Thread: Warning for future Saba students

Hi there,
anyone who is planning to attend SABA sept 04. I have been to SABA for three semesters and then transfered to ROSS. The reason being was that I met many students who were graduating from the basic science and who were in the process of writing the USMLEs and most of them did not find that the school, contrary to what it says, prepared them enough for the board exams. I knew two people who aced their basic science classes and repeated their USMLE twice. They told me that only 20 % of the class did pass their USMLE on the first try, but with very poor grade! So never believe what the school tells you about its accomplishments and its quality of education and so forth. Sometimes, they like to exagerate and a lot! And I am not saying that the school does a bad job in MD education. But I can certainly say that it is not at all comparable to Ross or even AUC. My best friend and my cousin attended Ross before me and they encouraged me to transfer and I did. I first decided against Ross and for Saba mainly for tuition costs. But now I am saying it is a lot worth it to pay more and get a better education and good preparation for the board exams. How students succeed at the board exams will determine whether the quality of the MD school is comparable to the US MD schools. Don't forget this important component in studying medicine in the Carribbean or at any foreign MD school. You know that you are going back to the US and will need to pass all the board exams in order to practice. And I am telling you that SABA definitely doesn't prepare you for that task! I have written USMLE-step 1 and did incredibly well, something that I would not have dreamed of doing if I was still at Saba! Please think about this. As someone who have been to both schools (saba and Ross) I definitely see the difference even with respect to labs and lectures. Even though the classes are bigger at Ross, classes are well equiped (very important in medicine) and you get to see presentations very clearly as opposed to Saba were they use pictures and projectors, which only gives you a poor image. Also, at SABA you have to bring or purchase all your lab materials, gloves, microscope and the inetrnet (in libray and computer lab) is so slow that you can easily spend 30 minutes to download only one site. So basically, get a computer and get internet and be prepared to pay up to $ 600/month. Just to give you the math, even though tuition is higher at Ross, my expenses are only $ 1000 higher at Ross because of all the hidden expenses that they don't tell you about at Saba. Also, Saba's library is open only from 2 to 11 and the lab computer closes at 11.
At Ross, all lab materials are free of charge and you can use the labs and microscopes on your free time to study and stuff. The computer lab is open 24 hours and internet is high speed. At Saba, lab time is only during your class and you are not allowed to use it afterwards because other students from other semesters are using it. There is only one lab at Saba. Using the lab to study is a very important component in your MD education because sometimes you need to review some parts of for example a cadavre and you can't do that which is really compromising especially when you have an anatomy lab exam in a week. You would basically have to rely on the books, which are not illustrated thouroughly. These are the many flaws of this school and they are very important to consider, trust me.
I am not rying to discourage you hear but just giving you a realistic perspective of the school. Always communicate with students who have been there and not the administration because they will tell you all kinds of *****to sell their school!
Here are some of other people who have been to SaBA and transfered to Ross just like me: *****@hotmail.com, *****@hotmail.com, *****@hotmail.com and I have more if you need more proof!
Anyway, let me know if you have any questions....take care guys, Catherine (catoo1999@hotmail.com)


[Edited by Mod for containing personal info and foul language. Edited portion indicated by "*"]

to pass the board takes some serious studying and i think that any one that really put the efforts in it should be able to do it. Now I decided to go to saba because it was less expensive (close to 60k total; i will choose that over 30k yearly anyday and anytime) and no matter what, i'm going there unless if i really improve on my mcat result this fall.

Hello everyone,
I can understand that my message may have surprised many of you and certainly angried some of you guys who are so excited about finally entering medical school, etc. I apologize for that. But I would like to say first of all that my intentions were not to persuade or discourage anyone. I was only telling you about my experience with the school, about how people that I met there felt about it and how it compares with that other school that I am attending, which I will not name again as I don’t want you to feel that I am encouraging you to apply there or anything like that. I do not have ‘ulterior motives’ as someone said. I don’t get any compensation for spewing out enthusiasm to potential recruits of the school I am now attending. I wrote this message because I still remember how much uncertainty I had when I was finishing my bachelor’s degree and wondering what step to take next. I only wish I was warned about some of the things about SABA. The only thing I am going to say now is that you should not be angry towards me but rather at the school for not providing you with the proper information. And don’t get me wrong all schools lie a little bit about their school, even the one I am attending. But I believe that the one I am attending is a lot better than Saba on many levels and has met many of my expectations. You are free to attend any medical school in the Caribbean that you like.

