Current Saba Student/Recent graduate of Saba??

[premedemma]

I'm recently accepted to Saba, but I have a few questions. I know this topic must have been discussed before - but they're all a few years old..so I'm opening it up again.

From what I've been reading from ValueMD forums is that many of the Carib schools accept many more students than they can possibly have clinical spots for, knowing that 1/2 of them will fail out. And you really got to be tough enough to fight through. Is that true?

The only thing that's sort of "lacking" from my medical school application is my low MCAT score, which is preventing me from US medical schools. My GPA is not like a 4.0, but it's not bad either...enough to get me into a US medical school (going from averages).

I know I will have to work very hard in the Carib, or even any medical school for that matter, but those that do put in the time and effort -- do they do well/pass at Saba? Or do even the brightest fail out? This is a really big concern for me, as I think it would be for many other medical students who did not get accepted in the US.

Please respond, or send me a PM!
Thank you

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[metukah]

Premedemma: I am in the exact same boat and have the same questions! If anyone out there could help with some answers, that would be great.

I'm recently accepted to Saba, but I have a few questions. I know this topic must have been discussed before - but they're all a few years old..so I'm opening it up again.

From what I've been reading from ValueMD forums is that many of the Carib schools accept many more students than they can possibly have clinical spots for, knowing that 1/2 of them will fail out. And you really got to be tough enough to fight through. Is that true?

The only thing that's sort of "lacking" from my medical school application is my low MCAT score, which is preventing me from US medical schools. My GPA is not like a 4.0, but it's not bad either...enough to get me into a US medical school (going from averages).

I know I will have to work very hard in the Carib, or even any medical school for that matter, but those that do put in the time and effort -- do they do well/pass at Saba? Or do even the brightest fail out? This is a really big concern for me, as I think it would be for many other medical students who did not get accepted in the US.

Please respond, or send me a PM!
Thank you

 

[RussianJoo]

www.valuemd.com has a saba forum.

 

[AP gooner]

www.valuemd.com has a saba forum.

My friend is there. He said there's approximately a 40% attrition rate. Although, he said most of the people who failed out were not trying hard enough, lazy etc.

 

[Temperature101]

My friend is there. He said there's approximately a 40% attrition rate. Although, he said most of the people who failed out were not trying hard enough, lazy etc.

40% attrition rate ! That is very high...People should be cautious about going to school like this.

 

[bleep]

40% attrition rate?
Our class started with 108 students and currently have 38 moving 2 the third semester. we had less than 80 left entering second(that's with some people who got pushed back a semester after failing a course). you do the math.
pass rate is 75%, meaning if you would fail a course if you get anything lower than 75%, nope, not even 74.5!
40% attrition rate? they need to hire better statisticians

 

[tracheatoedoc]

I think Carib schools admit the most well qualified students they can. There is more profit in keeping a student in for the full course, than having someone fail out paying only for 1 semester. Clinical sites are generally available as needed.
People fail for a variety of reasons. They may have gone to the Caribbean thinking it will be easy and passed thru. Not true. They may be marginal to begin with, thinking yheir motivation to be a physician will make up for deficiencies. Not true. Many students seem to be more or less sent down by their plastic surgeon father who believes they should be a physician. That doesn't work. Some kids think they can hang out on the beach and smoke ganja. They better be pretty fricking smart!
The bottom line is that the big 4 will expect a certain level of performance. I think it is more difficult to obtain an MD in the Caribbean than in the US. They won't hold your hand because they are used to smartass frat boys sent down by their parents having too much fun and flunking out. The schools know people will fail, they just can't figure out who will fail.

 

[235009]

Our class started with 108 students and currently have 38 moving 2 the third semester.

There is more profit in keeping a student in for the full course, than having someone fail out paying only for 1 semester. Clinical sites are generally available as needed.

wrong. the pre-clinical years are pure profit for these schools because it doesn't cost anything to add another student to a lecture hall. however, carib schools pay a lot of money for clinical spots which significantly cuts into the profits they get from students in years 3 and 4. So in fact it is most profitable formula for a carib school is:
1. force you to repeat a semester or two
2. prevent you from sitting for step 1 (unless you are one of the rare superstars)
3. kick you out
...that way they've collected 2-3 years of tuition while spending next to nothing on you.

Of course they're going to want their top students to sit for step 1 and move on to clinical rotations because in order to continue the ponzi scheme you need at least a few successes and an artificially inflated step 1 pass rate.

 

[TypeADoctor]

I'm from AUC, from my starting class of 186 or so, I believe we are down to 164-ish. Not as many failed out as I was expecting, but quite a few did fail one class which put them back a semester and the vast majority of those people learn their lesson and make it through. (I'm in my 4th year).
My advice....St. George or AUC