anyone hear from Ireland??

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Melbourne. Uni of Melb. Been living here for about 10 years, and still do. Did my Art & Sci there/here and couldn't remember a thing. Chiken out in front of Gameset (post graduate) and escape to Ireland to do my Medicine - actually, I got frustrated here and thus couldn't be bothered to wait for half year. The way they handle applicants is very slaging. There is never an adequate answer or information, sometimes you just couldn't comprehand what they really meant. Informtions on paper is never adequate. You are always forced to seek informations from people. All the staff kept saying 'don't worry mate', and than they refer you to someone that is never much available, you got to ring thousand times and by the tome you got the person on the phone, he/she is not the right person you should look for, and he/she is always more frustrated than you somehow. Until it is about too late, they suddenly blitz you with lots of informations about 'how to using "postage handling" to mail application forms to .. blah blah blah university. Than, they would send your mail back and forth and missed and managed ... until ... until ..Rarrrrrrr! you ate all the mail!

May be it is much easier for oversea applicants, but I am not allowed to steal the place though. I am still in Melbourne, won't be there (Dublin) until October. (Cheaper flights for me)
 
Hey Centrum: Yeah this will be my first time in Irleand but I'm soo excitied, and I can't wait to go out and meet everyone. I still havent found out who my roomate is..I don't know what could possibly be taking them so long.
 
Hey everyone...sorry I have been MIA...there has been surf for the past week. 8-10 ft today in RI...God bless the tropical storms. Anyhew, I am definitely down for meeting up on the night of the 27th. I am going to try to stay up as late as I can that night anyway. I have found it's the best way to beat jetlag. Hey glamgirl, what flight are you on? I arrive at 8am on the 27th from Newark NJ. I start out in Boston though. We will see. I am definitely getting excited! I will post my room before I head out...I don't have the paper in front of me right now and I have to get back for the afternoon set of surfing! Sun and surf...I love vacation! I am going to miss the sun in Dublin 🙂 Ok, back to the light house kids. Hope all is well.

😉
-p
 
P....we might actually be on the same flight. I know im on an aer lingus flight that arrives at 8 am in dublin on the 27th...maybe you are too? That would be great!
 
Hey glam girl...I am actually flying continental. Might run into you going to customs though. I will be the one with blond hair being strip searched for looking sketchy with all the damn bags I'll have. Hope not! Anyhew, good to know. Maybe we will see you later that night with the rest of the crew.
😉
-p
 
Hey P....Too bad we won't be on the same flight.. I almost booked a flight on continental. Speaking of bags though how much are you really bringing? I thought you could only bring two bags that weighed 70lbs and a carry on?? My dads flying up with me to help me move in so I get to have 4 bags...but I don't know how I'm going to haul it all back by myself in the summer. Anyways if anyone can give me any packing tips I'd love to hearthem b/c right now it doesnt look like im goin to be able to fit most of the stuff i want to 🙁 ..also does anyone know how much it is to bring an extra bag along?
 
I think it's like $75-$100 to bring an extra bag. It's not cheap.

Speaking of, I have to wash all my shoes. They might have nitrogen on them cuz I work in a lab, and last time my boss went on a flight she set off the bomb alerts. Eeeeeps.
 
Hey ya'll..so I got those "space bags" the ones seen on TV. They actually work pretty well..you just put your clothes in flat and suck all the air out of them. Yall should try them for some of your clothes if you hard up for room.
 
Hey Leorl,
Sorry it took me awhile, but I wanted to thank you for e-mailing me your p.s. It's good. I am definitely going to use my international experiences as an important element of why "I will be an asset..."
JMD
 
Hey Glamgirll,
The kindred spirits at Lufthansa told me that I would have to pay $110 if I wanted to check in another bag which weighed about 50 pounds.So I guess you would be paying slightly over $2 per pound. I don't think there is a flat rate. Hey, my dad's flying with me too :clap: .
How are you guys arranging transfering funds etc?. Can you just give an Irish bank a cheque from an American Bank?.Or would one have to wire it over?. I'm a little clueless about this so any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Also is it better to change some of your cash(for immediate needs)over to euros with the bank you do business with?. Or would Thomas cook offer you a better rate?. 2 weeks to go 😀
cheers,
S
 
Hey where does one get these space bags?
S
 
Here's the easiest way to do it... close your bank account here and have them give you the balance in a big cashier's check. Take big cashier's check to AIB or Bank of Ireland. Open bank account, deposit check 😉 . I don't think they take commission off, but I'm not sure.

