Decades ago when I was in psychology graduate school, as part of a Social Psychology course we were studying animal behavior and its many aspects which we have inherited through evolution. I was impressed by the topic of herd mentality and the behavior of predators. It goes something like this: lions stalk zebras by following the herd and trying to get downwind of them to avoid detection by scent. The lions hide in the bushes; they are ambush killers and great sprinters, but cannot outrun zebras after a few hundred yards.

Zebras exploit their running superiority by confronting the lions in a face-off from afar, staring at them to "keep an eye on them", and running when the lions move.

A single kick from a zebra can kill a lion, and occasionally does. If you watch nature programs which show lions attacking a zebra, you'll notice that the lions deftly avoid making themselves vulnerable to a kick, and prefer to attack the throat or spine.

When a zebra is attacked, the rest of the herd runs away, despite their ability to kick the whole pride of lions to death, or to trample them as elephants would in the same situation.

So why does the zebra herd run, when they could kill all the lions and be rid of them once and for all? The answer is simple: because it's in their genes. Something in the genotype of zebras inhibits their ability to act in concert against an aggressor, and causes them to run instead. Why it's in their genes is complicated, however, and not relevant to this discussion.

Not all animals behave this way. Consider hyenas, who show up on the scene shortly after every lion kill and distract the lions away from their prey long enough to partake thereof. Why don't the lions kill the hyenas? Like the zebras, in a contest between a single hyena and a lion, the lion always wins, but a pack of hyenas, unlike a herd of zebras, will not run, but will attack and kill a pesky lion who has the effrontery to kill one of their own.

So what does all this have to do with medical school? I'll explain it to you. Students are like zebras, and the administration is like the lions. Collectively, the students can exert crushing power to redress their grievances, but like zebras, it's not in their genes to do so. Instead, they run when the lions advance, because self-preservation of the individual is chosen over the collective safety of the herd. In the mind of a single zebra, it is not willing to risk its safety by attacking the pride of lions while the rest of the zebras run away. Students are governed by a 'you first' principle, in which nobody has the guts to stand up for their rights because if everyone else runs, the consequences can be fatal.

But if, through some genetic mutation, the student herd evolves to the point where the students behave more like hyenas instead of zebras (well, some already do, but not in the sense of this thread), we might actually get something done. The one thing I just know everyone will agree with is that the owners of Xavier understand money. Lots of students, lots of money. Few students, little money. No students, no money. What do you think the owners would do if all the students simply refused to pay their tuition for next semester, and instead every last one of us requested a transcript sent to another school? I'll tell you what would happen: we'd get rid of the school uniform, surly teachers, high rent apartments, test irregularities, bathroom neglect, and a locked library. That's what. And we wouldn't have to wait an evolutionary period of time for it to happen.

But not to worry, it'll never happen. Why? Because we're zebras, not hyenas. Until the student body discovers the power of collective action, things will happen at a tortoise pace, and you have no one to blame but yourselves.

Here's what you should do: like a whispering campaign in colonial New England, you should tell everyone -- I said everyone, not just your roommate -- to use ValueMD as a clearing house for the exchange of ideas. Not enough of us post here, and that's a shame. I do not wish to be a lone voice crying in the wilderness. We have a decent forum here to exchange ideas and rally each other to action, but if you take no interest in change, then no change is what you'll get. There is a saying in politics: people deserve the government they get. By analogy, students deserve the school they get, because it is we, the providers of all the money, who have the ultimate power, and when we decide to act like hyenas instead of zebras, we'll get the school we all hope for.

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

Evolution dictates why zebras act this way. The species is not extinct, far from it, thus their genetic tendencies cannot be criticized. The same may be said about XUSOM students. They know what it takes to survive: study and get out!

