Leaving for Saba tonight

[elliemd]

Hi all,
As some of you know I'll be starting up in September' 05 (two weeks from now), and I'm all packed and ready to go. I will be departing this evening.
All I can say is, let the journey begin. Suprisingly I'm not nervous or anxious, just really neutral. I've known for a long time I wanted to go to med school and I'm just ready to begin and let the experience embrace me (or rather I embrace the experience).
To everyone, thank you for your helpful posts, and to all of the September students, I can't wait to meet you all.
Goodluck everybody!
Ellie

[wolfvgang22]

Good for you! Don't freak out when you get here and this place is totally dead right now during the break.
I'm still on island. I can give you my cell number in case you need something, like a ride from the airport, or to the grocery store. Send me a PM (same goes for anybody else arriving early).
~W

[DonnieMD2B]

wolfgang,
How did everyone do for the first semester. any fails? looking for insight. Do you recommend that I read ahead any or just work and enjoy my time off?
--donnie

[plabon]

Hey,
Good luck, i will be joining the rest of the crew a week from now. i will be leaving home with mixed emotions as well, leaving home is a messy affair no matter how many times you ahev done it before. all i can say is MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU.

[elliemd]

Ok, flight is bout 8 hours away...remember when i said i didn't feel nervous, well i don't, i just feel anxious..lol, it'll be ok...
Thanks for your posts plabon and wolvgang...i'm leaving home for the first time, not easy but it brings the family closer together...ah it would happen sooner or later.
Alright, this is officially my last post for now...see you all soon and goodluck!
Ellie

[lifesaver]

Hey Ellie,

Have a safe trip to Saba.

I get there on the 1st so I guess I have a bit more time to freak about getting everything together lol!

From all the posts so far, the september class looks awesome and I can't wait to get to know everyone.

-Lifesaver

[wolfvgang22]

wolfgang,
How did everyone do for the first semester. any fails? looking for insight. Do you recommend that I read ahead any or just work and enjoy my time off?
--donnie
Here's the breakdown:
We had about 5 people leave due to family reasons/emergencies, or a realization that they wanted to do something else. Most of those came in the first couple of weeks of school.

Five people failed Anatomy, if I remember correctly, and 7 people failed histology.
If you fail once, you can retake the course. If you fail twice, you will either be asked to leave or perhaps offered a place at MUA, depending on the promotions comittee's judgment. (This is what one student who failed told me.)

The key in both classes is to shoot for a 100 on every test, especially early on. The finals are tough, and if you are borderline or worse by that time...:oops:

Realize that there will be 6 or 7 students per cadaver. Establish yourself confidently early on, while avoiding being obnoxious. Do not hesitate to be assertive and do what you need to do in lab, regardless of what anyone, even the prof says. If I had to redo Anatomy, I would have listened to my instincts more and other people less in Anatomy lab.

Also, If I had to do it again, I would have memorized everything I could in Netter's atlas in the section on the lower limb. Adjusting to island life was really hard for me the first few weeks, and we were tested on lower limb after having only been here two weeks. We didn't get any slack just because we were newbies here, you still have to know the stuff.

Other long time posters like steph will advise not studying at all before school starts, and have good reasons for their opinions.
I just know what works for me. Trust yourself and find what works for you.

I'm not studying biochem prior to 2nd semester, as I won't be having the adjustment issues I had first semester. I will familiarize myself with the texts and syllabus, something I did not do 1st semester.
Good luck to all,
~W

[3xy]

Have a safe trip ellie. I'll see you in a week!

[Jones Johnson]

2 weeks before start seems early, where will you stay? Are the dorms available for the incoming class that early on?

