Other Caribbean Med Schools

[kernb]

I started checking out forums for other Caribbean Med Schools, and it seems that so many people at these other schools (St. James, Spartan, etc, but not Ross or AUC) are miserably unhappy! Their reputations are terrible, USMLE pass rates are bad (students claim that the SGU pass rate is made up!), there is no students support, no support for clinical rotations, etc. Yet all these people seem to agree on one thing--these other schools are way cheaper. I would never base my Med School choice on cost of tuition, so why are these people so ignorant? What is possessing so many people to go to schools where their chances of actually becoming licensed physicians is so tiny? What am I missing? Anyway, after reading all that I'm pretty happy about my decision to go to SGU. What do other people think of this--read posts on the other Caribbean Med School forums and see!

[stephew]

I started checking out forums for other Caribbean Med Schools, and it seems that so many people at these other schools (St. James, Spartan, etc, but not Ross or AUC) are miserably unhappy! Their reputations are terrible, USMLE pass rates are bad (students claim that the SGU pass rate is made up!), there is no students support, no support for clinical rotations, etc. Yet all these people seem to agree on one thing--these other schools are way cheaper. I would never base my Med School choice on cost of tuition, so why are these people so ignorant? What is possessing so many people to go to schools where their chances of actually becoming licensed physicians is so tiny? What am I missing? Anyway, after reading all that I'm pretty happy about my decision to go to SGU. What do other people think of this--read posts on the other Caribbean Med School forums and see!
First, the sgu board scores aren't made it. Ive been in the class when the pass rate was 94%; i think we'd know if 94% weren't actually passing. In fact when they dipped to about 90% the school was sufficiently uncomfortable about that.

I think there are two reasons youre seeing what youre seeing
1) some people dont get into sgu and
2) some people don't feel like the benefit of sgu outweighs the extra cost; there are some other good schools and sgu isn't the best fit for them all. I do think there are places I wouldnt go near even if they paid me instead. But there are other options.

ok three things
3) some people just aren't well informed upfront.

[Nimitt]

We may have a high tuition but you are getting more out of it: New dorms, state of the art lecture halls with wireless internet, nice basketball courts, more organized clinical rotations...so its not like we pay more and get nothing in return. I think steph's third point hit it on the dot. When I applied I did my research on every school I knew in the carib and I only applied to SGU. At this point cost is irrelevent if my getting an MD was at stake. I will be able to pay it off (eventually!).
I have ran across alot of Ross students and some tell me they like Ross and others couldnt stop cursing ross. So it really depends on where you believe you fit in. Besides in the end it really comes down to how hard you work at being successful and how well you do in clinicals and step 1.

Nimitt
4th year
SGU SOM

[wolfvgang22]

SGU is, IMHO, the "Harvard of the Caribbean". It's track record justifies that title in my opinion. But, I didn't go to undergrad at Harvard, and I think I got a great undergrad education. I also paid less.

I'm not going to SGU for med school, but I think that another school will suit me well, and I'll get a great education from another school with a good track record.

Caveat Emptor

p.s.--Congrats on your 500th post Nimitt

[stephew]

SGU is, IMHO, the "Harvard of the Caribbean". It's track record justifies that title in my opinion. But, I didn't go to undergrad at Harvard, and I think I got a great undergrad education. I also paid less.

I'm not going to SGU for med school, but I think that another school will suit me well, and I'll get a great education from another school with a good track record.

Caveat Emptor

p.s.--Congrats on your 500th post Nimittyoure not? Too bad for sgu. where are you going?
steph