I've been reading the posts on this website and a few others and I want to say only angry seems to know what the real St. James is about. I've seen pretty much the same people constantly posting on multiple sites but have no clue what they are talking about. It's really sad to see people believing everything that Dr **** and the other people affilated with the school say quite blindly. As a current St james student for more than 9 months I can accurately tell you what this place is really about. I have friends that go to Xavier and I have many friends who have graduated in previous semesters. I know what these people have gone through as well as from my own experience. First let me address the so called improvements here. They are curently nonexistent. We had internet and computers when i first came to the island at school and even those dinosaurs are gone. The so called library is a bunch of donated books for not only the medical students but the entire island. The books consist of random books that are mostly not useful to a medical student . For example accounting texts and how to use html. Wow those will be so useful on my step 1's !!! There are other texts that can be useful but can't be checked out since they haven't even been catalogued yet. For the person who is delusional and thinks they will fail you I have a reality check for you ...they will pass you no matter what you think. I know for a fact that they pass everyone or have done so in the past. Yes you can fail your tests and you will be given make ups but even if you dont pass those they will pass you. Most of my class and other MD classes would not have students in them if they didn't pass all the idiots that go here. As for some people who think that the pre med program is challenging that's another joke right there. Please for your own sake ( completely directed toward mr frankenstone) don't make commments you have no knowledge about. The premed program is a big joke. There is a lack of professors teaching and the reason there is a c average in the grades posted are b/c the school has low admission standards and students really are stupid here with a few exceptions. The program is so bad and in danger of not having enough credit hours that they are making up classes and independant study courses for students to take on their own so they will not have licensing problems in the future. The school lost 7 profs from the beginning of last semester till the beginning of this one. Even more have left at the start of the school semester that began this month. The worst part is the best professor in the entire school, Dr. Gil who taught anatomy, is leaving for Xavier at the end of the month. The dean seems to be an nice, intelligent man, who I too have spoken to, but I've seen many administrators come and go and nothing really changes. In the end they become frustrated and leave. As for a student government we had one it was disbanded for reasons I choose not to get into and you may think you are going to get one started, it's possible but the minute you go against what **** wants it will be disbanded again. I really am sick of people thinking they know what goes on in this school when they have no idea. Many promises are made and few are kept if any. Seriously if you get into other med schools go! Most of the students who haven't signed the contract that prevents them from tranferring are in the process of doing so. When angry said that his elementary school is better that' s probably the truth. The condintion of the school is pitiful. Also I can back up everything i have said so if you want to challenge me I dare you to!

oh yeah and I forgot to add most professors that teach here are students themselves and in many cases are teaching subjects they are not qualified to teach.

You seem to make lots of connections and comparisons to the new school Xavier in particular... which happens to be right next to SJSM... and just happens to have been opened very recently...

If you were that displeased with the school, why didn't you transfer out? The contract only says you have to pay a certain amount of fee if you transfer to other med school during your stay in Bonaire... And the majority of people I've come to known tell me that professors leaving is not due to their preferences but rather because the school is replacing them with the better ones... Plus, I find it hard to believe that the reason why the course average is C is because the pre-med students are simply 'stupid'... You also mentioned about people affiliated with SJSM posting good stories about the school, well I'm yet to have witnessed one of them... is frankstone one of them? docsohaib? deserteagle? how about canadiankid or jpryor or yubin shin? Are they all affiliated with SJSM? I don't know about others, but I gathered almost all of my information about SJSM by talking to them or seeing their writings and actually doing the research myself...

I just cannot believe everything you say for a fact... you joining this forum the very same day you started bashing SJSM... trying to draw comparisons with Xavier... your two account names...

Why now? Why not before? Why many IDs with which you bash SJSM with?

Count me as one of many who DO challenge you to back up what you say. Not with inuendo or churlish accusations, but with facts. You provide a fact that can be verified and, if verified, there will be no hesitancy to endorse it, as already evidenced on this forum.

Unfortunately, I suspect this will be the last time we hear from this person under this screen name. It does seem to be the way of some of these schools to do snipes and run. St. James must be doing something right (like flunking out some of its deadwood.)

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Life is sexually transmitted.

You must not have much experience with higher education. I will hazard a guess that the vast majority of people studying for their undergraduate degrees are being taught by individuals with ** and MS degrees.

I am not sure where you get the idea that a MD is automatically more qualified to teach a course. Usually, the only exposure to much of the Basic Science coursework for the MD is when he/she was required to take it as a student. I would much rather be taught by somebody who had in-depth knowledge of the material versus somebody like a MD. But then, I'm looking for knowledge, not a grade.

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Life is sexually transmitted.

??????????

Most of the students who haven't signed the contract that prevents them from tranferring are in the process of doing so.


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COuld you elaborate on this??


According to what I know about laws and contracts regarding educational policies, this is illegal in the United States and any litigator challenging this would win big in a court.

So what do you mean here??

Do not believe everything he says for a fact, he seems to be determined to bad-mouth this particular school and will say whatever it takes...

There IS no contract that will bind you and tie you down with the school, it merely says that you will do your best to cooperate with the school and its policies, and in case of transfer, you will have to pay the school that semester's tuition since they can't fill that seat in the middle of a semester.

It is a non-sense that he could not transfer to other schools just because of that mere contract... more likely it was because his grade was so bad...

First off I have no clue who angry is; we independantly signed up around the same time and it is mere coincidence we happened to agree on things. I don't have multiple names and if you believe that then continue believing in your conspiracy theories. I have no ties to Xavier at all. In fact I wouldn't even transfer there. That school isn't any btter than this one. I am a real student here and am in the process of transferring out of here. St james isn't doing anything right and no one is flunking. I can guarantee you I am one of the top students in my class. I have done undergraduate work as well in a reputable university in the states and do know that not all my professors were pH.Ds. About the contract upon entering MD1 previously they would make students sign a contract preventing them from tranferring to any other medical schools; the profs were given a similar one. Is this illegal...I'm sure it is but I know its' been done. As for Dr. Gil leaving , if you were here last semester you would know both he and his wife refused to sign contracts and that the pay at Xavier is much better than here. I have spoken to both recently Mrs. Gil isn't teaching there but is in a administrative position. Ugghh I can't stand when someone who's been here for like 2 weeks thinks he knows what's going on! Don't assume my grades are bad and that's why I am transferring. It's quite the opposite. Even our previous dean knew this. He even made it a point to say that all the smart ones leave and advised many students to leave for their benefit. Ok look the bottom line is you don't have to believe me and you can come here and in the end I'll have the last laugh b/c i warned you all. Seriously once my transfers come through and I know i will be out of this hell hole for anyone who wants I will give you my personal info to contact me. You can even talk to me through my Bonaire cell. I don't benefit from telling you how this place sucks. I just figured that people should be well informed unlike I was. It's your choice to believe me and the reason you rarely hear the negative is **** fires and kicks out anyone who opposes him. For instance I'm sure many of you don't know about the dean who sexually harassed a student and an employee here or the profs that were fired for defending the student. These are things you don't find out unless you go here. So in the end you can choose to believe me or you can think that I am making everything up...It's your call. I know the truth though.

Well, thank you for your comments. I hope your next school is an improvement.