Posted on the SABA website is the following:

August 24, 2004
We are pleased to announce the following new faculty members. Dr. Blanca N. Cantera, Professor for Anatomy & Histology and Dr. Ibrahim Ekaidi, Associate Professor for Gross Anatomy. Welcome!


Dr. Blanca N Cantera, Professor
Anatomy/Histology M.D., Faculty of Medicine, University of Habana, Spain
Residency, Neurosurgery, Finlay Hospital, Habana, Spain
B.Sc., Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York

Dr. Ibrahim Ekaidi, Associate Professor
Gross Anatomy M.D., Craiova University School of Medicine, Romania
Post-Doctoral; Cardiology, Petre Georgescu Cardiology Center

I wonder if they are going to be our professors when we start. I hope they work out well

These will be your professors for Sep. 2004 class most likely. Unfortunately, the professors for Anatomy and Histology that was teaching the May 2004 class will no longer be there. Saba has a turnover of professors every couple of semester. It's mostly due to the small island (there is not much a professor and his/her family can do there) and the low pay. Based on the qualification these new professors have, I can say that they graduated from great universities in Europe. In Histology you will be at an advantage - I'm saying you are getting a better professor than the May 2004 class. As for Anatomy, I don't know. We had a pretty good prefessor - but will no longer be there. Also remember that more than one professors teach each class. Therefore one professor in Anatomy and Histology from May 2004 is still there. So 2nd semester students should still be able to help you guys out with things. Although professors change, the material stays the same. We all are there to grasp the material to out fullest capacity.

Dr. Flay finally had enough. I know she was having a hard time adjusting to the island. I knew the Anatomy guys were disatisfied with a couple of things but I'll miss bumpin into Raja all the time. He was cool. 8)

Please tell me Dr. Raja shall still be there for January 2004 and he is not one of the professors which left - I have heard so many good things about him!

__________________
Ducman
Saba University School of Medicine

All I've heard was that Samsam was leaving - as far as I knew Dr. Raja was still going to be on the island. I know he's looking to go to the states but hadn't been able to make it happen yet.

I didn't know, however, that Flay was leaving.


~S 8)

If you look at the Saba website under the list of staff/faculty you will still see Dr. Flay's name there. Therefore, I think she is still teaching. Now that names were given, let me just say Dr. Flay is probably the best professor you will have at Saba teaching Histology. Dr. Raja will also be there and he is a very dedicated professor. Remember to ask him to write down words that you don't understand because he is difficult to understand sometimes because English is his second language.

Good luck with everything.

I used to ride the bus with Dr. Flay everyday. She definitely misses her family a lot. She mentioned that they were looking for someone to teach both anatomy and histology and she was upset they wouldn't let her teach anatomy which is her background. If she's still there she won't be there long.

I hate to see the school lose any good professors (especially if they'd replaced by mediocre ones). If we do have new professors, I hope they're excellent! Optomism is such a happy state to levetate to. If not, then we'll suffer together.

__________________
Each Breath you take today is sponsored in part by God.

Hi all,

This is somewhat of a surprise for me. I am 100% sure that Dr. Ochoa was leaving. He told me as I was leaving for break. For those of you who do not know, Dr. Ochoa taught histology. I am not sure about Dr. Flay's status.

As for anatomy, I heard from Dr. Samsam that he was leaving soon. He didn't specify how soon but he said within a couple of semesters and he said this during early Summer semester.

They were really good professor but I'm sure that the new incoming professor will be good also. The only problem is they will need time to adjust to the island and teaching.

I too spoke with Dr. Ochoa and know he has left. I was told by a reliable source that Dr. Samsam has left as well. Perhaps the biggest surprise though is that our long-time Biochem professor has left for another school. Dr. Lueck has been here almost long enough to apply for citizenship, so it will be quite a change not have him here. I personally feel all three professors did a great job and I am sorry to see them go, but I understand their desires and needs.

Judging by the newer faculty we have had of late, I feel pretty assured that the two new professors mentioned will do a fine job.


Best of Luck!