check this hit list from aaimg about SABA

[pacemaker101]

Saba University School of Medicine,
Saba, Netherlands Antilles
Deficiencies (not present)

Section I c
Section III e


Section I. Admission/Recruiting Practices

Admission criteria for selecting students are clearly defined in the catalog. The MCAT or a comparable exam should be required. School does not deviate from stated requirements.

Section III. Basic Science Campus

There are facilities for quiet study time or research available to students.

http://www.aaimg.com/list/meeting.html

I think that a school trying to build status amongst the other medical schools should atleast have an adequate place to study. Can any comment on the present study area there at Saba. Will be attending in May 2004.
PS> if anyone know someone going to SMU please let them know about this link. They have some real issues to resolve.
Thanks Pacemaker101.

[Rich0275]

Section III. Basic Science Campus

There are facilities for quiet study time or research available to students.



I thought the school built a new library. So i believe there is quiet study time available. Can any current students enlight us on this situation?

[Rwl22]

recommends the MCAT but doesn't require it. And as far as the othere deficiency is concerned I believe there is a library so I'm not sure where that comes from. Ross hasn't required the MCAT for a couple of years and I noticed they weren't labeled for the same problem. I don't think AUC requires it either I could be wrong. Anyway SU is definitely one of the better car schools out there.

[sabasgapres]

Hi everyone

Here is a description to update you on the current facilities on Saba for medical students:

1. A library on campus with many cubicles to study in as well as a computer lab to do research that is open untill 11pm.

2. An off campus study facility in Winwardside (5 mins from the school) that also has cubicles and is open 24hrs a day.

If there is anything else you would like to know or have any comments or concerns, please feel free to email me at sga@saba.edu.
Have a great week,
Chris Porterfield
SGA President
Saba University School of Medicine

[mutig25]

As an update to Ross and AUC, AUC does require the MCAT and Ross currently does not but will require it beginning September 04. I know because I've applied to both, in addition to SABA.

As far as the AAIMG website, use that information with caution. The information listed for each of the schools may or may not have been updated since it was posted.

[medwatcher]

Saba University opened a large new library about one year ago. Hours are good and the building offers many quiet study areas. I say the library and there are private study cubes with indivual lighting and a glass enclosed computer room where you can do electronic research or check your email. I think AAIMG must have done there site visit before the library opened.

[GucciMD]

The AAIMG has not been appointed by anyone.

What matters the most is if your school is listed with the ECFMG and you can look for information on the ECFMG website.

Anyone can form an organization and comment on certain schools. This AAIMG is just someones opinion and there is nothing solid about the information they provide.

When you apply for a medical residency they group all these schools together for the most part. I am going into the match and the program directors are not conserned if you are a student from Ross, AUC, or Sint Eustatius.

When I was on Saba they had awful building and it did not matter because we were there knowing that we would not be in a posh classroom. The anatomy lab was next to where people lived and the fumes were terrible, just hope that my lungs are alright. There were not any fans in the anatomy lab and later people could not get into area to study. Just recently they have a new building but many years past with terrible classrooms and labs.

I know someone from CAHSU and they said the building were awful and so was the teaching. Now the school has a brand new building better than Saba and they are a younger school.

Who do you think operates AAIMG.

[MrScottyMD]

To call that a deficiency list is ridiculous. Saba strongly recommends MCATS but because they dont require them hardly makes them a poor medical school. I took the MCAT. It stands for medical college aptitude test. It hardly predicted my aptitude (Thank God) , I barely got an average score at best on the MCAT while I saw several of my friends soar into the 30s on the MCAT only to perform mediocre on the USMLE. Someone should do a study and find out if the MCAT predicts how one will perform in medical school and boards. The MCAT is mainly a tool to weed out but Id like to know who its weeding out. I know one thing, it weeded me out back in 1986. As far as a place to study, that so called hit list was probably made before the campus was built as there are to my knowlege two libraries now unless they closed the one up on Windward Side. If they are the only two things they could come up with then Saba is doing a darn good job because those issues are non issues unless that new library I saw was a really big mirage. Best of Luck, Scott C Jones DC MS IV

[Rwl22]

Actually I think Ross suspended the MCAT as a requirement for the past couple of years just to study exactly that. I don't know what their results were but I talked to a guy from Ross who is doing his clinicals. He said he got a 19 on the MCAT and got straight A's in med school. Personally I think the MCAT has rather limited significance in terms of predicting future success. I'm no expert but that's what I've gathering so far talking to people. Not that an entrance test for med school shouldn't be required however.

[stephew]

please note: the aaimg is an unfortunate site that people reference as an authority. It is no such thing. They may (or may not) give some insights into school however they have no role in recognizing, licensing, or validating any school. You could put up a similar site and be just as "authoritative"

[Ferrarijp]

Ok... so information on the AAIMG website needs to be taken with a grain of salt; I understand this. What has concerned me, though, is in regards to some accusations in the post 'aaimg site updated ', which can be found in the Main Foreign Medical School forum. The AAIMG does seem to favor some schools with holding of merit--SABA and MUA in particular. Some would even say that the AAIMG is "sugar coating" these particular schools and bad mouthing others in hopes that it will effect future student's enrollment decisions. Conspiracy? Organized deception? Priming the pump? Is there a link between SABA and the AAIMG? or all lies?

Someone please shed some light on these issues...

[Neoplasm]

Some time ago another Caribbean school speculated on their web page that the AAIMG site was operated by one of their competitors. I don't know if that is true and whether there is a connection between Saba and the AAIMG, but try to look at it from this point of view: Who would gain from the current setup and content of the AAIMG site?

[teratos]

Personally I think the MCAT has rather limited significance in terms of predicting future success. I'm no expert but that's what I've gathering so far talking to people. Not that an entrance test for med school shouldn't be required however.

I agree with you. People who study such things say that performance on the MCAT is a good preditctor of succes on the USMLE. Who knows. G

[MrScottyMD]

Having done not great on the MCAT I may have a negative bias towards it but I unfortunately see the need for it. Lets face it, if a guy from Harvard has a 3.0 GPA and a guy from County Tech has a 4.0 its kinda tough to say that the guy from County tech is a more qualified applicant. (We all know a 3.0 out of Harvard probably carries alot more weight). Im afraid the MCAT is a necessary evil to put all people on the same playing field much like the USMLE puts all med students on the same level playing field.