Spartan Grads...

[apjmd]

I really am sorry that you guys that are current students are having such a rough time, but I am here to tell you that Spartan has had a minimum attendance policy for years. When I was there back in 96, students had to repeat entire semesters for being late or excessive tardiness. I also agree that spartan has its share of riff-raff, but there are probably 5 to 10 serious students per class and those students seem to be doing quite well. Out of my class I know that at least one of us have transferred into a prestigious US medical school, at least five have passed all boards and are doing residency. The rest are either still playing around, studying, or working other jobs. I think that all of the caribbean medical schools are laden with scandal...the only one that I would say is really worth the money is St. Georges. I personally know several practicing physicians from there and they struggled half as much. All of them passed their exams the first time.

I would like to say that when considering whether or not you should go to medical school on any island and have to pay the price on the tail end (high exam costs, review courses, having to arrange rotations, travel, housing, and mostly mental garbage from people who ask you where your school is...), you should think about your capabilities to be a disciplined student. If you messed up during undergrad and are committed to make a change, then maybe. If you were a dedicated and dilligent student during undergrad and just didn't get into a US school, maybe. But if you were a slacker and still are a slacker, forget about it. You will never pass USMLE.

If anyone would like any advice on passing exams, spartan, etc, feel free to reply.

[The Simple Guy]

Hello apjmd
Thanks for posting your views.I believe you are busy with residency.But,
please post ...the SECRETS to success at the school and HOW to ACE the USMLE. As always, be fair but critical.Waiting.Take care,Bye

[Maria]

apjmd

tell us please about the USMLE how to prepare for t and do t ONCE and do it right :)

good luck in ur residency


:-star


Maria

[apjmd]

okay, first let me clear one thing up. I have not officially started my residency. Instead of studying for the USMLE as soon as I graduated, I got married and started working. I took the USMLE step 1 last in 10/00 and I got a 74 (missing by one raw score point) and figured that I'd wait until I was really ready to take it again. I just took it at the end of February and just got my results. I had already passed step 2 on the first try back in November of 99. So I registered for CSA and I am just waiting to schedule it.

So, on to how to pass USMLE on the first attempt. I think that if you are disciplined and have the time to commit to studying, you should be well prepared in about three months time. I sat down and used my original textbooks (Snell Anatomy, Guyton Physiology, Rubin and Farber Pathology, Lippincott Pharm and Micro, etc. What I did was make note cards for every subject as if I were studying for one test. When I would finish cardiovascular phys, I would do questions for just that subject. When I finished each body system, I would do the board simulator series questions and any other books/software that would allow me to choose the topic. Then I would repeat the questions in board simulator series when I completed the three body systems that were covered in each book. At the end, I would do NMS, Mosbys rapid review, Board simulator basic two books, etc. For the final two weeks, I did questions only and reviewed my note cards. For the last few days, I woke up early and did practice tests for one hour at a time, took the same breaks I would take as if I were taking the test.

The night before, I tried to get a decent night's sleep.

If you are like me and had serious deficiences in some topics, you may need to go further than that. I bought the interactive physiology disks and they really helped me to understand basic topics that I was having difficulty with. Also, a friend gave me a path disk that helped. You should also really pay attention to the pictures in books.

I found that the test asked really basic questions and I know that I had focused on a lot of intricate information. One hypothesis that I have is that this was the first time I had ever taken the exam around the same time that the US students were taking it for the first time. After June a lot of the students that are taking it are FMG's and US students that are retaking it. I really think that the test was MUCH easier than any other test I had taken after July. So, I would say that you may want to try this yourself and see if it is true.

One thing about going to spartan is that you will have some crappy teachers and you will have some really good ones. I do know that the same crappy teachers exist at the US schools too. After I returned, I realized that there are a lot of students doing rotations that knew a lot less than I did in certain subjects. I think that we all compensate by trying to figure out the type of test we need to study for so we can pass instead of trying to understand the material. You will need to do whatever it takes to LEARN the information, regardless of what you are hearing in class. It will pay off in the long run. At the US schools, the students get together in study groups and help each other learn the material. At spartan, people don't even share old test questions. I made sure that I passed mine on so that someone else wouldn't be in the same boat I was in.

