Thread: An Unbiased Experience

I am a recent graduate of Spartan Health Sciences University. I finished my Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Penn. prior to attending Spartan.

I started basic sciences on the island and was pleasently surprised. Prior to attending Spartan, I was a silent observer on ValueMD.com, and was scared by all the negetive comments posted on this website. Regardless of what I read, I attended. I was quite happy with the education I was receiving during the first trimester of classes. I became overwhelmed with the courseload within the first month of the first trimester. The first trimester, I was adjusting to island life and trying to do well in my courses, so I did not read any supplementary USMLE material. At the end of first trimester, I was happy with the education I had received. Second semester was much more difficult. The courseload was nearly double that of first trimester and the courses were more abstract. Although, the teaching was not as great as first trimester, it was still enough to provide me with a strong foundation on which I could build on. It was during this semester that I was supplementing course lectures with Kaplan material and practice questions. At the end of second trimester, I was so thankful to be done with it. Overall, it was a difficult semester as the courseload is very expansive and I was involved in many extra-curricular activities. I did well overall however. Third trimester was interesting. It put first and second trimester courses all together in a system based approach to teaching. Many people complained about the "Step 2" courses we were required to take, however, they proved to be very beneficial! Third trimester was difficult not because of courseload but because I was suffering from "Island fever". I wanted to get the heck off of that island as soon as possible. Fourth trimester was excellent! The previous three trimesters were all tied together in fourth trimester. Systemic Pathology with Dr. V was excellent. I was studying alot for classes as the courseload was very high, but I would also spend a lot of time reading USMLE Step 1 material!

I graduated from basis sciences in the upper 5 of my class. I felt I had gained an excellent foundation during basic sciences. I proceeded to take 3 months off. I studied hardcore for 3 months. I did Kaplan Q bank, read First Aid and did more practice questions. I passed USMLE Step 1 with a 92. I faxed my score in the the clinical coordinator at Spartan, and I was asked where I would like to start rotations and which rotation I would like to start. I had planned everything out while I was waiting for my score, so told the coodinator where and when I wanted to do every core rotation. A week later, I was in the hospital doing history and physicals! The clinical coordinator allowed to me complete whichever rotation I wanted where ever I wanted it! He set my rotations up promptly and gave me no trouble at all.

I finished third year clerkships at excellent hospitals and felt I was ready for USMLE Step 2CK. I took USMLE Step 2CK and scored a 96. I started electives at top universities throughout the US alongside US medical students. I took USMLE Step 2CS and passed. I finished the requirements for graduation and was sent my degree! I had no problems receiving my degree. It was sent to me a week after I completed the required curriculum.

I have just received my ECFMG certificate and am interviewing for residency positions throughout the country. I am applying to a very competitive specialty (which I will not mention to maintain annonymity).

My experience with spartan has been pretty good overall. If you are respectful, studious, and social, you will do great!

Some people in my class were pessimistic and complained constantly. None of those people passed USMLE Step 1 on their first attempt. Alot of people from my class did however pass. And boy did they pass. Nearly all the people in my class that passed, received scores over 85 and the majority of them were above 90! If I had to do it all over again, I would attend spartan in a heartbeat!

This is my unbiased account.

i wonder why?

Thats right...your banned spartanmd2009. Stay out, we dont want people like in our forums to cause disruptions. Thanxs cooldreams for reporting this idiot and thank you steph for banning this fool. I dont know what pleasure people like him get by spreading malicious lies on this forum.

Originally Posted by cooldreams

your banned?

Originally Posted by spartanmd2010

Thats right...your banned spartanmd2009. Stay out, we dont want people like in our forums to cause disruptions. Thanxs cooldreams for reporting this idiot and thank you steph for banning this fool. I dont know what pleasure people like him get by spreading malicious lies on this forum.

youre spartanmd2009....

is that Spartan has been around for a lonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng time..........
yet it has not established itself like MUA AUC SABA ROSS SGU etc even ST MATTS and AUA are coming along fine.

it is also true that many folk come in this forum promoting their school because it gave them the chance to do ECFMG, when they know that the school is run worse than a primary school----they know that others are telling the truth

it is also true that some students gripe about conditions at their school when conditions get tough........but my experience is that they tend to tell the truth more so than the promoters who are telling that all is well at their bogus school

it is all so funny

thank God that i went to UWI!

iswiltshire,
it's so funny that you seem to know so much about the school (being that you went to "UWI"). you really shouldn't post garbage on what you think/heard. you won't hear the people gripe who have done well. everyone who fails out and has a hard time seems to post something. some classes suck, some classes are great--just like every school. so why don't you stay on UWI's forum and post garbage since you really don't have any idea about what you are talking about.