SMU vs. Saba

[gastroenterologist]

I have been accepted to SMU for September 2005; I am waiting to hear back from Saba as I had applied four days ago. Were I to be accepted to Saba, what school would you recommend for me? All in all, what school would better prepare me to take the boards and pass them the first time. Some characteristics that define me are that:

1) I like to study alone although I would not mind studying with other students periodically.
2) I like to live in a dorm where I would live alone and not have a roomate. This is for personal reasons (I do not feel comfortable living with another person).
3) I do not care for the environment (Modern vs. Rural).

Which school would offer me more of these assets. By the way, if you were accepted to both of these schools, which one would you go to and why? I would appreciate any insights others have for me. Again, thanks for your comments.

Gastroenterologist :wink:

[wolfvgang22]

I think you might have a hard time not having a roommate in the dorm, but swingingislanddoc says that if you must be alone, Saba will probably let you get yourself an apartment near the school without problems.

Grand Cayman is probably more like the USA than Saba, more "Modern" with fast food places, etc. Saba is more like a small rural town, with a bunch of mom-and-pop, non-franchise places to eat and drink. By their nature, then, Saba will have more of a small town friendly atmosphere than Grand Cayman, but Grand Cayman has places to shop, and they don't roll up the streets at 9pm.

I could have gone to either school. I chose Saba because:
They have a longer track record, more licensed grads
They had NY approval when I applied, SMU did not
SMU was only a couple of years out from getting kicked out of Belize
SMU uses plastinated cadavers, not my personal preference.
Now Saba has CA approval, SMU probably will have to wait a couple of years, because of the hurricane
No ridiculously strict "dress code" at Saba
Saba is very very safe island for my family
No distractions on Saba....good for me
Saba alumni & students have always been very helpful
SMU's short-cut to staffords and classes at St. Joes seems fishy
CA inspectors stated Saba students "more mature" in report
SMU friends have complained to me about over-crowding, Saba friends have not voiced such complaints, yet
I think Saba has a higher first time pass rate on the USMLE

All that said, I would probably go to SMU or AUC if Saba didn't work out for some reason.

[jguru2]

-The move to Grand cayman was the best move so far for SMU
-Grand Cayman is a better island
-Cali is just a matter of time, but if that is a big deal, go to SGU, AUC, Ross, or Saba. They are all Cali-approved.
-Plastinated cadavers are being utilized in many US-based school. It has many great advantages. Ours are from U of Mich. They stink just as bad, and anatomy is anatomy (for me anyways, as I have taken this during my undergrad as a PT), and has never changed for hundreds of years. Learn it and learn it well.
-Grand Cayman has most of the amenities you are used to in the US
-There are many distractions in Cayman, so a little bit more discipline would be required of you. I can tune it out anytime I want to, but I am happy they are there when the "going gets rougher". Again, discipline.
-The dress code is very minimal..it helps us present better within the Cayman community...and the white shirts help because it is hot here (Florida-like weather)
-Grand Cayman is very safe (crime-wise), compared to most US cities
-We have a very active SGA, AMSA...we have a mentoring system, and even student tutoring services...those with special needs for examinations are accomodated by the school, etc.
-The MHSA done through St. Joseph's College is a legitimate program. It is an option you can take IF YOU WANT IT. You can contact St. Joseph directly and establish it's legitimacy yourself, and the program curriculum and see if that is something you could do in conjunction with the Med Program offered by SMU.
-CA board's comment about SABA students being more mature than SMU students? Probably, so make sure to bring more maturity if you decide to choose our school :). Seriously though, that was a comment based on a snap-shot in time. I do think most of us (my semester anyways) are serious about our education. We have many detractors within (and without) our system. We just have to work hard(er). We have things to prove.
-We do have a little over-crowding...but you do not have to bring your own seat...we have plenty for that...this will be alleviated when we go back to Grand Cayman...seriously, we have ample space now for our semester (which is the biggest). The first few weeks being here in Maine caused a little bit of adjusting, but that was to be expected. You should see the fast way the Staff and administration responded though...my point is our administration may have their faults, but they LISTEN. And they act.
-I believe SABA has a better pass rate also. But they are also at it for a longer time than us. And, they have a smaller class size to control. But our history of progress should tell you something.
-SABA is a better school. Small class size, costs, Cali...
-Both will give you your chance for an MD.

Good Luck.

[Siddman]

One of my good friend is starting medical school at St. Matthew's University School of Medicine in May 2005....i will direct him to this page...its of great help.......



Siddman

[mo5225md]

i want to commend you both on not bashing either school.

[Junito]

What are Saba's % of students who pass Step 1 in their first attempt? Just curious? Secondly, I heard a rumor that Saba is trying to get stafford loans? If they have been around since 1986, shouldn't they have also been grandfathered into the 95 ruling on Stafford loans? I wonder why schools like Ross, Auc, SGU were able to be grandfathered in, yet Spartan & Saba were not! Seems unfair to me.[/i]

[wolfvgang22]

The CA state medical board states that 95% of Saba students who took the USMLE step 1 in 2002 passed. In 2003 it was 94%. The school says that almost all of those are 1st time test takers.
http://www.medbd.ca.gov/Saba_Report.pdf

As far as the stafford thing, I think Saba was chartered in 1986 but didn't really start taking students until the '96...I'm not certain though.

When I applied for TERI loan, it said Saba's DOE # was 999888. I wonder if that is a made-up number given to schools with no real DOE number, or if that is their actual DOE number?

[Junito]

The CA state medical board states that 95% of Saba students who took the USMLE step 1 in 2002 passed. In 2003 it was 94%. The school says that almost all of those are 1st time test takers.
http://www.medbd.ca.gov/Saba_Report.pdf

As far as the stafford thing, I think Saba was chartered in 1986 but didn't really start taking students until the '96...I'm not certain though.

When I applied for TERI loan, it said Saba's DOE # was 999888. I wonder if that is a made-up number given to schools with no real DOE number, or if that is their actual DOE number?

Are you guys able to get alternative loans from lets say National Education? They require a school to have a DOE number? Why did medachiever stop lending to you guys, if you have a DOE number? Man, this gets more complicated! Are you guys interested in starting up a grass root campaign to encourage an ammendment to the 95 stafford loan law? We are all in the same boat, maybe if we coordinate something together, we can accomplish more rather than trying to do things on our own.

Juni