Thread: Cmu - defines excellence in medical education

For those that have a sincere interest in CMU:

I haven’t been on Value MD for some time because I have been focusing on what all of us should be, which is studying to become the best doctor I can be for my future patients. I also think the oath that we have all taken is pretty clear in regards to the type of person we MUST be, particularly in regards to standards and ethics.

I am truly saddened to have read some of the post that have gone to such extensive lengths to not only mislead, but to actually defame fine individuals that they don’t even know as well as to trash an excellent school. I also notice that these post are routinely made by the same posters, which is totally indicative of someone with a personal vendetta. In my opinion, it should be a concern to anyone reading this forum that these individuals are actually on the path to become doctors. I personally would not want anyone that would participate in such degrading behavior to ever be a physician to myself or any of my loved ones.

I believe it is our responsibility as future physicians to look for the best in everyone, to be positive and build up verses tear down. For those of you that would really like to know about CMU, I believe that you will find the following helpful and honest. I hope that for those of you looking through all of these many forum post in hopes of finding some realistic advice and helpful information, that you will be able to find it in my post below. I sincerely hope that it will assist you in making the best decision for your future- whether it is with CMU or another fine Institution of Medicine.

As an alumni of CMU and past SGA President, I can tell you that CMU is one of the finest institutions that I have ever had the HONOR of associating with! I can also tell you that the owner of CMU is one of the finest individuals I have ever met. I routinely- everyday - saw him do everything in his power and more to help his students. There are VERY few CEO’s that I can say “has a heart- and a BIG heart”, but he does. Most CEO's are distant and are only concerned with how much money they can rake in. This is NOT the case here. He cares about his students. He provides low interest loans so that the students CAN realize their goal of becoming a doctor. Unless a school has FASFA financing, I don’t know of many other schools that offer much in the way of financial help. He will work with any student to help them make it! He also holds cost down to a bare minimum- AGAIN – to help the students. Look at our tuition! It is almost half of anywhere else! He has not raised it in years. Our dorms- below COST! Free rides to and from school on the bus. This is but a few of the things. He gives so much! I have seen the owner personally spend tremendous amounts of time at the student dorms to see what they students need or how he can continue to improve things- then he DOES it. He genuinely listens to them. So if he really is this “terrible” person that these post are falsely trying to make him out to be, then THANK-YOU, I’ll take someone like him ANY day! Possibly those writing these comments would benefit by actually taking the time to go meet him and getting to know him, you will be pleasantly surprised. I believe you will be ashamed at what you have so slanderously written.

The staff and professors at CMU are good, kind hearted people. They actively care about the students. They enjoy their teaching. I know at so many other schools so many teachers are arrogant and hateful to their students. The teachers at CMU will bend over backwards to help any student to insure they know the material so they can succeed and not fail! I personally saw our teachers spend tremendous amounts of time helping student that were having problems, personal or academic – most of which was their own personal time! There are many selfless acts given by all of these individuals.
Another important fact to note: CMU does not participate in the typical unorthodox practices that some of the other schools do, which is to fail students in order to charge huge fees for exam retakes so the student can pass; or refuse to give students their transcripts without huge extra fees. You will NEVER find any of this at CMU- ever! It is NOT about the money at CMU! They wanted us to do the best of our ability and were there to insure we did!

There are a lot of things you should be asking when you interview your medical school. Some of the things you should ask prospective medical schools about: Ask about their Rotation sites. If they really have them, they will have no problem giving you specific information. If they cannot, or will not tell you their sites because it is “confidential” or that they are "working" on them, approach with caution- they probably do NOT have any! Look at the size of their student body. A very small student body for a school that has been in business for a long time would be reason to do a lot more investigation! Ask about their rate of turnover for staff, teachers, deans, and the attrition rate of their students (all schools have attrition). Ask about their exam retake policies- do they have them and if so, is there a charge? Pass/Fail rates. Ask about their refund policies and ability to get your transcripts. What are the charges for this? What benefits (housing, transportation, meals) do they offer their students? ASK QUESTIONS- expect straight answers that can be confirmed. If you cannot get straight answers, then again, approach with caution.

I also think it says a LOT for a school when a school grows at the rate CMU is growing. The fact that most of it is by word of mouth, says even more! This means WE, the students are happy with our school! A school does not raise its enrollment each semester by over 50% unless there is a good reason. Good common sense should tell you this. I personally think it would be fair to say that anyone that is able to qualify for medical school should have a mind of their own and what is more important – USE IT! I recommend that you do your own research when it comes to something as important as choosing a medical school. When you check out a medical school- do NOT rely on Post on foruns to make such an important decision. These post are filled with inaccurate information. Do not just make a phone call either! Words are cheap and free! Do you really want to base your career on this? Instead, GO VISIT the school. It’s a huge investment that you are getting ready to make in terms of money and time! Take the time to go tour the campus, meet the teachers, staff and owners. Meet the students, students of your choice. Students will always tell you what you want to know and are honest. Avoid being allowed to only speak to "pre-arranged" students! I can personally guarantee you, if you visit CMU’s campus and also speak to ANY of the CMU students, staff, teachers, and owner, you will not only feel, but hear and see why I love CMU so much! But do NOT take my word for it, or anyone else’s word, go visit and make your own decisions from REAL facts and REAL people. Isn’t this how we plan to operate as physicians- get the real facts directly from our patients?

