transfer from AUC

[sara12]

AUC is a great school - i was just wondering what st chris was like .

[rignumber44]

Why would someone want to leave AUC?

[Skipper]

didnt you transfer to AUC and now what to transfer out?

skipper

[OLDPRO]

hi all - was wondering if anyone transferred from AUC - can you please let me know if you are happy with your decision- how the classes compare etc ie how much time you have to study, if the teachers are available for help, how big the class sizes are ....and what made you transfer from AUC .you can PM if youd like
thanks a bunch !

I know one transfer from AUC and he's okay with it. He said teaching about the same, living conditions in England are much better.
Cheers

[TAFKA]

I am a transfer student from AUC... I was not failing my classes as many ValueMD junkies would have you believe 99.9% of transfer students are. I was ranked 4th in the class when I left and one of my main complaints was that AUC's curriculum was not challenging enough to prepare you for the USMLE. These are my conclusions regarding St Chris since transferring:

professors - better
administrators - better
curriculum - better
student body - MUCH better
facilities (other than library) - better
facilities (library) - worse
cost (other than tuition) - worse
cost (tuition) - MUCH better
recognition in US - worse
weather - worse
attendings' and residents' impression of you during clerkships - MUCH better
living conditions - MUCH better
------------------------------
overall conclusion - MUCH better

[neilc]

attendings' and residents' impression of you during clerkships - MUCH better


really? did you do clerkships at AUC? what is your basis for this?

i like the rest of your comparisons, as they seem pretty reasonable...but, this one struck me as a bit dramatic. i would imagine that st chris has its share of good students and bad students, just like all the offshore schools. in fact, i have heard as much from folks that rotate with you guys. so, what is your basis for this claim?

[stateofequilibrium]

Well, whatever suits you I guess. I'm happy with my choice of AUC. Sure, there are times when all I see is red.. but if you fall in with a good group at AUC, time goes by quickly. Just a shame the lack of hotties.

[bts4202]

Just a shame the lack of hotties.

That is not only at AUC. While there may be some cute girls that actually attend st chris.. Luton girls are horrible. They like to wear shirts 3 sizes too small and show off their potbelly.... eeewwwww

[AUCMD2006]

its all perspective and what one is looking for. i still keep in touch with two auc transfers to SC who did fail more classes than the school allowed and they wished they had done better at auc. they said the faculty at sc is mostly foreign, by that no US teaching experience and heavy accents, one said he was studying about the same for the classes as he/she did at auc and passing easily and the other said that he/she didn't even have to try b/c of grade adjustments...everytime someone failed and their parents complained their grades were changed, they did not like the facilities, nor the area of were the school is, everything is a secret and they are constantly worried that i do not disclose anything that would identify them b/c they have already been threatened with expulsion for sayting things to admin.

this is not meant to contracdict **** just to show that perspectives can be different. i of course can not ask these people to verify this and most of the time i don't post what they share unless they ask (so anything i have said about SC has been b/c i was asked to comment on it) so it may be worthless...i also rotated in brentwood LSU with a few SC students who complained about the same things, a few hadn't taken step one yet and the rest had failed multiple times, one was a auc transfer and another a saba transfer...maybe that is why they had bad vibes about the school???

as far as the VMD "addicts" not wanting to buy the moral high road story of ****'s transfer well that just goes with common sense and experience. common sense b/c if you are doing well in your classes why tranfer? i guess if you had an issue with the material or profs, tuition whatever ok i'l buy that but to transfer to a new school chartered in africa with classes in uk and no record whatsoever? i mean ross would have taken you, saba, even smu...then there are the 20 US schools that take foreign transfers into third year...so with your mcat and gpa it shouldn't be difficult. i know someone with a 211, 235, 202 and gpa's 2.8-3.4 from auc in the last two semesters that have transfred into 3rd year in the states...so SC? experience b/c the majority of people most of us see leave school have been because they failed...oh there were 2 first sem that left 1st week b/c they got in to their waiting list school and 1 that left b/c med school wasn't for her...

it is possible just not probable i guess that is what most have issue with....at least you found a place that you liked that will get your were you wanna be....being on call sucks but at least i can throw my post count up

[TAFKA]

ross would have taken you, saba, even smu...then there are the 20 US schools that take foreign transfers into third year...so with your mcat and gpa it shouldn't be difficult.My wife's British... that's why I chose SC. As far as why I didn't transfer to a US school for clinicals, AUC wouldn't release my transcript. I had 4 schools interested, though - 1 in NY, 2 in my homestate, and 1 ivy league.

