School Culture/Faculty Guidance/Teaching Standards/Real Issues

[Kerrmd]

I will remain focused and keep my questions to the point. It seems like new prospective students like me ask questions which are mostly irrelevent to their future.

i) What is a typical time (in years) for a Saba student from starting Medical School to completing the residency ?

ii) What happens to students who go beyond maximum alloted(7 semesters in case of Saba University )? Specially with huge student loans and not being able to graduate.

iii) How do you rate Saba faculty compare to other faculty in Carribean schools/US Medical Schools/Canadian Medical Schools?

iii) What is the quality of teaching material at Saba University? I have heard most faculty uses power point to present the teaching material. what is the quality of that teaching material? How do we make sure that the faculty just do not download those power points and throw that at students at 30 slides/minute.

iii) If classes are back to back with 10 minute break in between, then how do the office hours are kept? Do faculty stick around after 4 PM to wait for tired and beat-up students to utilize office hours?

iv) Does Saba elaborate to incoming students that in case a failinga subject(s), sutdent are allowed to a maximum two attempts (semester) else they will spend rest of their life paying close to $US 50,000 in student loans? I would like someone to respond to this question.

v) What is a typical class culture? Do students study in a group of 2,3,4 or is it a more like RAT RACE environment? Do student like to spend time on the Island or is it more like let's finish 5 semester and get the hell out of here. More like a nightmare or "the worst mistake of my life" kind of experience.

vi) How do Saba address the student grievances and other issues.

v) How is Saba's Managment? Do they have a good track record of making timely and just decisions?

vi) How many student transfer out of Saba after 1,2,3,4,5 Semester? 10% 20 % or higher?

vii) What is the typical faculty turn over at Saba?


viii) What is the support and guidance standard of Saba Management?/Deans Office/administration? Are they helpful? Responsive?

ix) What is the overall morale of students on Campus? Do they feel happy in 2nd semester, 3rd semester and so on?

x) What are the biggest problems on this Island? excessive drinking? partying, loneliness? etc.

xi) How do you rate the library facilities? Is it easy to find books?


More to come.....

Mark

[rdecastro]

4 years or a bit more

If you fail, you still owe the money - however, you won't owe anywhere near 100K, since you will have failed out in basic sciences. Does Saba tell anyone that? Why should they: Saba doesn't loan the money in the first place, and the students should be able to figure it out for themselves.

Very few people can compare faculty between schools - the very few who have attended more than one school usually leave the first school because of some incompatibility that at best renders their assessments objectivity questionable. The faculty is (usually) capable of teaching you what you need to know, the qualification is due to professor turn-over.

If you want to speak to a professor, schedule a time with them. In my limited expereince, almost all of them are willing to meet with students at any time (including having the students over to their house, if necessary). There's one exception, but this is her last semester (hooray!).

The powerpoints and word documents used are fine. The comfort that the professors have using it is variable.

Students almost always are helpful to each other. There are a few anus's in each class but few.

I don't know how they address greivances, I've generally been satisfied with the office and faculty.

It seems that most students are satisfied (I am, most of the time). Some are not...they are having second thoughts about medicine, or families are having trouble adjusting to island life (it's not downtown Hometown, USA, but it's fine).

the biggest problem is inadquate time for studying. Thats not unique to Saba.

OBTW, none of your questions have much to do with 'clinicals'.

[Kerrmd]

Did I post my questions in a wrong forum?

I need more specific answers not just "feel good", "kind of okay to me" vague reply. Thank you for your reply though.

The powerpoints and word documents used are fine.

CAN YOU DEFINE FINE? I AM TALKING ABOUT QUALITY AND FINE IS NOT THE RIGHT WORD TO DESCRIBE QUALITY. I HAVE I AM NOT GETTING THE OFFICIAL BLURB HERE. HAVE YOU EVER READ THE POWER POINT PRESENTATION FROM OTHER SCHOOLS? OR THIS IS YOUR GUT FEELING? The comfort that the professors have using it is variable. NOT CLEAR ON THIS EITHER. DO YOU THINK THAT SOME PROFESSORS JUST REGURGITATE WHATEVER IS THROWN ON THE PRESENTATION. THIS IS A SERIOUS SUBJECT SO PLEASE DO NOT UNDERMINE IT BY USING WORDS LIKE "FINE". YOU ARE A SENIOR MEMEMBER SO BE SPECIFIC AND PASS ON MORE OBJECTIVE INFO.

