In my opinion, I would choose SGU. I was in the process of applying to Caribbean schools last year, ultimately decided not to pursue that route, so take my advice with a grain of salt.
The distinction in grading is non-existant. HP/H/P/F translates roughly to A/B/C/F. The only instance where it would matter would be true Pass/Fail which is like 70% and above is a pass.
I think SGU is the best Carib school with the best prospects for students looking to match back into the US. I'm not incredibly familiar with AUC, but I have several friends at SGU.
I'm not sure if you're familiar with the residency crunch or not but here's a quick recap if you're not. Around 2017, there will be a saturation of US residency seats by US medical students (MD and DO). This is due in part to a commitment by the LCME to increase the number of US trained physicians - either by increasing existing class sizes at US med schools, or allowing new med schools to open.
If I were someone pursuing med school in the Caribbeans, I would definitely choose SGU over other schools. The sheer number of SGU grads that have gone through residencies will be incredibly helpful in a more competitive environment. More programs will be familiar with SGU grads and if they're open to taking IMGs in this new competitive environment, they will probably choose SGU grads over other Caribbean schools.
This is not to say AUC would be an absolutely terrible choice. I know AUC has a cheaper tuition which would be something to consider.
I would try and get in touch with students from each school, preferably 2nd and 3rd year students because they'll really know what it's like and some potential pitfalls.
Things to consider:
- policy on being able to take Step I. I know at Ross, they require students to pass practice exams before ever being allowed to sit for the real exam.
- amount of dedicated Step I studying time. As an IMG, your Step I score will be the most important thing on your application. You need to make sure that you have an adequate amount of time to study for it and that you have resources to help you study for this exam.
- The threshold for dismissal from each school. I know it's unpleasant to think about the possibility of failing, but it's better to be prepared and do extremely well, then go in with a great amount of optimism only to be surprisingly dismissed a year or two later.
- Availability of clinical rotations. One thing I've seen with those pursuing Caribbeans schools is that it's possible to graduate in four years, but it's not exactly guaranteed. SGU would not have this issue, but other schools like AUC might. If they don't have clinical rotation spots available, you're essentially stuck waiting for a position to open up in an area you want, or you're moving halfway across the country for 6 weeks somewhere random.
I know you're older, but for anyone else who ends up reading this post - I've had many friends go to the Caribbean and it's been an absolute uphill battle for them ever since they've gone down there. The best advice I ever got was on this forum from an SGU grad. Essentially it boiled down to this - if you're young, apply at least 2 times to US MD + DO schools, consider SMPs and post-baccs.
Best of luck in making your decision. I think if you work extremely hard - you'll be fine at either school.
