Caribbean school for Paris Hilton?

[futureIMGmarvel]

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Hello everyone

This is a serious question. I'm a spoiled kid. I know the Caribbean is a difficult process in general but I don't care about reputation or match lists in evaluating schools. Which school really caters to its students. I'll be honest, I want my hand held as much as possible. I have read complaints from students that claim they have to teach themselves because the quality of instruction is poor at some places. Going to class is important to me so which school do you feel offers teaching that is similar to schools back home. Based on what you have heard, which schools offers the most comprehensive and readable note system? I don't want to attend a school that makes you supplement your notes from textbooks because they were incomplete or poorly written. Also, I'm interested in the most laid-back environment. Which school has a reputation of being the most laid back. Last but not least, which school have you heard that students are really happy there? I don't want to struggle with difficult island conditions. Oh yeah, which school has the nicest facilities too.

Please no flaming. I respect all Caribbean schools but I'm just trying to find the one that is most right for me.

 

[DrSillyGirl]

Hello everyone

This is a serious question. I'm a spoiled kid. I know the Caribbean is a difficult process in general but I don't care about reputation or match lists in evaluating schools. Which school really caters to its students. I'll be honest, I want my hand held as much as possible. I have read complaints from students that claim they have to teach themselves because the quality of instruction is poor at some places. Going to class is important to me so which school do you feel offers teaching that is similar to schools back home. Based on what you have heard, which schools offers the most comprehensive and readable note system? I don't want to attend a school that makes you supplement your notes from textbooks because they were incomplete or poorly written. Also, I'm interested in the most laid-back environment. Which school has a reputation of being the most laid back. Last but not least, which school have you heard that students are really happy there? I don't want to struggle with difficult island conditions. Oh yeah, which school has the nicest facilities too.

Please no flaming. I respect all Caribbean schools but I'm just trying to find the one that is most right for me.

Did you ever think about clown college? I hear they hold your hand there and you get to wear big red shoes. Some of those clowns pull in some serious mula workin to entertain doctor's kids... 😱 I hope i helped.

 

[silas2642]

Did you ever think about clown college? I hear they hold your hand there and you get to wear big red shoes. Some of those clowns pull in some serious mula workin to entertain doctor's kids... 😱 I hope i helped.

First of all, ignore the troll.

Second, I would say that if you really want your hand held, that you might have a rough time in medicine. There simply isn't enough time in a day for lecturers to teach you everything that you're going to need to know. If you want to know what you're going to have to know, then learn your class notes, syllabi, and follow along well with review books as you go along.

As for which school is best for you, there's no way I can say without knowing you. I chose a school with limited lecture time and some PBL thrown in there with early clinical experience because I simply don't learn well with my butt in a lecture chair.

I'm rambling, I know. I just think that becoming a physician is such an active process, and there are very few times in which learning medicine is passive. Ideally, you learn the material because it is interesting to you and not just to get a good grade. Even if you do go to a US school, where they tend to "hold your hand" more than Caribbean schools because they are not for profit, you may have a difficult time going in with this attitude. I'm done now; just make sure you don't feed the troll.

 

[McGillGrad]

You would be surprised at what you can do when you are determined.

 

[LordSoulsby]

if you're looking for all that, then you should bypass the caribbean altogether. if you do not have the self-motivation to study hard then medicine, in general, may not be for you.

 

[Rossi1]

As a carib grad i can tell you that alot of the work is on your own. No spoon feeding there. Where ever you go you have to prep for USMLE from day one on your own. I had a great time, at times laid back but majority of the time was worry. The worry never ends for me, even with my successful priv practice of 3 years.
good luck

 

[futureIMGmarvel]

if you're looking for all that, then you should bypass the caribbean altogether. if you do not have the self-motivation to study hard then medicine, in general, may not be for you.

No, I refuse to feed you

 

[futureIMGmarvel]

First of all, ignore the troll.

Second, I would say that if you really want your hand held, that you might have a rough time in medicine. There simply isn't enough time in a day for lecturers to teach you everything that you're going to need to know. If you want to know what you're going to have to know, then learn your class notes, syllabi, and follow along well with review books as you go along.

As for which school is best for you, there's no way I can say without knowing you. I chose a school with limited lecture time and some PBL thrown in there with early clinical experience because I simply don't learn well with my butt in a lecture chair.

I'm rambling, I know. I just think that becoming a physician is such an active process, and there are very few times in which learning medicine is passive. Ideally, you learn the material because it is interesting to you and not just to get a good grade. Even if you do go to a US school, where they tend to "hold your hand" more than Caribbean schools because they are not for profit, you may have a difficult time going in with this attitude. I'm done now; just make sure you don't feed the troll.