Students almost always are helpful to each other. There are a few anus's in each class but few. VAGUE AGAIN.

I don't know how they address greivances, I've generally been satisfied with the office and faculty. CAN YOU QUOTE AN EXAMPLE OR THIS IS AGAIN AN OFFICIAL LINE. CAN YOU QUOTE AN INCIDENT WHEN STUDENT(s) WERE NOT HAPPY WITH OFFICIAL RESPONSE.


I WILL START FOCUSING ON CLINICALS TOO ONCE I GATHER MORE INFORMATION. I WANT TO MAKE AN EDUCATED DECISION. I HAVE TWO OTHER FRIENDS WHO ARE CURIOUS TO KNOW THE ANSWERS TO THE QUESTION THAT I POSTED EARLIER.

Mark

[golfman]

Man Mark
Way to be ungrateful for a reply from a Med School student who is already strapped for time. If you are looking for someone to tell you that everything you could have ever imagined is going to be perfectly fine then you let us all know when you find that place in the world and we will all move there. Maybe you haven't noticed but as far as in my life nothing has ever gone picture perfect. Saba has its flaws just as every other place in the world but just relax and take things as they come. I understand your concerns but if you over analyze everything I don't think you will be satisfied with anywhere.

[krust3]

hey dude, don't be a ----.

pull your head from your ---- for a minute. the answers you got are what you can expect for the most part. you should be grateful redecastro replied to any of your questions at all. if you're not happy with what you got, then get off your butt and find your own information.

i can tell you right now that saba not the place for someone like yourself. consider ross, auc, or helen keller's medical school for the deaf, dumb, and blind.

[rdecastro]

Well, sorry my answers didn't satisfy you. Since you seem to think I'm some official spokesperson, a clarification: I'm a student.

And good luck with your medical career, whereever it may take you.

[Kerrmd]

Post deleted

[Kerrmd]

RedCastro:

I appreciate your time. Thank you.

Best Regards,
Mark

[Kerrmd]

Question:

When it is claimed that SABA students are currently achieving >90% scores on average at USMLE step 1.

Does it mean that after failing once or twice they get >90% following a Kaplan course?

[ResearchingGuy]

Please direct me to the site that says Saba students are getting > 90% average on USMLE Step I (or any of the steps).:shock:

Best of Luck!

[miasma]

i think you misunderstood the stat on the saba website. it is a over 90% pass rate for the exam, not average score.

[rdecastro]

Question:

When it is claimed that SABA students are currently achieving >90% scores on average at USMLE step 1.

Does it mean that after failing once or twice they get >90% following a Kaplan course?

All 5th semester students complete a Kaplan review course as part of the curriculum.

[Kerrmd]

Hmmm. Lame defenses put up by busy senior students!!!! Are they really the school's puppets or schools administraion acting as students????? Just wondering

[Kerrmd]

How many of the faculty memebers have medical school experience? I mean teaching experience at any US/Canadian Medical School? How and what kind of knowledge can a plain Ph.D. impart to medical students? Just wondering if the students will ever be prepared enough through the kind of training they get at off shore schools to pass USMLE step 1 specially from schools whose faculty is not reputed enough/at all?

Best Regards,
Mark ( still searching for the real picture)

[McGillGrad]

Try searching the board.

[rdecastro]

Hmmm. Lame defenses put up by busy senior students!!!! Are they really the school's puppets or schools administraion acting as students????? Just wondering

Just who the hell are you? Some troll? You make outrageous statements (>90% scores on the boards), people try to point out your mistake (hope you don't use those skills in prescribing), and you accuse the people responding of being shills?

Tell you what, sparky: GO SOMEONE ELSE. I'm not a school official, and I'm not a senior student, but I think your presence on Saba in any capacity would make my medical school, and caribbean island experience, less.

You make a lot of demands, couched as borderline rude questions, and when people answer them you reject the answers. OK, go do your own research, the way most of us did.

