Hello there.

I have been accepted to Saba and Ross Univ. My dilemma is to choose which school to start my med school. I have been thinking about this for about a week now and cant come to a desicion. I am completely aware of important differences between the two schools in terms of cost, location, curriculum, class size...etc

I am in favor of Saba's class size, cost and location. However, I am not quite certain about their
-quality of basic science education
-usmle preparation
-residency placements of Canadian students in US

This is because after reading many students' (both attending these schools and those planning to attend) opinions on such forums, I get the feeling that Ross may provide better opportunities for residency in US....afterall thats a major goal if we attend a Carib school.

So shall I pay ~50% more to go to Ross and get bit more of a security in terms of obatining a desired residency spot or shall I go to Saba and hope that it will be approved by all states during my education period?

Can someone with their experience eloborate on the quality of education and therefore the USMLE preparation facilitated by Ross Med School?
My ultimate concern is to obtain competitive scores on board exams.

Thank you very much for your time and any advice.

I can't speak to Saba's quality of education or ability to prepare you for the boards...as a Canadian you will no doubt be able to secure a residency somewhere coming out of Saba... but one thing I can say is that I would NOT go to Saba hoping they will be approved by various states before you graduate...this is folly. You must assume that if they're not apporved now, they won't be when you graduate...this is the only way to avoid a big diappointment since state approvals take years. I think a huge advantage of Ross is that it has the clout and backing to stand up to anything that the states can throw at it in terms of licensing regulations that need to be met. A prime example is Texas, which recently came out with tough new conditions for foreign schools to meet...like establishing a residency program...Ross has the ability to do whatever necessary to meet these conditions so that their grads can continue to practice anywhere in the US.

The big fear for most Carib schools is that other states will adopt similar legislation to Texas...further restricting the ability of their graduates to practice freely anywhere in the US. In the past, Ross's legal department has proven to be a force to be reckoned with and it seems that they are willing to fight to maintain their status as one of top foreign schools for US students. In my opinion, that freedom and security is worth the extra cash but that's just me.

__________________
CanIMG
Moderator - Canadian IMG and Immigration Visa Forums

I faced the exact same decision as you and I would say that Ross is DEFINITELY the better choice. I realize that Saba's tuition is much lower than Ross, and the pictures I've seen of Saba's campus are really nice, but Ross is still the better way to go. Ross is approved in all 50 states and has an established reputation. If you graduate from Ross you'll have pretty much the same opportunities as someone who graduated from a US med school. Saba, on the other hand, isn't even approved in all 50 states, one of which happens to be California, the largest state in the country. The people at Saba may be confident that they will be approved by California, but I've heard from very credible sources that their approval isn't as much a shoe-in as they think. Also, if you look on their website you'll see that virtually all the professors at that school received their education and training in India, Bangladesh, and other places like that. I have nothing against India or Bangladesh, but if I'm going to practice medicine in America, I want to be taught by people who know the American way of practicing medicine. I'm sure that the tuition is probably the biggest reason why you're considering Saba, but I think in the long-run you're better off paying the extra 30K or whatever it might be to come to Ross.

Man...I hope the monetary aspect is not a criteria by which you will make your decision. Come on really, check out the average physician salary on the homepage of ValueMD (Its located in one of the boxes on the left hand side of the homepage), i think paying back your loans wont be too difficult. Early on you will have to be a little restrained on the lifestyle, but after a cool 5-7yrs you will be top dawg.

But beyond money, lets see what is important:

1. Class size-
I felt that class size was important since i did very well in high school (all classes were 20-25people) and small University classes. That is because i recieved more one on one attention. Plus the fact that my teachers and professors knew my name and took attendance was a huge incentive for me to come to class.
Where as in the larger classes of (100-400) students i felt 'expendable' and a 'non-contributor.'
So, ask yourself what type of environment you would feel better in. Are you the kind that can study on your own and be independent (ROSS) or the kind that needs authority to keep you on track (SABA).

2. Student Loans-
Ross is approved by US gov for loans and SABA is not. That is why you see a difference in tuition. I am quite sure that if SABA was recieving US gov loans then they would charge the same as ROSS.

3. Island Life- Pretty much the same. However, according to posts over this forum and talking to people who live there, I believe that Dominica is the less desirable island between the two. However, SABA has its share of problems. Ross the electricity seems to act up, while at Saba water is sometimes scarce. So both Islands have their share of problems. Both Islands are dangerous if you dont use your common sense.
Both islands boast of scuba diving and seem to have the same recreational getaways. However, Ross has a more developed sports complex with its own full size gym if thats your calling. (check previous posts on this one)

4. Faculty-
Both schools only teach, so the professors are mainly there to soak up the sun and teach students. Saba, though, has professors mainly from countries other than the United States, where as Ross has a distinguished faculty even by US standards. But one must remember that the faculty at Saba is top notch as well, in their own respective countries though. We had a Saba student not too long ago complaining about she could not understand what her professors were saying because of their thick accent.
But you must realise that med school is solo operation. Its upto you to make the best of you oppurtunities. The teachers should not affect you detrimentally. Meaning they will never teach you something incorrectly.
Which takes me to the next point.
Although, these teachers (foreign taught) might not teach you incorrectly, they might teach you stuff you dont need to know. Meaning they might not gear you towards taking the USMLE. At Ross the curriculum is based around the USMLE and passing it. You have 3 minis and one complete shelf per subject. These are the NBME made exams that US students take to gear themselves to take the USMLE.

5. Licensure-
Ross is licensed in all 50states/ Saba is not.
Saba is not licensed in CA, and other states (NM and Texas) plan on adopting same laws as CA when it comes to foreign meds. THus it may lead to Saba not being licensed (losing its priveleges) in such states down the road.
Additionally, Saba has just recieved approval in NY, which provides the med students with a 1/3 of Residency oppurtunities in the US.

This is a list of the 5 most important agendas and reasons why i chose Ross. Yes it might be bias, but that is because it is """MY""" list and not anyone elses.
Thus to have anyone get ticked off at me would be incorrect. I suggest these people to write their own little piece of propaganda and spend some time and effort justifying their reasons.
Once again MedInfo, you asked for the help, and i tried. Laterz.

RM3K

"Information is just a type of Misinformation"- ME

WOW! You tried very good Rainmaker300! Thanks so much for taking out the time to elaborate on your reasons for attending Ross.

and ofcourse thanks to all for their individual efforts.

Its really nice to see your willingness to help lost (like me) or other prospective students!

the decision is yours, and using a forum on the internet is a poor choice for your info. but an addendum to rainmakers comments. according to scuba diver magazine, dominica is ranked in the top 5 diving destinations in the world. saba is ranked a paltry 9th. I have dove both(dominica over 200 times!!!yea, i was a slacker on the rock!), and both are excellent diving. happy diving!!!!