You said…

1-How many times you took the USMLE Step I
I took it for the first time 4 months ago. I got 265, which is considered pretty high. Minimum to pass is 182. Step 1 consists of multiple-choice questions. The test is designed to measure basic science knowledge. The majority of questions require you to interpret graphic and tabular material, to identify gross and microscopic pathologic and normal specimens, and to solve problems through application of basic science principles. Content is related to anatomy, behavioral sciences, biochemistry, microbiology, pathology, pharmacology, and physiology, as well as to interdisciplinary areas including genetics, aging, immunology, nutrition, and molecular and cell biology. So this is where your basic science knowlede comes in handy.

2-Did you feel adequately prepared

I felt well prepared for it because I was able to review some material they told us we should focus on and we had a class to prepare for it, which I thought helped a lot.

a. did you study you buns off

I studied 3 full weeks for it, which is the average length of time people take to study for it.

b. did you feel the school helped more than your personal studying

Definitely. The truth is you will not be able to go through all the material you learned during your 5 terms of basic science. That is why the school needs to prepare you for it by providing you with the proper tools. At the school I am attending, they go through everything with you and that guidance is very helpful and this is what people that I spoke to at Saba were saying that was lacking.

3-Your first USMLE step is applications of the basic science skills you've learned. In what case do you need more than books, scapels, microscopes and the bare essentials to learn?

You are right, all you need is a good basic science knowledge. This means that you need to know your material pretty well and be exposed to it thoroughly, that is why your lab component of your education needs to be emphasized upon because it allows you to apply what you learned. I just felt that this was not the case at Saba as we were not allowed to return to the lab once we were done with it because it was either being used by other students from other semesters or simply locked and that is a true compromise to your education. You will realize that once you will start studying medicine. The school I am attending have over 5 laboratories and you can use the empty ones and there is even a technician and a professor to assist you.

4-Sure the internet is great, but did you every think about what people did to study without have the www at its fingertips? I'm not bashing the net, but I am saying elbow grease goes a long way when you need it to; books aren't a novelty, but a resource to rely upon when you're power's knocked out and all you have is a candle and a match…

I agree with you and I believe that your book should always be your main source of knowledge. But you will need to use the internet many times to do research like you do in any discipline and you will not find enough books in Saba’s library to fulfill that need. You will be very disappointed once you will use their computers and the lack of assistance that you will get. You should know that there have been many complaints about that issue at Saba.

First of all, all schools have hidden costs. My undergrad and grad school had some "hidden costs". It has always cost me 10 cents to make copies in the library here at my U.S. school. I kept getting parking tickets because I didn't get my parking permit soon enough.
I am not at all suprised that it costs 30 cents to make copies at Saba. Everything costs more down there, even food compared to the U.S.

Second, regarding $600 per month for internet, I figure "so what?" Why would you need to use the internet for study much anyway, if you have the books, go to class, and study hard? I've found that generally the internet isn't nearly as useful for studying academic subjects. I sure as heck didn't learn organic chemistry off the net.
I would argue that anyone who is spending so much time online to run up a $600 monthly bill is onto a sure-fire way to fail in any academic setting.

Third, I am not at all sure that "20% of Saba students fail the USMLE Step 1 on the first try." This simply does not match up with what alumni who are now in residency, current students, and Saba officials have stated to me. They all say that closer to 90% of all students pass. Must be some kind of big conspiracy to get my vast family fortune.

Finally, Saba has never been accussed of weeding out students, as some of the larger schools are reported as doing due to large class size.

Saba is not perfect. If it were, it would be in CA (or maybe TX) and be an LCME school with a teaching hospital attached, have low tuition, and still admit us. Instead, it's a young, very small school on a smaller carribean island with water-rationing issues that offers people a good second chance at becoming an MD. One cannot deny that Saba just got NY approval and that CA approval is officially in the works.
Is it the right school for everyone? Of course not, no school is.
That's why there are other choices.

Whew...even though I could say more, the logic circuits are overheating, time to turn them off for now!
8)

I just found out about this forum. It's great that people can share their thoughts and experiences. We need that support! I am a Saba student, currently in my 5th semester. I have to say that Saba is probably not the best school there is on the Carribean. But I chose it because it is what I can afford for now. I didn't qualify for any loans. I mainly rely on my savings and borrow from family/friends....it is very rough sometimes, but I am surviving! If money is not an issue for you then I suggest you try applying to AUC or St-George. My older brother goes to AUC and he is very pleased with it. I guess it is expected that this school and others are ranked higher since you are paying much more on tuition. Well it is worth it if you can afford it. In the end, I still think that Saba is an O.K school. You will get a fairly good education but you will also need to work hard on your own.
good luck...

