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yeah students are allowed to transfer back... and a few of them that went to MUAB have... the rest haven't

are they being encouraged to? i don't think so...

even i don't encourage this yet... there are still a few steps that need to be done before anyone will really encourage people to come back or start... most importantly loan companys, and UK approval (both are being worked on and hopefully sooner rather than later will happen)

licensure in the US... same as it was before... yes in some states.. no in others... people should research this on their own

i know that the really problem states... namely oregon are currently on the top of list of priorities... I personally have tried talking with Alvin Contreras from oregon but the man doesn't appear to like any facts that are given to him. He asks for one thing, when its given to him he changes his mind and says that organization xyz is not reliable... and says get this other one... when thats received and shown to him.. he changes his mind and say that is no good try this one... its a big circle of nonsense with no logical direction at all... the state makes no sense at all and when facts are shown to him he denies them or says they're not valid...

I do know that legal council for the school is going to try and figure out what to do with oregon and how to approach it.. because it along with everyone involved there are becoming like an inflamed hemorrhoid

you guys will win over Oregon one day. You are doing all the right things. Just look at how far you've come in such a short amount of time. Last year in January things were a complete mess and now you have a peaceful campus. The change in attitude is really amazing too. Use to St. Chris admin would say anything to get students to attend. They claimed to be 'good to go in fifty states', etc. Now, here you are being completely honest with students and telling them that it's not the best idea for them to come back now. You are putting their interests first. That's beyond cool. If, you keep moving in the direction you are going one day you will be 'good to go in fifty states'. Laws can be changed but not by lies and fake credentials....only by hard work and honesty. You have a really good handle on that which is neat to see. Very refreshing.

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i'd love to say that admin would say the same thing as i do...

but it still is a buisness and they want to encourage as many people to come because they need money to continue to run the business.

i just tell people honestly when they ask me... and i've had several people e-mail me...

i tell them what we can offer... and what we can't... if they come in knowing all the facts then i can live with that... if they don't come because of something that we don't have... no one will blame them...

but hopefully they'll just be honest with folks like you are being. There's nothing worse than paying for something and not getting what you paid for. Lies are very bad for business. An unhappy customer can cost you thousands. Just look at all the legal fees the old administrators have had to pay. I bet they are wishing they had done things differently now. Opening a campus in England was an excellent idea and they could have made an extremely good honest living over there. Built a real name for themselves and a future for their families. You know people who have seen them in court. Do they seem like the experience has changed them in any way for the better? Maybe they learned their lesson and they'll do things differently next time. No one is perfect -- we all make mistakes.

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UK aproval will take a change in GMC policy. They are very adamant of not allowing poeple from schools chartered elsewhere with a campus in UK soil attending the UK campus to sit for the PLAB. Good luck on that one. Because they will have to change it for a few other players as well, not just SC.

Actually, if my memory is not at fault, it was the same St. Chris scandal of last year what moved the GMC to establish this policy. Again, if my memory is not at fault.

Max

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...."Beyond jealosy and betrayal; beyond hate and desire; beyond pain and death; lies the ultimate revelation; the final choice; the end; because the fate of destruction is also the joy of rebirth" Neon Genesis Evangelion

no you're right.. it was bc of SC that the policy changed... and i don't think it will be an easy process by any means to have thing accepted again....

This is actually an argument i've had with many people (our students included)... The way the GMC rules are set up now most carrib school wouldn't qualify either to sit for the plab (i've actually asked)... the GMC requires that the majority of study takes place in the country of charter... and most carrib school do less than 50% of their study on the island.. with either 5th semester in the US somewhere and all of clinicals elsewhere making the time on the island well less than 50%... but thats not here nor there because i'm willing to say 99.99% of the people who go to these schools don't want to go to the UK to practice anyway... so its a moot point.

The key issue in my mind is this... as long as the school is "eligible" to write the plab if xyz criteria are met... thats good enough..

for example... is SCIMD or any school offered a program or track that would make the majority of study in the country of charter then they'd be fine... that way if you wanted to write the plab then you would need to do xyz path with this much time in your country (and island) of charter in order to be eligible...

weither you do this path or not is up to you... but you would have the option of being eligible if you decided to take it...