[elliemd]

Alright on Saba and on wireless connection, don't know who's but just thankful.
Here's the breakdown...
Had to stay in St. Marteen overnight...mention u are student, they give you discount, I stayed at Travel Inn, very basic, 89USD.
If you are taking ferry (the edge) (which I did because it was cheaper) do not eat before hand as the trash can was embracing my head or take some sort of anti-nauseant, it is a rough ride, I'm not joking you, so save yourself. (I found it amusing, the NYer tells me after the ride you should have taken an anti-nauseant, well no sh**t)
Island, school are what they are as you see it.
I came early to adjust to the island. More than I can count, I wished I could go home because I miss my mommy! (I've always lived at home...so its not easy, cut me some slack, ok). I have already questioned medicine a million times, I think this is all natural.
All I can say is its different, just know why you are here and if you are a mama's girl like I am, bring her picture and lots of napkins.
:) Ellie

[DrShikima]

Alright on Saba and on wireless connection, don't know who's but just thankful.
Here's the breakdown...
Had to stay in St. Marteen overnight...mention u are student, they give you discount, I stayed at Travel Inn, very basic, 89USD.
If you are taking ferry (the edge) (which I did because it was cheaper) do not eat before hand as the trash can was embracing my head or take some sort of anti-nauseant, it is a rough ride, I'm not joking you, so save yourself. (I found it amusing, the NYer tells me after the ride you should have taken an anti-nauseant, well no sh**t)
Island, school are what they are as you see it.
I came early to adjust to the island. More than I can count, I wished I could go home because I miss my mommy! (I've always lived at home...so its not easy, cut me some slack, ok). I have already questioned medicine a million times, I think this is all natural.
All I can say is its different, just know why you are here and if you are a mama's girl like I am, bring her picture and lots of napkins.
:) Ellie

The Edge has another name ..... the Vomit Comet.

[edoki]

Hi ElliMD,
Good to read that you are now in Saba. Take life one day at a time. You should not completely forget home, but pay more attention to Saba environment and studies now. Home people will always be fine. Much thinking will not change any situation, rather it could make you not focused towards your calling- medicine.

I hope to see you and other Sept class members. I was accepted in Sept Class but later defered it to January 06 in order to tidy up things. I miss Sept class but now comforted with a great crop of Jan 06 students.


Shalom!--Maranatha!

Edoki

[wolfvgang22]

:lol: Sounds like you'll be fine! :D

[extensor_digiti_minimi]

Just a quick comment for those looking for transportation from St. Martin to Saba.
Click on <https://64.87.107.120/servlets/AvailableFlightsServlet>
You can buy an AIR LINE TICKET for about 60$.
pros:
1. don't have to stay over night in St. Martin --> don't have to pay 89$ for the hotel.
2. Your flight will be 15 minutes only.
3. Overall saving: $89(hotel)+$40(boat)-$60(airline ticket)= $70

Have fun all and c u in Sep,



e.d.m. ;)

[plabon]

......But if you have a lot of luggage winwair wont take you. refer to previous post where at least one student was asked to put their laptop in the hold and the laptop went missing.

[elliemd]

Hi all,
The price difference with the flight, I think will be equated in terms of your luggage. I had 2 big bags and one personal bag(which was huge 40lbs) and a carry on which was another 45lbs at least. Winair allows two bags at 45lbs and then you have to pay for the excess baggage!
My original plan was to stay in the airport but they won't let you do that.
Best of luck to all of you and have a safe trip!
The island is absolutely beautiful, very quiet right now bc I think some of the students are not around, but it is absolutely beautiful here. I think you will all love it here!
See you on the 5th of September!
-EMD

[elliemd]

Delete post

[traumaRN]

Ellie... you need to take some dramamine for the ferry ride.... LOL

Congrats on making it to the island safely. I posted some tips in another thread but it sounds like you are doing great.

I included sometips on calling home. Forgot to mention DONT use the payphones at school. You'll end up with hundreds of dollars of charges.

Take lot of pics for mom. The sunsets are incredible.

[wolfvgang22]

Hi all,
Alright I've had tons of questions about the baggage limit from winair...so I'm posting here... If you do a google search by putting in 'winair baggage limit' you will find the same thing I did...here is the link:
http://www.newconcepts.ca/winair.htm
Basically what the website says is your free baggage allowance is 44lbs per person (not per bag, per person) and that your carry on allowance is 6.5lbs. Thats a total of 50.5 lbs.
Anything in excess of this you will pay $1.30/kilogram USD.
So you guys do the math and see what works the best for you...just do your homework first!
Cheers,
Ellie :)
That's correct. Sometimes winair is nice and won't charge you for extra luggage if the plane is not full.