ARRIVAL @ UNIBE

[izzydoc]

Well folks...I've arrived...found a place...bought a scooter (Pasola like them call them here) and registered for classes.

Yvette & Yasmira have been extremely helpful. I urge you to solicit their help with any issue you might have.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to PM or post.
Izzydoc

[ojmdc]

God be with you on the pasola.

[Dr Rolon]

ditto :?

[izzydoc]

Folks,
thanks for the well wishes. I try to stay out of the "bad" traffic, that is if you can categorize it.

I'm being as careful as possible & using taxi service in the evening if I go out. I think that's the best approach.

[justadude]

ok, you made your decision. Now, how much spanish do you know and what classes are you gonna take 1st sem. also, any housing updates...

[izzydoc]

Well, were do I start. Grew up & lived in P.R. for about 21 years. I can communicate here pretty good, I might say (they make me out to be from P.R. everytime I open my mouth).

As far as classess:
Biochemistry w/Lab
Biostatistics
Histology w/Lab
Embryology
Human Anatomy 1 w/Lab
Dominican History for foreigners
B.S. class of Orientation

Classes are scheduled from Monday to Saturday (not a typo)

[justadude]

Saturday classes? When do ya catch up? Safe to say that getting behind is not a good idea. By the way, I'm a gringo looking at may 05, keep us informed of anything that you feel is important and best of wishes for the fall semester. OH and keep your eyes on IVAN.

[izzydoc]

The schedule has a few holes during the week to hit the library & study...not much time to play that's for sure....

Checked the news...IVAN is coming....I'm prepared...got my power inverter....I'll survive.

[justadude]

rent for 1 bedroom with a/c.

[izzydoc]

this depends on how comfortable you want to live.
w/AC most likely 150+ USD w/o Backup power.
That's why I suggested coming down here first.

[ojmdc]

also note that electricity is expensive down here ( the 3 hours of it per day we actually enjoy) If you can find a place with electricity AND a/c included, great! If you're gonna pay for the juice with a/c you're gonna be looking at a sizeable electric bil compared to what you would have payed in the US. For instance I use the 6,000 btu a/c in my room about 7 or so hours of the day, electricity permitting, I have an inverter which runs the lights and computer when there is no juice, a 10 cubic foot refrigerator and a microwave I use rarely, and a tv. With those few appliances and a fan running my monthly bills come to about 50 dollars. They would be considerably more if I used the a/c more. Electricity here is almost 2 times as much per Kw Hr as it is in most of the states. Something to consider when looking for a place, might behoove you to find a place where the electricity is included. Take care and God Bless.
Ozzie.

[skull]

This is till CHEAP compared to what I pay in southern Cal ( even w/out using an AC most of the time)! Ithink I am going to be rich after all the money I wil be saving there :D

[ojmdc]

You Californians!, what with your rolling blackouts, you're the closest state in the union to the DR. Juice in Florida is considerable cheaper than it is in the DR, and I guess California as well. But you're right, electricity aside, if you play your cards right and attend INTEC you can keep a ton of your loan money for yourself! or borrow less. Take care and God Bless.
Ozzie.

[skull]

Hi Ozzie,

How's school going?

The only reason that I am not planning on attending INTEC or other schools beside UNIBE is the language. Even though they are Cali approved. I can not afford spending a year learning spanish and then start med school. I rather start basic sciences in English and then learn Spanish for clinicals.

