Going to Spartan in May

[currentstudent]

Doc, I start at Spartan in may. Im kinda scared. What is it like to live in vieux fort. Are there any places that are really nice to live in close to the university....even if the price is a little higher.....i dont mind spending about 500 or 600USD per month.......can i get a nice place for that much anywhere close to the university. Also I really wanna kick butt on the USMLE. Can you tell me what i can start doing from day 1 to prepare? What kinds of review books should i buy etc, etc. I really want to do my rotations at Griffin Hospital.......the university has a contract with them.....wil it be hard for me to get my rotations there.......how can i ensure that I get my first choice of rotations......i talked to alot of the grads and they said that they finished in longer than the 36 month period.....well doc.....any information is appreciated!.....oh yea.....are there any grocery stores or anything close to the university....how about beaches? Thank you again for any information.

[Doc]

Doc, I start at Spartan in may. Im kinda scared. What is it like to live in vieux fort. Are there any places that are really nice to live in close to the university....even if the price is a little higher.....i dont mind spending about 500 or 600USD per month.......can i get a nice place for that much anywhere close to the university. Also I really wanna kick butt on the USMLE. Can you tell me what i can start doing from day 1 to prepare? What kinds of review books should i buy etc, etc. I really want to do my rotations at Griffin Hospital.......the university has a contract with them.....wil it be hard for me to get my rotations there.......how can i ensure that I get my first choice of rotations......i talked to alot of the grads and they said that they finished in longer than the 36 month period.....well doc.....any information is appreciated!.....oh yea.....are there any grocery stores or anything close to the university....how about beaches? Thank you again for any information.

futurestudent:

First off, congrats on your acceptance! It's natural to be a little nervous before starting. Vieux Fort is the 2nd largest city in St. Lucia, but it's still a small town by US standards. People are friendly and you can get most of what you need since the island is geared towards tourism. There are very nice white sand beaches throughout the island including some just a few minutes drive from campus. They also have a "Club Med" Resort about that same distance and an international airport too (don't fly into Castries, the capital, because it's about 45 mins away). There are two large grocery stores and various other stores close to the school.

There is plenty of housing close to the school. Many students choose to room, but there are also singles available. "Nice" is a relative term...remember St. Lucia is a 3rd world country. However, the nicer places are typically close to school since those landlords try to provide what the US students like. I usually recommend a landlord named Playboy (don't let the name scare you, he's a well-respected St. Lucian businessman) because he has lots of options available. Some students rent a car, but it's not necessary because the SGA provides free transportation.

I'm glad that you are asking now about how to suceed on the USMLE. Hopefully you will keep this enthusiam throughout the basic sciences. If you merely study the minimum required to pass the school exams, this will not be sufficient to pass the boards (but that is true in most schools). There are a group of books called the BRS (Board Review Series) that are good review books for the USMLE and also good supplements to your courses. You can use these and other supplements in addition to your class assignments while you are taking your classes. Also, test youself frequently with USMLE practice questions in whichever subject you are taking in school. In other words, start studying for the USMLE as soon as you start school...not when you finish the basic sciences...that time should be for review.

Clinical spots for any particular hospital are limited, so the school is selective on their placements. If you do well on your courses and on step 1, you will greatly increase your chances of doing your clinicals at your desired location. However, if you slack off during basic sciences and not/barely pass step 1, you will find it difficult to get a decent placement.

36 months is the exact length of the program (16 months or 4 trimesters of basic sciences and 20 months or 5 trimesters of clinicals). It is nearly impossible to go straight through. You need time to take step 1, 2 and CSA, you need time to travel and get set up, interviews, down time between some rotations, etc. I've seen determined people come very close, but I'd estimate that most choose to take at least some time off...but it can be done.

Well I think I covered most of your questions, but I'd be happy to answer some more. Good luck.

