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I couldnt help but post a response to some of the crap i have been reading regarding caribean medical students. I happen to be one, and i would like to clarify some of the misconceptions that appear (at least to me) to be running rampant among medical students and premeds in general
Before i begin my rant... i would like to point out that I am just beginning my 3rd year at St Georges university, and that my first hand knowledge of going to med school in the islands only applies to St Georges
1) The medical students at St Georges are NOT inferior on the average academically, intellectually, or personally on the average. The average MCAT scores, GPA, and USMLE scores are just as high, and sometimes higher than US med schools. I dont know what kind of limited life experience all of you have had... but there are dumb people everywhere, and there are brilliant people everywhere. Nowadays with med school admissions being what it is in the US, it is... not everyone that is qualified to attend a US medical is afforded that opportunity. US med schools have such overwhelmingly numerous applications, that they could fill all of their seats with 4.0 GPA's, and over 95th percentile MCATs and still turn people away with 4.0's and 95th percentile MCATs. Its a numbers game, in which deserving college students get the shaft. Just to illustrate my point... I did my undergrad at an Ivy league school, had a 3.0, my MCATs were in the 97% percentile, i was a firefighter, EMT, did original research in public health and basic science research with some VERY reputable people who wrote me fantastic recomendations, and still could only get on a waiting list in my home state (which only had 1 med school). I also happened to be a white guy from suburbia. A african american female who had been in most of my classes throughout college had a lower GPA, lower scores, and not as many activities obtained admission to 3 schools, no problem. There are many many thousands of fully qualified people in college that are not extended acceptance into US schools simply because the numbers do not permit it. St Georges has a class of 250 each term... and still rejects 8 out of 9 people. (sorry i went on for so long on that point)
2. Island life does suck... it is fun for the first month, and then it gets really really really old... fast. (i actually have spotten kevin bacon) Most people despise being on the island and work their butts off the majority of the time. When they are not working... they partake in some well deserved partyers. The demographic is very similar to that of US schools, you have your partyers, you have your studiers, you have your in-betweens. Just like a US school, it would be wrong to make a genralization about people in foreign med schools, because you would be wrong MOST of the time. If anything... US students that go abroad because they couldnt get into a US school are MORE motivated. These people leave their entire lives, friends, families to go someplace that they have never been and only have seen in the brochures for 2 years. Thats dedication.
I do aggree that there are some major slackers in carribean schools, however... they either smarten up fast, or are sent packing. But do not make generalizations... the motivated medical student that will spend endless hours studying at St Georges is the RULE rather than the expection
3. The education is just like that of a american medical school... some classes are run well, and some are not. I have many friends at US med schools are without exception, each school has at least 1 or 2 classes that are taught horribly, and some that are taught wonderfully... same at St Georges. We use the same books as the US schools, and learn the same material. The curriculum is actually modeled after the US med school framework, because 99% of the students are from the US and are expecting it.
In case you were wondering about the boards... i did not take any prep class (kaplan, etc etc) and all i did was look through the BRS, and more importantly... my class notes from my 2 years at SGU. I got a 238 after only a month of studying. My school's USMLE pass rate is 94%, the national average is 93%.
Also... i wouldnt worry about getting a residency in the US from St Georges (i can only speak for St georges) EVERY PERSON THAT GRADUATES FROM SGU THAT WANTS A RESIDENCY IN THE US... GETS ONE!!!!! You need competitive scores to get surgery, opthalmology, etc, and you need to work your butt off. But it is definately doable. Actually... there are currently more US residency spots in genral surgery, internal medicine, and pediatrics than there are graduating doctors to fill them.
One word of caution though...St Georges treats their students like excrement. They dont care about them at all. They provide a service of education for a price. They want your bussiness, and they provide a good product... because the better you do, the higher your scores, the better they look... and the better the applicant pool gets, and the more MONEY they make!!! The administration is terrible, and they really dont care. Dont expect for someone from the school to hold your hand. Once you plunk down $$$ for the tuition, they know they have you and that you have more invested in them than they have in you.
