Thread: XAVIER ADMINISTRATION: Common Questions and Answers

Xavier University School of Medicine

We, as Xavier University School of Medicine administration, have decided to help those students that depend so heavily on ValueMD. Our involvement in this website is in light of numerous misconceptions regarding everything from Xavier’s MD prerequisites to the disbursement schedule of TERI Loans to the current President. As an institution we feel it necessary to relay only factual and current information. With the current improvements being made to XUSOM on multiple facets, many individuals have taken this opportunity to discredit and misconstrue factual information. We hope to solidify this necessary information that students, such as yourselves, need to make an intelligent decision in regards to your current or future medical school.

Any questions posted will be answered at least on a weekly basis.

• IMED & WHO:
  
  • Xavier University School of Medicine has on file a signed copy of both the IMED and WHO letters. Please contact XUSOM at xavier@valuemd.com, 1-609-524-4050, for verification and/or a copy.
  • IMED and WHO clearly specify our accreditation, allowing students to practice in Aruba.

• Why the move to Aruba?
  
  • Where would you rather be? Aruba vs. Bonaire. Aruba of course!!!!!
  • Aruba government directly helping the University ex:IMED and WHO
  • Upgrading facilities

i. Will be fully functional on the 1st day of classes, Sept 12th

ii. Comparatively, many schools have never upgraded facilities for students and faculty

• • Easier immigration for student entry
  • 350 bed hospital with our affiliation, permission to bring in cadavers, future rotation spots (helping international students who have visa issues with entering US, examples: India, Pakistan)
  • Westernized culture, banking, restaurants, etc.
  • Contact XUSOM for pictures

• MD prerequisites
  
  • 90 credit hours of undergraduate coursework which should include the following college level courses:

i. General Biology 1 & 2

ii. General Chemistry (Inorganic) 1 & 2

iii. Organic Chemistry 1 & 2

iv. Physics 1 & 2

v. College Algebra and/or Pre-Calculus & Calculus

vi. English 1 & 2

• The housing program for XUSOM is directed by an employee of XUSOM. He has gone to great lengths to secure housing for both students and faculty. Housing is set up for the convenience of those who use it, a courtesy. The Housing Director is under no circumstances making any kind of commission off the student or faculty; he strictly negotiates the best price possible for all occupants.
  
  • Contact ARUBAHOUSING@XUSOM.NL to confirm housing arrangements.

• Financial Aid
  
  • XUSOM has TERI Loans. Initially, the program was set up on an annual basis. Now, with our new contract with TERI Loans, we have solidified that students are eligible for $25,000 every 8 months (2 semesters) and up to $30,000 with a co-signer. Disbursements are given on a 1 semester cycle. This means that on a yearly basis you can get more than $45,000 with a co-signer. Approximately 60% of TERI applicants are approved. With a co-signer this number increases to about 70% of applicants approved. A general rule of thumb for getting approved for TERI Loans: greater than 650 credit score and less than $200 in collections.
  • XUSOM is in contact with directors of Federal Funding and will be looking to implement this program in the near future, approx. 2 years.
  • Xavier utilizes a payment plan – total tuition cost per year divided by 10.

• Xavier Tuition Costs:
  
  • Premed - $4,000 per semester
  • Basic Sciences - $5,800 per semester
  • Clinicals - $7,000 per semester
  • These tuition costs are now all inclusive, covering all University registration and semester fees. We have taken it upon ourselves as a school to take more costs and burden away from the student. We have also negotiated down to a minimal number of documents required for immigration.

i. Students that will be relocating from XUSOM Bonaire to XUSOM Aruba will be assisted by the administration.

• NO changes have been made in regards to our current President.
• Xavier Academic policy is available to any student and may be picked up on campus or contact the Admissions Department.

• Xavier University has never, and will never, block the ValueMD website.

• XUSOM policy regarding transcripts:
  
  • Any student of XUSOM is guaranteed official transcripts within 15 business days, conditional upon the student’s clearance through XUSOM Accounting. All students are legally obligated to pay only those invoices documented before services rendered.

• XUSOM has never sued a student on any grounds. The practice of threatening or suing a student or faculty member because they, of their own accord, wish to transfer to better their goals of education is deemed initially unprofessional, unethical, cowardly, and most intolerable. Secondly, to artificially create $4,000 fees for a student after their withdrawal so as to hold the student in financial limbo and create a negative remark on their credit report, keeping the student from being eligible for private loans, is HIGHLY FRAUDULANT and ILLEGAL! To discontinue the education of a student through withholding transcripts and deteriorating the grades made by hours of hard effort by any of the behaviors above will be punishable through the court system.

