~*~Ponce School of Medicine Class of 2011!!!!~*~

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I cannot tell you how many seats are exactly left... I can assure you that they are still interviewing because a friend of mine is being interviewed today.
I got into RCM too and I know about 30-40 people who are going in. I also heard there are approximately 10 who failed anatomy this year so that means there will be 90 seats available.. I am not really sure how that works but they say if you get interviewed there is a REALLY GOOD CHANCE in making it to RCM. Best of luck,

P.S. Are you a Puerto Rican Mainland Student or from the States. If you are from P.R. , are you from UPR?
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veromar122 said:
Hi!

I would like to know if anyone has heard of how many seats are left at RCM and if they are still interviewing.

Also, does anyone know the USMLE pass rates for the 3 PR schools (PSM, UCC and RCM)?

I will be reserving my space at PSM as I have already been accepted. Who else is in???
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I am a 2004 graduate of the UPR-RCM. Although I cannot quote the exact passing rate for the RCM, I am sure is similar to any other school in mainland USA. I my class (>105) less than 10 people failed. Most people tend average and about a third of the class do very well. At the end…USMLE’s are not about where you go for training; they’re about how much you put into them. Intelligence, discipline and good memory also helps.:laugh: PM me if you have any more questions…GOOD LUCK!!
 
Valek_PM said:
1) Well, PR Med Schools are not considered foreign SOM (not Caribbean per se, even though we are located in the Caribbean) since we are a territory from USA [(Commonwealth), citizenship, US currency, almost same laws, yayadada]. Thus, our 3 SOM are accredited by the AAMC. So, your degree from here is as good as any USA mainland SOM (allopathic medicine, not OD). We can get into very competitive residencies (IVY League Hosp. etc.). You can match wherever you want in the states.

2) Both, English & Spanish are the official languages in the island. You can expect your classes mostly in Spanish, but all the exams are in English, as well the books and supplemental lectures.

3) Depending where you apply. Ponce School of Medicine and Universidad Central del Caribe accept many USA mainland students (Ponce specially, MSAR 2005 Stats where 38 students from PR and 33 from USA mainland). The University of Puerto Rico SOM doesn't accept USA mainland students, unless you have some kind of attachment to the island (marry a PR girl or guy, parents from PR, study here from a while, etc.).

Many USA students never think about coming here because of prejudice and short way of thinking. We have 3 great schools that maybe are not as recognize as Harvard, but we can still kick their buts. Do not get blind by all these SDN jerks that are just a bunch of r*****. You will love PR and its beaches, and above everything else you will definitely learn Spanish that now days it is kind an advantage if you want to work in big cities because Latin people is the fastest growing population in USA. Don't hesitate to ask any other question, we are here to help people and clear their minds from all SDN junk.
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All of the above is true. The only draw back of graduating form Puerto Rico is the lack of understanding that some of our mainland counterparts have of our accreditation, political situation and citizenship status. (Of course thay do not question any of this stuff when it comes to sending Puerto Ricans to war). This lack of understanding (or education) translates into assuming that our medical education is a second class one. It is your responsibility as a medical professional to proficient. If you end up doing your post graduate training in mainland USA, you will realize that you are on the same level (or higher) in terms of knowledge but sometimes in a lower level in terms of respect. It's your job to earn it and represent! PM if you have any questions. I am always happy to share what I've learned walking the line… :thumbup:

PS:
Trust me. There are plenty of Puerto Ricans in faculty positions all around the country, including top tier programs. We always take care of each other.;)
 
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I am a mainland student and study in UPR-RP (I graduate in May w/ a B.S. in Biology). I already interviewed and got accepted at UCC and Ponce but I am still waiting for that call from "El Recinto" (UPR - Ciencias Medicas). I don't know what my chances are, but I am reserving my seat at Ponce (because I didn't really like UCC).
Also, I heard a few days ago that there were alot of problems going on at UCC. One of the biggest ones was that about half of the second year class was flunking their classes and that they were having administrative problems. I heard this through my friend whose sister is a second-year med student at UCC.
If there is anyone studying there that could confirm or deny this, please let me know! Also, if there is anyone studying at Ponce and would like to share their experience also let me know, as I want to make sure I am making the right chioice.

