I think everyone is just confused. People who are not there already are probably leaving for Luton in about a week. Preparations have already been made (we're mentally preparing ourselves, plane tickets have been purchased, tuition has been paid, packing has begun, deposits have been put down on apartments).

On the one hand, we have people like yourself on an all-out attack on the school...and on the other hand, we have students in clinicals and other years (both on the forum and off) who are telling us it's ok. Then we are asked to look to the GMC and do our own research but there are too many dead ends to really understand what is really going on. The GMC itself has proven unreliable because of the continually changing statements on the website.

I understand that you only hope the best for us new students and don't want us to get stuck in a bad situation, but please do try to be a little sympathetic as to our situation as well. It really isn't fun to make all these plans and be totally ready to start and then realize at the last minute that any day now, it can all be pulled out from under you before you even set foot on the plane. It really shouldn't 'blow your mind' that we are still considering going to the school. A lot of us are just stuck at this point.

And so we'll go. We'll start classes. And then we'll see what happens. And if we find the need to transfer after we begin, then so be it.

I am tired of hearing implications that we chose this school just to say that we went to a British school and that we chose it over a more 'established' school because we thought we could get an MD with a 2.0 GPA (and yes, all of this has been said in other recent threads, if not in this one). My personal reasons for choosing St. Chris and for not getting into a U.S. school run far deeper than that, as I'm sure, do many of my future classmates' reasons.

That said...I do appreciate everyone's concern, those of you who try to be encouraging and positive, as well as those of you who go a little too far to find out the 'truth' at the cost of showing respect for other people. I know that, deep down, you mean well...

I can understand what many of you are going through right now, especially in the holiday season. I am very sorry that you guys have to go through all these stuff right now.
My good wishes are with you guys, because I myself a student who wants to attend medical college in the future and I do understand that for many becoming a physician is a childhood dream (especially in my case).

I really do wish all the students of St Christopher’s best of luck, because you guys do not DESERVE to be in this mess.

you know smoohead, i am sympathetic. sort of. the fact is, for whatever reason, you are attending a school with huge risks. at this point, best of luck, but you really shouldn't be expecting much.

btw, i am not on an all out attack of the school. i am an attack on the misinformation spread by students and admin. i would caution you to base your info on current students and admin. admin want your money, and current students want to believe what admin tell you. go with the official sources, and when in doubt, plan for the worst case scenario.

i would really encourage you to take a semester off, or apply elsewhere

I wasn't expecting a lot to begin with. Just to be given a chance to fulfill my 'childhood dream' like a lot of other people on this forum.

You speculate, and so do the people who support the school. Nobody KNOWS what is going on 100% but everyone feels the need to choose a side and speculate. Then, when a decision is made and the 'truth' finally comes out, whichever side wins decides to point out how they were right all along and they get to put themselves up on a pedestal.

It is a risk to go ANY foreign school, whether it be SC or an 'established' school, isn't it? All I am saying is that the people who are still going are more or less aware of the risks and are willing to take the plunge accordingly for fear of wasting another semester (if they defer, or giving up the school they wanted if they apply elsewhere) should the issue be resolved. We really don't need people to make us feel even worse about still going to SC despite the situation... :-/ Warn us if you must, but then can't you just let it be? Why do we have to hear gloating and bickering as well? I am sorry if I have misinterpreted you, but I have also given you the benefit of the doubt. It's just that your earlier statement really rubbed me the wrong way...

But it's my birthday and I guess I'm done blabbering about this cuz it'll just ruin my day to think about it more than I have to ;o)

edited to remove text

well, smoohead, sorry if my comments rub you the wrong way. i have been around a long time on these boards, and have seen the crap that st chris admin and students have tried to pull. frankly, it makes me sick.

as far as school being a risk wherever you go...well, sure there is some risk anywhere. but the level of risk is vastly different. for example, when you attend a school that has fully licensed grads working in every state of the nation, you know that a state will not likely deny you a license based strictly on your school. if your school has only a few grads in a few states, basically all the rest of the states are a risk. also, schools like st chris are trying something that has never been tried, and are currently facing questions (and risks) that most other schools are not subject too. that alone is a significantly greater risk than pretty much every other carib style school out there!

you mention that we are all speculating...well, that is not really true. i am not guessing anything. the school IS a risk, and IS facing issues. it may get through, it may not. the thing that gets me is the fact that most other schools are NOT facing these issues.

so, go to st chris, and best of luck to you. i have no issue with the st chris students that go, and work hard to get where they want to be. i have no issue with those that go aware of the greater risk the choice entails, and those that chose st chris despite this. that is fine. i wish you the best.

my only point here is to make sure that people do not fall for the marketting, for the constant unbased optimism that the school tries to sell.

Thanks for the great post smoohead. Level headed people like you are what the medical proffesion needs.

__________________
BTS4202
St. Christopher's COM
4th Year
http://www.mdparadise.com

"If there really is a God, He has a lot of explaining to do"
- Dennis Leary