• US clinical rotations:
  
  • XUSOM rotations are more secure than ever before. We now have over 300 US clinical rotations in multiple hospitals, and are expanding into new markets around the country. These rotations include cores and electives, cores being ACGME Accredited (Green Book.)

• We have been informed that the GMC Group (who Xavier is currently 1 of 13 Medical Universities facilitated by GMC who are guaranteed US Clinical Rotations), is currently open and functioning inside the Atlanta Medical Center. The current contract with AMC is expiring as of December 31st, 2005 so GMC Group is at this time renegotiating the contract so as to stay current. Many school administrations, students, and attendings alike are as of date getting involved and helping in securing the new contract. (Please notify GMC Group if you would like to participate.)We are also very apologetic regarding comments made by numerous people in numerous organizations regarding Xavier’s lack of or stopping of rotations. GMC Group works IN the Atlanta Medical Center, not FOR the Atlanta Medical Center! GMC Group, who you can contact at www.GMCGROUP.org, will be more than happy to attest to the fact that they work with multiple hospitals and have been for some time, while simultaneously acquiring more. In any event, XUSOM students are not souly dependant on the outcome of GMC.

• XUSOM currently has no STEP 1 requirement. New clinical student orientations are held on the 1st Monday of every month, the next being Tuesday, September 6th, because of the holiday.

• Xavier works extremely hard to maintain the integrity of the University and listen to student concerns. We feel that for this reason Xavier has attracted many brand new students and transfer students alike. Any transfer of a student or faculty member is based on the issues of professional and educational courtesy, expected standards of achievement, and our strive for a better education.

Originally Posted by Xavier Admissions

As of right now, we have not gone through the process of having an XUSOM student liscensed in Aruba. Hopefully by December this year we will have this process finalized.

Thanks for being on the forum to answer questions. It is much appreciated.

If the school is able to achieve the licensing process with the Aruba government, I would be very interested in knowing about it. Could you keep us informed?

Originally Posted by bbubba

One more question,
you said in the initial post re: WHO


but in your latest post you state that students will not be allowed to practice in Aruba? You state today that the WHO letter has only been signed by the government and you will receive a letter back shortly, therefore implying that it has not been approved yet by WHO then? Then how come you made it sound like XUSOM already has a WHO letter that specifies your accreditation in your initial post? No offense, but something smells fishy...

Xavier University is officially accredited through IMED for both campuses. WHO has been signed, sealed, and delivered to WHO (which I clearly stated before.) And, as you quoted, we are waiting for it's return. There is a lengthy process for this letter on both the the side of island government and WHO administration. One of the many reasons we moved to Aruba was because we had the Arubian government copmlete our WHO letter by signing it, something that was unable to be accomplished through the currently changed rules and regulations of Bonaire. We will be POSTING the WHO letter as soon as it is returned.

So how long would u expect it to be until u receive a response...a few weeks, months, years? I heard this is no quick process, but if you had some remote estimate of the timeline that would be reassurring, since a lot of people use that as a deciding factor for applying to caribbean med schools.

PS - just wondering...when was the letter to WHO sent anyways? hmmm...

Originally Posted by ghostwriter

So how long would u expect it to be until u receive a response...a few weeks, months, years? I heard this is no quick process, but if you had some remote estimate of the timeline that would be reassurring, since a lot of people use that as a deciding factor for applying to caribbean med schools.

PS - just wondering...when was the letter to WHO sent anyways? hmmm...

WHO's process IS quite long, but as mentioned before it is filed and sent off. I cannot guarentee any specific time period because WHO does not give one. I can say, however, that once WHO is completed it is fixed and any XUSOM student may use it when applying for liscensure.

who owns the school?

Originally Posted by azskeptic

who owns the school?

XUSOM is owned by a 9 member Board of Trustess

Originally Posted by Xavier Admissions

XUSOM is owned by a 9 member Board of Trustess

Is your Board listing on the net anywhere? Couldn't find it on your site.

Originally Posted by azskeptic

Is your Board listing on the net anywhere? Couldn't find it on your site.

No, it is not posted anywhere.

Originally Posted by Xavier Admissions

No, it is not posted anywhere.

Can you tell us who is on the board?

Originally Posted by azskeptic

Can you tell us who is on the board?

At this time this is not fully discloseable information, since names are not permitted on ValueMD. Please use some other medium to learn this information.