When I first came to Ross University School of Medicine, I was proud to learn that this school’s mission statement includes “respect and integrity”. I am now starting to question not just the integrity of the students, but my future colleagues and partners in medicine. I also question the respect the students have for each other while the admin has for the students. Below are a few examples of not just the students action, but the administrations' minimal response to resolve and take action.

1- We all go to the “After mini” parties at Coconuts, PBH and other nearby locations. And every party has the same agenda. Drink, drink and drink some more with a BIG fight at the end either amongst each other or with the locals. The administration knows about these parties and also the fights. Are they blind or deaf? We are taught to “report to the dean or officials” when our colleagues have alcohol/drug problems, but my question is what happens after? Was there a nice tap on the hand to continue getting $$$$ tuition?

2- Student handbook states “80% mandatory attendance”. Also, when taking a temporary leave of absence, students are allowed to leave campus for exactly 2 weeks. Why is it that these rules are set for only certain students and not all? Why do we go through the effort and money to print the “pretty pink” handbooks when nothing is enforced? I know many students have to take a semester off because they could not meet the 2 wk deadline. Dr ***** would NOT allow them back to school even though they had medical emergencies, family deaths, etc etc. Meanwhile, our class representative ***** *****, who has an elected position as “class representative” has been gone for this entire week of 10/19 and the admin/students failed to notice. But you ask – it is only a week? You are right, but he has already scheduled 2 weeks off for November (Source: email sent to entire class on 10/12/04 7:02 PM frm *****, “Hello, I need someone to step up and tape the lectures for the class. I will tape the lectures for now but I will be leaving in November for two weeks and… ”). Where does he get the audacity to think we are stupid? He was elected to represent us, withhold the school’s policies and values, be an advocate for students, be present on campus. How can we have him be our official when he is breaking rules? How can we respect someone who is manipulating the system and cheating his classmates? I have heard Dr ***** say the 2 weeks off rule apply to everyone under any circumstance. What action will the school take? Is there a purpose for our administration if every rule is meant to be broken? Regardless of his reasons (vacation to the nearby islands/medical needs) couldn’t he just take a semester off and return in Jan?

3- I walked into the James store the other day to hear the cashiers talk about an incident re: a female student who stole items from the James store! Apparently they had the whole incident on video camera and a bag-full of items in her school bag. When questioned “if she paid for the items in her bag”, she responded with “I forgot”. It was an Asian Indian girl, who was arrested and detained at the Portsmouth local jail. This is an embarrassment to the school! Its sad that the locals think so poorly of the students and our character. Again, what action did the school take? Was there was any punishment for her behavior?

I have heard from many faculty and admin throughout these recent meetings with Dr ***** and Dr ***** that the school can dismiss anyone for “unprofessional behavior”. This can entail disrespectful behavior to alcoholism to cheating on exams to … Does it not include fighting, lying and stealing? Does that mean the school holds no one accountable for their ethical and moral decisions/actions? Does that mean we will be graduating with a class of thieves and liars?

Perhaps this is the reason the student body as a whole is so frustrated. There are pretty handouts and nice meetings with false promises. There is NO ACTION! There is NO COMMUNICATION! There are NO RESULTS! I ask Dr ***** or anyone in admin to be part of this forum and give us your answers.... The students simply want ANSWERS!


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[Edited by Moderator for containing personal info. Edited portions indicated by "*"]

I hear you.

When you are on the island, you just have to settle for everything you may think is not right. It does really get to you. The environment and all. The students, the BATHROOMS (the absolute worst), academics, the airport, the ride to the airport and the list goes on and on. You pretty much have to tolerate what goes on in Dominica. The day I left the island was one of the better days of my life. I am now in Miami and most of my classmates are smiling and having a ball, unlike when we were all in Dominica. It's 16 months of stress which you have to endure unfortunately. Some take it well and some don't. I didn't take it very well, but I made it through in 4 semesters. Everything to me was stressful there.

If you could find time to do something, such as <a href="http://www.serverlogic3.com/lm/rtl3.asp?si=11&k=jet%20ski" onmouseover="window.status='jet ski'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">jet ski</a> or kyaking (at the Sandblast) or travel to another island after minis, or travel around Dominica (or maybe not), DO IT!!!! My life there circled around the school, my apartment, Shacks and the Chinese restaurants.