[LJG]

its all perspective and what one is looking for. i still keep in touch with two auc transfers to SC who did fail more classes than the school allowed and they wished they had done better at auc. they said the faculty at sc is mostly foreign, by that no US teaching experience and heavy accents, one said he was studying about the same for the classes as he/she did at auc and passing easily and the other said that he/she didn't even have to try b/c of grade adjustments...everytime someone failed and their parents complained their grades were changed, they did not like the facilities, nor the area of were the school is, everything is a secret and they are constantly worried that i do not disclose anything that would identify them b/c they have already been threatened with expulsion for sayting things to admin.

this is not meant to contracdict **** just to show that perspectives can be different. i of course can not ask these people to verify this and most of the time i don't post what they share unless they ask (so anything i have said about SC has been b/c i was asked to comment on it) so it may be worthless...i also rotated in brentwood LSU with a few SC students who complained about the same things, a few hadn't taken step one yet and the rest had failed multiple times, one was a auc transfer and another a saba transfer...maybe that is why they had bad vibes about the school???

as far as the VMD "addicts" not wanting to buy the moral high road story of ****'s transfer well that just goes with common sense and experience. common sense b/c if you are doing well in your classes why tranfer? i guess if you had an issue with the material or profs, tuition whatever ok i'l buy that but to transfer to a new school chartered in africa with classes in uk and no record whatsoever? i mean ross would have taken you, saba, even smu...then there are the 20 US schools that take foreign transfers into third year...so with your mcat and gpa it shouldn't be difficult. i know someone with a 211, 235, 202 and gpa's 2.8-3.4 from auc in the last two semesters that have transfred into 3rd year in the states...so SC? experience b/c the majority of people most of us see leave school have been because they failed...oh there were 2 first sem that left 1st week b/c they got in to their waiting list school and 1 that left b/c med school wasn't for her...

it is possible just not probable i guess that is what most have issue with....at least you found a place that you liked that will get your were you wanna be....being on call sucks but at least i can throw my post count up

I guess it's all perspective, Currently most of our faculty is British and American and they maintain a professional decorum at all times. I spoke with two graduates from SCCOM who had transfered from AUC. One had just completed his surgical residency (and had no problem with licensure) and the other just started his IM residency. The first felt AUC classes were to large and they would fail students because they could not supply them with clinical rotations. He also stated that after arriving at SCCOM he knew nothing about physiology and several other classes in comparison to SCCOM students so he found himself repeating all the classes he took at AUC. Not to mention that his apartment has been broken into 9 times and the Caribbean police wouldn't help at all even though they knew who did it. The second grad pretty much sang the same tune. Now some of the students you refer to possibly did fail the USMLE especially transfer students but our school now has a policy that all clinical transfer students must now pass the USMLE so I'm sure the quality of transfer students is getting better.

A lot of the transfer students currently in our program have transfer because of the availability of clinical rotations, SCCOM currently has about 40 US cores unfilled, and the treatment from the admin. We have several people from AUC and all are excellent students, not to mention St. Mat's, SABA, MUA, St. E, and Ross. I think one of the least common reasons for transfering to SCCOM but is also one of the best advantages is the living conditions and simply can not be ignored.

[OLDPRO]

I guess it's all perspective, Currently most of our faculty is British and American and they maintain a professional decorum at all times. I spoke with two graduates from SCCOM who had transfered from AUC. One had just completed his surgical residency (and had no problem with licensure) and the other just started his IM residency. The first felt AUC classes were to large and they would fail students because they could not supply them with clinical rotations. He also stated that after arriving at SCCOM he knew nothing about physiology and several other classes in comparison to SCCOM students so he found himself repeating all the classes he took at AUC. Not to mention that his apartment has been broken into 9 times and the Caribbean police wouldn't help at all even though they knew who did it. The second grad pretty much sang the same tune. Now some of the students you refer to possibly did fail the USMLE especially transfer students but our school now has a policy that all clinical transfer students must now pass the USMLE so I'm sure the quality of transfer students is getting better.

