Disregarding loan situation, which school is most student friendly?

[congomodel]

Hello, all...I have been accepted into AUC, Saba, and Ross for May 2010, still waiting for SGU. I know Saba does not participate in U.S. Federal loans as of yet, but leaving the loan situation out, which of these 3 schools is the most student friendly? What I mean, is in terms of ...... ....1)student success in residency placement (which seem to be equal), 2)living conditions on island, 3)success on USMLE's, and 4) ease of getting clinical rotations without any lag time? Any input would be much appreciated. Thanks!

[congomodel]

any ideas?

[seattle]

You should post these questions on each school forum and see the response you get; as no Saba student I know of has actually attended these other schools to give you any first hand experience.

In terms of loans, if you are a U.S. applicant who will require significant financial aid, then go with Ross, AUC, or SGU. The EdInvest option at Saba is not better than US Federal loans.

Honestly, in terms of reputation, all these schools are good. Some have more graduates, but in the end most RD's I have first hand contact with consider us all as FMG's. Your Step exam scores, clinical performance, publications and research if any and most importantly.... CONTACTS will determine the final outcome. So, go with the school that you feel is the best "fit" for your needs. Good luck!

[darkmansaad]

a) as far as residency placement, if you are aiming for top top notch programs that are super competitive = go to sgu or ross. if your aiming for primary care...all carib schools prepare you well for that.
b) living conditions on the island - this is highly SUBJECTIVE. some people love the party/beaches on auc, some people love the quiet on saba...etc etc. Thats totally how you take it. I am from NYC, love the hustle and bustle, and i still loved my time on saba and have nothing but good memories. i will never live on an island cliff with a 180 degree view of the ocean with the ocean wind blowing in my face for 2 years straight again.
c) usmle success = hahahahaha. this is 100% up to you. seriously.
d) ease of rotations without lag time = also up to you, when i did saba cores i did it very fast, was easy to schedule didnt make special requests. however now i believe all carib schools will have issues with rotations. Your own flexibility governs these issues and sometimes you will get screwed. Get used to it. If you dont like it, ace your mcats and go to a usa or canadian school.

[darkmansaad]

ps, get in shape. Its hot in the islands and you will have to definitely wear comfortable outfits that dont look good on fat people.

[SWOLL68]

ps, get in shape. Its hot in the islands and you will have to definitely wear comfortable outfits that dont look good on fat people.


HAHAHA funniest thing all day. Thanks for the laugh man.

[Trillium]

however now i believe all carib schools will have issues with rotations.

Why do you say that? I haven't read/heard any complaints from SGU students.

[darkmansaad]

haha my bad, st georges has a pretty gangsta rotation set up. Thanks for correcting me, for the most part SGU is the best your going to get it in the caribbean. However the insanely high cost of education is not worth it unless you parlay your SGU diploma into a top notch specialty. If you do a run of the mill primary care residency....you could have got that for a third of the price on saba anyway.

[Trillium]

st georges has a pretty gangsta rotation set up. for the most part SGU is the best your going to get it in the caribbean.

I agree with your assessment of the clinical situation, SGU vs. rest of Carib. In regards to the cost of education, I'm old school and believe that you get what you pay for.

[darkmansaad]

I am also old school and agree with your point of view. However if you score a 200 on step 1.....no matter what your education its going to be hard to get a competitive specialty to pay back your gargantuan student loans in a time efficient manner. I have nothing against primary care, but the fact of the matter is when your 450k in debt...with interests rising higher and higher....you need to pay that back asap. SGU can def help get you the specialty residency to help pay it back, no doubt about it...but when it comes to caribbean education i believe alot of it is self education, self learning and self teaching. Good rotations is a plus, but you cant rely on them.

[seattle]

Hi Trillium,

I agree with "darkman's" post. It' spot on.

I think the only factor justifying the exponentially higher cost at SGU is the enhanced probability of landing a prestigious sub-specialty compared to other Caribbean schools. SGU has an excellent reputation no doubt, but I do not feel that if you exclude the 'contacts advantage' down the road, that SGU just in terms of education alone in basic sciences is so much better than let's say Ross, Saba, or AUC that is justifies the almost $100K increase in cost.

Hence, what "darkman" stated - if you plan on primary care or any relatively less competitive field, then go with Saba, Ross, or AUC. If you want a top-notch field - go with SGU. (some may disagree and place Ross up there with SGU).

If you do plan on attending SGU regardless, I would make sure you can attain 90+ on the Step 1, but preferably 99% for the amount of debt you will incur there. According to some of the senior members on these forums, even a 99% from Caribbean schools does not always out compete a U.S. graduate with a lower score. That’s a pretty big price to pay for going to SGU in my mind.

[eventualDR]

Is my eyesight messed up or did the last paragraph in seattle's post suddenly change fonts? lol

[seattle]

LOL.....your eyesight is fine. The font did change. Due to problems with the website I had to type the final paragraph in MS Word and copy and paste in the response window here. :p