Thread: SMU - Cayman Islands No longer disapproved by the GMC

It was indeed a paperwork issue.

Now, its resolved. Look for where it says SMU, Cayman Islands.

SMU, Cayman Islands, where the school is now, is once again approved by the GMC. SMU used to have a campus on Belize a long time ago and it is not approved (it also doesn't exist anymore so its not relevant).

Below is the link. Props to the administration for taking care of this quickly.

GMC | Acceptable primary medical qualification

And some of you want to be doctors, I'm surprised some of you can stand the sight of blood the way you squeal like a 5 year old without thinking things through sometimes. cheers.

Kishkash read the report from the GMC, it simply states that SMU is banned and no student graduating after Dec 31st 2010 can not prcatice in the UK. This is all students Clinical and B.S.

The problem is we have not been told by the Admin of SMU why this ban has taken place, no one knows, it could be clinicals, it could be Cayman, it could be anyting, we do not know, and this is the part that P>>> me off about this school. I think it is something quite serious (just me).

But why the random date? Again you have not answered my question but keep repeating the same pooh pooh.

If it is a problem with everything then the date should include everyone before and after 2010.

I agree with you, why this date? We don't know, no one knows.

If you want an answer ok, let me see i I can give you one.

so students who graduated last year are ok, so they left cayman some 24 months before they graduated. what was different back then? maybe it was, i don't know becuase i was not there, Is there any one from 4,5,6 years ago tell us what is different now to then, what changes did the school make to cuase us this problem? Did the school completely change their program or something?

Hope this helps answering your question.

My point exactly. No one seems to have any answers but continues to put up opinions and false facts around here.

Would it not be a good idea to collectively help each other out and other fellow SMU students and analyse the situation properly?

From what I know from personal experience the school has been getting better and improving it's basic science curriculum. The fact that you need to pass the Step to get to clinicals is a pretty high standard even compared to UK medical schools.

Again this is all from objective analysis of other medical schools and comparing our teaching with theirs.

Maybe have this forum to discuss things in the proper manner rather than scare and worry people.

How are we scaring people? All we are doing is speaking the facts. At this time any SMU student who graduates from Jan 1st 2011 can not practice in the UK. that is it, this is a fact, so again how are we scaring people? I have spent alot of money oming here and whe i signed up we all were told that we had the UK, now over half way through the semester we find out that the school is banned. Simple. What really gets me is that if not for students finding this out and letting us know, the school would have never told us. again simple as that and facts.

What should we do then? tell all incoming students this is the best school? Why?

No, but why tell them anything when you don't have all the facts. Typical response for people on here is to get all flustered and make stuff up and then the next person takes it as gospel and so on and so on. But as soon as someone points out the fact that certain things have no basis they are immediately accused of being a school cheerleader.

Originally Posted by kishkash186

No, but why tell them anything when you don't have all the facts. Typical response for people on here is to get all flustered and make stuff up and then the next person takes it as gospel and so on and so on. But as soon as someone points out the fact that certain things have no basis they are immediately accused of being a school cheerleader.

These are the cold facts:

1. We are the only school in the carribean still banned by California
2. We are the only school in the carribean banned by a whole country (UK)
3. We are the only school in the carribean with no campus of its own (we rent office space and call them labs)
4. We are the only school in the carribean (along with Saba & MUA) with stupid credit hours
5. For the amount of tuition we pay ($10,000) we have the cheapest faculty and facilities of any caribbean school (I know SGU, Ross, AUC charge more, but the worst school in the region SMU should not be)
6. The owners of the school can not be bothered to maintain or update our website (which is the worst medical school website in the region)
7. We have an administration that wont tell us anything or even come down to speak to us about this GMC mess
8. Our curriculum has changed more than any other school in the region (MUA & Saba excluded)

I found out many of these things when I got here, but even with all our problems we were not blacklisted by a foreign country, so I just kept my head down and got on with it. Those that want to be cheerleaders (eg Kishkash and ICC) can go right ahead but I will tell the truth. Every point I made above is FACT.

I'll say it again: Anybody that applies here for next semester is either very desperate (which I can understand) or stupid. Any euro/UK student that stays here is also stupid. Those of us already here should keep this as the number one issue so that this does'nt become another Cali because as long as people keep coming here or no one complains the owner/s of the school will do nothing

Thanks for keeping the thread on the original subject. Is this really how you have a conversation with people The Man??

Hey everyone….

I’m a british student who always had the intention when applying to SMU, that I would practice in the UK after graduation.

And as we all know, the GMC is no longer recognising graduates from St. Matthew's University (unless you've graduated before December 2010).

Honestly, ever since I’ve found out, I haven’t stopped panicking or trying to find a solution. Firstly I thought I could transfer out. But after several conversations with the GMC, they informed me that I will not be able to transfer my credits to any institution (even the classes done before Dec 2010).

Now after this all happened, I hit rock bottom. Let’s be honest with ourselves, most British students went to SMU with the intention of practicing within the UK. If we can’t transfer out, that means we have only 2 choices left:

1) carry on at SMU → ...and hope this passes
2) re-start at a new school → Myself, like most students, can’t afford to re-start again

So I decided to contact my local MP (member of parliament) – equivalent to senate in the states. My MP was unaware that the GMC had disapproved SMU and decided to personally contact the GMC chairman and the university minister in the UK.

After talking to her this morning she urged me to ask other British students to write to their local MP’s explaining the current situation. Basically the more students that raise this issue with there MP’s, the more pressure it will put on the GMC. And hopefully we can find out why this is happening? If there’s a solution? Or at least get some guidance.

So please can everyone forward this message to any other British students on or off the island. And hopefully, something can be done.

Yours thankfully,

British SMU student.

Originally Posted by kishkash186

Thanks for keeping the thread on the original subject. Is this really how you have a conversation with people The Man??

Staying on thread?? It was untrue, all man is doing is saying the truth, which is not the case with the tittle of this thread.

Gmail2011, Great idea, I didn't think of this. but as I am moving on I hope all of the SMU UK students who have spent 2,3,4,5,6,,7,8,9 semseters all the best, I am fortunate enough were I have on been at SMU 1 amd will only have wasted 4 months with this school.

I am personally not sure what an MP can do, as the GMC is an independent board protecting patients, but it maybe worth ago. Maybe the MP's can find out why this has happened and get answers for you, none the less at this time UK students can't practice and if you have spent thousands of dollars alread at SMU, maybe you should look too the school to give you your funds back. Just a thought.

I wait for Ic and kishkash to come back and now insult me....

To you "The Man" at least you are willing as a US student (it appears) to care for UK students, thanks..