A lot of the transfer students currently in our program have transfer because of the availability of clinical rotations, SCCOM currently has about 40 US cores unfilled, and the treatment from the admin. We have several people from AUC and all are excellent students, not to mention St. Mat's, SABA, MUA, St. E, and Ross. I think one of the least common reasons for transfering to SCCOM but is also one of the best advantages is the living conditions and simply can not be ignored.
of course both of you have a right to opinions but as I understand it for a valid study a random of 30 students should be polled and then the above statements may be more valid. You know 2 to 6 students
out of 700 plus is justnot a good example of St. Chris. I dont dissagree there should be better comunication from amin. but at times the students have been very confrontational

[Skipper]

My wife's British... that's why I chose SC. As far as why I didn't transfer to a US school for clinicals, AUC wouldn't release my transcript. I had 4 schools interested, though - 1 in NY, 2 in my homestate, and 1 ivy league.
so how were you able to transfer to SC if they didnt release your transcripts?--

skipper

[bts4202]

I guess it's all perspective, Currently most of our faculty is British and American and they maintain a professional decorum at all times. I spoke with two graduates from SCCOM who had transfered from AUC. One had just completed his surgical residency (and had no problem with licensure) and the other just started his IM residency. The first felt AUC classes were to large and they would fail students because they could not supply them with clinical rotations. He also stated that after arriving at SCCOM he knew nothing about physiology and several other classes in comparison to SCCOM students so he found himself repeating all the classes he took at AUC. Not to mention that his apartment has been broken into 9 times and the Caribbean police wouldn't help at all even though they knew who did it. The second grad pretty much sang the same tune. Now some of the students you refer to possibly did fail the USMLE especially transfer students but our school now has a policy that all clinical transfer students must now pass the USMLE so I'm sure the quality of transfer students is getting better.

A lot of the transfer students currently in our program have transfer because of the availability of clinical rotations, SCCOM currently has about 40 US cores unfilled, and the treatment from the admin. We have several people from AUC and all are excellent students, not to mention St. Mat's, SABA, MUA, St. E, and Ross. I think one of the least common reasons for transfering to SCCOM but is also one of the best advantages is the living conditions and simply can not be ignored.

I have heard similar stuff about AUC. I have met several AUC students who had failed the USMLE several times but kept rotating in England and many others who did not feel they would pass, so they just roated in Enland so they would not be forced to take the exam. Every student I have met says that AUC has very little clinical spots in the US (even though some valuemd users deny this). Every AUC transfer i know of who transfered to SC has said they liked the proffs better and felt like they are learning more. Maybe they are lying, but why would they? Also, i know students who actually got kicked out of AUC for disagreeing with stubborn admin. AUC is not some perfect school, no matter how much gold they line the building with. They have a huge advantage over SC cause they are approved in NY and cali, and deservedly so. But otherwise, they are not any better than us.

[oldquack]

I transferred to STCOM because I found out my previous school had lied about its rotations in the USA- it had none, and was claiming Cleaveland clinic etc. It was an expensive exercise for me. I ended up not getting my first terms transfer credits and repeating first term at STCOM. I found STCOM admin to be very good about the whole thing, and gave me good advice through out the stressful process.

The previous school was not a top tier foreign school and had no history of licensed grads in the USA. at the time i did not know this was even an issue. The only upside of the saga is that after talking to USMLE directly, as i have no transfer credits from the previous school, i did not need to declare it, as the 12 weeks there would not considered not to be part of my medical education, due to not claiming for any credit.

Overall I have been very happy with STCOM, and seen some vast improvements over the last two years.