Grow up, and try hard to be less of a putz.

[rdecastro]

How many of the faculty memebers have medical school experience? I mean teaching experience at any US/Canadian Medical School? How and what kind of knowledge can a plain Ph.D. impart to medical students? Just wondering if the students will ever be prepared enough through the kind of training they get at off shore schools to pass USMLE step 1 specially from schools whose faculty is not reputed enough/at all?

Best Regards,
Mark ( still searching for the real picture)

Troll-boy, go check the faculty at most US medical schools and see who teaches basic sciences. You'll find out that many of them are not clinicians, and many are not MD's at all: They're PhD specialists in their fields.

And a person who spends 4 or so years learning (say) biochemistry and then specializes in it can impart a lot more of it than a physician that took one class in it.

[Kerrmd]

First you be-little thus try to elevate yourself. Okay you are not a pitbull. That is a good News. Thank you though for trying to answer some of the questions. RdeCastro. I admit my mistake on quoting some number like >90%. [I will find that piece of paper where I read that claim and mail that to you] You have an absolute right to assume that I am fresh and very insecure graduate. But I think you are wrong and absolutely un-civil when you attack me like a pitbull which are not.

Love
Mark

[stephew]

folks one freebie_ follow the terms of service or you will receive a warning/banning.

[BCgirl]

Mark Kerr - I went to Saba and am very satisfied with my experience there - for the record, I matched in the residency I wanted and achieved 99 on all 3 USMLE board exams - what you get out of medical school is what you put in. One of the toughest lessons I have had to learn during clinicals and so far during residency is that you can help or hurt your career by how much you say and how you say it. Everybody gets frustrated but as professionals we are obligated to control it.
Good luck in your medical career.

[swinginislanddoc]

As a third (almost fourth) year, let's see if I can help out a tiny bit here:

I will remain focused and keep my questions to the point. It seems like new prospective students like me ask questions which are mostly irrelevent to their future.

i) What is a typical time (in years) for a Saba student from starting Medical School to completing the residency ?
Depends on what you choose as your career. School is 4 years. If do IM then add three years. If you do Surgery at at least 5 years. Wherever you match and what you match in determines how long it takes. If you do a fellowship after residency, add that on to the timeline. In the end it really comes down to not how much time you put into it, but if you're doing what you love. Remember, as a resident you don't make three figures, but you're still making around $40K

ii) What happens to students who go beyond maximum alloted(7 semesters in case of Saba University )? Specially with huge student loans and not being able to graduate.
Flunk out or transfer. As RD, loans have nothing to do with Saba - it's a contract between you and the bank.

iii) How do you rate Saba faculty compare to other faculty in Carribean schools/US Medical Schools/Canadian Medical Schools?
They do just fine. Sure there are some crappy professors out there - they have them at EVERY SCHOOL. I'd like to quote Dr. Stewart (physiology professor) here when he said, "At every school 1/3 of your professors will be great, 1/3 will be average, and 1/3 below average." Problem professors are not unique to Saba or Caribbean schools. Before I started Saba a hospitalist I used to work with told me, "You get out of your education what you put into it." Remember, the professors are educated facilitators in your learning process.

iii) What is the quality of teaching material at Saba University? I have heard most faculty uses power point to present the teaching material. what is the quality of that teaching material? How do we make sure that the faculty just do not download those power points and throw that at students at 30 slides/minute.
The power points are one of the best parts of school at Saba. You get more time to listen to what they are saying, take a few notes to highlight a topic, and see the pictures right on your own computer screen - especially useful in pathology and histology. I've done it both ways and for my own personal learning I find it much harder to really register what is being said when I'm trying so desperately to write it down legibly. Also remember that you have books for a reason. They're not there to fill up your shelves or empty your wallets, they are there to be read. I never read a textbook until medical school. I read several, front to back, in med school and made great grades (and did pretty dang well on Step 1 I might add). That's another point - you don't study for step 1 for two months - you study for Step 1 for TWO YEARS. Use your time wisely.

iii) If classes are back to back with 10 minute break in between, then how do the office hours are kept? Do faculty stick around after 4 PM to wait for tired and beat-up students to utilize office hours?
Variable. And if you have to go to the office for something most professors are understanding - just tell them you'll be a little late coming back from break. Most profs are willing to meet with you if you need it.