Thanks!
 
veromar122 said:
I am a mainland student and study in UPR-RP (I graduate in May w/ a B.S. in Biology). I already interviewed and got accepted at UCC and Ponce but I am still waiting for that call from "El Recinto" (UPR - Ciencias Medicas). I don't know what my chances are, but I am reserving my seat at Ponce (because I didn't really like UCC).
Also, I heard a few days ago that there were alot of problems going on at UCC. One of the biggest ones was that about half of the second year class was flunking their classes and that they were having administrative problems. I heard this through my friend whose sister is a second-year med student at UCC.
If there is anyone studying there that could confirm or deny this, please let me know! Also, if there is anyone studying at Ponce and would like to share their experience also let me know, as I want to make sure I am making the right chioice.

Thanks!
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Wow thanks for the information. I will be headed to UCC next week for an interview. Also how long after the interview did it take for you to get an acceptance (from both schools)?
 
I heard from Ponce the week after my interview (their committee meets every two weeks I think). I interviewed at UCC the Jan 28 and received their letter yesterday.

When you are done with your interview you can ask the admissions officer for information regarding when the admissions committee meets and how long will it take for you to know if you're in. Most schools in PR take 2 weeks at most, except for RCM which has an average of 5 days response time. Pretty quick!

Good luck on your interview! If you have any questions let me know. Happy to help!
 
Well, I just paid my $1000 deposit to PSM, so I guess I'm officially PSM Class of 2011!!!!!!!

Well, unless I get into RCM and then I will have lost $1000.
 
veromar122 said:
Well, I just paid my $1000 deposit to PSM, so I guess I'm officially PSM Class of 2011!!!!!!!

Well, unless I get into RCM and then I will have lost $1000.
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That's exciting, at least you have a place to go if RCM doesn't work out. Also thanks for the info at the schools.
 
Whats_up_doc said:
I also heard there are approximately 10 who failed anatomy this year so that means there will be 90 seats available..
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Hey there,
Actually a total of 8 had to take a reposition exam for the course. I believe most passed. I know of 2 or three that have to repeat the year because they did not pass the exam, so as of now there are less than ten people repeating the year. At RCM if you fail one course you have to make it up at a summer program at an accredited program in the US. If you fail 2 courses you MUST repeat the year. If you fail 3 courses you better have a good reason or you face academic dismissal. If you fail 4 courses you can pretty much kiss your medical career goodbye.
We have a new dean this year, Walter Frontera who came over form Harvard. As of this year the promotions comittees are being waaay more strict in regards to giving second chances.
 
March 5th = Interview at Ponce. I'm in business now. Anyone know what the chances are of getting in once you get to the interview stage? Anyone else going to be down there around then interviewing? That week is my spring break and I'm going to do a little sightseeing. I would love to meet up with some current students or interviewees. Hit me up with a PM. This is awesome. :clap: :clap:
 
ekimsurfer said:
March 5th = Interview at Ponce. I'm in business now. Anyone know what the chances are of getting in once you get to the interview stage? Anyone else going to be down there around then interviewing? That week is my spring break and I'm going to do a little sightseeing. I would love to meet up with some current students or interviewees. Hit me up with a PM. This is awesome. :clap: :clap:
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I have the MSAR for 2007-2008 that says that out of 682 non-residents that applied for 2005, 26 were interviewed and 28 matriculated. I like maybe the two extra students may have been deferrments. I am not sure. But that looks like great chances. :) Good luck ekimsurfer, hopefully we both get in.
 
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Hey guys,
I'm a 2006 Ponce grad from the States and I'd be happy to answer any questions you guys have about the school or living in Ponce. I actually liked it so much I decided to stay for my intern year before heading back to the mainland for residency.
Good luck,
Adam
 
adamant said:
Hey guys,
I'm a 2006 Ponce grad from the States and I'd be happy to answer any questions you guys have about the school or living in Ponce. I actually liked it so much I decided to stay for my intern year before heading back to the mainland for residency.
Good luck,
Adam
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Hi!