BUT- and this is a big but- i would not personally recommending anyone transfering from one of the established schools - AUC included for the following reasons, unless you are very unhappy with your current lot
1) I dont think it looks good to residency directors to be a transfer student, more questions to answer, even if you had valid reasons -they are always going to suspect you were failing out, or had personality issues
2) Explaining to state boards 2 plus schools -just indicates possibility of more delays getting transcripts etc
3) Although St Chris is now getting licensed grads in several states, and progressing with New York state approval - it does not currently have the esablished licensing precedences of the established schools, with time i personally believe this issues will self resolve
4) The grass always looks greener.

Now if you are a new student - well i think STCOM is coming up fast, the teaching is good, and lots of spots out there in rotations, i was pleasently supprised. Licensed graduates are now starting to pop up, and hopefully New York approval will come. As I said have been very happy with the school so far.

And again I see this justling between schools as a fruitless exercise, we all chose our respective courses, and need to respect others for what ever reasoning they have for their particular school.

[You're Fired!]

..........

[AUCMD2006]

its all about perspective and what is a better fit for you. i can understand living on an island is not for everyone same as the dreary uk is not for me. also i would say what a psych prof told me once...that is to take whatever someone says and cut it by half when they've had a good or bad experience in their life. for the two people i keep in touch with they said most profs have thick accents i cut it to less than half, same as whoever said that thier apt had been broken into 9 times think maybe 3 would be more beleiveable...though personally i have not met anyone who has gotten broken into more than once though i'm sure it happens particularly during low season. as far as the island police not doing anything, i'l let trmedic handle that one....i do know someone who had thoir car stolen once and broken into twice.....

this just shows how important it is for students to make the right choice the first time and how important it is to have different perspectives..when things are in the extremes of good and bad truth lies somewhere in the middle. i will never beleive everything there is as great as **** or bts would have people beleive but it also can't be as bad as it has been portrayed or SC wouldn't still be around so truth is in the middle. i just looked at the faculty list on the Sc site and there are very few US trained faculty so maybe things are still the same as when these two auc transfers were there less than a year ago....anyway

on a side note, if you don't know physio*/micro/histo/path/ genetics backwards and frontwards when you leave auc then i know the reason for the transfer...outstanding classes that were both applicable to the boards and to current lectures at wayne state and pimping rounds. i would add anatomy there but it is not the same anymore so can't comment. the only classes that were really awful were embryo, pharm, and immuno the rest were only ok

*except GI phys

[TAFKA]

so how were you able to transfer to SC if they didnt release your transcripts?they initially sent my transcript when i was transferring (i was physically on the island at that time and could police them) but over a year after i left AUC, they all of a sudden claimed some absurd outstanding balance and refused to release any of my records.

[Scott1981]

well, my (may) class size is 56. about only one half to 3/4 show to class so on average there are only 25-35 in class. about the same is for the jan class so if there is a reason to whine about class size, then it can only be september.

if someone is doing well in the classes and passes all the exams, then he or she must be learning something because the exams are not easy. it doesnt make sense to me that someone would transfer to a lesser school because they didnt like the class size even though they were learning their material.

something else must have been the case. and if it was the clinical situation, it was ok the 3rd quarter of last year. now its fully solved and we are probably gonna have many spots in the US left open.

yes, there was one semester over a year ago that met a bottle neck from poor planning by admin, but it was quickly resolved and i cant see how that influenced the people to transfer to SC. this is true ESPECIALLY for those still in basic sciences or MS 3 as SC as transfers from AUC because the clinical situation back then would not have affected them.

i dont think the whole story is being told. i know many transfers would beg to differ, but im gonna be blunt. i think that most if not all the recent transfer students did so because of academic failures. personally, im not here to argue with anyone, im just giving my opinion. take it for what its worth. the only people that i have ever met in numerous semester classes at AUC that transferred did so because they failed. thats the bottom line. i personally dont fall for sugercoating details.

[options]

You could have tranferred to a U.S. school, Ivy league, but didn't because your wife is british?

I will have to say that this sounds like the title of a certain HBO show by Penn and Teller.

[swimguy23]

You could have tranferred to a U.S. school, Ivy league, but didn't because your wife is british?