Also, if you take traveler's checks to the Dublin Tourism Office, they don't charge commission either. You should have some euros before you come over...get it exchanged here at your bank. Because you'll need euros for the taxi or bus or whatever, and exchanging at the airport is never good for commission rates, nor is Thomas Cook (Thomas Cook is always on the more expensive end, no matter where you go). Banks themselves usually charge less commission (not much less though) than private currency exchange companies.
 
Hey.. you can get the space bags at like Wal-Mart or Wal-Greens or such stores. They aren't very expensive either I paid about six bucks for one and all you do is use your vacuum at home. The only hard part is sealing it so im going to put ductape around the seals...and pray that i wont have to open up my baggage for any type of reason. Two weeks is seeming like forever b/c I am so excited.. and I think I'm going to do what Leorl said about banking that sounds like the easiest way. Right now we havent gotten any Euros b/c at the bank of Sept. 10 the Euro was slightly stronger than the dollar and we were just hoping that we could find a better day to do it. Leorl...you said get a cashiers check from my bank account here...can it be in dollars or does it have to be in Euros?
 
Mmm....it's fine if it's in US dollars. I don't think the banks charge commission when depositing it into your new account, but I will check for you. Oh yeah, i got my info. from Trinity via AB...seems like our program-specific orientation and registration stuff is on Thursday, so Trin...you can stay a little longer in the windy city 😉
 
mmm... looks like dsl/broadband/cable may be available in Ireland at affordable costs starting from 2003. Right now for those off campus, nothing looks very promising except dialup. I hate dialup. I've been researching ISPs - some independent ISPs have told me not to bother investing in their ISDN services even, as costs would be very high. ::::Grumble grumble::::;;;
 
Um.....THOSE SPACE BAGS TOTALLY ROCK!!! They're awesome! Would highly recommend, especially if you're taking over jackets and stuff. Dude! You can get them at Walmart for ten bucks. Too bad you can't compress electronic equipment and shoes.

Pertinent info: Here's my mobile number when I get over there. 086 340 7988. I feel safe posting because I highly doubt someone is gonna waste international calling fees to try to stalk me. But if anyone is planning on it, I have friends who are gardai (police) 😡 , so don't 😎 ! I'm getting there the 25th in the morning, which is I think earlier than most of you, so if you want to meet up or need a hand, just ring (like those who want to meet up on the 27th. Glam, I better get a call from u 🙂 ). I won't have much to do the first couple days, i don't think. I'll probably also visit the i-cafe the day I get there to pop an email off to my parents (and cuz I'm internet addicted).

PM me for my real name 🙂. Or AIM me @ Leorl.
 
Bye Leorl! Have a safe trip. I will be looking forward to hearing about Ireland and your medical school experience once you get settled. :clap:
 
hey you guys, safe journey and good luck.
please don;t forget to just let us know of your experiences, classes, classmates, and how you are coping, in fact everything, don't leave anything out, okay?
good luck 😍
 
Well my Thursday flight has been cancelled due to Isidore....Just my luck the day I am supposed to leave for Ireland a huge hurricane watch has to be in effect....right now im scheduled to fly out on Saturday😡
 
Hallooooo!!

Hiya, so we're all here now 🙂 I met Glamgirl yesterday (she's cool) and a couple of the Trinity SDNers (they're cool, Trinners, where are you) 🙂 .

School hasn't started yet but Glam's orientation is today and their classes start tomorrow. TCD doesn't start for another week, but this week is registration week. So we've just been shopping and getting situated and stuff. I've seen a couple of my old friends which was brilliant because we picked up where we left off and I'm really happy to be back.

I'm not really homesick any, but that's party cuz my mom is already starting to nag me over email. But I do miss my sister a little, as I get cool emails from her. It'll be better once I have internet connction and can email her every day.

🙂 Maybe we should start this in another new thread, this one's getting quite long, hmm?
 
Hey Leorl. Good to hear from you. It sounds like things are going to be pretty exciting over there. Keep us posted. Your right, maybe a new thread is in order...this one is getting really llllllllllooooooooonnnnnnnggggggg, but has been very helpful. Thanks to everyone who has posted.
JMD 😀 😀 😀
 
hi...
does anyone know what stethoscopes are recommended my the irish med schools? In particular UCD?

I was looking to purchase either a Littmann Cardiology III or a Littmann Master Cardiology... for a 2nd year med student.

anyone know if either of these are "approved" or "endorsed" products by the medical schools?

Or, anyone know which one is better?
 