It is a good school... and it will get you where you wanna go, but dont expect to be nostalgic about the wonderful way the carribean and SGU treats you, because it wont happen
I think thats about all i want to say, i hope i havent forgotten anything. I hope i have been informative
Before i begin my rant... i would like to point out that I am just beginning my 3rd year at St Georges university, and that my first hand knowledge of going to med school in the islands only applies to St Georges
1) The medical students at St Georges are NOT inferior on the average academically, intellectually, or personally on the average. The average MCAT scores, GPA, and USMLE scores are just as high, and sometimes higher than US med schools. I dont know what kind of limited life experience all of you have had... but there are dumb people everywhere, and there are brilliant people everywhere. Nowadays with med school admissions being what it is in the US, it is... not everyone that is qualified to attend a US medical is afforded that opportunity. US med schools have such overwhelmingly numerous applications, that they could fill all of their seats with 4.0 GPA's, and over 95th percentile MCATs and still turn people away with 4.0's and 95th percentile MCATs. Its a numbers game, in which deserving college students get the shaft. Just to illustrate my point... I did my undergrad at an Ivy league school, had a 3.0, my MCATs were in the 97% percentile, i was a firefighter, EMT, did original research in public health and basic science research with some VERY reputable people who wrote me fantastic recomendations, and still could only get on a waiting list in my home state (which only had 1 med school). I also happened to be a white guy from suburbia. A african american female who had been in most of my classes throughout college had a lower GPA, lower scores, and not as many activities obtained admission to 3 schools, no problem. There are many many thousands of fully qualified people in college that are not extended acceptance into US schools simply because the numbers do not permit it. St Georges has a class of 250 each term... and still rejects 8 out of 9 people. (sorry i went on for so long on that point)
2. Island life does suck... it is fun for the first month, and then it gets really really really old... fast. (i actually have spotten kevin bacon) Most people despise being on the island and work their butts off the majority of the time. When they are not working... they partake in some well deserved partyers. The demographic is very similar to that of US schools, you have your partyers, you have your studiers, you have your in-betweens. Just like a US school, it would be wrong to make a genralization about people in foreign med schools, because you would be wrong MOST of the time. If anything... US students that go abroad because they couldnt get into a US school are MORE motivated. These people leave their entire lives, friends, families to go someplace that they have never been and only have seen in the brochures for 2 years. Thats dedication.
I do aggree that there are some major slackers in carribean schools, however... they either smarten up fast, or are sent packing. But do not make generalizations... the motivated medical student that will spend endless hours studying at St Georges is the RULE rather than the expection
3. The education is just like that of a american medical school... some classes are run well, and some are not. I have many friends at US med schools are without exception, each school has at least 1 or 2 classes that are taught horribly, and some that are taught wonderfully... same at St Georges. We use the same books as the US schools, and learn the same material. The curriculum is actually modeled after the US med school framework, because 99% of the students are from the US and are expecting it.
In case you were wondering about the boards... i did not take any prep class (kaplan, etc etc) and all i did was look through the BRS, and more importantly... my class notes from my 2 years at SGU. I got a 238 after only a month of studying. My school's USMLE pass rate is 94%, the national average is 93%.
Also... i wouldnt worry about getting a residency in the US from St Georges (i can only speak for St georges) EVERY PERSON THAT GRADUATES FROM SGU THAT WANTS A RESIDENCY IN THE US... GETS ONE!!!!! You need competitive scores to get surgery, opthalmology, etc, and you need to work your butt off. But it is definately doable. Actually... there are currently more US residency spots in genral surgery, internal medicine, and pediatrics than there are graduating doctors to fill them.
One word of caution though...St Georges treats their students like excrement. They dont care about them at all. They provide a service of education for a price. They want your bussiness, and they provide a good product... because the better you do, the higher your scores, the better they look... and the better the applicant pool gets, and the more MONEY they make!!! The administration is terrible, and they really dont care. Dont expect for someone from the school to hold your hand. Once you plunk down $$$ for the tuition, they know they have you and that you have more invested in them than they have in you.
It is a good school... and it will get you where you wanna go, but dont expect to be nostalgic about the wonderful way the carribean and SGU treats you, because it wont happen
I think thats about all i want to say, i hope i havent forgotten anything. I hope i have been informative