I will have to say that this sounds like the title of a certain HBO show by Penn and Teller.

it is similar to the "i got into xxxxx school in the US" or "i'm transferring to xxxxx school after basic sciences and i have contacts but i wanted to go to the caribbean because
1. i like warm weather
2. i wanted to experience a different culture
3. i wanted to study medicine outside the US"

[bts4202]

You could have tranferred to a U.S. school, Ivy league, but didn't because your wife is british?

I will have to say that this sounds like the title of a certain HBO show by Penn and Teller.

you may need to go back and re-read his post:

My wife's british .... thats why i chose SC. As far as why I did not transfer to a US school for clinicals, AUC wouldnt release my transcript. I had 4 schools interested, though -1 in NY, 2 in my homestate, 1 ivy league.

His transfer to a US school for clinicals would have been done over a year after his transfer to SC. I know it was not all that clear, but the two situations happened over a year apart.

So, to be even more redundant for the peanut gallery, he transfered to SC and part of that decision was made due to the proximity to his wife's home and family. Then, a year later, after passing the USMLE, he was unable to transfer to a US school because AUC had decided they no longer wanted to provide him with any more transcripts unless he paid them loads of money they never told him about.

I hope that helps somewhat.

[Skipper]

hmm so he didnt fight auc for his transcripts---
if i had a chance to transfer to an ivy league school or any US school (this guy had 3 schools waiting him) and all i needed was transcripts i would of fought tooth and nail and hired the best lawyers i can buy to get my transcripts--

i guess it all would of depended on if i "REALLY" had a transfer chance---

but like they all say--everyone knows an uncle who has a girlfriend whose brother is a frat buddy with the son of the dean of admission to an ivy league school--

that is how i am transfering--

skipper

[TAFKA]

it was a timing issue... med schools release in january or february if they are going to have advanced standing openings available for the following september, and the deadline for all application materials is generally early march. it sucks that whether or not there are openings is released so late, but it's a necessary evil since openings are only created by attrition (failing out or transferring to other schools) or by students "falling behind" and it can't be determined until after the grades from first semester are in. once schools release whether they will have openings, you begin an initial negotiation period when you contact the school and say, "i know your official position is not to take transfers from non-LCME schools, but i'm first in my class and i got a 251/99 on step 1 and my school is in england, not the caribbean" or whatever your unique selling points are. then the schools that bite want an application, letters of recommendation, and student copies of your records. then, after reviewing your application, those schools that are serious ask for official records to validate the unofficial copies that you initially provided. so for me, i found out at the tail end of february that auc was jerking me around... they all of a sudden asked for $7K to release my records... i have had an attorney review the situation, but it was going to be futile based on the fact that even if i filed suit (in florida and/or st maarten) and won, it would never be in time for my applications to be complete. so i called the ecfmg and nrmp and found out that i only need the transcript from the school conferring my degree to apply for residency (i.e. not auc). the next time i'll need the auc transcript is for licensure. therefore, i made the decision to wait until i actually have time to fight it... but it wasn't an easy decision and i'm not happy about it. however, with my grades/letters/scores, i'd like to think that i won't have much trouble getting a residency and so it's not the end of the world. but if i ever go back to st maarten, i'll definitely take 15 minutes out of my vacation schedule to throw a rock through auc's window!

now quit watching hbo and go study or you won't get that family medicine spot you've had your eye on in swampville, louisiana...

[neilc]

now quit watching hbo and go study or you won't get that family medicine spot you've had your eye on in swampville, louisiana...

does anybody else find this hilarious? ****'s attempt at humor or an insult is pretty ironic considering that the only verified st chris license i have seen is for FP in louisiana! so far that is the best st chris can do...
:D :D :D

[Skipper]

yea you should be proud of your school--with your 3 fully licensed grads--

atleast while i am doing my FP residency i know i will get licensed--unlike you were you have to wait till the last minute and hope no one catches on that your school isnt in its place of charter--

skipper

[AUCMD2006]

its obvious that auc scarred this guy, nobody will know the truth from both perspectives but going by my half rule i would say half of what he says is total **....going by common sense: sue the school if they really have a case they'l win and wait a year to go to a great US school or attend SC with no guarantees? i'd like to give the benefit of the doubt but its just really difficult in this case and in the end who cares, he is happy there, its not a choice i would make even if i was comatose but que sera sera....