[currentstudent]

Thank you very much Doc.....u really did answer all my questions and i am deffinatley a little less apprehensive about this whole thing. I have heard of the BRS books and ordered them already so i can kind of get an idea of my first semester classes. When do you recommend taking time off for step 1. I am very young >20, so taking a little extra time off for me will be fine, if its okay by the school. Do u think being so young will be any sort of hinderance to me during my medical education? Also, will the school allow me to take time off to study for step 1? And those white sand beaches.....how can i get to them:D....can i just take a transport or something.....how about cost of living etc.....is food and other things around the same as US prices?......If I skipped a friday and a monday, so that i could go home midsemester, would that land me in trouble with the school? Is there any sort of fast food close to the university, ie:McDonalds, etc? Thank you very much for helping me out with all my questions......one of the school officials told me that in the history of Spartan they have NEVER had anyone who asks sooooo many questions! :oops:

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[Doc]

Thank you very much Doc.....u really did answer all my questions and i am deffinatley a little less apprehensive about this whole thing. I have heard of the BRS books and ordered them already so i can kind of get an idea of my first semester classes. When do you recommend taking time off for step 1. I am very young >20, so taking a little extra time off for me will be fine, if its okay by the school. Do u think being so young will be any sort of hinderance to me during my medical education? Also, will the school allow me to take time off to study for step 1? And those white sand beaches.....how can i get to them:D....can i just take a transport or something.....how about cost of living etc.....is food and other things around the same as US prices?......If I skipped a friday and a monday, so that i could go home midsemester, would that land me in trouble with the school? Is there any sort of fast food close to the university, ie:McDonalds, etc? Thank you very much for helping me out with all my questions......one of the school officials told me that in the history of Spartan they have NEVER had anyone who asks sooooo many questions! :oops:

futurestudent:

Don't worry about all the questions...some of us were anxious to begin once too so we know exactly how you feel. Next to the school, the only fast food I can think of is KFC. They have much more stuff (Dominoes Pizza, etc.) in Castries (the capitol) about 45 mins away. They also have a Club Med a few minutes from school which has an excellent buffet. They have transports (bus) everywhere which will charge very little for a ride to town (5 min drive). Beaches are close by so you can either catch a transport or ride with other students. Prices for food vary depending on what you want. Food at the tourist resorts cost alot, but most have student and local discounts. Local dishes and food at the school cafeteria are relatively cheaper than the U.S. Groceries are typically more expensive for items shipped from the States. Local fruits and vegetables are very fresh and very cheap. In my opinion, housing is more expensive than in the States because the landlords seem to take advantage of the US students who seem to want plenty of luxuries. If you're willing to live modestly and maybe find a roommate, you can live comfortably for a decent price.

Spartan has a very strict 80% attendance policy for each class (they will fail you if you have 79% in any class). The classes are small (40 students) so every professor knows who you are personally (and will probably call your house if you don't show up to class :shock: ) . So to skip a Friday and a Monday is possible as long as you schedule around your exams and stay above the 80% attendance mark you'll be fine. Taking leaves of absence are permitted and they have guidelines about what is permitted (to stay in compliance with student loans). But some students take time some time off to study, get married, move, or whatever. If you are going to take time off to study for step 1, this should be done immediately following the basic sciences in St. Lucia. I would highly recommend taking a Kaplan review course during this time.

I'm not sure why being young would be a problem. Traditional US med students are typically right out of college. You might miss some of your "party" years, but some sacrifices are expected with this field :roll: . Well I hope this info helped. Keep the questions coming if you think of anything else or if I left something out. Best of luck.

[doctor2B]

Futurestudent, I agree with DrB.

I have not visited the school, but I came in contact with one of the students approx. 10 months ago. He said that the school has a poor passing rate for the USMLE. He also mentioned that even though it is "motivation" and "determination" that gets one through a Foreign medical school (...and eventually pass the USMLE) Spartan has done a poor job in providing the right tools to its students. He said that most students took Kaplan after completing 4 terms at Spartan. Even then, many failed the USMLE multiple times (even when they did exceptionally well in the Spartan Basic Sciences course). This then brings the issue of..."is the school that bad or are the students academically terrible?"

Having visited all the school forums on networ54.com, and now valueMD, it is clear that some schools have exceptional USMLE passing rates, and some don't. The final judgement has to be made by you! Go to the schools, talk to the students, visit forums etc. Good Luck!

[currentstudent]

Thank you very much Doc.......im getting excited about going.....i havle read all these other entries about low pass rates etc etc, but I have chatted with SOOOOOOOOOO many spartan grads that i know that i could handle it, and doing well on the USMLE is totally going to be up to me only....thank you very much again for all your information and help! :D

[Mike]

good Post Doc.
The club med facility has now closed but I hear a group of businessmen from Jamaica are going to build a new hotel on the site. It should be open in 2004.