Passed Step 1 with 234 / 98

[wolfvgang22]

I don't hang out here much, because in my opinion SDN has a lot of anti-IMG sentimented members, and another very large forum that is dedicated to IMG's is where I spend most my time posting. But I just wanted to let you guys know that it is possible to attend a caribbean school and do well on the step 1!

I attended Saba University and worked hard and earned a 234/98 on my first attempt on the step 1. This is above average for Canadian and U.S. medical students, as you probably know already. I am very grateful to Saba and the excellent job it did in helping me beat this monster exam, and to all of you out there who have been encouraging over the last few years.

You can probably guess my sentiments toward the nay-sayers out there...

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[ZachariasMouse]

Congratulations on your Step 1 score; however, it would seem that your accomplishment has been somewhat diminished by a need to validate your medical education.

My question is if you so fear being judged for your choice of med school, why didn't you apply yourself as an undergraduate and get into one in the US? It is apparent from your performance on Step 1 that you can learn as well as anyone else.

 

[wolfvgang22]

Congratulations on your Step 1 score; however, it would seem that your accomplishment has been somewhat diminished by a need to validate your medical education.

My question is if you so fear being judged for your choice of med school, why didn't you apply yourself as an undergraduate and get into one in the US? It is apparent from your performance on Step 1 that you can learn as well as anyone else.

I don't fear being judged, buddy. I just enjoy proving negative people wrong when they don't believe I'm gonna do something.
Don't put yourself in that group of people by attempted some half-baked psychoanalysis of somebody you've never met.

This will be my 4th career; I'm a non-traditional student...back during undergrad, busting my butt to please some med school admissions people was not even a twinkle in my eye. I did apply myself, just to other things, other professions, and did quite well.

So thanks for the congratulations. If anyone doesn't like the path I took to get here, too bad, 'cause I'll defend it to the day I die.
I'm proud of it.
Is going to a U.S. or Canadian school an easier path? Sure it is. Is it better? I'm not convinced.

If anybody is out there wondering if you can do it from Saba, the answer is YES YOU CAN.

 

[McGillGrad]

Congrats! It is good to see that you kicked ass....

As for the other guy's comment, who cares what happened in undergrad because you will be an MD with higher stats (and more life experience) than many of the cookie cutter premeds-turned-MDs who's only accomplishment in life is to get into an LCME med school.

 

[ajce9]

"It is apparent from your performance on Step 1 that you can learn as well as anyone else."[/quote]

You quote is inaccurate. No study has ever demonstrated a link between high test scores and learning.

Studies have demonstrated a link between good test taking skills and high board scores.

For you to assume someone did not apply themselves in undergrad demonstrates that you did not put much thought in your statement. There are many individuals that go to offshore medical schools not because they can't pass in the US but because they had other careers or were simply not selected to medical school in the US.

No one really knows why someone does not get into med school in the US.

This is in no way to take away from his very high board score. Congratulations. I am also an IMG and glad to see other make it and do so well.

 

[berkeleyboy]

But I just wanted to let you guys know that it is possible to attend a caribbean school and do well on the step 1!

I attended Saba University and worked hard and earned a 234/98 on my first attempt on the step 1.

Congratulations! I just want to point out, that this is NOT an example of an exception. Scores of this nature are very common coming from a carib school.

Best of luck to you in the future.

Berk

 

[SabaMed]

I don't hang out here much, because in my opinion SDN has a lot of anti-IMG sentimented members, and another very large forum that is dedicated to IMG's is where I spend most my time posting. But I just wanted to let you guys know that it is possible to attend a caribbean school and do well on the step 1!

I attended Saba University and worked hard and earned a 234/98 on my first attempt on the step 1. This is above average for Canadian and U.S. medical students, as you probably know already. I am very grateful to Saba and the excellent job it did in helping me beat this monster exam, and to all of you out there who have been encouraging over the last few years.

You can probably guess my sentiments toward the nay-sayers out there...

Congrats Wolfy... Not surprised at your mark because thats what alot of "us" are getting.

 

[FormerOB]

It doesn't surpise me at all...

As a graduate of a top 25 U.S. medical school, we would always laugh about the ways caribbean students try to define themselves by saying, "well I scored this on step one, etc." Everybody knows that off shore schools stress in their curriculms that they must attempt high scores on USMLES... but at the expense of what... well, the superior education and training you would receive at a U.S. school...

Patients WILL ask you where you got your M.D... by all means, tell them where you went... you will see the confusion in their eyes, then they will ask "where is that exactly?"

 

[lobelsteve]

It doesn't surpise me at all...

As a graduate of a top 25 U.S. medical school, we would always laugh about the ways caribbean students try to define themselves by saying, "well I scored this on step one, etc." Everybody knows that off shore schools stress in their curriculms that they must attempt high scores on USMLES... but at the expense of what... well, the superior education and training you would receive at a U.S. school...

Patients WILL ask you where you got your M.D... by all means, tell them where you went... you will see the confusion in their eyes, then they will ask "where is that exactly?"

I've heard this before: " St George's University, 1 East Main Street, Bay Shore NY"

Deceptive, but not a complete lie- the registrar's office and the US office is located there.