Dr Phil, do a search on SDN for stethoscopes. I think the Littmann cardio III is praised, but not sure about the master cardio...the merits of either or each are explained. Whatever's standard in the US is probably just fine for here too, but I'd wait a little and see if your friend can use it just yet. 2nd year is still a pre-clinical year so I don't know if a stethoscope is necessary at this stage. Wait until we get our requirement lists out...they don't seem to need a whole lot.

We do have to buy our own white coats and anatomy dissection kits :::Grumble grumble::::
 
Originally posted by xrayray17
I couldn't agree more, U of T must be the worst place ever to go to do undergrad. I mean they are just brutal. I swear, it must be one of the hardest institutions on this planet.
Click to expand...

Well actually, McGill is far more difficult than U of T (mainly because of McGill's lack of funds).
 
First or second year, you'll be laughed at carrying around a Master Cardiology. It's the equivalent of a first-time camper buying several thousand dollars of high-end gear. I still get snickers from some physicians over my Cardiology III.
 
Hi. I'm a student in Ireland. If you can't get in in the US, then come along. If you can get in anywhere in the US, then it'd be a mistake to come here. I had a 3.5 with a 34 MCAT and came to medschool in Ireland. Now I try to transfer every year to schools in the US that I should have been able to get into easily. Don't make the same mistake I did. On the other hand, it's better than not going to med school at all.

About the USMLE: They don't specifically prepare you, but you have time to do it on your own. We have summers off, so you can study for three months specifically for the USMLE. All the Americans at my school that I've heard of have beat the mean on Step 1.
 
student.ie, can I ask you why the hell you came here then? The happiest students are the ones who actually wanted to come here. Don't pick a school solely on desperation without researching whether you'd be happy or not! I've found that some of the unhappiest North Americans are the ones who came here thinking they could transfer at any stage. I don't understand why people would think that - everyone knows that US medical schools don't really like international transfers or even ... inter-US transfers. Why would you choose a school that you're looking to get out of?
 
I came to Ireland because I was pissed off about the biased admissions process in the US and because I thought it would be better to go study in Ireland than to waste a year waiting to reapply in the US without any guarantee of admission.

I didn't really think about transferring before moving to Ireland, but I think about it a lot now. Once you go abroad- that's about it. I know you can't really transfer- I've tried for the last two years. I'll try again this year though. It's not impossible, but it's unlikely to work out.

All I wanted to say was- think long and hard about it before you go to school abroad. Ireland for 5 years is not the same Ireland as you saw on your 2 week vacation or whatever. It's cold and dark and not nearly as nice as it's reputation.

Also, the school is not as nice as you might have heard. Our lecturers only show up about 2/3 or the time and then they're 15-20 minutes late. I could go on and on, but I won't.
 
With all due respect, studentie, it sounds like you're not a very happy person wherever you are. "The USA is biased" and "Ireland is not what it appears to be when you're on vacation". What's all that about? All I can tell you is that the five best years of my life were spent in Dublin. It was a fantastic experience AND I got a superb education. I did my undergraduate degree in Boston and the winters there were a great deal nastier than the ones in Dublin I can assure you. Please try to be grateful for how fortunate you are. There are many people on this board (including my sister, who has applied for Fall 2003 admission) who would gladly trade places with you.
 
Gee, sorry student.ie that you had / are having a bad time here. I dunno, I love it here and I don't think cold/dark is depressing at all. It's definitely cold where I'm from in the US, and ... well...considering that Ireland is more north than the US... of course it's darker. But that's offset in the spring and summer when it doesn't get dark til nearly 11 pm 🙂! (I love that bit). You might be happier upon getting a lightbox? The weather here is actually better than home because at least the sun breaks out every few days!

I dunno what school you're at, but my lecturers definitely are there every time and start exactly on the hour. Actually, much to our annoyance, some of the anatomy lectures run 15 minutes over when they're supposed to end! (they know we have a lunch break after that class). I think no matter how hard-pressed they are for funding, etc. the lecturers' primary concern is for the students.

It sounds like you kind of just rushed into going abroad for the wrong reasons. Sounds like you may not be the kind of person suited for spending long periods away from home. That's alright, but usually it's those bitten by the travel/ex-patriate bug who're happiest here, although I have met some who were a bit bitter like you who ended up absolutely loving it here. Having said that, I hope you find fun and happiness for the remainder of your time here 😉.
 
