Hey there!

Just wondering what the minimum academic requirements are for prospective students planing to get into med school at St. James?

I am currently a 4th Yr. BSc Nursing student and really interested in getting into med school at St. James.

My CGPA right now is 2.96 and with this kind of CGPA, there is just no way I could get into med school here in North America.

I haven't taken the MCAT yet.

I have clinical experiences, placement or rotations in an acute medicine unit and a combined surgical unit as a nursing student.

I have volunteer work as a peer health educator doing mostly health promotion at my university.

However, I don't have any research participation or publications.

What are my chances of getting into med school at St. James?

Hope to hear from you all soon.

St. James pretty much lets anyone in who can pay, but don't expect anything fancy. The restrooms are outhouses between the classroom building and the elementary school behind St. James. Almost all of the teachers are from India and have very little, if any, experience. That said, St. James is cheap and it will give you the chance to take the usmle and eventually be licensed in most states. It is banned in some states, so don't pay attention to what anyone tells you, call the medical board of the state in which you which to be licensed and ask them if they will accept St. James students for licensure. Good luck.

I've never heard about SJSM being banned from any states?

It's not; St. James isn't even banned in California, SMU on the other hand is and other schools such as Spartan and several Dominican schools.

St. James is recognized by 45-48 states. Check out the local state medical licensing sites.

Let's not spread false information, please. Specially not about my school.

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St. James School of Medicine c/o 2012
Allegheny College c/o 2008

The school's website gives a good description of it's entryrequirements. It is completely untrue that SJSM is "banned" in California. You will not be able to be licensed there, but it is not "banned". It simply hasn't been in existence long enough to attain recognition yet.

Good luck to you.

PLEASE BE CAREFUL to what you read here!
As an incoming student to SJSM, i was VERY skeptical of caribbean schools (because i've never heard of them really) since my parents (who are US trained doctors) kept pushing US medical schools on me.

when i decided i was going to apply here (SJSM) and then was accepted, i began reading what was on here. I became VERY concerned by what i was reading and began to second guess my decision. I was initially supposed to begin January 2008, but i just needed to see what the REAL story was about St JAmes. So i planned a trip here.

What i found in connection to the posts that were here on VAlue MD, was that the people that were writing all the negatives...were the ones that came to SJSM with the expectations of it being like MTV Spring Break because it was on an island in the caribbean. These same students wanted to party and drink and not come to class...therefore...failed out. thus the bitter postings.

I found the total opposite here.

One post i read said that the Dean of Schools was very un-accepting and uninviting when she/he went to visit. I was embraced by the dean...welcomed into his office ...UNANNOUNCED...and was even welcomed to sit in on not only HIS class...but the Gross anatomy class as well.

The students there were super friendly...from the newly graduated Pre-meds to the MD4s. EVERY SINGLE PERSON I MET was nothing but friendly and helpful.

The one bit of advice i will give to you about the school though....

DO NOT EXPECT A HARVARD/PRINCETON TYPE FACILITY BECAUSE YOU WILL NOT GET IT. DO NOT EXPECT ANY US TYPE ACCOMMODATIONS BECAUSE YOU WILL NOT GET IT.
IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO COME HERE TO EXPERIENCE MEDICAL SCHOOL FROM A UNITED STATES PERSPECTIVE...YOU MAY AS WELL JUST STAY IN THE STATES BECAUSE YOU WILL NOT GET IT ON BONAIRE..AT SAINT JAMES.

WHAT YOU WILL GET the foundation of medicine and the precise tools you need to PASS THE USMLE Step1...which is the most important thing anyway.

MY ADVICE TO ANY AND EVERY NEW STUDENT...OR PROSPECTIVE STUDENT IS TO TAKE SOME TIME TO ACTUALLY VISIT THE ISLAND...VISIT THE SCHOOL.

Ask the students that are there the questions you need to ask. See what it is you need to see. AND AT THAT POINT....make your decision.

if you make your decision about St James based on someone elses experience..you are experiencing St James through them...and not through your own.

Dude...its kinda like buying a car. If someone tells you THEY hate Hondas and you've wanted a Honda since you were 6...but decide NOT to get the Honda because someone said it wasnt Sh!?...are you going to NOT get the Honda?

make sense?

Oh...and one more thing.....PLEASE READ THE POSTS FULLY IF YOU ARE GOING TO SPEND SOME TIME ON HERE.

Some of the questions many of you are asking are explained in full detail.
YOU JUST HAVE TO LOOK FOR IT AND READ IT!
good luck to you all and maybe i will see you on the island.

Mikel

Excellent advice Mikeljava.

Good luck to you, and I'll try to meet with you when I get there in August.

Cheers.

thanks for the posts guys! really informative. special mention goes to Mikeljava for the great advice.

my plan now is to finish off my 1st degree which is BSc Nursing and work as an ER nurse for for awhile here in Canada to save $$$ for med school and living expenses. then on top of that, apply as a non-degree student at U of Toronto, to take just the pre-med prerequisite courses in order to boost my GPA from 2.96 to at least a 3.3 or higher. as well as increase my chances of getting high marks on the MCAT. then do TONS of volunteer work, community service, networking to get good references as well as support my application in getting into med school in the caribbean.

i hope my plan will work out so i can join you guys there in the caribbean studying medicine and be future MDs that will transform and have a great contribution to our respective countries health care and beyond.

I agree with Mike, dont judge our school until you at least take trip and see for yourself, and dont believe everything you hear. Yeah it might not be the fanciest nicest school, but it really is good and the faculty is nice and they will try to help you. They were very helpful on my recent visit, if you want to be a physician this is the school that will get you to that point.If you expect or want the fancy and nice, go to Ross, Sgu, or cornell. But, on the other hand if you would just like to be a physician, this school will help you do that. Oh and by the way HI!!-lol- Im also a medic and a nurse. And guys our school might just get nicer, Im not bragging here but giving you some info, my father is a very rich and wealthy person and he wants me to have a nice school so he might just donate quite a bit of money to them, lol- besides my tuition. See you all at school in the fall.

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DOCHOTROD1985, EMT-p, Med. Student-Year-1
Saint James School of Medicine SSJSM
Y-1{}, Y-2{}, IM{},Surgery{},FM{},OBGYN{}, Psych{}, Electives- Cards.{}, Neuro{},GI{}, Patho.{},Med.Sub-I{}, Step I{},StepIICS{},StepIICK{}.

Y-1{ In progress}{X}

I'm sick of reading such posts, SJSM does not "let anyone in" I'm a 4th year student now and have suffered many emails of those rejected from SJSM throughout the years.

I cannot comment on the current professors, when I was on the island it was a mixed bag.

The bathrooms have running water hence not outhouses.

SJSM is not banned in any state I know this 100% a fact, it is not approved by California though.

Schools that are "Banned" are on a list with that state, SJSM is not on any list to this date.

Since I soon will be a grad I do keep up with this.

If you are unhappy with SJSM then transfer and go somewhere else.

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As a student on Value MD not attending one of the Covenanted schools there is no pleasure in posting anymore.