This rule would apply universally to everyone.. not that you ever need to take it or not... but the option to be eligible is always there should you choose it... similar to a few states in the US that require certain criteria be met for licensure or even ability to sit for exams... as long as the school gives you the option of a path that would lead to eligibility.. then you're fine... if not.. then go to a different school... or don't expect to go for that path...

as of now.. if you're goal is to practice in the UK... don't come to SCIMD... the UK doesn't allow for us to offer that track yet.... maybe it will.. maybe it wont.. as of now its no...

Before U.K.-bound students at Caribbean med. schools start reaching for their cyanide capsules it's worth noting that the GMC's policy appears to be a little more flexible than this.
In their correspondence with a number of concerned individuals they have, it's true, indicated that they would prefer to see upwards of 50% of study on-island. However, they have also stated that between 30 and 49% candidates would be considered on a case-by-case basis.
There is also a slight hint that clinicals might be excluded from this magic figure. They have restated that their major concern is quality assurance at all stages of the course including rotations, and that it would be helpful to know what QA and audit arrangements are in place for clinicals done at a distance from the school. This makes sense and is perfectly reasonable. They know very well that many countries (not just the Caribbean states) have limited hospital facilities and have to send their students elsewhere for rotations. Indeed, we have an example on our own shores- St. Andrews med. school only teaches basic sciences and sends their students to distant schools/teaching hospitals after that. The GMC's policy is undoubtedly evolving (cynics might say it's chaotic - why is St. Eustatius in the hall of shame alongside the likes of Kigezi? - GMC | Acceptable primary medical qualification)
The situation of St. Chris'. is of course different, and I agree with Azrealist that it will be a long route to obtaining U.K. recognition - with no certainty of success.
But they shouldn't give up. Forget this "squatter" pejorative that is bandied about (mostly on VMD: not by the GMC) ; concentrate on demonstrating the QA and audit that are (will be) in place. Remember that the GMC recognized St. Chris. degrees until its hand was forced by a slightly sensationalist popular radio feature. There are grounds for hope.
All this is speculation based on a few emails, letters and phone conversations: concerned Carib. students should consult the GMC themselves and if necessary get their school to start a dialogue with the GMC's Registration and Education Directorate.

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"Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better."
Samuel Beckett, "Worstward Ho", 1983

i agree 100%... everything is on a case by case basis...

as a matter of fact... we have graduates who are working/doing residency in states that we are not eligible in... why because they were reviewed individually and found to be acceptable...

What exactly was their case i don't know... maybe mommy and daddy are board members... or maybe they were just super stars... who knows...

the GMC rules will bend... how much? who knows... QA is the big thing... especially with rotations like you mentioned...

If all your rotations are done at ACGME accredited places or the equivalent in the county you're doing them... that in my mind is QA... if you do your rotation in my garage and claim it was rural family medicine.. then you may have added troubles...

I have some faith that the school is not going to just walk away from the GMC... unless they are actually run out of the country... or go 100% bankrupt, i see them working through this in time.

You just have to stay positive. The thing to remember here is that the General Medical Council did allow St. Chris students to practice in England in the past. They only recently, within the last two years, closed that door. The door closed because the BBC did an investigation which caused the GMC to do an investigaton. The issues they uncovered about the school appear to have been resolved. The dishonest 'say anything' fellas with the "Quack Qualifications" and bad reputations who were at the helm of St. Chris are gone. And if many of the rumors we've heard about the school had been true while the GMC's investigation was going on then England would have definitely shut the school down. We forget sometimes I think that this isn't a new school. St. Chris has been in England and on the GMC's radar for seven years now. I'd bet the GMC's major beef was with the old administrations and the lack of over sight by Senegal. Both factors have changed. Seems to me that any door that can be closed can be reopened if major circumstances like that change. St. Chris does bring revenue into Luton. Hundreds of students renting apartments, buying food, paying for transportation, etc. And the Luton economy can definitely use the boost.

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