San Juan Bautista School of Medicine Class of 2015

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Is anyone interested in splitting an apartment in Turabo Clusters? Or maybe Vista Real?

I can send some sample photos to anyone who private messages me, and we can talk more about rent, utilities etc.

Any takers?

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Hey everyone,

congrats to those who have been accepted. I'm an outgoing 4th year medical student at Ponce School of Medicine, about an hour drive south of you all and fixing to move back to US for residency. I'm selling everything in my apartment which includes:

-2000 Nissan Pathfinder: $5,700 OBO
-Full size bed (mattress, boxspring, steel base): $ 50
-Black glass top office desk with chair: $35
-Haier black/silver microwave: $20
-Lasko Model 2517 Tower Fan: $15
.-Black leather office chair: $10.
-Flat screen TV with wall mount: 100

I've also got pots/pans/plates and all that which you may have.

My last day in PR is June 1 so if you're interested please contact me ASAP. Thanks again everyone.
 
I'm also selling an entire living room set:

-brown, sectional sofa
-coffee table
-ottoman with storage space
 
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Has anyone heard anything from SJB? About when schools starts or orientation or anything...:/
 
Oh, Notorious, does that mean you got in??? If so, CONGRATULATIONS!!!

But yes, Registration opens June 24th, but Orientation doesn't happen until June 27th-30th. June 30th is when the White Coat Ceremony is. Classes don't begin until August 1st, but we have a "Research Class" in Turabo (I think) that begins July 5th--everyone says its a joke, but a great way to meet people and ease back into the academic life, if you took a year or two off.
 
Congrats everyone. I just got my acceptance letter yesterday... Very excited... I plan on taking a trip this weekend to PR with my wife to look for apartments and scoope things out. Any ideas?
 
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Hi,

I am married to an MS3 at SJB. I have spent loads of time exploring the island and know my way around pretty decently. If you have any practical questions or if there are any couples or families moving here, please contact me, I would love to help. We moved here and had a baby while here. so many people helped us, i would love the chance to help out folks, particularly families!

Exito!

Hello - Zoujouheh, I just got an acceptance letter yesterday. I am very excited. I am replying to your post to take you up on your offer. I would like to be in contact with you. I am planing to move with my wife who's currently expecting our second baby and my daughter will be 4 yrs old in August. Please send me a private message with how we can stay in touch. We need help with EVERYTHING... Thanks again.
 
Oh, Notorious, does that mean you got in??? If so, CONGRATULATIONS!!!

But yes, Registration opens June 24th, but Orientation doesn't happen until June 27th-30th. June 30th is when the White Coat Ceremony is. Classes don't begin until August 1st, but we have a "Research Class" in Turabo (I think) that begins July 5th--everyone says its a joke, but a great way to meet people and ease back into the academic life, if you took a year or two off.


Unfortunately i got waitlisted. I was asking because i had not heard anything from sjb until today. Hopefully i will know before june 24th. Are these dates final or premilinary? Congrats once again!
 
Congrats everyone. I just got my acceptance letter yesterday... Very excited... I plan on taking a trip this weekend to PR with my wife to look for apartments and scoope things out. Any ideas?



Congratulations on your acceptance! Would you mind sharing with those who were placed on the waitlist (such as myself) what the letter of acceptance said as far as making your decision or submitting a letter of intent or anything related to the acceptance. The reason I would like to know is to have a sense of when to expect to hear back from sjb about those who did not matriculate. Thanks! :)
 
How many shadowing hours do you guys have?
 
Congrats to all those accepted. i'm currently on the wait-list and although I have been recently accepted to Ponce, i'm hoping to hear from SJB soon. I'm wondering if some accepted students could let me know about the financial package they have received (based on FAFSA, financial need, etc.). Although I'm obviously not asking for specific numbers, I'm wondering if you received more,less, or just about what you expected. Most people I know currently in med school, have had to finance their education entirely through loans, so I am not sure if any grants are offered based on each individual's financial need. Thanks in advance for any help.
 
Congrats to all those accepted. i'm currently on the wait-list and although I have been recently accepted to Ponce, i'm hoping to hear from SJB soon. I'm wondering if some accepted students could let me know about the financial package they have received (based on FAFSA, financial need, etc.). Although I'm obviously not asking for specific numbers, I'm wondering if you received more,less, or just about what you expected. Most people I know currently in med school, have had to finance their education entirely through loans, so I am not sure if any grants are offered based on each individual's financial need. Thanks in advance for any help.


Congrats on your acceptance to Ponce! Did they give you a deadline to submit a letter of intent or to matriculate? Perhaps this date will be similar to what sjb has?? I'm just trying to figure out when SJB will start picking people from the waitlist...Thanks!
 
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Congrats on your acceptance to Ponce! Did they give you a deadline to submit a letter of intent or to matriculate? Perhaps this date will be similar to what sjb has?? I'm just trying to figure out when SJB will start picking people from the waitlist...Thanks!

They didn't give me a deadline but they made it clear that they needed to know my intentions as soon as possible. I'm not sure that I understand what you mean about it in relation to SJB but I'm definitely hoping that SJB's waitlist has begun to move or will begin to soon.
 