If you got a 265 on step 1, congratulations!!! That is indeed a very high score, 3 standard deviations above the mean or roughly 99.7 % correct.

Now, why exactly are you complaining about the education you got at Saba and Ross?

Excuse me, 2.5 SD's above the mean or ~97th percentile.

Originally Posted by rdecastro

If you got a 265 on step 1, congratulations!!! That is indeed a very high score, 3 standard deviations above the mean or roughly 99.7 % correct.

Now, why exactly are you complaining about the education you got at Saba and Ross?

she also did most of her basic science years at SABA(3 ) ross(2)

Exactly, unless Ross made her retake everything - in which case she got a double dip of Anatomy, Histology, etc.

I am currently a Saba student and I have not encountered the majority of problems that Cathy12 has brought up. THe costs are all laid out for you prior to you attend classes. Your receive all the cost info in your acceptance package and I have not found any hidden costs that I was not warned about.... ok maybe the copy cards... or the extra box of gloves for anatomy lab... but I knew about those prior to attending... and which is normal. My total tuition/hidden costs per semester have been below $7000.00 (I am including cost of books also). I have spent under $12,000 per semester, including all my expenses (food, telephone, cable, internet.... booze, eating out, travelling to St. Maarten) and there are many other fellow classmates in the same position, who have similar experiences.

There has only been one instructor so far that doesn't use powerpoint, which uses overheads... he is just stuck in his ways... all of our other instructors use powerpoint and have for at least a year... because I have received information from people ahead of me that indicates that.

I can not say that I was well prepared for USMLE part I b/c I haven't taken them yet. BUt I do feel well prepared because I compare what we have been taugh to BRS and First aid and we have covered over 95% of the material in those two books. In certain classes we have shelf exams, which are standard exams taken in all medical school in the US, which allows us to compare our progress to that of US medschool students. THese shelf exams are taken into account in our grades, majority counting between 20-30% of our final grade and they are comprehensive exams. In other words we have to prepare as we would for USMLE exams on these topics... psych, physio, micro, path... We also have the Kaplan review incorporated into our program. We do the Kaplan review in our 5th semester and at the end we have to take a Kaplan test and obtain a certain score before we are allowed to leave the island and take part I. So the school does make sure you are prepared for Part I.

Cathy did you have to take any shelf exams at Ross?

One final thing... I believe that every single one of us is different, and we will make choices based on our experiences and from what we learn. No Saba is not the school for everyone, I am not telling you Saba is the school for you... But everyone has their own experience about the island and the school. Yes the island is a ROCK, which most people are not used to living on. BUt if you stand back and take a better look, the island does have a lot to offer. Remember you are only here for a year and eight months and most of your time as a student will be spent studying (at least it should be spent studying... for classes and preparing for boards). Snorkelling, scuba diving, hiking are all great activities you can do while you are here.... But ultimately it is the time and effort you put in that pays off. It is not how the school has taught you or prepared you. Unless you have a photographic memory and you remember everything that is told to you in lecture, and your lecturer covers every piece of information on that subject... YOU WILL have to study and review the material. So if you start studying and review from day one... you will have no problems succeeding. Pathology taught at Harvard is the same Pathology taught at Ross and is the same Pathology taught on Saba and is the same material taught in Sao Paulo, Brazil, the material doesn't change. The only different variables are the Professor and the Student. Yes a compassionate professor can help you grasp the material better but in the long run the only way you retain the information is by putting in the time and effort. This is just my .02
Rad

another saba student who just found this forum? I am wondering if medrocks is a real person or just another multiple ID for one person.

Dear wolfvgang22,

What are you trying to imply here that I am that so called cathy12. First of all I never said I was agreeing with what she is saying and I did not bash Saba. All I said is that I think people should consider St-George or AUC if they are able to afford it simply because the general sense is that they are better schools. You cannot argue with that. It is a fact. Just like in the States or in Canada where I come from, there are colleges that are considered better than others. It is as simple as that. Why can't you accept that? People are entitled to their own opinion and you are free to make your on judgement, but please don't strike at people and accuse them of things. You don't know me and I find your comments very rude. And why are you defending Saba anyway. You haven't started studying there! If you are planning on coming here, then you are more than welcome. As I said I am a Saba student and I love a lot of things about it and so will you. But the reality is there are better schools than Saba. So be it. Big deal! I stayed at Saba like a lot of my friends did.
This is a forum to share our experiences or do you want people to lie to you?