LASM Medical School in Havana, Cuba

[misanne]

Has anyone else heard about this? It sounds interesting but how do you think that the folks over here in the USA will look at an applicant who matriculated from Over there. I think it is a great opportunity but I am also concerned about practicing here in the states. Will I have problems with a school picking me up since I will be considered international? Or problems with residency? Is any one has any additional information that they can offer I would really appreciate it.
Thanks!!!!!

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[DrMidlife]

I assume you mean ELAM? First off, see the movie "Salud" which is about the Cuban health system and covers this school a great deal. Second, 9 students from the US graduated there last year. It shouldn't be difficult to find a grad - they were all over the news with names and hometowns etc. As I understand it, the US grads were required to pass the USMLE, which helps.

 

[SabaMed]

Has anyone else heard about this? It sounds interesting but how do you think that the folks over here in the USA will look at an applicant who matriculated from Over there. I think it is a great opportunity but I am also concerned about practicing here in the states. Will I have problems with a school picking me up since I will be considered international? Or problems with residency? Is any one has any additional information that they can offer I would really appreciate it.
Thanks!!!!!

I have a friend doing it. It is completely free and a great education. The only downside's are it's a 6 year program. It's all in Spanish of course (which could be good or bad). The living conditions are 100X worse than Saba which is hard to believe. They don't prepare the students for the USMLE at all, so most fail 1st time out. Then to top it off they still have 3 years of residency left if they want to practice back in the states which of course most do. So its a 10+ year program total. 6 in Cuba, 1 year to study for Step1 and interviews. 3 years residency min.
I'd rather pay the money and be back in the states in 20 months, but that's me.

 

[not so calm now]

Yesterday, at the clinic where I work, a letter came from a girl who was starting the program soon. She was asking for "120 $100" donations to cover the cost of travel, etc. over the 6 years she would be there. She sounded pretty enthusiastic about it. I did some research because I was interested, and I found their website. Seems like not for everyone, but it is pretty interesting.

http://www.ifconews.org/MedicalSchool/main.htm

Oh yeah, it's entirely in Spanish.

 

[SabaMed]

Yesterday, at the clinic where I work, a letter came from a girl who was starting the program soon. She was asking for "120 $100" donations to cover the cost of travel, etc. over the 6 years she would be there. She sounded pretty enthusiastic about it. I did some research because I was interested, and I found their website. Seems like not for everyone, but it is pretty interesting.

http://www.ifconews.org/MedicalSchool/main.htm

Oh yeah, it's entirely in Spanish.

Didn't I post that? No way I'm doing 10 years! Think about this, even if you went to St. George's (the most expensive Caribbean school) you get done in 7 years. 150K a year x 3 years. You could pay off your loans and still have money left. Also the big question mark is what happens when Fidel dies (which could happen at anytime)? I predict they will scrap that program ASAP because it was done to basically thumb the nose at the United States.