They didn't give me a deadline but they made it clear that they needed to know my intentions as soon as possible. I'm not sure that I understand what you mean about it in relation to SJB but I'm definitely hoping that SJB's waitlist has begun to move or will begin to soon.


I was thinking SJB and Ponce would have a similar deadline for those who were accepted to declare their intentions with that institution.

I have not heard anything about the wait list either!
 
I was thinking SJB and Ponce would have a similar deadline for those who were accepted to declare their intentions with that institution.

I have not heard anything about the wait list either!

Sorry! It is Notorious725 signed in to my wife's account
 
Sorry! It is Notorious725 signed in to my wife's account

accepted of the wait list today! they gave me until june 10th btw

I didn't receive any mention of the academic calendar though. I'm wondering if anyone knows where I can find this info...
 
accepted of the wait list today! They gave me until june 10th btw

i didn't receive any mention of the academic calendar though. I'm wondering if anyone knows where i can find this info...


congrats!!! Did you get an email?? Will you be attending sjb or ponce? I'm so anxious now!!! Fyi you can check the facebook group for dates and such
 
accepted of the wait list today! they gave me until june 10th btw

I didn't receive any mention of the academic calendar though. I'm wondering if anyone knows where I can find this info...
Call the school and ask. The schedule I was told goes something like this:

June 24: Registration
June 27-30: Orientation and White Coat Ceremony
July 5: Research class at SJB (not Turabo anymore)
August 1: Normal Classes begin.

Hope that helps!

And good luck to everyone still waiting to hear!
 
Hi everyone!

I just found out about this forum and it has definitely helped calm my nerves! I'm excited to meet all of you during orientation!
 
Quick question, and I apologize if its a stupid one:

But how much IS San Juan Bautista's tuition for 2011-2012?

And can someone explain the financial aid award letter? How is it that I qualify for $55,666 in "financial aid" (i.e. loans), yet my "Effective Family Contribution" is only $3,436? And why is it they list everything else in the "cost of attendance" (housing, transportation, etc.), but don't list the actual TUITION costs and fees anywhere???

What do I use to pay them at registration? A cashier's check? If so, what if I don't have an account with a Puerto Rican bank yet? Will they accept a check and account information from a bank in the US?

Help?!?!

Edit: Answered my own question. The tuition for first-year students is about $30,940.57 (give or take), plus about $80 in fees. This also doesn't include insurance, which would be about $1500 extra. The first half of your tuition (about $15,141.13) is due at matriculation, and can be paid via certified check, Visa, or money order. Personal checks will not be accepted. If you cannot make it to registration on June 24th, you can pay up on the 27th, plus a $50.00 late registration fee.

>_<
 
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congrats everyone. i'm hoping to apply to SJB next year, but i've heard some sketchy things like they let someone with academic honor violations in, some rich mainlander....does anybody know anything about that? maybe they needed the money because of the bankruptcy...i'm from the island originally and i know they have some financial problems.
 
Pandabeardoc,

I don't know what you might've heard, but the school itself isn't in bankruptcy, as far as I know. The medical center (which is its own corporate entity) filed for bankruptcy protection because of an ongoing dispute with the PR power authority.

In terms of them accepting a "rich mainlander" or someone with honor violations, that is entirely possible--and also entirely irrelevant.

Even schools on the mainland accept rich kids (if they're qualified) as well as people with "honor violations," if they are qualified and can explain the incident sufficiently well. What's more, at least at my school "honor violations" could mean anything from buying answers to a test, to not using in-line citations on your term paper.

Best of luck next year!
 
Thanks for your reply. Honor violations can range, but it makes you wonder why they would take someone who had been suspended for them, maybe some donation helped. I'd be concerned about a medical student with academic integrity issues, but I guess those things work themselves out over time. Was just questioning how they make admissions decisions in such situations and if finances influence.
 
how do you know someone like that won't do the same later, or that even the application materials were written by that person? people can explain away anything, makes you wonder how admissions gets around that with so many other potentially qualified applicants.
 
Pandabeardoc,

I'm afraid I can't comment on SJB's admissions process beyond what I went through myself. Maybe they strongly believe in giving people second chances? I certainly know that's true for people who are already in and struggling to get by, academically.

But even If what you say is true (and I don't know that it is or isn't), all I can offer is that its contrary to my own experiences. The only question I was asked in regards to my financial situation was whether I was planning to solicit loans for my education or not, and if so, whether or not I'd filled out a FAFSA form online already.

If you have any questions about their application process, I'm sure you could call or e-mail the admissions office yourself and ask. Just be polite, and tell them you have some questions about their admissions process--and if you've already applied once before, be sure to tell them your name and AAMC number, so you can ask if there is anything you can do to make your re-application stronger the next time.

I know for a fact that some schools like East Carolina University offer counseling and advice sessions for people who applied to their program and didn't get in, so that they know what their weaknesses are, and how to make up for them. Maybe SJB offers the same service to those few people who are clever and motivated enough to even think to ask?

Could be worth a shot.