You're right leorl. I rushed into going abroad for the wrong reasons. All of you are talking about how great it is, but there are many people who don't feel that way. Applicants need to be realistic about what they're getting into. It's ok here and all, but I expected more in the way of teaching and administration. You find out about everything by rumor (if you're lucky enough to hear the rumor) rather than announcements or posted messages.

You're not right DesOMalley. I was happy in the last place I lived. It's not me (maybe partly me), it's this place. It's the constant string of little irritations on the backdrop of doing med school practically by correspondence. Besides, I'm not unhappy day to day, I just wanted the applicants to hear something about the other side of the coin.

The only reason I posted in the first place is that I saw someone write about how they were waiting to hear from some American schools but had already decided on coming to Ireland. That would be such a huge mistake that I felt I HAD to say something. You'll be able to get a decent residency if your USMLE scores are high, but you won't be considered for the more competitive specialties because the day you start school abroad you become a second class citizen. Just be ready for that and avoid it if possible.
 
student.ie is right in that if you are really hoping for a spot in a really competitive residency, being an FMG is not the brightest idea. The irish schools produce wonderful doctors, but at the end of the day, we're still FMGs. You just have to prioritize. Myself and many of my American classmates came here either not considering American schools, or turning down American schools in favor of coming to Ireland. Why? We placed the chance to live abroad, live in europe, have a life, experience new things and cultures over ...well, I guess over career certainty or job security. To me, exploring an opportunity that most people don't get a chance to have was more important than exactly what kind of doc I wanted to be. My friends in US schools aren't happy - don't like the atmosphere/people they're around, don't like cramming all the time - but me, well ... I'm having the time of my life 🙂. But you do have to seriously weigh the pros and cons of studying abroad, and find out exactly what you want from life at this stage.

I don't know which school you're at student.ie, although i think I can guess because it's the only Irish college I'd see being a bit annoying to go to, but it's not really like that here. It definitely is not a spoon-feeding. You are going to have to find out things on your own, and the lack of departmental organization can be really frustrating at times. Even the Irish get frustrated at it. But you just have to take it with a grain of salt because hey, Irish culture isn't known for its precision and efficiency 🙂. And it's not completely on their end - the decrease in governmental funding is pushing all faculty and administrations to the edge. But in my class, everyone is tight - everyone respects each other, cooperates with each other, and has a hell of a lot of fun. There's only one person out of 120 that a few of us find we can't stand. Frequently people type out their notes and email them to the whole class. We email diagrams, extra info. we found from outside sources too. I shouldn't be saying this, but sometimes we even cheat for each other. It's so open, generous and cooperative - you are so not going to find this kind of atmosphere in the US. Everyone benefits, age doesn't matter.
 
woo....

I was out Saturday night with a bunch of my English rugby mates. Some big Irish guys saw my friends (who're girls) and said something really rude like "stupid english sluts," and when one of them said something back, the guy punched my friend in the mouth, full force! Another of my English friends then hit him with her hand bag, and he waled her in the jaw. Luckily for them, this cyclist was passing by and hit him with his bike, and a taxi driver came out to help retaliate. Ok, granted maybe my friend should have kept her mouth shut, but he threw the first punch!!

I know that the English and Irish have a history, but that's over now (in the Republic, anyway, not the North). There's tons of English in Dublin, and likewise lots of Irish in England. I couldn't believe that guys would hit girls for something stupid like that, and that they could be so hostile over nothing at all!

Sometimes, things in this society are like... ???
 
As regards to the fees increase - it doesn't seem that it will be in place for next year. (2003-2004 academic year). However, that's not to say that it won't ever happen. So while this is temporary good news, we'll just have to keep watch. Also, it may not affect international students.
 
Hi Everyone,
I am in a slight dilemma. I got into RCSI for fall 2003, and I have until March 15th to turn in my deposit. AB said that all other schools (UCD, Trinity, and UCC) will not be making any decisions until end of March, at the earliest. I emailed the specific schools but I don't think they'll reply....sounds kinda like Hey, can you please give me decision, like now?

RCSI sounds great in many ways....only thing is the tuition is killing me! Can anyone reassure me that their experience at RCSI has been well worth their $$$ and that I should just go for it? I don't like to gamble with my future so I will probably accept their offer before I hear from the other schools....
Also, if anyone else from other schools in Ireland would like to drop some pearls of wisdom, please feel free 😛

Thanks a bunch crew!
BerkeleyGirl (my brother is BerkeleyBoy)
 
Berkelygal,

Congrats 🙂! As for your question - well, it really depends what you're looking for in a med school. PM me with questions and I'll try to answer them. Just keep in mind that RCSI is strictly a health sciences college.
 