CMU is easy to get to, direct flight from Miami. They even have nice, new dorms for you to stay in on your visit! You will find a beautiful campus at the modern World Trade Center. In fact an entire brand new wing is almost ready for the school! Check out CMU’s Facebook page. You will see happy students and a VERY active school. CMU is also one of the ONLY schools Caribbean that offers PBL in their curriculum! This is HUGE! I took PBL with our Dean and it was incredible! Fabulous teacher! Do not miss this great opportunity! They have also added new dorms due to the continual increasing enrollment. I also understand that CMU has now been approved by Curacao for a Nursing School that will start this coming September! CMU also has very good, active, Clinical Rotation sites! If you want to set up your own, they will help assist you in doing this!

I am personally very thankful to CMU, its staff, faculty, owner and all of the students I spent so much time with- you truly made a difference in my life!!!
Thank-you for your time!

Go and visit the school. Thats the real advice.

and where are you starting residency heartbeat?

What is the name of the CEO you are referring here? It is embarrassing when a grandma lies. Is he the same gentleman who has been convicted of unemployment insurance fraud in USA? The same gentleman who would not pay the hospital bills on behalf of the students that was killed.

I have already asked you to post a prove of what you are saying and until you do it, its a waist of time to even read your posts.

Hi Rokshana, Sorry, I have been studying for boards and as said, I seldom get on VMD. I won't start residency for 2 years, just staring rotations. Three of my classmates are in a green book in Chicago but I am going to be staying in MO, but will do a couple of my rotations there. There are several others that I have not spoken to in a bit, so am not sure where they have decided upon.

For the others:
I have also had some nice responses from several people that were looking at medical schools to attend and took my advice and ignored the childish post from other schools and did come visit CMU. Glad you liked what you saw, verified what I told you. I know you will be very pleased with your choice to attend.
One of the reasons for the sad, negative, false post by these same disgruntled students is because the majority (and I do mean majority) of their campus has transferred to CMU. I think this action alone speaks far louder than words. So far, only ONE student (that I am aware of) from the other university has taken and passed the STEP 1 since January 2011 (this is 1 1/2 years guys!) and he transferred to CMU this because his school had no clinicals for him to go to after passing his boards! He was told "he would have to find and set up his own". He transferred and is now VERY happy in a green book rotation and continuing on with his goals! Some of his other classmates, including some of the MD4s from December of 2011, haven't been able to get their ECFMG paperwork done by their school! If CMU is the type of institution that these disgruntled students continue to make it out to be, then I have to point out that it might be easy to fool one or two people, but over two dozen? I don't think so. I don't need to say anything- actions take care of any words.

Again, as I stated in my previous post above from May, go visit any school you are looking at, see for yourself. Don't take my word for it. Ask for records, speak to students and use the God given intelligence you have been blessed with to make your own decision. CMU is excellent. CMU has excellent Clinical Rotations and I will guarantee that they will support you and provide a good solid path for you to reach your goal. They also have REAL loans, very inexpensive dorms with transportation, beautiful modern campus, a VERY active student body that does community health activities throughout Curacao (check out Facebook if you want to see pictures of all of these activities), they continue to grow by over 50% every semester (this alone should be a good indicator by itself). Their tuition is very reasonable- almost half of what the other schools offer. We have excellent rotations! Visit the school, speak to the students. This is your education and your life - do not allow others with vendettas and childish, false comments to sway your goal. Check it out yourself. Its your career, your life. Spend a few hundred dollars and GO VISIT CMU, go speak to ANYONE in the student body, ask any question you would like, and then form your own opinion and make your OWN decision.

From my own personal experience. I thank the good Lord EVERYDAY that I was blessed to have found CMU. The support and direction that I have received from them is truly unprecedented! And I can tell you from my own personal experience, the owners of CMU, personally take the time and make every effort in their ability to assist their students, spend time with them, supply their needs, help them with issues and they do it because they actually care! They go FAR beyond what they need to. So it is sad when someone, and a student of all things, from another school, feels the need to make up false, slanderous statements about someone he does not even know for the sole purpose of hurting them, just continues to speak "volumes" about the caliber of not only that student, but of the school he continues to attend. (and amazingly, this same student seems to still be posting as a student still at this other school. This seems to be quite a long time to still be posting from basic science. So I have to wonder: why are you still there? Why are you not past STEP 1, why are you not in rotations??? Possibly if time was spent studying, instead of monitoring and continuing to make false comments on VMD to hurt other people and schools that they really have no reason to, they might be in rotations now. Just a thought. Spend the time on your OWN forum, promoting your own school. Would be far more ethical and better use of your time. I think most intelligent people have figured out your issues by now and know your comments are false.

So please, take your MD career seriously. Go visit the schools, don't make your decision or form opinions from false comments posted by those only intending to do harm. I personally believe that if you go visit Curacao (a fabulous island!! Love it and miss it!), visit all the schools on Curacao, ask and expect answers to all of your questions (if you can't get them, buyer beware! Especially ask about the Clinical sites- WHERE are they- not that they "have them or are working on them" - WHERE are they, what are the names!), see the Campuses, look at the overall cost, look at what the school offers in regards to housing, transportation, community activities, talk to ANY student (not a "preformed" set group of students- beware!), and then make your decision based on what is BEST for YOU! NO ONE ELSE! I personally think you will be very, very pleased with CMU!

Thank you HB

Well said heartbeat, I am interested on apply to cmu. I would like to know how do you finance your med school. In the post above, You mentioned cmu has real loan. Is it hard to get? Does the loan cover the tuition and all other expenses?

Sorry, you said alumni in your previous post,so I thought you were done....good luck with boards

Originally Posted by Dr. Prince

Well said heartbeat, I am interested on apply to cmu. I would like to know how do you finance your med school. In the post above, You mentioned cmu has real loan. Is it hard to get? Does the loan cover the tuition and all other expenses?

About 70% of the applications for the loan are approved. You can borrow up to $20,000 per year so it should cover the tuition and part of the living expenses.