It irks me when I see people bash the dissenters and dismiss them simply because THEY aren't being affected. Smug little comments like my class doesn't have anything wrong so it must be good and the negative posters are merely venting without justification is a horrible attitude! Because a woman is raped and no one else is hurt, does that mean she's just whining when she goes to the police? If one of your classmates is singled out to for failure because they didn't do whatever for whomever, and she hasn't got any outlet other than whining on here, does that mean her problem is something we can chose to ignore? I'm not suggesting this goes on here, just illustrating the fallacy of this way of thinking! Either disagree and argue against it or add your perspective to it, but don't dismiss it!

Has the threads about this school been overly negative in the recent months? Well that seems to be the impression. Do those who are happy with the current situation tip that balance by not coming on here and voicing their opinion, I suspect yes. But look what good came of that! Look at all the honest and open discussions that have evolved from it!
It sucks that the Dean has had to dump so much time and energy into getting the record straight, and yes he is paid to represent the school and it's interests, but the last Dean could give two bleeps less about this site and it's comments, he didn't put any time and effort into it, but this Dean does. More evidence that one he cares, and two that he is DOING what he can to make it better! So I'm glad that things have been so negative lately

As for whether the school is worth coming to, well I'm bitter and still a bit lopsided on the subject, but I'd agree with EGX001, new incoming classes will see the benefits of the positive changes being made, and will not have to be caught up in the confusion, so by all means don't let the current arguments dissuade you from considering this school. Hope my two cents helped.

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After every possibility has been explored, then what remains, no matter how impossible it may seem, must be plausible...Sir A.C. Doyle as the infamous Sherlock Holmes

Thank you from the bottom of my heart. The students and their education are my reason d'tre.

Be Well

Dean T

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Medical University of the Americas, Nevis

I am very new to this forum. I am really considering the pre-medical program at MUA. I am in the process of applying for the fall semester. I researched all the other schools and found that MUA is less expensive and it also has a good reputation. I talked to alot of people and they told me that living on the island is tough. I am willing to live there because it is defintely worth it. I really like the pre-medical program at mua and I like the fact that the dean is participating in this forum. it really shows how much the schools and its faculty cares about the school's image and its students. I hope am making the right decision by applying to this school. Its seems good so far. I am an undergraduate student from tampa, florida. I have 99 undergraduate credits and I am pretty much done with my pre reqs for med school but all i need is the two organics. I did not do too well at my current schools and thats the reason am applying to the premedical program at MUA. does anyone have any advice for me? is living on the island a problem if you have a wife with you? how did you guys finance school and living expenses? I am not rich and I was told that many people took out loans to cover living expenses. has anyone done that?? I really would appreciate the help. thank you all for sharing your experiences and info.

Finish all of your pre-req's in the states, then if you or whatever school decides remedial course work is necessary do their pre-med program. Otherwise, if anything happens along the way, you've still got REAL credits recognized by every school in the US and Caribbean. If you get left holding the bag with undergrad credits from a Carib school, you will find it very difficult trying to get anyone to accept them!

The island is a great place to go to school, IMO, but everyone is different and everyone has special needs, wants, expectations, so the only fair answer is to say I don't care where you are on this planet, but everywhere has it's good and it's bad! Therefore the best thing for you to do is more research of what exactly matters to you and the wife, narrow down your choices, and either take a leap of faith from there, or spend the extra money to at least visit your perspective choices. Reading through the threads on VMD and searching the internet should answer most of your concerns.

Most of the students support their living expenses, school tuition, books, vacation money, etc...off student loans. And the rest either sell drugs on the street or their kids into indentured servitude, just kidding, but loans seem to be the way of life for the majority of us. How much you get and whether you will be able to live off of it is too ethereal a question to answer directly. You certainly need to investigate what your options will be with either Terri loans or Doctors choice, links to which can be found somewhere in these threads or the schools website...cost of living has a wide range as it depends on your particular tastes...please take the time to read through some more threads, the schools website, etc.. and you will get much clearer answers that reflect your personal situation...I don't mean to be rude by being so brief and keep refering you to more research, but I could spend days going back and forth just getting to know whether you or your wife have special medical needs, or can't live without Mountain Dew, what your credit score is, do you want a pool, are you bringing pets, etc....and there will always be someone here if you hit a brickwall
All the best!