 

[Top Gun]

It doesn't surpise me at all...

As a graduate of a top 25 U.S. medical school, we would always laugh about the ways caribbean students try to define themselves by saying, "well I scored this on step one, etc." Everybody knows that off shore schools stress in their curriculms that they must attempt high scores on USMLES... but at the expense of what... well, the superior education and training you would receive at a U.S. school...

Patients WILL ask you where you got your M.D... by all means, tell them where you went... you will see the confusion in their eyes, then they will ask "where is that exactly?"

Why would you laugh about Caribbean students saying how high they scored? The USMLE is the true measure of how foreign grads compare to American grads in terms of knowledge. If they score high, that is a sign that they did achieve the required knowledge in their Caribbean med school. You seem to have an elitist attitude about attending a US school, judging from your other posts on this forum. What makes you think that the education you get in a US school is so much better? Have you even spent time in a Caribbean med school? And are you aware that we do our clinical rotations in the US, just like the US med students? Hell, my classmates and I from SGU scored higher on the exam for our pedes rotation than the New England osteopathic students rotating with us.
Oh, and guess what, very few patients have ever asked me where I attended med school. And the few who did ask couldn't have cared less when I told them. Why are you even posting your opinions on a Caribbean forum anyway? If you want to bash us, go find your own "superior" US forum and do it there. No one here is really interested in your opinion.

 

[Thaitanium]

It doesn't surpise me at all...

As a graduate of a top 25 U.S. medical school, we would always laugh about the ways caribbean students try to define themselves by saying, "well I scored this on step one, etc." Everybody knows that off shore schools stress in their curriculms that they must attempt high scores on USMLES... but at the expense of what... well, the superior education and training you would receive at a U.S. school...

Patients WILL ask you where you got your M.D... by all means, tell them where you went... you will see the confusion in their eyes, then they will ask "where is that exactly?"

AH, who cares what this chump has to say. Get your MD and be a good doctor and that's what only matters in the end. There are tons of FMGs working in this country and there are elitist aholes likes you also.

 

[bkpa2med]

I don't hang out here much, because in my opinion SDN has a lot of anti-IMG sentimented members, and another very large forum that is dedicated to IMG's is where I spend most my time posting. But I just wanted to let you guys know that it is possible to attend a caribbean school and do well on the step 1!

I attended Saba University and worked hard and earned a 234/98 on my first attempt on the step 1. This is above average for Canadian and U.S. medical students, as you probably know already. I am very grateful to Saba and the excellent job it did in helping me beat this monster exam, and to all of you out there who have been encouraging over the last few years.

You can probably guess my sentiments toward the nay-sayers out there...

Congrats!! Keep up the hard work and you will succeed with whatever field you want to get into to. That is truly a great score that not many achieve!

 

[Mspersistent]

FormerOB, how old are you?

 

[ledocteur]

This FormerOB guy is pretty pathetic, eh!
I mean, he screams low self-esteem, that he has to come to a Caribbean forum (where other caribbean meds and premeds come for support and advice) to validate himself. He's mentioned a couple of times how he went to a top 25 US Medical school.
That's wonderful> do u want a cookie? What the h e l l do u expect us to do. Bow down before you and worship you for landing an acceptance to a US school.
You need some psychotherapy, buddy. It is ur patients who are suffering. I really shouldn't even have responded to such ignorance, but i was trying to help u out, cuz you need help and ur posts seem to be a cry for help.

It's a shame. It's doctors like you who US schools should think really hard about before accepting: based solely on stats regardless of the high jerk radar.
And piece of advice, get the f*&^ out of the caribbean forums if you don't think we're worthy. Who are you helping????
(look, got me cursing, and i'm a Christian. I will be praying for you though)

 

[Top Gun]

This FormerOB guy is pretty pathetic, eh!
I mean, he screams low self-esteem, that he has to come to a Caribbean forum (where other caribbean meds and premeds come for support and advice) to validate himself. He's mentioned a couple of times how he went to a top 25 US Medical school.
That's wonderful> do u want a cookie? What the h e l l do u expect us to do. Bow down before you and worship you for landing an acceptance to a US school.
You need some psychotherapy, buddy. It is ur patients who are suffering. I really shouldn't even have responded to such ignorance, but i was trying to help u out, cuz you need help and ur posts seem to be a cry for help.

It's a shame. It's doctors like you who US schools should think really hard about before accepting: based solely on stats regardless of the high jerk radar.
And piece of advice, get the f*&^ out of the caribbean forums if you don't think we're worthy. Who are you helping????
(look, got me cursing, and i'm a Christian. I will be praying for you though)

You just about said it all.

 

[bulletproof]

As a graduate of a top 25 U.S. medical school, we would always laugh about the ways caribbean students try to define themselves...

As a keen observer of the human condition it takes little for me to recognise that you "define" youself by the accalades and perceived accomplishments you prance around in. Your miserable self esteem and compensatory ego are glaringly obvious, and are unlikely to take you very far. Good luck in life with what would appear to be one hell of a chip on your shoulder.

Question: How many miles per gallon do you get powered by your own sense of self satisfaction?