Thanks Silas for the polite response. I really meant "hand-holding" in the relative sense. Of the Big 4 schools, which one are you aware of that is known to cater to it's students needs more than the others. And by hand-holding, I really mean in regards to organization. Which school makes it easier on you to set up rotations. Which schools offers concise notes and doesn't test you on minutae that isn't tested on the boards. Things of that nature... I think I have ruled out Ross but I'm curious about SGU, AUC and SABA.

 

[utorontograd]

Thanks Silas for the polite response. I really meant "hand-holding" in the relative sense. Of the Big 4 schools, which one are you aware of that is known to cater to it's students needs more than the others. And by hand-holding, I really mean in regards to organization. Which school makes it easier on you to set up rotations. Which schools offers concise notes and doesn't test you on minutae that isn't tested on the boards. Things of that nature... I think I have ruled out Ross but I'm curious about SGU, AUC and SABA.

Try Medical University of the Americas. Really small class sizes, nice island, they're doing very well as an up and coming institution. Tough curriculum though. Medical Science is medical science anywhere you go even in la-la-land Paris.

Best of luck.

 

[LordSoulsby]

No, I refuse to feed you

I don't know what that means exactly. All I am saying is that medicine is hardly a field that spoon feeds you anywhere you go (at least beyond the first 2 years) and going to the Caribbean ensures that you'll have to work harder to get a great score on your Step 1 so that you'll be competitive for residencies. If you're not willing to work that much harder by going to the Caribbean, then you should just save your time and money.

 

[stookie]

Try Medical University of the Americas. Really small class sizes, nice island, they're doing very well as an up and coming institution. Tough curriculum though. Medical Science is medical science anywhere you go even in la-la-land Paris.

Best of luck.

I second that suggestion

 

[Sir Toalie]

Hi..

It's going to be hard to find a school that incorporates ALL the things you're looking for but here's what i know:

SABA - beautiful island, pretty chill, but modern... not so much. it's basically med school surrounded by, well, nothing. BUT SMALLEST CLASS SIZES, students typically do very well overall and seem happy enough.

St George's - Best facilities of any of the Carib schools.. very impressive actually even by US standards.. BUT HUGE CLASS SIZES... students fail, like at any other carib school, but not as much as you might think given the huge classes since SGU is typically the toughest to get accepted to. Island life is OK but be prepared to have the power, water shut off from time to time.

Ross - Ghetto conditions (building, dorms, etc), but probably most known and established of the Carib schools with many very successful students. If you work hard at any of the schools mentioned you can go far, but Ross may have an edge because of the name. Also VERY BIG classes, so don't expect a lot of one-on-one.

AUC - Best overall island life and conditions (vs. above three), decent building and dorms, but also BIG SEPTEMBER class... If you start in Janurary or May the class sizes here are significantly smaller which fosters more cooperation among students, more one-on-one with profs, etc.



Good luck in deciding... remember, this is just my opinion, but if I were looking for decent living conditions and small class size, but still want a school with good facilities I'd choose to go to AUC but only starting in January or May, otherwise I'd pick SABA.

(another note - SMU or MUA might also be good options but i dont know enough about them and chose not to apply to them because of their limited history of residency placements - they're still new, eventually i'm sure SMU at least will be up there - GREAT living conditions in Cayman...)

 

[CheekyCaliCow]

Try Medical University of the Americas. Really small class sizes, nice island, they're doing very well as an up and coming institution. Tough curriculum though. Medical Science is medical science anywhere you go even in la-la-land Paris.

Best of luck.

I third that suggestion! 😛

 

[utorontograd]

Hey Stookie and Cheeky,

Nice to see y'all on this side of the tracks.

 

[CheekyCaliCow]

Hey Stookie and Cheeky,

Nice to see y'all on this side of the tracks.

Thanks for leading me to this site.

 

[Shah_Patel_PT]

Hello everyone

This is a serious question. I'm a spoiled kid. I know the Caribbean is a difficult process in general but I don't care about reputation or match lists in evaluating schools. Which school really caters to its students. I'll be honest, I want my hand held as much as possible. I have read complaints from students that claim they have to teach themselves because the quality of instruction is poor at some places. Going to class is important to me so which school do you feel offers teaching that is similar to schools back home. Based on what you have heard, which schools offers the most comprehensive and readable note system? I don't want to attend a school that makes you supplement your notes from textbooks because they were incomplete or poorly written. Also, I'm interested in the most laid-back environment. Which school has a reputation of being the most laid back. Last but not least, which school have you heard that students are really happy there? I don't want to struggle with difficult island conditions. Oh yeah, which school has the nicest facilities too.