iv) Does Saba elaborate to incoming students that in case a failinga subject(s), sutdent are allowed to a maximum two attempts (semester) else they will spend rest of their life paying close to $US 50,000 in student loans? I would like someone to respond to this question.
Seems to me that this was told to us, yes. Might I be a smart aleck and suggest you don't fail a class twice?

v) What is a typical class culture? Do students study in a group of 2,3,4 or is it a more like RAT RACE environment? Do student like to spend time on the Island or is it more like let's finish 5 semester and get the hell out of here. More like a nightmare or "the worst mistake of my life" kind of experience.
Once again, variable. I prefered most of the time to study by myself and then review with one or two people if anyone. Some people studied in groups - we actually did that when I was in physio and I found that teaching the concepts to other students helped me understand them better. However, once again and most importantly, everyone studies differently. Look on the main forum for threads about study habits - this has been beaten to death...

vi) How do Saba address the student grievances and other issues.
Same way pretty much any other school does. I was on SGA - some things are determined by who you put in there. There's a disciplinary board. If something serious is going on chances are they'll address it.

v) How is Saba's Managment? Do they have a good track record of making timely and just decisions?
"Management" is changing a little since I've been there. You need a current ** student to comment here.

vi) How many student transfer out of Saba after 1,2,3,4,5 Semester? 10% 20 % or higher?
I don't have those stats. I know that we lost the most students at the end of first semester and half way through second. After that it pretty much stabilized.

vii) What is the typical faculty turn over at Saba?
Can't answer this one for you - sorry. I simply don't have the stats.


viii) What is the support and guidance standard of Saba Management?/Deans Office/administration? Are they helpful? Responsive?
I've generally found them to be both helpful and responsive. I e-mail/call the Gardner office quite a bit, and even visited the admin office on Saba a lot and from what I recall I was always helped.

ix) What is the overall morale of students on Campus? Do they feel happy in 2nd semester, 3rd semester and so on?
Varible. Depends on how you can adjust to new life and how you deal with stress. I found the island to be enjoyable. Sometimes it was hard - I mean studying that hard can bring you down at times. However I love to hike and I learned to snorkel and dive, learned to live without 24 hour convenience stores and the like, and I love the view from my deck. This is once again a very personal thing.

x) What are the biggest problems on this Island? excessive drinking? partying, loneliness? etc.
Yes, yes and yes. However excessive drinking is mainly not the students, parties are much smaller since they did away with Black Mondays (back in my day...ha!), and lonliness will occur no matter where you are when you're in med school. You bond with those going through the trials with you. I have friends from med school closer to me than any I've ever had before.

xi) How do you rate the library facilities? Is it easy to find books?
Library is small with limited study space. I hear they're building a new one. Books, as I recall, were easy to find but I rarely needed one (as I had my own mini library at home). I mostly studied at home anyway - once again a personal preference.


More to come.....

Mark

Best of luck,
~S :cool:

[jameslynton]

Hi Mark - Thanks that a clear great post on what was a dead thread.

[swinginislanddoc]

Hi Mark - Thanks that a clear great post on what was a dead thread.

If you look again you will see that it wasn't Mark who just posted that. It was someone who has been posting on this board for over two years now. I've been away with clinicals and just this week dropped back in again and found this thread in the clinical forum. Like many "senior students" on this forum, I am here to help people, not take pot shots at them.

[amyames]

yup, yup, always listen to the advice swingingislanddoc gives! her advice is like winning the lotttery.....er kinda :D


SID, glad to see you posting on the boards again. SABA VMD has missed you, but we totally understand...you're kicking butt in clincals and paving the way for us newbies, so we don't mind! :)

[swinginislanddoc]

You give me way too much credit ames! But thanks.

Not sure how long this posting spree will last. Actually my next rotation is psych and internet access will be limited there. Plus I'll be studying more for step 2 (right around the corner!).

Take care though! And if I miss something good drop me a line to alert me. ;)

Best of luck!
~S :cool:

[cabrillo]

to spend the time to answer the questions of this idiot:rolleyes: , great job :D

[###]

................