As far as UST is concerned, I've heard it to be a good school. Both my uncle and my aunt went to that school. I'm not exactly sure how strict they are gpa-wise, but I know that they are pretty less lenient about the nmat cut-off.
If it says that 6 credits worth of F's won't be accepted, then it won't be accepted. No offense or anything to you or to anybody, but F's on any transcript won't be looked upon favorably at any legit med school institution here or in the Philippines, but that's NOT to say one still can't get in... because it's still possible that one can! However, I strongly disagree that the $10 K donation fee will make up for a series of bad undergraduate grades. One cannot BUY academic credibility - It should be EARNED, I think.
You asked, "how much better is ust than ue?" I'm not sure. You should ask the local Filipino students about that one if you're that interested to know, though I can tell you right now that you'll get a plethora of answers depending on who you ask. All I can say is that as U.S. graduates and holders of bachelor's degrees from U.S. universities, all that should matter is going to the school that you know is credible and that you feel comfortable with academically AND socially, as there will be lots of interaction with your classmates in the classroom and labs and you need good vibes with them in order to learn well.
You asked, "which school will prepare me more for the usmle?" BOTH schools (ust and ue) teach their students and gear them up for the Philippine boards, which is NOT the USMLE - in fact, very different. UST and UE are both private Philippine universities so it's only understandable that that's how the curriculum is based. However, medicine and science is exactly that... medicine and science. And it's scientific foundations and facts are the same anywhere in the world. If you want to go to med school in the Philippines WITH the intentions to practice in the United States, then you have to study for the USMLE outside of classroom time.
It's like double studying because you have your normal school texts and assignments to do/study, but then on top of that, you also MUST prepare yourself for the USMLE independently and it won't be easy because there are A LOT OF FACTS and TABLES and APPLICATIONS to know (Trust me, I already perused through "First Aid for the USMLE Step 1"
). I've also read the ECFMG website for IMG's (international medical graduates), which is such a GREAT RESOURCE
Go to it at
http://www.ecfmg.org !!! It really emphasized to me how important this test (taken in 3 steps) is in order to obtain residency here in the U.S. So, it's important to choose a school that you're comfortable with that will allow you the time to study for both regular class stuff and the usmle. There's also another good book out there that I've read: "Med School Confidential: A Complete Guide to the Medical School Experience" by a guy named R. H. Miller. Also, I can't forget to mention the first book that I read, "Getting In: How Not to Apply to Medical School" by Paul Jung. I really, really did my homework before deciding to go to Medical School, especially in the Philippines. These books are all mainly geared towards U.S. med schools and the USMLE, so I really compared it with what I knew about the curriculums at Philippine med schools and it helped me develop a study plan for the USMLE.
I never heard of UE being labeled as a party school, but even med schools have their own labels, I guess. For example, my undergrad institution is the University of Florida (Go Gators!). Some people call us the party school because we're a college town and great at sports... we win national championships in football and basketball. But, in Florida, the state recognizes us as the most competitive out of the public universities in FL to get into - so it's selective, and it's a pretty challenging undergrad curriculum. Labels are labels, and I suppose you get them for a reason. BUT reputation is way more important, so even though UE can be labeled like that, it still holds a reputation for sending its Fil-Ams back to the States in secure good residencies... which is really the point, after all.
Ultimately, it's not the school... it's the INDIVIDUAL that has more influence over what he or she can do, no matter what anyone else says. Just do your research on the schools, read books, ask around, and decide whether or not a certain school can fit the criteria you're looking for. That's exactly what I did.
GOODLUCK TO EVERYONE.
Kat