Please no flaming. I respect all Caribbean schools but I'm just trying to find the one that is most right for me.

Medical school does not seem it is for you...DO or caribbean. I suggest you make an appointment with your school advisor to talk more about the comittments needed to enter the medical field.

 

[oldpro]

Hello everyone

This is a serious question. I'm a spoiled kid. I know the Caribbean is a difficult process in general but I don't care about reputation or match lists in evaluating schools. Which school really caters to its students. I'll be honest, I want my hand held as much as possible. I have read complaints from students that claim they have to teach themselves because the quality of instruction is poor at some places. Going to class is important to me so which school do you feel offers teaching that is similar to schools back home. Based on what you have heard, which schools offers the most comprehensive and readable note system? I don't want to attend a school that makes you supplement your notes from textbooks because they were incomplete or poorly written. Also, I'm interested in the most laid-back environment. Which school has a reputation of being the most laid back. Last but not least, which school have you heard that students are really happy there? I don't want to struggle with difficult island conditions. Oh yeah, which school has the nicest facilities too.

Please no flaming. I respect all Caribbean schools but I'm just trying to find the one that is most right for me.

I'm not a troll and nt flaming,


Thing is that you will have to study out of textbooks for any medical school, this is a hard long road full of a lot information, if you want to be a Doctor you need to understand this. You will go to class and that time is used for High yeild topics, the rest is on your own as is the USLME.

Good Luck to you.

 

[utorontograd]

Thanks for leading me to this site.

Hey no problem. I'm glad you read that thread I posted on VMD.

 

[ULTRON]

There is no easy way to be a doctor. Sure, you can go to a 2-year school to become an engineer, an online school to get your law degree. You can even get an MBA and MS online. But medical school is ugly.

ULTRON

 

[OBfan]

Hi..

It's going to be hard to find a school that incorporates ALL the things you're looking for but here's what i know:

SABA - beautiful island, pretty chill, but modern... not so much. it's basically med school surrounded by, well, nothing. BUT SMALLEST CLASS SIZES, students typically do very well overall and seem happy enough.

St George's - Best facilities of any of the Carib schools.. very impressive actually even by US standards.. BUT HUGE CLASS SIZES... students fail, like at any other carib school, but not as much as you might think given the huge classes since SGU is typically the toughest to get accepted to. Island life is OK but be prepared to have the power, water shut off from time to time.

Ross - Ghetto conditions (building, dorms, etc), but probably most known and established of the Carib schools with many very successful students. If you work hard at any of the schools mentioned you can go far, but Ross may have an edge because of the name. Also VERY BIG classes, so don't expect a lot of one-on-one.

AUC - Best overall island life and conditions (vs. above three), decent building and dorms, but also BIG SEPTEMBER class... If you start in Janurary or May the class sizes here are significantly smaller which fosters more cooperation among students, more one-on-one with profs, etc.



Good luck in deciding... remember, this is just my opinion, but if I were looking for decent living conditions and small class size, but still want a school with good facilities I'd choose to go to AUC but only starting in January or May, otherwise I'd pick SABA.

(another note - SMU or MUA might also be good options but i dont know enough about them and chose not to apply to them because of their limited history of residency placements - they're still new, eventually i'm sure SMU at least will be up there - GREAT living conditions in Cayman...)

This is probably the best advice. I went to St George and thought it was a fantastic experience. I am currently in clinical rotations in NY which are amazing.

I would apply to all the programs that are listed above. I have friends that applied to st. George and they all had competitive numbers. None of them got into St. George so they all went to Ross and are all in NY now doing clinical rotations.

Apply to them all and if you get into all of them. I would choose St. George #1 Ross #2 AUC #3 and SABA #3

Good luck!

 

[nope80]

This is probably the best advice. I went to St George and thought it was a fantastic experience. I am currently in clinical rotations in NY which are amazing.

I would apply to all the programs that are listed above. I have friends that applied to st. George and they all had competitive numbers. None of them got into St. George so they all went to Ross and are all in NY now doing clinical rotations.

Apply to them all and if you get into all of them. I would choose St. George #1 Ross #2 AUC #3 and SABA #3

Good luck!

What type of numbers are considered competitive for st.george?

 

[McGillGrad]

What type of numbers are considered competitive for st.george?

Their posted "averages" are 3.4 and 26.

 

[OBfan]

Their posted "averages" are 3.4 and 26.

This is about correct. I had a 3.2 (chemical engineering) and a 32 (10,12,10) on the MCAT.

But most of my friend had 9-9-9 and 3.0

Hope that helps. If you dont get in just go to Ross. I have friends that went there and they are starting 1st year in Internal medicine. Just kick ass on step 1 and 2.