You have to realize that the quality of education you receive is dependent on you and you alone. Spend some time talking to Dr. Guru and Dr. Devonish. They know more than you think. I had Dr. Boehme (I think he is gone now) and I will tell you that I the best in my neuro, micro, and path classes. Dr. ******* would be proud of me. Those guys will teach you after class if you show them that you are really interested. Dr. Abdul is also one of the most knowledgeable doctors I have ever met. If you want to learn about medical procedures, ask him and Dr. ******* to show you.

Even though they may hear rumors about some of them not passing USMLE, they still have something that you don't...a degree. Going to spartan is your way of being eligible to take your USMLE. You can gripe and complain or you can do like I did...cooperate and graduate. Get on SGA, write for the Heartbeat (do they still even have it?), go out and help Dr. Wilson at her clinics. Do the vision and blood pressure screenings. Believe me, it will pay off BIG!!!! The teachers at Spartan will bend over backwards to help you if they know that you are sincere about being a good student.

By the way, tell them all that Ann Payne says hello and she passed her boards.

[Mike]

Dear apjmd
You said you took the step 1 in October and again in February.
I am unclear on the date you were referring to that the questions may have been easier. Was it a june test date or the February one?Thanks for your response.

[Maria]

U Go GIRL
:-smiley7


and yes Heart beat is still there and beating ;) hehehe and let me tell u there in augest-december 2002 tri the SGA were all FEMALES ;) and AMSA s doing alot of great things i hope they r still doing but be4 i leave there was 2 health fairs instead of one only per trimester and alot of students were participating in it

things r going on great in that little school

thanks for the info it will really help me and others who are in the same situation

good luck in your CSA and i hope that you will get what ever residency you want :) :clover:

Maria

[apjmd]

I passed my step one exam on Feb 28 after more than two and a half years of "getting ready to study." I had passed my step two exam on the first try well before I ever finished my rotations.

I am glad to hear that there are still some good things going on at spartan. Did anyone tell any of the teachers that I said hello? Tell somebody to send me some clemente coconut rum from martinique :D

[spartangrad01]

Hey Ann!! How are yuo doing?? I am not sure if you remember me, but it's me shreyas. Good, I am glad to hear that yuo are doign well. Haven't seen u since El Paso in '99. Where are your doing your residency at? I am goign it be starting F.P. this July up here in Illinois

Shreyas

[DoSomeResearch]

I got so irritated reading about a "Spartan grad" who allegedly won the Nobel Peace Prize that I joined this site to tell you: Check your facts. The Tampa Tribune published an article about how he was forced out of his job over questions about this. http://news.tbo.com/news/MGBWGFRVPBE.html
The St. Petersburg Times and Columbus Dispatch followed with their own articles. They quote representatives from Doctors Without Borders who say that the "Spartan grad" never worked for that organization. I've also emailed Doctors Without Borders, and I was told the same thing.
I think Spartan and others need to set the record straight.

[dt]

I got so irritated reading about a "Spartan grad" who allegedly won the Nobel Peace Prize that I joined this site to tell you: Check your facts. The Tampa Tribune published an article about how he was forced out of his job over questions about this. http://news.tbo.com/news/MGBWGFRVPBE.html
The St. Petersburg Times and Columbus Dispatch followed with their own articles. They quote representatives from Doctors Without Borders who say that the "Spartan grad" never worked for that organization. I've also emailed Doctors Without Borders, and I was told the same thing.
I think Spartan and others need to set the record straight.
This thread is so old...

[microphage]

This thread is so old...

they said that about u.. but ur still here

[dt]

they said that about u.. but ur still here
yeah, I know...

[Healer]

Hey Maria, are u attending Spartan? If you're not a US citizen or permenant resident could you kinda help me out? i have a few visa questions....
maryamkhan_81@hotmail.com


apjmd

tell us please about the USMLE how to prepare for t and do t ONCE and do it right :)

good luck in ur residency


:-star


Maria