The RCSI is a great place... A friend of mine started the 5 year programme there last September and loves it. The class size is about 300 which is a good deal bigger than most of the other med schools in Ireland...the class size is Trinity is about 130.

Don't worry about it being all Health professionals at RCSI...in Trinity the Arts/Law faculties are at one end of the campus and the Science/Medicine/Engineering faculties are at the other...they may as well be segregated!

Where ever you end up you'll have a great time and you'll have a fantastic experience. Go for it 🙂
 
Well done, Berkeleyboy (or girl, rather). Now you are on your way. To answer your question, I did my residency in Internal Medicine at Johns Hopkins. You will love RCSI. It is a great place. The education you will receive and the contacts you will make are MORE than worth the money. Hopefully my sister will be joining you in Dublin this Fall.


Des
 
Thanks leorl, Trinners, and Des! I've been reading the past posts (all 24 pages, until my eyeballs felt like they were gonna burst!) so I guess it does come down to really what I want in a school....hmmmm....yes, if I'm remembering correctly....

Des graduated from RCSI, Trinners and leorl are at Trinity...
Sounds like you all had/have positive experiences studying medicine in Ireland....yah Des, that would be dope if your sis went to RCSI this fall too...is that her first choice? Des, where did you dorm/stay?

I actually don't mind the fact the RCSI is strictly a health sciences school...I come from a big University (CAL), so I'm thinking it might be time for me to try something smaller.

It really seems like a dream you know. I feel like I've been working so hard to get here...and now that I'm here, I have to sometimes pinch myself to check if I'm awake!

Okay, so it seems I'm almost officially shipping out, soon as I turn my deposit in. I'll probably be too busy loving it over there to notice the $250,000 plus interest I owe by the time I graduate. Oh wells, it's coo. Ireland here I come! :clap:
 
You won't regret it 🙂. If you look at it this way - going to RCSI would be the same amount as going to a private med school (CWRU, Ivies, etc.) but you get a chance to live abroad for awhile and experience totally new things that you'd never get to in the US 🙂. Plus, I mean... you could hop to Paris for the weekend ! Hehe. Congrats, you'll have fun, see you in the fall!
 
anyone hear from trinity? i can't remember when we're supposed to hear, but i was thinking that it's sometime in march. i didn't pay extra for the rush mail delivery.
 
hey lola,
i was told in my e-mail from atlantic bridge that i got on valentine's day that i would hear back in april or may, but everyone on the review boards keeps saying march march march and that when they call they are told march so who knows? hopefully it's march, i hate waiting!!
 
Just wondering if anybody knew what the deal was regarding what to do after the 5 years of school in Ireland if you are Canadian? Do these students have to take a year off to get a visa in order to be able to do their residency in the US or can they sort of shuffle in right away! Also, when do the irish students interested in writing the USMLE take the first step?
Thanks!
 
Sometimes if you call AB before the letter goes out, you find out quicker. That's what happened last year. I can't remember when I called, but I heard that someone found out before the letters came, so I called - and sure enough, I'd gotten into TCD. It might be a bit early now, but maybe in a couple weeks, AB will know.

Via boards. The Canadian thing - it depends. Some people wait a year, doing their internship here and then sitting the Canadian boards. Others write the Canadian boards during their 6th year (final year). I am not sure if Canadians wanting to do the USMLE have to wait around for a visa - I can ask around, but that doesn't seem to be a concern. I think they just take the USMLEs and go through the Match, same as everyone else.

When we take the USMLE - there have been different thoughts about this. Some people think that we should take it same time as other (US) med schools, which would be after two years (3rd year). That would require teaching yourself a hell of a whole lot. However, the wiser ones who've completed med school here tell us not to take it until 5th year, since we don't do things like pathology until 4th year. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter when you take it that's important to residency directors, it's how well you, and just the fact that you complete them in the allotted time. So for me, I'll take Step 1 during 5th year around Christmas, then Step II probably in the summer or something, get the Toefl done sometime in the next couple years, so that by 6th year I'll be ready to send Match applications.

Hope that helps and isn't too confusing.
 
hey evey1!

ok i am in a lil of a frenzy ... I NEED HELP...

I am originally an ontario high school graduate with a 92.5 % average,, english brought me down .. without it ,, i would be i would have like 95% average.

