Scimd - Page 5

Delaney · #41 (**permalink**) 11-26-2007, 02:18 PM

Hopefully TAFKA's last post will prove why no one should be listening to anything he posts.

2fasfasligand · #42 (**permalink**) 11-26-2007, 05:43 PM

I am also a SCIMD grad and know that our school has produced some very good grads who got into top residencies however the student's and graduates have suffered due to the schools administration failing us many times. The school attracted people due to it's location in England and has an excellent basic science and clinical program however currently I would not recommend ANY school which is not at least California approved.

JHarris · #43 (**permalink**) 11-26-2007, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delaney

Hopefully TAFKA's last post will prove why no one should be listening to anything he posts.

TAFKA's residency and success trumps all of your hateraid

stephew · #44 (**permalink**) 11-26-2007, 07:39 PM

I think users here misinterpret caution about a school with bad wishes. That's generally not the case. I agree with Teratos and others. To begin with, anecdotal success is a lousy way to judge a school. I'm a great example of that. What does anecdotal success tell you? it tells you what can, sometimes in exceptional cirucmstances, be attained. but it says nothing as to likelihood. An example can be the rule, or the exception to the rule. Another analogy you should all appreciate. A stage four lung cancer patient. Can someone be cured? I mean truly it goes away for decades and never comes back again cured? Actually yes. Do you promise your patients that this is the rule rather than the exception? Not if you have an ounce of honesty in you.

If a person does well, we are happy for them and hope they live up to expectations as a doc. But if they succeed from a place riddled with problems, does that mean that its then advisable to recommend this place to other student? god no. And when we point it out its not negating the experience of those who succeed. Not by a shot. But it would be bad faith (as well as faulty reasoning) to suggest that this is the best path for people to take in general

anyway I very heartily disagree with tafka's ranking. I think his interpretation is just out at left field. but that's not to say im not happy for his success. If st chris gets on track that would be great for students.

And btw Jharris; you may think of the school as british. but your program directors, looking over your application wont. That is the point.

JHarris · #45 (**permalink**) 11-26-2007, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stephew

I think users here misinterpret caution about a school with bad wishes. That's generally not the case. I agree with Teratos and others. To begin with, anecdotal success is a lousy way to judge a school. I'm a great example of that. What does anecdotal success tell you? it tells you what can, sometimes in exceptional cirucmstances, be attained. but it says nothing as to likelihood. An example can be the rule, or the exception to the rule. Another analogy you should all appreciate. A stage four lung cancer patient. Can someone be cured? I mean truly it goes away for decades and never comes back again cured? Actually yes. Do you promise your patients that this is the rule rather than the exception? Not if you have an ounce of honesty in you.

If a person does well, we are happy for them and hope they live up to expectations as a doc. But if they succeed from a place riddled with problems, does that mean that its then advisable to recommend this place to other student? god no. And when we point it out its not negating the experience of those who succeed. Not by a shot. But it would be bad faith (as well as faulty reasoning) to suggest that this is the best path for people to take in general

anyway I very heartily disagree with tafka's ranking. I think his interpretation is just out at left field. but that's not to say im not happy for his success. If st chris gets on track that would be great for students.

And btw Jharris; you may think of the school as british. but your program directors, looking over your application wont. That is the point.

don't worry doc, I know this school is as british as the lady who played the love interest in Shakespeare in Love ( isn't this fun not getting to mention names and dumbing down the forum )

grobble · #46 (**permalink**) 11-26-2007, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JHarris

TAFKA's residency and success trumps all of your hateraid

Taking anecdotal evidence of residencies or a few good residencies as fact of how most students fair at a school is dangerous. Ask the school for thieir match list over the last few years? If they can't or won't produce it , be skeptical. The same about clinical affiliations. IMO these should not be a secret, as it is not among most foreign schools Ross, AUC, Saba, SGU, SMU, MUA, AUA..etc....

Anthony Thomasson · #47 (**permalink**) 11-26-2007, 11:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TAFKA

I'm frequently asked for advice on "off-shore" schools... my advice is always the same and is predicated on education, location, and perceived (by me) student/graduate satisfaction:
1) Royal College of Surgeons, Dublin - 6-year curriculum; poor currency exchange rate
2) Semmelweis, Budapest - some instruction is conducted in Hungarian language; 6-year curriculum
3) Charles, Prague - some instruction is conducted in Czech language; 6-year curriculum
4) SCIMD - presently deferring accepted applicants until "issues" are resolved; poor currency exchange rate
5) AUC - best location in Caribbean; basic sciences are self-taught; relatively weak clerkships
6) SGU - second best location in Caribbean after AUC; very strong clerkships; almost prohibitively expensive
For English-speaking students, the clear choice is 1) and after that they're all relatively equivalent with the temporary exception of SCIMD, pending resolution of "issues." The notable omission is Ross, which I tend not to recommend based on location and perceived dissatisfaction of its students.

This limited ranking, which does not mention a lot of other viable, highly regarded, English language based alternatives such as those available in Australia, Israel and the Philippines renders it far too limited in scope as to be inacurate at best. To place SCIMD at number 4 in regards to a recommendation (regardless of your own well earned success) sends the wrong, and again inacurate message to students looking for real advice and assistance here.

Surely, at the present time with the school deferring admissions, the lack of NY or Cali. approval and a yet to be fully rebuilt program it would be unwise to rate or recommend the school such as you have.

You have every right to be proud of your success, your school and the education you received. But the facts on the ground currently would indicate steering students towards other institutions for the time being.

Genossa maximillian · #48 (**permalink**) 11-27-2007, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JHarris

TAFKA's residency and success trumps all of your hateraid

No, it does not, it is one anecdotal evidence, quite successful but not enough to define a whole institution over a single graduate.

Tipton · #49 (**permalink**) 11-27-2007, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delaney

Hopefully TAFKA's last post will prove why no one should be listening to anything he posts.

At least when it comes to comparing/recommending off-shore medical schools...yes.

Bad combination: ignorance and certainty.

TAFKA · #50 (**permalink**) 12-01-2007, 11:42 PM

1) That wasn't a ranking; it was just a list. The only ordinal components were that I'd recommend Royal College of Surgeons before all the other schools and I would NOT recommend SCIMD pending resolution of the issues. I thought I'd clearly stated both of those things, but in re-reading my post, maybe it wasn't clear. The list numbers were based primarily on geography.
2) I clearly stated my criteria for including schools in my list: education, location, and perceived (by me) satisfaction of students/graduates. All three criteria are subjective, particularly the latter two.
3) I agree that Saba is an excellent school, but I'd have a hard time recommending that someone spend two years on that island with the availability of education that is at least equivalent in more desirable locations. However, for students particularly prone to distraction, the isolation of Saba could prove to be a relative strength.
4) I wasn't trying to upset anyone or imply that schools omitted from my subjective list don't generate great doctors; I was just giving my opinion on several schools after another poster recommended Charles, a school I also recommend to people.

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