Best Carib Schools

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[toxin]

Okay, please be honest..I'm looking into schools in the caribbean and would like an unbiased opinion on which school is considered the best in the caribbean (considering residency placement in the U.S., USMLE scores, overall experience, etc...). Any takers? Thanks

SGU / Ross / AUC

 

[Baditude]

I looked into the "big three" and I decided that AUC was the place for me because of living conditions, student attitude, USMLE prep and passing rates among other things. But it ultimatley came down to living conditions. St. Maarten is the most USA like you will find and the least difficult place to live of the top three choices. But everyone has criteria that must be met for themselves. DOn't let anyone tell you that you can live anywhere for two years...... Come on I enjoy electricity that I can depend on 95% of the time, good water out of the tap, decent stores where I can get products I am used to at home etc. You are the only one who can decide what is right for you so visit the schools and ask questions not only of the staff but from students attending there. Get the good the bad and the ugly and decide if you can live with it.

Good Luck

 

[DrPush]

In addition to the Big 3, St. Matthews University and Saba University are also very well known schools throughout the United States. Actually, if you are interested in a specialty or a subspecialty of Internal Medicine, Saba has a very good repuation for that part.

Good Luck

 

[SCB]

I looked into the "big three" (SGU/Ross/AUC) and St. Matthew's. St. Matthew's is the best fit for me. Just do your research, narrow it down to a couple and go visit them. I know it seems expensive to go visit these schools, but in my opinion it is VERY helpful and compared to the cost of your medical education the visit is a drop in the bucket. Also, if you matriculate to SGU, they will reimburse your air fare. I don't know when SMU and SGU will be ready for visitors again due to Ivan. Good luck!!

 

[prefontaine]

University of West Indies

Okay, please be honest..I'm looking into schools in the caribbean and would like an unbiased opinion on which school is considered the best in the caribbean (considering residency placement in the U.S., USMLE scores, overall experience, etc...). Any takers? Thanks

 

[trapper john]

I always tell prospective students who ask me for advice that the "best" caribbean school to go is a reputable school where you will do the best. While SGU is always my first recommendation, it's not right for everyone. Different people require different things to keep them motivated. If having access to a fairly "normal" life is important to you, then AUC is probably a better choice. Some people need a high pressure competative atmosphere like SGU or Ross. If on the other hand you are tempted by distractions, going to somewhere like Saba where there is very little to do but study may be the ticket. Saba is also apparently a very relaxed place as well which many people find conducive.

I recently mentored one of my friends through this process. He is a very bright guy who was a total slacker during his college days. I told him Saba would be the best place for him, and he went there and with no distractions, studied non stop. He got over 240 on both steps of the boards.

 

[busupshot83]

University of West Indies

UWI is the best, but it doesn't train doctors for the U.S. The question was "considering residency placement in the U.S., USMLE scores, overall experience."

 

[OneiroKnight]

What have you heard about Windsor University School of Medicine? They are offering a program for those people who are already health professionals, such as PAs, NPs, Optometrists, PTs, etc., where you go for 6 weeks intensive, return for 10 weeks (to work presumably), and then return again for 6 weeks to finish up the semester.

 

[skypilot]

Sounds like a scam. Stick with the legitimate schools if you want a residency when you graduate.

 

[OneiroKnight]

Sounds like a scam. Stick with the legitimate schools if you want a residency when you graduate.

Maybe so. There is a regular program as well, a traditional route, which makes me consider perhaps it might be legit. The healthcare professional route does not shave off any time or classes, it is the same as the standard route, only the difference it seems is that the semesters are divided as such, and not straight through. I would liket to hear from anyone who knows of this school specifically, good or bad. And I wouldn't want to get scammed.

A doc I work with said that the caribbean schools can be just as good as US schools, but if the one you graduate from goes out of business, then you are in a bind since every license you will apply for will invariably want something from your med school. He recommended going to one that was well established, such as St. Georges.

 

[dbiddy808]

I recently posted that Saba is now approved in California. Before this, the only knock on Saba was that at the "big three" you could get into Cali and at Saba you could not. Now that we are approved I don't see any reason why AUC or Ross would be considered any better. I would, however, say that St.George's is a slightly better option. Regardless of where you go though, you will forever be a caribbean graduate so it doesn't really matter where you go. Like the other posters, I'd probably also consider St.Matthews as well, although I've never known anyone who went there personally.

 

[skypilot]

One factor should be rotation sites in third and fourth year. Can you do all your rotations in the same city and our the relationships between the school and the hospitals long established solid relationships?

SGU, AUC, Ross..... (maybe SABA)

 

[Skip Intro]

I am a Ross 4th year student applying for anesthesia this year, which is getting competitive. I did above average on the Steps (1 & 2), but certainly didn't break the record books. And, I am getting plenty of interviews to mid-tier University-based programs in good locations.

What's my point? When you get to your fourth-year, you want to be in this position. You do not, like many students who go to lesser knowns off-shore or in Europe, want to be sitting there, sweating bullets when none of the 50 programs you applied to are contacting you for interviews.

School does matter. Stick with those with a track record. Otherwise, you will have a much harder fight getting a residency spot where you want to be... especially if your recommendations aren't from Albert Schweitzer and they aren't writing articles in the local newspaper about your boards scores, which will be most of you.

-Skip