in the two years that i was on the rock i have seen no corruption. the checks are not cashed and waiting for you. then you either pay tuition and they are given to you on the spot or sign them over and you get a refund in 10 days. i have also seen the school wait for tuition from people with loan problems, myself included on sem for almost two months, and in one case a semester and a half.

maybe **** left in the middle of the semester? 7k sounds about right for 80% tuition and no matter what the reason there are fixed drop dates.....

they may charge ridiculous tuition, they may have poor taste in decor, for all we know they may be inbred chinese nazi dwarfs but i have seen no evidence of corruption in the school...if anything they are anal about paperwork and keeping track of everything....now if you want questionable backgrounds may i suggest looking closer to home at people whose names must not be spoken like some harry potter nightmare....valdemorlteone. if i were a SC student i would also want to know what kind of Islamic teachings my american funds are providing......

[bts4202]

Gotta love this thread. Someone inquires about transfering out of AUC and the AUC lackeys come running to defend it and attack any who disagree... haha. Man, i gotta get a life, this viscious cycle is really getting old.

[neilc]

Gotta love this thread. Someone inquires about transfering out of AUC and the AUC lackeys come running to defend it and attack any who disagree... haha. Man, i gotta get a life, this viscious cycle is really getting old.

hello kettle...you're black!

:D :D

i love the idea of bts calling anyone a lackey!

[Scott1981]

first of all, penn and teller are on showtime........:lol:

secondly, i do believe the 7K pretty much garbage. remember, AUC is not some no name garbage startup or unapproved school like ahem. there are certain ethical guidlines that a school will follow to avoid butting heads with the state boards.

i personally know quite a few people that transferred to a US school with no problem like that.

why has auc singled you out? probably a reason.

ill just throw out an example why this may have happened. if a student was in AUC for a semester or two and failed some classes. they start their next semester and see things are not working out within the first few weeks, so they pack their bags and move to one of the startups like, st matts, aua, SC that are more than happy to welcome failures from the "50 state approved" schools. the only catch may be that the student left before signing over the financial aid checks, so the semester that the student started was never paid for. i would then fully understand why the school would not want to give the transcript out.

not implying that this happened to you, but there are many scenarios like this that would be a legitamite cause for the school to want payment.

like some wise people once said, there are two sides to every story.

like your previous post, i think you just gave us your "unique selling points" to your current situation.

and i would kindly like to refer you to our 2005 match list. our school celebrates that we had some match in neuro surgery and there is even a practicing dermatologist from auc out there. SC is celebrating that they just started getting people in residency period. even if its a transitional year, the school is popping out the champagne...:lol:


bottom line, its a long shot to get derm at auc....... but its a long shot to get FP at SC. what postion is SC in to have students make cracks about auc residencies? it baffles me. get more than 3 liscenced grads before bashing one of the top medical schools in terms of MD production to the united states. we even beat out most US schools with the amount of medical doctors produced at AUC.

[swimguy23]

Gotta love this thread. Someone inquires about transfering out of AUC and the AUC lackeys come running to defend it and attack any who disagree... haha. Man, i gotta get a life, this viscious cycle is really getting old.

it just seems kind of odd that so many of us have been successful with AUC but the school was out to get this one guy. I know of some people who have transferred, others that went thru AUC all the way and are doctors. Why was this one person singled out by AUC? He wasnt the first person to try and transfer......you did say it best tho you do need to get a life.....

also, as a moderator i would expect you to look a little more objectively at posts.....maybe your opinions are flat out wrong.....knowing someone who knows someone who transferred for xxxxxx does not make you knowledgable

"quis custodiet ipsos custodes"

[Nebakanezer]

Is anyone going to lock this waste of a thread before it reaches the point of terminal stupidity...?

[neilc]

i don't understand the thread locking mentality....if you don't like a thread, don't read it. if there are no TOS violations, and people feel like posting, then it can and should remain open, without regard to content.

[bts4202]

Is anyone going to lock this waste of a thread before it reaches the point of terminal stupidity...?

Your right, it should be...

done.