Thread: What to bring and how to prepare for SABA

I guess this may seem like a silly question but I (and I am sure all other NEW students) would like to know how to prepare ourselves for SABA

Here are my questions:

1. what to bring - clothing I know but in terms of necessities that the island lacks, any other supplies, stationary, old text books, etc (things that you wish you had brought and items that if you had brought with yourself your life would have been easier ...)

2. What to expect from SABA - # of hours per week that you are expected to study, # of hours per week that you spend in class, any study strategies/tips that will guarantee a good grade

3. What to expect from professors - which ones are most approachable?

4. What to do for fun? where to go for a good time? (I guess this will be the last thing on my mind once I get there - but it is still good to know

I cannot think of anything else for now but if you think of ANYTHING additional that I have not mentioned or if you would like to give us some additional tips and share your first year experience I would truly appreciate it

If you guys think of any thing else to ask please post away !!

try the search box.

These questions are difficult to answer because the answer is different for each person, it is largely a matter of style. But I can share what worked for me, or what I would have done differently. If it helps you get an idea, or helps you decide to do something different than I did, I will be glad. Keep in mind all my info is a couple of semesters old now that I'm in clinical rotations.

Originally Posted by bmvl

I guess this may seem like a silly question but I (and I am sure all other NEW students) would like to know how to prepare ourselves for SABA

Here are my questions:

1. what to bring - clothing I know but in terms of necessities that the island lacks, any other supplies, stationary, old text books, etc (things that you wish you had brought and items that if you had brought with yourself
Do bring a good, quality hat. Bring a hooded sweatshirt that is comfortable, it gets cold in classrooms. Bring a seat cushion that is thin but comfy. Bring a laptop, of course. Bring a USB drive, 1 gig minimum. Most of us end up purchasing an external hard drive as well, in order to store all the great files like entire scanned text books, question banks, digitalized review texts, old class notes, old tests, movies, music, games, photos, and so on that are passes around from student to student in class. I recommend a large external hard drive; mine is 300 GB and I use it all to this day. Bring a digital camera to preserve memories and email pics to family and friends.

Don't bring any books, unless it's a good novel or two. You won't need text books much because the powerpoint lectures prepared by professors are all you need, all you will have time to read, and you will learn mainly from those. You will save much money and effort by not lugging around huge texts you may never open. Any books you find out you do need the first week of class you can order at discount from bn.com/amsa (just copy and paste that address into your browser to go directly there), or even buy used books dirt cheap from students ahead of you in basic sciences. The address you give Barnes and Noble or Amazon is:
Your Name
Saba University School of Medicine
The Bottom
Saba
Netherlands-Antilles
Dutch West Indies
The Caribbean

I always got my online purchases promptly at the school using that address from Amazon or Barnes and Noble in 7-10 days.

Bring a good supply of whatever ink pen you like best, as it helps to write out information on index cards to make flash cards for memorization. I also used composition notebooks to write for rote memorization. I would fill one notebook per class per semester full of notes copied from the powerpoints, minimum. Rote memorization is the chief effort you will make in med school, as we are all mostly smart enough that we understand the concepts easily enough. If you wish, you can buy any school supplies you need at the Cost-U-Less on St. Martin instead of bringing it down. Of course, pens and paper are like 50% more there than they are in Wal-Mart here in the U.S. School supply items are even costlier on Saba, and less plentiful. The easy way to explain how much things cost and what is available on Saba is to imagine shopping in a large 7-11 and paying the convenience store price for everything, that's about how it is. Mostly touristy items, not much real clothing, and limited food and durable goods selection, but enough to get by ok. No movie theatre on Saba...so you begin to appreciate how your laptop is often a key component in your entertainment there.

Bottom line: I wish I had brought more of my favorite ink pens, favorite coffee, more clothes, and less text books to Saba.
Most people go home for the 2-3 weeks you will have after first semester, during which time you can re-boot and you will know exactly what you personally need and don't.

2. What to expect from SABA - # of hours per week that you are expected to study, # of hours per week that you spend in class, any study strategies/tips that will guarantee a good grade
You are expected to study only what it takes to pass. I always aimed to score 100%, and so I averaged 88% through out basic sciences and scored two digit score of 98 on the USMLE step 1.
Most students study about 3 hours a night on average, I think. I lacked the stamina and consistency to do that, so I never studied on week nights. I was just too tired after a full class day. The weekend before the test, I always made up for this by cramming for 12-18 hours on both Saturday and Sunday before exams. The pressure seemed to help me remember stuff. I don't recommend staying up all night studying, as it is not only important to know the information, but you must be able to reason out answers also using what you know or barely know. Just like the USMLE.

Class runs (generally) from 8am to 4pm, Monday through Friday. You get 10 minute breaks every hour (sometimes). You get a 45 minute lunch (more or less). First Semester you should spend a couple of hours extra each evening if you can to memorize structures on every cadaver, not just your own.

3. What to expect from professors - which ones are most approachable?
This is very personal issue I think...certain profs like me and I them, and others not so much. Other students sometimes disliked some professors I enjoyed. You will learn the reputations of each and then find out the truth yourself there. Overall the professors at Saba are very affable, accessible, and very competent.

4. What to do for fun? where to go for a good time? (I guess this will be the last thing on my mind once I get there - but it is still good to know
Fun will be the first thing on your mind after a hard days work, and never apologize for that! You will quickly make friends on the island and find plenty of opportunities to enjoy socializing in the few moments you aren't studying. The island is small, so it is easy to find out what is going on, and just as easy to be there (or not). If you get to the island a few days before class starts you will see other first semester students at the dorms and quickly figure out things. Stay amiable and relaxed and don't worry about situations you can't control and all will be well in this respect. I wish in retrospect I had been much more relaxed about my time on the island.
Don't stress if you run into some hyper-competitive, even rude students on the island, especially in anatomy class where space is at a premium, as is the case in most med schools. Just do your personal best, it will be plenty good enough.
Hope that answers some questions, relieves some anxiety if you have any.
Good luck!
I cannot think of anything else for now but if you think of ANYTHING additional that I have not mentioned or if you would like to give us some additional tips and share your first year experience I would truly appreciate it

If you guys think of any thing else to ask please post away !!

hey wolfvgang22, thanks so much for ur valuable advice! I appreciate it a lot and I speak on behalf of every newcomer who can use ur advice to their benefit

Originally Posted by playarf

try the search box.

lol still this is valuable advice, this question ahs been asked a 1000X and there are very good threads on it, so please do use search box.