As I said a few posts before, I have already given my deposit to Ponce and I'm looking forward to studying there. If it's okay, I have a few questions I would like to ask you...

What good places are there to live near school? Which would you recommend?
How is the student-professor interaction?
What are the USMLE pass rates (if you know)?
What was your overall experience there? How did your studies there prepare you for residencies?
Also, do you know the statistics (official or from what you could see) about how the PSM graduates do in the Match?

Thank you so much, in advance, for being so helpful as I am very nervous to start med school so far away from home (about 2.5 hours).

Veronica
 
:thumbup: hey there ekimsurfer, I also just received an interview date for ponce for march 1st! I am very excited, but also a little nervous.
I know there will be 2 interviews, one in english and the other in spanish. Anybody have any tips or comments on past interviews?? :)
 
DrSO said:
:thumbup: hey there ekimsurfer, I also just received an interview date for ponce for march 1st! I am very excited, but also a little nervous.
I know there will be 2 interviews, one in english and the other in spanish. Anybody have any tips or comments on past interviews?? :)
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You can look at the interview feedback page for questions that are frequently asked in the interviews which includes, "La reforma". Also I was told to read up on current events in Puerto Rico from endi (They have a site online). I have an interview there this week. Good luck DrSO!
 
thanks so much nataly! i definitely will read up on la reforma, good luck this week also!! :oops:
 
Many new students especially mainlanders choose to live in the Parque Monterrey apartments that are located just next to the school. They are relatively new and you can easily walk to class. The prices are probably around 750-900 a month for a 2 bedroom. I rented a house for my wife and I which gives a lot more bang for the buck. The nice thing about Ponce is that you are never more than 15 minutes away from anything.
The student professor interaction for me was excellent. You will see right away how friendly and helpful everyone at PSM is. Some of the teachers are not the greatest but you get that anywhere.
Pass rates for the boards depend on the year. For my class it was around 85% first pass rate but for other classes it has been lower, around 70%. I think that some students are just really lazy and spend too much time hanging around and not studying. We have had several students score >260 on step 1 so you can definitely do well if you put in the work. There is probably less academic hand holding here than at some schools in the States so be prepared for that.
In my class we had people match into Plastics, ENT, DERM, Optho, Rads, Gas, GS etc. It is really up to you. People tend to match into programs in Florida, Texas, New York, and Louisianna. The school is not well known on the west coast so keep that in mind if you want to go back to California.
Good luck!
 
I would like to know the financial options the students in this forum are considering to pay for med school...

Adamant and other PSM graduates: How did you pay for med school? Were loans the most common options? How many students in your class (or that you know of) took a scholarship from the Army (or any of the Armed Forces) or National Health Service Corps (NHSC) and how did it work out for them?

I'm sorry about all the questions, but I'm kind of freaking out about the whole financial deal. It is very overwhelming. I'm asking because the Army is offering me a VERY VERY good deal to pay for my studies (med school thru residency, and beyond if I choose to stay) but I would like to know if anyone has had a similar experience.

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
I received an email earlier today inviting me for an interview on Thursday, March 22. I'm stoked! Should I fly into San Juan or directly into Ponce. I found a flight directly to Ponce, but the info PSM provides gives directions from SJ airport. Is it better/cheaper to go through San Juan? any suggestions? Any body else there that week?
 
ScootDoc said:
I received an email earlier today inviting me for an interview on Thursday, March 22. I'm stoked! Should I fly into San Juan or directly into Ponce. I found a flight directly to Ponce, but the info PSM provides gives directions from SJ airport. Is it better/cheaper to go through San Juan? any suggestions? Any body else there that week?
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I am so excited for you!!! :D That is great news! There was one girl in my interview that flew directly into Ponce and she said that it was a small little plane. I would be scared to fly in a little plane. If you decide to fly into San Juan, you need to rent a car because the taxi drive to Ponce is expensive. It takes two hours to get to Ponce from San Juan and it can be scary because a lot of people drive crazy there. Good luck and if you have any questions about the interview or my trip to Puerto Rico, you can PM me.
 
Hi ScootDoc!

