Looking at Saba

[Prncssbuttercup]

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Hi
I am in need of some advice... I am looking at applying to Saba. Really, it's the only Caribbean school I'm interested in. I looked at the others, and I don't like the tuition at SGU, and I am not impressed with the clinical sites at the other schools, or where they match residencies (I want to end up in Denver, and Saba and SGU are the only schools who have ever had a match in CO, could be no one wanted to go to CO from Ross or AUC but....) Anyway, I am looking at Caribbean because I have a poor UG gpa, very strong Post-Bacc GPA, and I will be taking the MCAT next spring (so I don't know yet on that)... The main reason I was looking at the Caribbean is time, I could be done 18 months sooner if I go Caribbean than if I go to a US school, and that is huge to me... Anyway, can I get some thoughts on this from people who are speaking from a knowledgeable standpoint (as in not just your opinion from knowing some guy who's sister had a friend who's cousin may or may not have gone to a Caribbean school)....

Thanks!

 

[Richardh]

hey sbb2016 don't make your final decision on which med school you want to go based on the tuition alone. you're going to enter a prestigious field where you will make income enough to pay off loans from med school later on.

 

[Richardh]

you still haven't taken your mcat so no final decision should be made. if you happen to score within the ranges of 25-29 then carribean schools are also good choices but what about DO schools? graduats from DO schools have a better chance matching and entering residency of their choice.

but if you happen to score 30 and above (and with your very high post-bac gpa) you have a chance for US MD schools!

 

[Richardh]

i never heard graduates from carribean graduating 18 months earlier. auc students graduate 4-5 years (which is almost the same as US MD graduates). besides how fast you graduate doesn't necessary mean that you can then go and match and do your residency. in other words getting a MD doesn't translate to licensure in US. you need to pass the licensing exams just like the USMLE exam, ECFMG exam.

in the end choose a school with great reputation, high USMLE score passing rate, competitive residency, etc.

 

[Prncssbuttercup]

The main reason I was looking at the Caribbean schools is time. It's not on my side... My thoughts are to apply broadly, including the Caribbean schools, but I could easily be done in the Caribbean at least a year sooner... Reason being, you don't have a "Gap year"... The tuition wasn't my only guiding force in my thought, but you bring up good points about the grad plus loans... while they aren't federally funded ($$ comes from a private bank), they are federally regulated, and that does keep the interest rate down. I guess I'm not really worried about the loans, my friend is in her 3rd year of residency, and she is actually going to have her loans paid off in 2 more years... With no assistance from HSA programs or such things...
One of the things that concerns me is the clinical sites, like SGU only has clinical sites in places I really REALLY don't want to spend any amount of time in, let alone weeks/months... I think the only other school I could find a tolerable clinical site is Ross...

 

[RussianJoo]

med school is also 4 years long if you go to SABA or any carib school. So how do you save 18 months? If anything you might save a few months because US schools ony accept students once a year but, other than that there's no time difference.

 

[Prncssbuttercup]

Saba specifically states on their site you can finish in 3.5 years if you do your clinicals faster, 6 mos, plus no gap year equals 18mos... Min a year sooner because of no gap year in the Carib, I could start next Sept instead of Sept 2012 with any of the schools... Even a year is a fair amount of time...

 

[NotAProgDirector]

If you have the option of attending a US school, you are a fool for attending a Carib school. It's not that the carib schools are poor -- in fact I have a few carib grads in my program who are great. It's simply that you close many, many doors that would otherwise be open. 1 year is a drop in the bucket in the end.

In addition, even if you finish medical school more quickly, you might need to wait for the next round of the match (and then you'd not only not have a job, but have to start paying on your loans).

If you have a shot at a US medical school, you should take it. If you cannot get into a US school, then the carib is a reasonable alternative. Just understand that you'll have to make yourself look smarter / better / faster to compete with those students attending US schools. It may not be fair, but it's life.

 

[MedPeds]

I agree with aProgDirector, go to a US school, if you have a choice.