I applied to various programs for science in canada,, i got in,, but ended up going... to egypt for medical school...BIG MISTAKE! as i found out later,, now i am looking for a way out,,, i am scared after i finish i'll be looked down on b/c i graduated from the middle east, so i won't get residency and less work opportunities ( I wanna do surgery)

So neways, I applied to the carribean for med school (windsor univ) and was accepted to the premed-MD program.
(2 yrs on the island and 2 years in the states) . I also applied to ireland... RCSI, UDB, and trinity... i applied late.. actually my application was forwarded a cpl of days ago... louis got on my case about the letters of recommendation being confidential... first i asked my references to type the letters and email them to me so i could fedex it to AB... (didnlt want to wait long,, and didn;t want to cost my references anything).. she told me that they were non- confidential,.. so i contacted my references again and asked them to print out the letter of recommendation, sign them , include their contact info and mail them... after a long time, they finally reached her office,, then she said that the letters are no good. because i have seen,, i got fed up,, and told her to just forward the application anyways,, I dunno,,, how the admission comittee's are gonna look at it.... she is saying that i am not willing to follow admission procesudres, and getting all pissy about it.... has anyone ever been thru anything similar? please let me know...

The more important question is I can;t decide whether to study in the caribean (shorter/cheaper ...5000 USD/term) or Ireland (longer/ more respected/ more expensive ) or stay in egypt.. or try my luck in canada.. I have been racking my mind for almost a year and i can;t seem to be able to chooose,,,, ANY INPUT IS GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!
 
Hey Leorl,
sorry to bug you with so many questions....
How do you like Trin? Do you know how hard it is to get in? I had a low undergrad (3.0)-(but better marks in my last two years).In my masters I did quite well, good gpa, publications etc. I don't know what Trin is looking for but hopefully these are it.
If you don't mind my asking- how are you financing med school.
Do you like it there?
I think these are enough questions to keep you filled for a bit. Just weighing out my options for meds....
thanks alot!
 
Hi Isabella 🙂,

First off, I love Trinity. You probably didn't read this thread from the beginning, but I think I've said before that I did my junior year abroad at Trinity and loved it so much that I decided to come back here for med school. I love having a beautiful campus (okay, sometimes that means that tons of renovations and problems with technology occur, but eh) and I really liked their system of schooling.

As for how hard it is to get in: I'm not really very sure because requirements for North Americans are different from other internationals or the Irish. I'd probably say you're alright with a 3.0 ug, and especially since you've done well in your Masters AND have publications - they really like the publications/research part. As a matter of fact, the AB application asks specifically if you've had research experience, and quite a few of the Americans or Canadians in my class hold masters degrees or semi-PhD's. I think you'll be fine - I think with the Americans, they're looking for people with a wide-range of experiences. Having said that, I do know that some Americans are rejected from TCD each year, but I don't really think you'd have anything to worry about.

Financing: fortunately, my parents are financing at least the first two years. Not really from themselves, but from coagulations of inheritance money, stocks, mutual funds, etc. Then the rest of it I'll pay with loans, but I haven't researched how to go about doing that yet. But quite a few of the Americans in my class are on loans - we're eligible for Perkins and Stafford loans.
 
Hi All,
Has anyone ever stayed at Mercer Ct. or Millinhouse and would like the share their living experience? I will be staying at Mercer but I am really wondering why Millin House is more expensive, because from the website it looks like they have less convenient facilities than Mercer (i.e. one kitchen per floor, where Mercer has one kitchen per suite). Thanks.
 
Hi Irene,
I agree with TexasGuy that you would probably be better off applying to St. George's...it is the best medschool in the caribbean. My brother just started his first term there in January and they totally work their students! Their pass rate for the boards is 94% and 99% of their graduates match for residencies in the US. Plus you are only on the island for 2 years, then you're back in the US for clinicals. So you would pretty much be set if you went there.
Ireland schools have comparable statistics and being in Europe would be great, plus their clinical training is awesome (as you've probably heard). So either studying meds in Ireland or the Caribb will get you where you want the quality of the education is excellent.
Any reputable medschool will have a stringent workload because the idea is to turn out good doctors....my brother said that in St. George's EVERYONE studies 24/7 so you could just join the club. So really just decide on the "do I really want to pursue medicine" bit and then you will be well on your way to making a decision. I don't think you can lose by choosing between St. George's/Ireland because they're both great schools and it's pretty much a win/win situation. There's definitely differences in cost but there's always a way...student loans yah baby!
Alright, so goodluck with everything and don't stress too much. Once you make your decision a lot of the stress will be gone (I hope).
 
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