[ojmdc]

Hey Skull,


I know, that last reply was half in jest. I know spanish is a huge hurdle for someone who doesn't speak it. If I were in a similar siutation, I would probably be at UNIBE as well. I'd just like to see more foreigners at INTEC, we gringos love the company of our contrymen. So far most of the foreign students at INTEC are from either Miami or Puerto Rica, both places where the primary language in most homes is spanish. If you haven't already noticed I'm trying to promote the school, but it's hard to divorce people from their fear of learning another language so suddenly. It's a solid program, equal with UNIBE in every regard save for the language of instruction and price. A school definitely wortrhy of consideration if you have some spanish language foundations. If you don't, no worries, I'll help you out :)
As for my classes, they're going well, I've finally won the last battle in convalidations openning up a couple of holes in my schedule one trimester down the road. As a result, I'll be tawking anatomy 1 and histology in the trimester Feb-April, along with two other non0medical classes, the same will apply the trimester of May-July except that in that trimester I will be taking 3 medical classes. In the subsequent semesters it's all medicine! woohoo!! Originally I would have had to wait until next august to see a cadaver, I'm elated that I'm gonna be down what I came here to do much sooner. Take care and God Bless.
Ozzie.

[skull]

Hey, you never know, may be after a semester or two at UNIBE and after learning some Spanish, I may decide to join you there. The price is very attractive. The only bad thing is that I will have to repeat what I would study at UNIBE to qualify for Cali.

Good luck man!

[gonzalei]

Hello!
I am currently a student in New Jersey. Graduating May 2005 with a B.S in Science. I know spanish very good. I read, write, and speak spanish. I was in DR this summer 2004 for 2 months and I visited UNIBE & INTEC. I like UNIBE's school structure and the fact that they offer classes in english. I actually prefer UNIBE better rather than INTEC. At INTEC I have 2 friends and a cousin that attends that university, I also like the fact that the classes are by trimesters (which is faster).
Now my Question is as follows:
FOR THOSE STUDENTS THAT LIVE IN THE U.S BUT ARE ATTENDING INTEC FOR MEDICAL SCHOOL, WHAT ARE THE PROCEDURES YOU HAVE TO TAKE OR DO IN ORDER TO TAKE THE USMLE? DOES INTEC PREPARE YOU FOR THE USMLE? DO YOU KNOW IF THE USMLE HAVE ENGLISH AND SPANISH VERSIONS?
I would greatly appreciate any information? Hence, I really want to attend medical school in DR but I don't know which school is better when referring to the USMLE and for US recognition?

[ojmdc]

Hi,

To my knowledge I'm the only person on this forum who's attending INTEC, though I'm definitely not the only foreigner studying there. I can tell you thtat this past USMLE in May there were som 10 or 11 published scores at INTEC all passing and above 80, most above 90. Now I don't pretend to claim that the pass rate was 100%, I don't know how many took the exam alltogether all I know is that there about 11 passing scores published. INTEC, like UNIBE has modified its program to better prepare its students for the USMLE. INTEC is also presently in the process of working with Kaplan to try to get a kaplan center or rep to work directly at INTEC, if you'd like more information on that call up public relations at INTEC and they could give you more information.
I'm frankly unphased because as we've said countless times on here, USMLE performance is a very personal thing. How much effort YOU put into preparing for the exam. Your objective from day one is to be able to pass that exam, otherwise your time on the island was for naught. It would be unwise to rely exclusively on readiness of your school's program to prapare you for the exam. Instead you should be the one to learn what gaps need to be filled in your school's program and fill them in with your USMLE prep materials or a prep course if that's the avenue you should choose.
In short, both universities have programs that claim to be geared towards USMLE preparedness. Both universities have sizable numbers of students who take the exam and pass it. That's all that really counts.
The procedures required for foreign grads to take the USMLE are the same regardless of which foreign university you attend. You must register to take the exam through the ECFMG. There's a trail of paperwork you must file in order to register for the first step and presumably the second step as well. I suggest you check out their website and famliiarize yourself there with that procedure. It essentially consists of providing documentation from your university that you've completed or will complete in time for the exam, the necessary coursework (basic sciences) to take the exam. So long as your school is recognized by the ECFMG, and I believe all schools recognized by the WHO are ECFMG recognized, then the procedure is the same. Here's an idea:
Applying for Examination
To apply for Step 1, Step 2 CK, or Step 2 CS:

Submit an on-line application using ECFMG's Interactive Web Application (IWA). ECFMG processes on-line applications typically within ten business days of receipt of the completed Certification Statement, or
Complete a paper application and send it to ECFMG by mail (or courier service). You can download paper application materials from this website or request a photocopy from ECFMG (see How To Obtain This Publication). Processing time for paper applications is approximately four weeks.
You may not register using a letter, postcard, or e-mail message. All photographs, signatures, and seals / stamps on the application must be original. You cannot register by faxing your application or sending photocopies of the application to ECFMG.