The major draw back of a carib medical school is if you plan on applying to competitive programs/fields. In most situations, despite your undergraduate experience, your med-school GPA, USMLE scores, ect., you are at a major disadvantage. Saba is overall a good medical school, in the carib. Good luck with applications. 🙂

 

[RussianJoo]

Saba specifically states on their site you can finish in 3.5 years if you do your clinicals faster, 6 mos, plus no gap year equals 18mos... Min a year sooner because of no gap year in the Carib, I could start next Sept instead of Sept 2012 with any of the schools... Even a year is a fair amount of time...

yeah if you don't take any time off to study for board exams which you have to if you want to pass or do well on them.

Also it doesn't matter if you graduate in 3.5 or 4 years because the match is only once a year and by graduating in 3.5 years you'll still be applying for the same match year as someone who went to med school for 4 years. so really you're not saving much time. it's all false advertising on the part of the school to get different people to apply

 

[GADoctor]

100%, if you can go to a US school, do that. No matter who you ask, they are going to reply with the same response. If you cannot, then SGU and Saba are the two schools I would consider attending in the Caribbean.

 

[Prncssbuttercup]

Thanks for your help everyone, this is exactly why I asked the question. I'm planning on primary care, so I've been told its not so much of an issue with that... And I had thought about the match thing and was wondering what happens if you start in Jan (4mos out of cycle) and how/if you get matched... It would completely suck to have to start paying loans when you haven't even found a residency... Thanks everyone you've been very helpful...

 

[Richardh]

good luck SBB2016 👍

 

[RussianJoo]

Thanks for your help everyone, this is exactly why I asked the question. I'm planning on primary care, so I've been told its not so much of an issue with that... And I had thought about the match thing and was wondering what happens if you start in Jan (4mos out of cycle) and how/if you get matched... It would completely suck to have to start paying loans when you haven't even found a residency... Thanks everyone you've been very helpful...

yep since the match is once a year you'll pretty much sit around and go on vacation or start studying for step3 or work somewhere like bar tend or waiter till you start your residency. so graduating in 3.5 years is pretty much the same as graduating in 4 years when all said and done.

and don't be mistaken even if you just want primary care it's best to go to the best school you can get into or can afford. School name means a lot. Definitely go to a US MD school or DO school before going to the caribbean. and even then only go to SGU, AUC, ROSS, or SABA.

good luck.

 

[zut212]

Hi
I am in need of some advice... I am looking at applying to Saba. Really, it's the only Caribbean school I'm interested in. I looked at the others, and I don't like the tuition at SGU, and I am not impressed with the clinical sites at the other schools, or where they match residencies (I want to end up in Denver, and Saba and SGU are the only schools who have ever had a match in CO, could be no one wanted to go to CO from Ross or AUC but....) Anyway, I am looking at Caribbean because I have a poor UG gpa, very strong Post-Bacc GPA, and I will be taking the MCAT next spring (so I don't know yet on that)... The main reason I was looking at the Caribbean is time, I could be done 18 months sooner if I go Caribbean than if I go to a US school, and that is huge to me... Anyway, can I get some thoughts on this from people who are speaking from a knowledgeable standpoint (as in not just your opinion from knowing some guy who's sister had a friend who's cousin may or may not have gone to a Caribbean school)....

Thanks!

However, I don't think that SABA is eligible for US Government loans. My opinion is that it's like a certification - or a testimony to a college's goodness - if they are eligible for Sallie Mae loans.

 

[GADoctor]

If you go to the US Department of Education website and search for Saba you will get their recent report on the school and the process for approving the school for federal loans.

Having federal loans or not is not an indicator of the school. But, with that said, Saba should soon have them. But do not take my word for it, read the DOE report on their website. As I previously have said also, Saba received a positive review by the NVAO, dutch accreditation agency. And in about 20 days, Saba will official become a direct municipality within the Netherlands, and thus the school will become accredited just as any other Dutch school.

The school is extremely good and our scores and matches are second to none. But the big negative I see with the school is the size and the island. The island is small with not much resources. For this reason, it is tough for the school to grow beyond this point. This could either be a positive or negative depending on how you look at it. The school will probably never have 200 people in a class, but the school will also not experience the growth in facilities and faculty like other schools. Also the policies tend to be different and the island just does not have much.

Do some actual research before you decide on a school, like for example, look at our match list and confirm it.