When is the earliest I can be applying for September 2010 to Ross or SGU? Is there a big benefit in applying early like it is in US medical schools?
Also, how much more expensive are Caribbean schools than MD schools in America?
I noticed SGU was 39,000 a year, while Ross is about 28,000.
I have noticed that Saba, Antigua, and AUC are significantly lower in their costs.. Are they even worth applying to noticing SGU and Ross are considered way better?
They both have rolling admissions. You can apply any time. On the application, just mark off the semester you want. If it's full, they'll just bump you to the next class.
People get a little too picky when they start ranking schools and some times get into ridiculous arguments. Ross & AUC are basically the same. They're swapped around at #2 and #3 all the time, depending on who you talk to.
One of the advantages that SGU and Ross have that the other schools can't claim is that they've been around for 30+ years. They have the largest alumni networks. Not only can they get you in contact with a graduate in a specific specialty to ask questions & tips (I did), but once you get into the hospitals, people in the medical field have actually heard of your school. They've worked with other graduates and know what to expect.
But AUC has been around for 20 years (I think). In terms of Caribbean schools, it's also ancient. There are a lot of schools that have barely been in existence 5 years, and sometimes less than 4, meaning they don't have a single graduate.
Saba has only recently gotten CA approval, but it can still get you everything you want.
People are always talking about other schools like SMU and AUA applying for and trying to get 50 state approval, but who knows when that will be? And even if they do, it won't be retroactive. I don't know where you're from, but it's a deal breaker for me. 10 years from now I want to be practicing back in CA.
edit: Looks like AUC has been around since 1978. But it still only has 3500 alumni. Guess they don't accept too many students.
