A few questions regarding this school...

1. How difficult is it to get a US residency if you go here?
2. How fluent must you be in Spanish?
3. Are classes taught in Spanish?
4. Is this school accredited by the US? Is it better than a Caribbean school?

Thanks!

I will try to answer your questions,

A few questions regarding this school...

1. How difficult is it to get a US residency if you go here?

"Ponce School of Medicine is a fully accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education(LCME). Our graduates can hold residency or practice anywhere within the US through the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP) and Electronic Residency Application System (ERAS)." - taken from PSoM´s website.

http://www.psm.edu/Student_Affairs/Admissions/faq_admission.htm#faq6


2. How fluent must you be in Spanish? and 3. Are classes taught in Spanish?

To answer both questions:

"Are the classes taught in English or in Spanish?
Either or both languages, depending on the preference of the instructors. Textbooks and exams are in English, however, students must be fully bilingual in English and Spanish. Six credits of college level Spanish are required."- taken from their PSoM´s website.

http://www.psm.edu/Student_Affairs/Admissions/faq_admission.htm#faq6

4. Is this school accredited by the US? Is it better than a Caribbean school?

For accreditation see question number 1 or LCME's website ( http://www.lcme.org/directry.htm ). If it is better or worse than Caribbean school is a matter of opinion, but the facts are:

Tuition in PSoM is 18,000/year vs. AUC´s $11,000/year or Ross´ 13,000/year
Ponce is LCME accredited, none of the caribbean´s schools is.
Puerto Rico has most US commodities (big shopping malls and US chains) most lower antilles don´t.
Lower Antilles islands get hitted by hurricanes almost every year, Puerto Rico doesn´t.
Puerto Rico is part of the United States the other islands are not.
Puerto Rico has a population of almost 3,500,000 people what translates on plenty of more clinical exposure than in 30,000 to 60,000 people islands.
Criminality in Puerto Rico is higher than the lower antilles islands.


Thanks!

I hope you find this information useful. Hasta luego!

I'm a Ponce grad from New York and I agree with most of what Boricua_Doc already answered.
As for Spanish fluency you need to be able to speak Spanish at a decent level buy you don't have to be completely fluent. There are quite a few students from the states who speak Spanish but are far from perfect. Your Spanish will improve pretty fast when you get down here.
I think Ponce is definitely superior to other schools in the Caribbean since it like the other 2 med schools in PR is fully LCME accredited so you will never be considered an FMG. I just matched in Dermatology and other classmates matched in ENT, Plastics, Optho, Radio and Ortho. I don't think anyone from Ross, AUC etc ever matched in Derm or Plastics.
Just my 2 cents

Adam

I'm a Ponce grad from New York and I agree with most of what Boricua_Doc already answered.
As for Spanish fluency you need to be able to speak Spanish at a decent level buy you don't have to be completely fluent. There are quite a few students from the states who speak Spanish but are far from perfect. Your Spanish will improve pretty fast when you get down here.
I think Ponce is definitely superior to other schools in the Caribbean since it like the other 2 med schools in PR is fully LCME accredited so you will never be considered an FMG. I just matched in Dermatology and other classmates matched in ENT, Plastics, Optho, Radio and Ortho. I don't think anyone from Ross, AUC etc ever matched in Derm or Plastics.
Just my 2 cents

Adam


Hey there

Maybe U.Autonomous Guadalajara
classes are in both Spanish and English

have you heard of this one before ?

So where are clinical rotations for Ponce held, in the US or in PR?


ULTRON

I am not sure but I do want to here more information about Ponce because I am applying there.

So where are clinical rotations for Ponce held, in the US or in PR?


ULTRON

Im a Ponce graduate too. 3rd year rotations are done in Ponce, in the two most important hospitals of the area: Damas Hospital and San Lucas 2 Hospital. Depending on the attending you could also be visiting two other hospital: San Lucas 1 and Dr. Pilas Hospital. Also depending on the attending you can go to their private office, but this depends on the attending. During fourth year you have a maximum of 5 electives (one month each) that you can do anywhere in the states. the other 4 months are rotations that are mandatory and are done in Ponce.