Detailed instructions are included with the application.

When you begin the application process depends upon when you'll have nearly completed the coursework necessary to qualify for the exam and when you actually wish to take the exam. As both steps one and two are offered throughout the year you'll have choices.
As for the exams being offered in other languages...Well, to my knowledge it's only offered in english. I heard something mentioned of a spanish variation for those who will practice in puerto rico but I don't know if that's true or not, seems logical enough. Otherwise you'll be taking the exam in english.
Take care and God Bless.
Ozzie

[izzydoc]

I have two friends that attended schools down here recently. One went to UNIBE & the other went to INTEC. They both passed the USMLE, but they both emphasized it was an individual effort. They are now practicing in Gainesville, Florida. They both graduated down here about four years ago, and they both practice Internal Medicine. They had very good things to say about their respective schools, but they were honest with me about certain things.

Especially the USMLE preparation. It is up to YOU. That is the bottom line.

[ojmdc]

I think prospective DR students concern themselves too much with what their new medical school can do for them to prepare them for the USMLEs. Down here universities aren't going to wave a magic wand and BAM! gurantee that you'll pass the USMLEs simply because their geared their curriculum towards material covered on it. If you should choose the Kaplan approach, this is no guarantee of USMLE success. The only thing that will ensure your success on the exam is the effort you put into preparation for it. So long as you elect a unversity that has a history of graduating docs practicing in the states and that isn't presently embroiled in some scandal or undergoing radical change for the worse then you'll be on pretty much equal footing with all the other foreign grads taking the USMLEs.
If you don't take USMLE prep, as Dr. Sampson put it, seriously from the day you set foot on the island, then no amount of of money given to Kaplan is going to guarantee a score in the way that diligent preparation will have assured it. Likewise, a curriculum is only a guideline, it's a pattern that's imposed blanketly on everyone. As no two students are alike, everyone will walk away from any given class with different strengths and weaknesses. Only your personal attention to YOUR weaknesses as they relate to the material and the USMLE will assure that you at least have a solid familiarity with things likely to appear on the exam.
I'll say again, in my opinion, so long as you choose a university that doesn't have a reputation as a degree mill and has alumni practicing in the U.S. then you'll be fine. Choice of school ultimately has more to do with your personal tastes than it does with the particular academic strengths and weaknesses of that school. Why? Because until you're a student at that university you wont truly know what the instruction is like and how it measures against your own personal meterstick. All you can truly know about a school down here in the DR is whether or not it's a degree mill. Anything beyond that is truly heresay until you've walked a mile in shoes at that school.

Take care and God Bless.
Ozzie.

[medstud2b]

............

[Gospin]

CONGRATULATIONS! Now you are set. Wish you the best!

[Dr. Mixmasta]

Are those the classes for the first semester or the first year(whole entire year)?



Thanks for sharing the info.

Dr. M

[Dr. Mixmasta]

Dude are those the classes that ur gonna taking in the first semester or the first entire year?



Thanks for the info.

Dr. M

[sukhtinder]

plus imagine how hot the women must be there...

[ojmdc]

When asked I've said I would elect INTEC hands down over UCE. The undisputed fact remains that electing UCE is to elect to pay $5,000 more per year to live in town with a town that leaves much to be desired and recieve the same quality of education as you would be receiving at INTEC. When you get to DR and get to the hospitals ask around about INTEC med students, I guarantee you that you'll hear good things. IF you don't wanna take my word for it ask around for yourself. ;) In any case its your money and your decision, ultimately it's all about the boards.

Take care and God Bless.
Ozzie.