If you have read any of my previous posts, I said I would be starting MD1 in May.. well here I am. First off I gotta say that I really like Aruba. I visited the island last year and didn't get to see a quarter of what I have seen so far. I am originally from NJ and this island has equal if not more to offer. Yeah, this is a different country so don't expect it to have everything but from what I have seen so far I don't have any major complaints.

As for the school.. orientation was yesterday and the speakers who presented seem to have some solid promise. As you know this school is new and it is going through many transitional periods. Only time will tell if they uphold the timeline of plans they have set.

The one thing that really stands out about this school is the students. The students that help me get adjusted to the island, I can't thank enough. There are a lot of students on the island and I would say 90% don't post. I spoke to many older students both in the premed and MD programs and I get the feeling it is mostly an issue of time. People do research on these schools before they come and after they arrive here and school begins its non-stop studying. So, those out there who are concerned about the students.. don't be. There is also an active AMSA chapter here too. Hopefully they will make updates to the website soon because there actually are many positives here that potential students would have no clue about.

Overall, I think if your goal is to one day become a doctor this school can get you there. The big point is to do your research (focus on state licensing..forget about residency for now) and be prepared to work. Chances are you will have to work harder at these carib schools then you would at a US school, but it can be done.

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Chris

life experience

Does this school have loans/financial aid?

Also, what private loan(s) does Xavier in Bonaire have available for us future students?

I read that the Bonaire campus has private student loans.

Thanks for taking the time to update us on your experience Chris! It's good to hear positive things about the school from you. I'm glad you're finding the current students there to be really nice. That's a really important factor, it's definitely encouraging. I'll be joining you this fall hopefully. Keep us posted as I would love to get more insight from you. Good luck with your first week of classes!

Thanks for spending your valueble time.

They don't have the Garden State Parkway (aka The Road of a Thousand Tolls).

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Brain surgeon to another: "Hey, this isn't rocket science".
Rocket scientist to another: "Hey, this isn't brain surgery".