You can try to change things by voicing your opinions to the administration, etc. but then you worry about being cited for unprofessional behavior. If anything, very little will change unless the Dean himself takes action.

Just struggle for 16 months and you will be off very soon!!! Life back in Miami is great. Study hard and do well.

Take it easy.

You can't trust anything the administration says. 2 semesters ago when Dean O just started, he said that students who correctly answered questions that were thrown out would still get that point since you shouldn't be punished for getting the right answer. Yesterday, he said "Just because you answer a question right doens't mean you know the material. It was a bad question." Dude whatever I also loved how Dean Houghton tried to justify her lie about the treadmill and gym equipment and offered no update on the gym situation.

The big thing in clinicals though is that you are in small groups, and the attendings get to knwo youwell, and dishonesty, or any of the othercrap wont get you far. I remember doing my IM rotation, we had a girl who would show up at like 6am, never even pre-round on patienst,a nd lie to the attending. one day, she had a patient in the unit. the Doc asked how he was doing. she said" he had a good night, and is improving". the Doc was furious. they had called him at 2am when the patient had coded, and they had revived him. this girl never knew. she failed the rotation.

I understand your concern, but all the students have visas that allow them to live on the island, and the school has no right to regulate after hours parties that are held off campus. The same goes with robbery, it is a crime in Dominica as it is any where else, and the Dominican law enforcement will handle those cases as they see fit. The school has no right to punish their students for committing crimes on the island. I think that you are expecting the school to be some kind of super-body of all things. I am sure you dont expect similar things from american schools

In every university (esp the one is America), similar things happen all the time. Partial treatment is given, rules are not thoroughly regulated. I dont think it is right to assume that Ross has to be any different.

Human beings are not perfect, and it follows that organizations run by human beings are imperfect as well

Peace Out

This new policy is the pain. Each professor has about 5 - 6 questions on the exam. They are all PhD or MD. I believe they are fully capable of writing exam questions. Dean O statement sounds like professors are not capable of writing an understandable question and students are dumb.
Btw, I got punished for picking the right answers on the test. Why do I loose points because of getting the right answers and others who got a wrong answer gain points? I don't usually complain about loosing a few points on the exam but 25 Pharm questions is equivalent to 20% of our grade. 30 micro questions is worth 28% of our grade and each question is worth more as they throw out some questions. Loosing a few points is deadly.

i understand that you are frustrated, however, i do not understand how necessary it is to disclose personal information about people that attend our school. you are essentially complaining about how the school doesn't care/respect us although you are disclosing information about a student without their permission on the internet.

i think it is silly to have administration prowl around these forums and answer random questions. the dean came around to everyone's class last week. talking to the dean or the other admin reps during those "infamous" q&a sessions are more appropriate than ranting on the forum. go ahead and rant if you are venting but if you really want to change something, go to the source.

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md or bust
"Too many people let others stand in their way and don't go back for one more try."Kantor, Rosabeth

I agree with obadya00. Personal information should not be posted here. Where is the moderator?
It's also true that if I don't like the new policy I should go straight to the admin and voice my concern. However, as a student, my voice alone is not strong enough to change the school policy back to where it was. I need to get more students who have the same opinion as I do to get involved. Each semester, few admin get together and change school policy. One admin voice weigh more than hundreds students's voice. It's not easy to get all students together to affect admin decision. Forum is a good place to get a feel about how many people have the same opinion. This policy is so new and majority people are now in the group of 80% of the class that benefited from the deleted questions but they will be in my shoes eventually after Mini 2 or Mini 3. There are always some students piss off after the next coming Mini because of this shady policy.

the class honor rep. for my class, thinks that he can get away with over 2 weeks off. looks like he misses his wifes ****, he needs to ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****. he has no honor whats so ever. go to class before i turn you in, i will be watching you. your gonna fail third semester hopefully



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[Edited by Moderator for containing personal and vulgar comments. Edited portions indicated by "*"]

Threads like this make me wonder why I never applied to Ross....

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Saba University School of Medicine, MSIV
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