Thread: Undergraduate at SGU and Medical School later

Hello,

I am a student wanting to transfer to SGU from the U.S. to do undergrad and then med school. I am very intrigued with the lifestyle there and I feel that it is a better opportunity for me than staying here in the U.S. Science is the only thing that seems to interest me and I don't enjoy taking other classes. I just want to know what kind of requirements I may need to meet to attend SGU and when I should apply by and when I will know whether or not I gained admission. Thank you.

Originally Posted by akhan4489

Hello,

I am a student wanting to transfer to SGU from the U.S. to do undergrad and then med school. I am very intrigued with the lifestyle there and I feel that it is a better opportunity for me than staying here in the U.S. Science is the only thing that seems to interest me and I don't enjoy taking other classes. I just want to know what kind of requirements I may need to meet to attend SGU and when I should apply by and when I will know whether or not I gained admission. Thank you.

if you are a US citizen and plan to practice in the US, then NO sgu is NOT a better opportunity for you...

the UG program at sgu is for the the caribean basin students who otherwise would not have the opportunity to receive higher education or would have to go abroad to do so--its not for US students-

if "science" is the only thing that interests you , then medicine is also not for you- get your PhD in chemistry, biochemistry, or physics (you know, the hard sciences) and do research- medicine is more than just science...

and exactly what is the "lifestyle" you think there IS at sgu?? trust me you don't go to sgu (or any caribbean med school) for the "lifestyle"- you go because its what you have to do to get the chance to be a doctor.

Get good grades (or straighten up now)in UG, rock the MCATs and get into a US med school. You want some international opportunities? Do a semester abroad or travel on your summer breaks...

Originally Posted by akhan4489

Hello,

I am a student wanting to transfer to SGU from the U.S. to do undergrad and then med school. I am very intrigued with the lifestyle there and I feel that it is a better opportunity for me than staying here in the U.S. Science is the only thing that seems to interest me and I don't enjoy taking other classes. I just want to know what kind of requirements I may need to meet to attend SGU and when I should apply by and when I will know whether or not I gained admission. Thank you.

If you have decent HS grades, personal statement, and recommendation letters I see no reason why you wouldn't be accepted.

NOTE: you will spend about $100,000 in three years of undergrad, not including plane tickets etc. You will be frustrated by some of the classes.

You would be better off doing at least two years of UG at a stateside school (if you are so interested in studying abroad, why not check out study abroad programs at stateside schools? Those credits transfer)

Your credits earned in GND are highly unlikely to transfer should you wish to attend a stateside school.

You would pretty much be locked in to attending med school in the Caribbean (see no credit transfer)

You would be very far from your family.

I could go on, but my main point is that while GND is great, you need to think long and hard about attending here when there is no real good reason for you not to attend a US or Canadian school (I am talking about reasons like failed out, low GPA, etc)

i want to go to SGU...don't want to argue about it...if any1 can help me with information as to what i must do that would be great. thank you.

Originally Posted by akhan4489

i want to go to SGU...don't want to argue about it...if any1 can help me with information as to what i must do that would be great. thank you.

What you have to do? That's easy. Read the application requirements on the website. Download the application. Fill out the application and send it in. Find a bank willing to give you a loan. Send SGU a cheque. Attend for 2 years, realise you should have spent that loan money on a house instead, and apply to a US undergrad program. It's really no different from applying to a US school (except that last bit).

Originally Posted by akhan4489

i want to go to SGU...don't want to argue about it...if any1 can help me with information as to what i must do that would be great. thank you.

then look at the application packet- fill it out and wait.

thank you. the reason i want to go to SGU is because in the US i will have to take many general ed classes that (most likely) will damage my gpa. also, i want to get away from my family and the issues that come with them. also, my father has a successful business and he is willing to pay for my schooling.

Originally Posted by akhan4489

thank you. the reason i want to go to SGU is because in the US i will have to take many general ed classes that (most likely) will damage my gpa. also, i want to get away from my family and the issues that come with them. also, my father has a successful business and he is willing to pay for my schooling.

The info about the coursework can be found here: sgu.edu/website/sguwebsite.nsf/sas/arts-programoutline.html#2

I'd like to make three points (that have, to some extent, been made already):
1. You'll need to take "General Ed" classes at SGU's undergrad program, too. In fact, probably MORE than at a state-side school. At my undergrad, you could major in biochem, physical chem, microbi, etc. I don't think think those options exist here. Also, the faculty is rather small and there is not a lot of research going on. Your extracurriculars would not be great.
2. Most good US schools have exchange programs. This is an AWESOME way to get some really cool international experience (read: away from parents) without hurting your CV. Transferring to a private Caribbean school will not look good, even though your GPA will be good compared to the other students here. Plus, you'll get quite the culture shock, as the undergrad students here are from the islands, not from the US (only the med and vet students). Seriously, look into an exchange program and consider SGU as a back-up.
3. Medicine is FAR more than a science. If you don't love people enough to do 36 hours shifts, 100 hours per week, then seriously consider a Ph.D. My non-science GPA was crap, but when applying for Ph.D. programs, no one will care. However, if you went to a carib school for undergrad, good luck applying for grad school in the US! Overall, I'd say this should be your last option after you've looked in to undergrad programs at more reputable (undergrad-wise) schools. You'd be much better of going to Brazil, Spain, Japan, Australia, or most other developed countries if you plan on pursuing higher education (MD or PhD) in the future.

Good luck!

i would really like information from someone who has done undergrad at SGU and then gone on to med school at SGU...thanks

Try giving Bayshore a call - they can usually hook you up with contact info for someone who has been through the program. I don't know if you're likely to find many who have done the premed-MD program on this forum, and anyway I suspect that many of them will tell you the same things the rest of us have.