Ok, so i got into SGU,Ross, and Saba (the 3 offshore med schools i applied to for backup). I'm pretty sure the US is not gonna work out so i dont want to wait anymore. The facts are that everyone knows SGU is a great school but not many people know about Saba. I live in california and want to do my residency here and both SGU and Saba are accredited here. SGU is wayyyyyyyy more expensive than Saba and going there would really set us back to the point of being broke, and Ross is about the same as SGU so i'm just forgetting about Ross at this point because i'd rather go to SGU than Ross if their prices are about the same. My question is, is SGU thatttt much of a better school/reputation/island life/residency placemnets than Saba or just a little better or about the same? I'm asking this because if SGU is not considerably better, i would definately not waste my money on SGU and rather just attend Saba (SGU costs 52k/year no joke). My main concern is that Saba doesnt require MCAT or B.S. I'm wondering if residency programs are going to look at this and just be like "oh then anyone can get into this school" type of thing.
p.s - I want to do my residency in anesthesiology.

Any suggestios or advice/information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

hmm...u pose a very good question...to me financial matters were very vital in my decision to go to med sch and hence I felt that SABA would give me an excellent education for my money...however...in your case...you are interested in going into anesth. res. n that is relatively competitive...so i'm not sure how SABA would rank w/ that...but i've seen that quite a few alumni have matched with Anest Res...and I don't see why you wont be able to if you worked hard, did well on ur Steps and made great connections while you are doing ur rotations...
You might want to call gardner office and speak w/ the people there to see if they can give you more information regarding the guidelines in obtaining a Anest. Res...i'm sure they will help you out...i'm sorry I couldn't be of more help...I'm looking into getting a residency in Peds...n maybe a sub-specialty in hem/onco so looking at everything..SABA seemed to be best for me...good luck..n i'm sure..no matter which med sch you go to...working hard will be the key...best wishes!

I don't think anyone will look down on Saba because they don't require the MCAT. They require the minimum that most states require an MD to have, which is at least 90 hours of college and the usual science pre-requisites. This is what Texas, the toughest state in the union regarding licensure, requires. Now that Saba has CA approval, I wouldn't worry about it not being "as good" as SGU. The main thing that SGU may offer over Saba at this point is name recognition, as you mentioned, and perhaps contacts that might help you get into a competitive residency. You might choose SGU if you want rads or dermatology or opthamology.
Anesthesiology is not as competitive as it was in the 90's at all, and is very doable from most any school.

One way to look at it is that if you go to SGU, but don't do well on the step 1 exam because you are stressed from having no $$, that won't help you any. Also, the same pricks who would look down on Saba are the same pricks who would look down on any caribbean grad, even those from SGU.
You don't want to work for them, anyway.
I hear that SGU had wireless high speed internet on Grenada. Saba doesn't, and it's one of my main gripes. You gotta go to the library to get online.
Good luck!

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Saba Forum Moderator
Saba University School of Medicine, MSIV
Interests: Pediatrics, Psychiatry

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DrB is right about the attendance policy at Saba. I think they made 80% attendance mandatory because a couple of states require it for licensure.

That's not a issue for me, though, because I'm an auditory learner. I'd go to lecture anyway because it reinforces what I've read. Everybody is different, you gotta find what works for you.

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Saba Forum Moderator
Saba University School of Medicine, MSIV
Interests: Pediatrics, Psychiatry

The only reason Saba does not charge the same rate as SGU is because they are not DOE and cannot offer stafford loans. If you score high on the boards you can get any residency specialty you want. The name brand recognition will not mean much coming from the caribbean. You better make yourself a good candidate and not rely on the schools reputation for anything.
That said, look at the difference in islands and the overall happiness of students. Saba is probably a harder island to live on than Grenada. It all depends on what you require to be happy.
In the end, I chose Saba for the money and the island. Less distractions. And so far I'm happy with the decision.

I don't know about that. I mean, Grenada's got a beach and more entertainment options. But from students I've talked to, the people who are native to Grenada aren't as friendly as the people on Saba. Maybe it's the small town atmosphere vs. the big town atmosphere dynamic, I don't know.

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Saba Forum Moderator
Saba University School of Medicine, MSIV
Interests: Pediatrics, Psychiatry

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...Loyal to no one.

At mt sinai where i worked prior to med school, i was talked into going to sgu because a great pathologist there was a grad. At Hopkins, folks heard of both schools. There's another sgu person as chief in psych; her colleage? A ross grad. BEing where I am now, they've at least heard of SGU (one attending's wife taught there years ago). I hate to break it to you but nearly everyone knows someoen who went off shore.

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Steph
If you get a warning, put on yer manpants and stop whining about it.