll know what to expect. There are many students who will disagree and agree with me and that's fine, it's life. Every medical school just like any other is a business and you have to see what they offer. It is well worth the money and it is smart, it makes you a smart student knowing what you'll expect even though you already know that it is not the U.S. I have lived in many countries while growing up (good and bad (father was in the Air Force) so I knew what to expect, it wasn't as if I didn't know the consequences. The island of Antigua and Barbuda is a beautiful island with many of the most breathtaking beaches and I loved interacting with the locals, quite frankly I enjoyed talking with the locals more than the students lolz It is not the island I am not warding off students about but I am talking about the school. I am not a cheerleader for the school like many other students (or maybe they aren't students...maybe they're just bloggers for the university to boast its reputation...hmmmm you never know)
I know that money is an issue but the money you'll spend to take a trip to Antigua does not compare to the amount of money you'll spend here first semester. Just be mindful and look at your options. This is going to be your residence for a bit. I understand that medicine is not an easy path however it is important that your learning environment is comfortable because it will definitely affect your studies whether you like it or not.

I know you're excited like I was and you need to make a smart decision. I don't think anybody should argue with me about giving advice to prospective students who are curious about AUA or any Caribbean medical school to visit the school before making a final decision. Please check it out, I promise that it will be worth your time. Talk to the students and visit some of the housing like Sugarmill, Mandalay, Utopia, Beachcomber wherever! It's an advice a random stranger would give you. I'm not here to scare you or steer you away from your dreams but just someone who is real and giving you an honest advice.

Don't base your decision on pictures from the site or brochures that you wholeheartedly and proudly show your parents and friends but check it out for yourself because pictures are always deceiving, trust me you'll see well except for Trafalgar...it's just damn beautiful especially if your room is facing the ocean. Like I said, for people who complain about the island probably had a bad experience once or twice but so what however the locals are one of the nicest people I've met just like any other place if you give respect you'll get it back. Many AUA staff are also nice especially Pat Ho, she's great.

Whether you decide to visit AUA or not, you'll remember this blog when you see it for yourself when making your final decision. But whichever you choose I wish you the best of luck and hopefully as a colleague may your journey through medicine be as fulfilling as you want it to be because if you truly want it you'll get it, medicine shouldn't just be a need but a want and not because of familial pressures but should come from your heart and just like Dr. Ephraim says, medicine is a vocation don't take it lightly and make a smart decision.

Just be smart and come see it for yourself.