I actually agree with you fossildoc. Unfortunately, if you take a look around campus it is full of selfish characters that cannot see past their own grade. The rats in each class that are smitten with administration ensure that the ground we stand on is never firm. Some students are so afraid anything they say will trickle down to the Registrar's Office (Aruban Times), they would rather remain as zebras. A lot of the blame falls upon the admission criteria of XUSOM. Many medical schools look at the entire profile of a student they are admitting, where one's personality, character, and values play an integral role in their prospects of becoming a future doctor. You can expect a hyena type mentality from such students, but not from most students at Xavier. XUSOM, for financial reasons, would admit anybody with a GPA that was not negative. The end result is what you see now. You have a bunch of students who believe grades will translate directly into a successful physician. They do not have the drive, the hunger, or the innate desire to become SUCCESSFUL doctors; hence, the lack of unity and foresight in this student body. The equation for most students is very simple here:

LOAN/Daddy's money + easy exams + do not piss off administration = XUSOM degree -------> clinicals ---> residency ----> doctor



With the new ownership however, it is interesting to see that these very lions you speak of are running to certain zebras for cover

I am taking a wait-and-see approach to this new ownership. We cannot expect amazing changes in a few short months. I just hope, like most changes in government, this new ownership does not blame the previous administration for its own myopia, hyperopia, and general retardation.

The new owners bought a medical school, almost on the very day that private student loans disappeared from the market. What were they thinking? What are they thinking now? How many of us can attend medical school without a viable loan source? The income from school uniforms is a bonus, but not sufficient to fund a medical school, the students and faculty. Man, without loans, there will be no medical school for me. Maybe without student loans, there will be no medical school for the new owners. I hope they address these concerns shortly. I have been accepted for September 08. Best wishes to all those who share such concerns.

Rest assured that I, fossildoc, personally know with absolute certainty that the student loan issue is so hot with the current owners that you can't even get near the fire. I believe the new owners to be well-meaning, sincere, and competent, all of which gives me hope for a bright future for our school. I also believe that the new owners didn't realize they'd be up to their gluteus in alligators, so I think we should all give them a chance to catch their breath and make some plans. If you have any ideas, or criticisms which I hope would be accompanied by remedial suggestions, please send them to the contacts they listed in another post (sorry, I can't give them here).

The owners know that lack of funds has created a crisis for current and prospective students, and that the whole operation is threatened by this crisis. Let's pool our collective intelligence and help them out instead of just whining about it. Someone out there knows somebody who knows somebody who is a partner in a venture capital firm that makes educational loans. Put the two sides in touch. If you have a relative who is a physician graduate of a U.S. school, ask him/her to help pursue a sponsorship relationship with that school; the big schools in the Caribbean have such deals, so why shouldn't we? Rural hospitals in the U.S. pay all expenses for a medical education in return for a work contract for some number of years; currently, they only offer this to U.S. students, but U.S. citizens who are enrolled in foreign schools might be acceptable, too. These contacts should be pursued.

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

Thank you for clarifying this. I thought they were still using the mirror fogging test.

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

Pulease!!!!! Real World. Xusom will only be profitable when they have graduating classes of 50+ students. To attract 50+ students would require American trained & liscensed physicians as instructors. a rigourous curriculum that is actually adhered to , relationships with quality clinical rotation hospitals and quality residency programs --- in short some excellence in the product they offer. It is not happening, no is it likely to occur. In 2003 these people were attempting to form relationships to get past the 12 week rule in Florida and NY. 5 years later, nothing has changed. Nothing. the new owners have cut the cost of utilities by reducing the number of rooms available for weekend and evening study. This is not thinking big! Students who come here have not made a decision based on demonstrated quality of education and those who stay generally are those who have other training so they can survive even tho their Xusom education is a joke OR they are genuinely zebras and will never practice medicine anywhere. The quality of the instruction is so poor I doubt that students can even uncomphrehend the Kaplan reviews. I shudder to think what Xusom provides for Kaplan reviews. They may call them Kaplans but I wonder if the quality is similar to the other course work. A capable student would endure 1 month at Xusom and immediately attempt to transfer to Ross, or Guadaljara if they can do Spanish.