In any event, best of luck next year. And if you do hear anything further, please keep us posted!
 
Thanks for the feedback on the process.
Still questionable because I heard it wasn't just one violation. But I'm applying to other schools, too. Just want to make sure my final decisions are with the best schools possible, given every variable on how things work and what ultimately influences admissions decisions.
 
I don't know how highly i look on a medical school that accepts someone who was suspended for a year for honor violations. It just makes the stereotypes of Caribbean schools even worse. I would think SJB would try even harder to uphold the very highest standards.
 
It is very understandable that you are adamant about attending a school that is accepting students suspended for honor violations. First of all it is not a Caribbean school, it is located in the Caribbean, it is part of the US system. Second, I would hope each student, accepted into whichever medical school, succeed based on their efforts and not whether there is a 'violator' in the class. When you graduate and are looking for residency, 'they' will be looking at what you did as a student not what others in your class have done.

On a lighter note ... I would not mind you leaving the space open for me or other students considering SJB ! :D:D

Good luck in the application process !!!
 
I don't know how highly i look on a medical school that accepts someone who was suspended for a year for honor violations. It just makes the stereotypes of Caribbean schools even worse. I would think SJB would try even harder to uphold the very highest standards.


Sjb is located in the caribbean but it is not a caribbean school since it is accredited by the LCME.
 
Another important point to mention:

Unless you plan on pursuing a pure-research or pure-academia field in medicine, where you go to school almost doesn't matter at all--what they REALLY care about, is your score on the USMLE exam (or equivalent exam for foreign-trained doctors).
standardized tests.

That's why foreign doctors from India, Europe, and Israel are able to apply (successfully) to US residency programs--they just take the USMLE or equivalent exam for foreign doctors, and based on their score, match for whatever residency is in their range.

It's also why even unaccredited medical schools like the American University in Antigua or Israel's Technion University are able to send their graduates to US residency programs--they just study for four years in the basic skills, beast the USMLE or equivalent foreign-entry exam, and match to a residency program accordingly.

Even if you do want to go into academia or a pure-research field, where you go to school only matters if your USMLE scores are medicore, at best. That is to say, if the choice is between two people with equal USMLE scores, but one went to UNC and the other to Israel Technion, a US residency program will probably go with the person from the US-accredited university--unless, of course, there are other factors in the Technion grad's favor, like published research papers, other advanced degrees, more work experience, military, civil, or volunteer service, better grades, or better letters of recommendation.

But really, at that point you're almost to the point of "who did we like better in the interview?"-type decision making.

Long story short--the only question you should be asking about any school (US, Caribbean, or foreign), is this:

Will this school help prepare me for the USMLE? If the answer is yes, then it's a good school. If the answer is no, then keep looking.

If you're supremely lucky, and you manage to get into multiple schools that will prepare you for the USMLE, then you have the luxury of asking a follow-up question:

Which school will best prepare me for the USMLE?

Hope that helps, and best of luck in the future!
 
All true and very helpful. But I'd like to think there is a code of ethics by which every element of the school operates, and it would bother me to know something as significant as major honor violations are overlooked. It would be hard for me to know one of my fellow classmates had been capable of that and the standards by which it impacted the admissions decision. Maybe a family or money connection. But in the end, USMLE is what counts, you can look at it that way. Thanks, lots to consider.
 
Hey guys,

I'm incredibly excited to meet all of you, I was accepted just a couple of days ago and am having the hardest time getting in contact with anybody at the school or otherwise.

I really need a place to stay and I'm looking for a roommate or at least someone who wouldn't mind me staying with them during orientation so I get my things straight. Please let me know if you can help with this. If you need to call me I will be happy to give you my number/email in a personal message.
 
Hi everyone,

I'm going in for my interview at SJB on November 9 and wanted to see if anyone had advice for me? I'm not completely fluent in Spanish but have taken 6 years of Spanish and am planning on taking the CLEP to acquire the required credits.

Can anyone shed light on how long I should plan on staying in PR, what kinds of things they ask and any advice on how to prepare for the interview if I'm not fluent in Spanish?

Also, if anyone is currently studying there, how to handle the accreditation issues? SJB has been given accreditation on probation, but does that mean they could lose it at any time?

Thanks!!
 
Hi everyone,

I'm going in for my interview at SJB on November 9 and wanted to see if anyone had advice for me? I'm not completely fluent in Spanish but have taken 6 years of Spanish and am planning on taking the CLEP to acquire the required credits.

Can anyone shed light on how long I should plan on staying in PR, what kinds of things they ask and any advice on how to prepare for the interview if I'm not fluent in Spanish?

Also, if anyone is currently studying there, how to handle the accreditation issues? SJB has been given accreditation on probation, but does that mean they could lose it at any time?

Thanks!!
Hey Skabani!
I am interviewing on the 14th! I hope you interview goes well and please let me know what you think about the school after your visit :)
Any help is appreciated.
 
Hey I know this might be an old/closed post but do you know I could find the match list? Thanks!
FYI this year's MATCH DAY for SJB was

87% match rate for the seniors, I am all excited for next year!!!!!!
 
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