Jan 2006 VS. Aug 2006

[beefy]

Hi, as I am already out of school with my BSc., and am looking towards SGU as my future place of education, i was wondering if someone could point out the pros and cons for starting in August 06 compared to January 06.

I am trying to decide whether I should enjoy home and get a job until August, or whether i should pack my stuff and head to the rock in January.

I realize that both routes will allow me to match in 2010, but will I be sacrificing anything if I take the August route over the January route? I know that January offers more study time for the USMLE, but I am also assuming that the August program is planned to allow for adequate preparation as well..

any comments would be appreciated, thank you

[beefy]

well here is what i was able to find out from the SGU office

as a Canadian, if I want to match for US residency in 2010 and i want to end up practicing in the USA, I have to start in January 2006 so that after I graduate in December, I will be able to apply and secure an H1B visa, which takes time. Also, there is someting about the Step 3 that I am unsure about but is important...

However, if I do not intend on practicing in the USA (which is what i'm feeling right now), then I do not require a H1B visa and can make do with a J1 visa, which is much easier to get and doesn't require any extra time. This can be accomplished through the August route, which will graduate me in April/May instead of December.

Also, does anyone know the academic calendar for the class that starts August 2006? I would like to compare this to the Jan 06 schedule, this information being very useful

Hope this helps anyone who is thinking like me, but any other suggestions regarding jan 06 vs. aug 06 would be appreciated

thanks

[jaywalk81]

search.

the jan class has about 3-4 months to study for step 1 and more time to study fro step 2 and applying for residency

the aug class has only about 1-2 months i believe for step 1

[GonnaBaMD7]

Even though very few (if any) people plan on deceling, although I've seen numbers ranging from like 10%-33% of students actually do, if you decel from the January '06 class you still graduate in May 2010 but if you decel from the August '06 class you graduate in May 2011.

[The Republic]

Even though very few (if any) people plan on deceling, although I've seen numbers ranging from like 10%-33% of students actually do, if you decel from the January '06 class you still graduate in May 2010 but if you decel from the August '06 class you graduate in May 2011.
Beefy is Canadian. He won't decel. :cool:
Good luck Beefy!

[drturtle]

From an academic point of view... Going for the January class would be better instead of waiting. This way, you can take advantage of that extra time to study for the USMLE and/or decel/take a leave of absence if the need so arises. Entering as a January class allows for a lot more flexibility without losing extra time.

[beefy]

thanks

if i believe that i don't need all that extra study time, and that i dont plan on taking a leave of absence or decellerating..

will starting august 2006 still get me to the exact same place as january 2006students? That is to say, when it comes time for choosing clinicals and eventually matching into residencies, would people who started in January 2006 have any sort of significant advantage? (assuming that study time is not considered since the august curriculum is designed to give you enough time to do well on the USMLE)... is it harder to get the clinical sites you want if you start in august compared to january? same with residencies?

thanks again, trying to make the most important decision of my life

[jaywalk81]

no its the same. jan class just have more time to do everything and more flexible

[sarahtarah]

what an excellent question, i was debating which class iw anted to be a part of. having extra time to study for the USLME is going to be so much better then getting a job now, and chancing a prolonging of my studies.

[MD0002]

Hi, as I am already out of school with my BSc., and am looking towards SGU as my future place of education, i was wondering if someone could point out the pros and cons for starting in August 06 compared to January 06.

I am trying to decide whether I should enjoy home and get a job until August, or whether i should pack my stuff and head to the rock in January.

I realize that both routes will allow me to match in 2010, but will I be sacrificing anything if I take the August route over the January route? I know that January offers more study time for the USMLE, but I am also assuming that the August program is planned to allow for adequate preparation as well..

any comments would be appreciated, thank you

If you start on January, they will pay your tuition because now they have a hard time filling that class :| my brother applied and got in for Jan 2006 but he got into Iowa too, so guess what the acceptance package now is in trash :p

[rokshana]

thanks

if i believe that i don't need all that extra study time, and that i dont plan on taking a leave of absence or decellerating..



very few people plan on decelling or taking LOAs, thing just happen- the extra time (and it is considerable - AUg entrants finish 2nd year in the middle of May and start rotations in Aug, Jan entrants finish 2nd year in Dec and start rotations in May), not that you need more than 8 weeks for step I , but you get to have a nice break before you start those clinicals).

there are hospital chioces to be considered for 3rd year however that Aug entrant do have a slight advantage- there are more schools in NY (6 vs 3) available to the Aug entrant for core rotations- gobbly gook to you now, but becomes more important later in your med school career- so if there is a particular hospital in NY that you want, you may want to check if it is offered to Jan students.

Finally Jan admission is a little easier that Aug admission and there are people that will be accepted to the Jan class that would not be accepted to the Aug- you can'tdefer a Jan acceptance to Aug- you have to reapply, so you may not want to count your chickens before they're hatched.

[jaywalk81]

thanks

if i believe that i don't need all that extra study time, and that i dont plan on taking a leave of absence or decellerating..

will starting august 2006 still get me to the exact same place as january 2006students? That is to say, when it comes time for choosing clinicals and eventually matching into residencies, would people who started in January 2006 have any sort of significant advantage? (assuming that study time is not considered since the august curriculum is designed to give you enough time to do well on the USMLE)... is it harder to get the clinical sites you want if you start in august compared to january? same with residencies?

thanks again, trying to make the most important decision of my life


i really hope you dont plan on deceling...i dont think anyone plans on that..but hey you never know...

[beefy]

can someone post the estimated academic calendar for august 2006 start date?

thanks

august vs. september is a harder decision than i thought...

you dont want to leave things behind, but u know you have to start your life sooner or later...

august just seems appealing because i still match in 2010 and i still get all the same breaks as jan 06 starters (i think??), just less time in between step 1 and clinicals right? clarification? thanks

[jaywalk81]

i will try to list it here
term 1 8/06-12/06
term 2 and 3 1/07-6/07
term 4 8/07-12/07
term 5 and 6 1/08-5/08
study for step 1 5/08-6/08
start clinical 8/08-5/10

[pkimm]

do you know when kern starts intership? May or Aug? Would it be better to match with kern if you start in Jan? Does anybody know?

[The Republic]

Kern start date is in July. So that means if you start in January you would have a delay before starting at Kern.

Kern Medical Center on the whole is dominated by AUC students anyway. It is our showpiece hospital along with Providence Hospital in Michigan. St. George's will get you access to Kern, but their showpiece hospital is the excellent St. Barnabas system in New Jersey. Why would you go to St. George's if you wanted to go to Kern?

When I was applying to Carib schools, I asked about these things, and you should too. The SGU people told me the California sites typically go to the west coast residents to keep them close to home. AUC says first-come-first-serve for anyone at any site. Kern Medical Center says you gotta have a 220 on Step 1.

[onlyinthemorning]

How is Providence, there are a few SGU students there as well right? Is it a bad idea to choose a Michigan site rather than NY/NJ?

[The Republic]

How is Providence, there are a few SGU students there as well right? Is it a bad idea to choose a Michigan site rather than NY/NJ?
Yes, there are a few SGU students at Providence as well. For the SGU students, only core rotations can be done at Providence. SGU says you cannot do elective rotations there. AUC can do both cores and electives at Providence.

http://www.sgu.edu/website/sguwebsite.nsf/Medicine/HospitalProvidence.htm

[pkimm]

I heard at Kern:
AUC 24 students
SGU 20 students
Ross 10 students

Is that stat true?

[pkimm]

http://www.valuemd.com/st-georges-university-school-medicine/1764-august-vs-january-pros-and-cons.html

check this out...might help