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After every possibility has been explored, then what remains, no matter how impossible it may seem, must be plausible...Sir A.C. Doyle as the infamous Sherlock Holmes

Kudos to the Dean for stepping up to the plate. I will now be applying to MUA for September.

It's unfortunate that OSAP has delisted MUA. Is the school still not accredited in Canada? I read in this or another thread, that a medical school must be extant for at least 10 years seems to now be listed for OSAP. Consider a new medical college is set up and draws the best instructors in the world and has all state of the art teaching facilities. Will Ontario or Canada still wait 10 years to give students funding to such an institution, where quality of education is more or less a guarantee?

I want to comment on some of the things I read above. I firmly believe that, given a minimum of resources, a student's education is limited by...the student. Not the professors, not the weather, not a mugging, not mosquitos (I read about this in a thread for XUSOM), not powdered milk (apparently there's no fresh milk on Dominica); nothing short of divine intervention can stop a man from achieving what he desires. You who complain so much about small things forget that it is temporary, that the people who work there are making great sacrifices to produce the same thing most of us are trying to make: a good living, a mark on this great world, something to be proud of. Before you go traipsing about cyberspace with axes to grind, stop and ask wether you really believe what you are writing or whether the work load is making you edgy. I often write to relieve stress myself, but I never hit the send key. Find a new activity to relieve stress. Hit the gym, swim with sharks, paint. Composure people, is all. Show noone your heart before revealing your name. When you have done that, come here to relay information, not feelings.

Take this not from a pre-medical student, but from a mature man. I am 27 and it pains me to see so many young men and women who would be doctors say such grotesque, base, and lackuster things. But so it is with the world, that most people in most situations would not listen to their inner voice, and not conduct their emotions for lack of trying.

I would like to know more about MUA. I will be applying in the coming weeks. I would like some fresh opinions about the curriculum and the island. I would particularly like to know whether anyone out there has enjoyed their time there, and most urgently, I would like to know what options I have for rotations. Where will they be done?

Welcome to caribbean med schools... wait until you get on the island, you will see and hear much worse...

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The glass is neither half-full nor half-empty: it's twice as big as it needs to be.

So never be discouraged medicine is a wonderful profession it is about lifelong learning, caring, humanism, people sharing their lives with you, it is not only a vocation but an avocation for those of us to whom it has become our lives.

Dean T

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Medical University of the Americas, Nevis

Student4life,
I had the same idealisms, and beliefs when i first started med school, i assure the reality is quite different that what you might imagine. Caribbean life is challenging to say the least, on top of the rigorous challenges of Med school. The problems people mention on the site, are real problems: muggings, a/c, administrative problems, living problems are significant issues which effect your education. This is not to discourage you from being a doctor, merely trying to show the reality vs what we build up in our heads. If you would like more information on MUA or a personal account of ones experiences PM me sometime, all i will say is when you choose a school, really research, if you have the money and time come visit it first. But most importantly talk to students who go there and graduate from there, only they can give real skinny, on what life in Caribbean Med is like. take care. Oh by the way im older then you are and have gone through this process, so im not some little 22 ranting about how hard life is i know what im talking about.

SarGod, I just want to thank you for being so helpful and nice. I do have about 99 college credits toward a ** degree in biomedical sciences. But the problem is that i still need to take the organics and Biochem to graduate here. that will take at least three semesters. My school is huge and classes get filled immediately. Registering and getting the right classes every semester is a struggle for every student here. If I attend MUA's pre-med program in the fall I can possibly start their MED program in the summer of 09. You are right about doing research. I been doing alot of research and the problem is that people are always saying different things on this forum. I mean they are changing my mind every day. one day i go on here and i find people saying oh dont go to the carabian you are going to hate it and another day i find people saying oh it is a great place to be. I do have a cousin who goes to Ross and he doesn't mind it at all. he is actually back here in the states doing clincals. I know that i will be taking out loans to cover school and living expenses. Has any of you done that?? are any of you struggling? I know there are negatives and postives in everything. but I really would like to hear some of the positives of going to MUA and living on the islan. Thank you all for being very helpful. I really do apprecaite it.

One thing to keep in mind if you are doing Premed is that if you choose to transfer at any point many of the schools WILL NOT accept you if you have done a premed program from MUA or any other school. You would have to redo your premed in a us school, before they would even consider you. So if you decide to go to MUA as a premed it is a decision for life so makes sure it where you want to go.