Congratulations on your interview invite! I live here in Puerto Rico and know what its like to drive from San Juan to Ponce (I live about 30 min from San Juan). The drive from San Juan to Ponce is about an hour and a half. Eventhough it's a beautiful view, if you are only coming down for your interview (one day) I would recommend going directly into Ponce and staying at the Holiday Inn, Ponce Hilton or any of the small hotels in the area. I'm not really sure if its cheaper to fly to Ponce (although I think it would be, as it is not in the metro area) but you should still compare prices just in case.

Don't worry about the directions because it's not hard to get there.

If you have any other questions, let me know. Good luck!
 
Hi ScootDoc, Congrats!!! I also got notified yesterday and my interview is on march 22! Where will you be flying into to?
 
I would recommend flying directly to Ponce. You save lots of $$$ and time. Less hassle, less congestion and the school is only minutes away. If and when you get accepted you will have more than enough time to get to know the island. BTW my friend just spoke witht he Ponce class president, they are all heading over to the beach this weekend. Too bad I cant join them, tests and a shelf exam next week :thumbdown: .
 
DoCRaQ said:
Hi ScootDoc, Congrats!!! I also got notified yesterday and my interview is on march 22! Where will you be flying into to?
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DoCRaQ--I'll be flying into Ponce. I figure by the time I will have rented a car, paid for gas, etc in San Juan it will end up costing me more than flying directly into Ponce. Where are you coming from? I found a flight from Newark to Ponce on Continental Airlines. It's not too pricey either. I think I will be staying at the Holiday Inn. I arrive in Ponce on the morning of Mar 21, and leave Friday morning. We'll see you there. PM me if you want chat about anything else?
 
I wish all of you interviewing at PSM very good luck!!! Its a very school. Just be yourself at the interviews and everything will be allright!!

Good luck!!

PSM class of 2006
 
:D Hey everyone, today I received an acceptance from UCC. I am really happy!! As for Ponce, I called the school and they said that the committee has not even met yet from when I had my interview on Feb. 22 and that they will probably meet sometime soon in March.
 
It seems that RCM interviews are over... Does anyone know anything about this?:(
 
I'll soon be on my way to the airport and off to PSM. I'm pretty stoked about it too! Any last suggestions? Also, I will have a full day to check out the island. Anything I should definately experience? I'll let you all know how it goes. I interview on Wed. March 21. Anybody else? Later.
 
Hey ScootDOc,

I'll see you there! my interview is on the same day! Good Luck!!!!
 
Good luck to both of you. You guys will do great!!:D
 
I had a great trip to PONCE. The school seemed to be great. However, it has ended up being just a great vacation to PR, and I will not be attending PONCE. Upon returning home to Utah I received notice that I have been accepted to UofU (my state MD school). Good luck to everyone!!! Thanks for the great posts.
 
ScootDoc said:
I had a great trip to PONCE. The school seemed to be great. However, it has ended up being just a great vacation to PR, and I will not be attending PONCE. Upon returning home to Utah I received notice that I have been accepted to UofU (my state MD school). Good luck to everyone!!! Thanks for the great posts.
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That is great news ScootDoc! I hope everything goes well for you and thanks for the posts. :D
 
Hey guys, I found out today that the committee is going to meet next week and try to mail the letters by the end of next week. Good luck to all you!
 
Hey ScootDOc!
Congrats on Utah! yay =) I'm anxiously waiting for Ponce! It was nice meeting you and I wish you the best!
 
hello all! i'm an outgoing 4th year (getting ready to start fm in sd), and i'm open for questions you might have about the school or ponce. it's been a wild ride, and i both envy and pity you all, if you can believe that's possible. like me, there are lots of other 4th years who need to sell all their stuff and rent out their houses (i personally am selling my 96 kia sportage 4x4, if you're interested). i can give advice for pretty much everything that has to do with pr, as i've seen more of the island than most boricuas. good luck!
 
Hi!

I'm apartment hunting as I have accepted admission to PSM. Which places are good to live in (where do med students usually stay)? Also, are there any words of wisdom or things we should know before we start our lives as PSM med students? Cranky professors, tips on studying, or ANYTHING else we should know? Thank you so much!
 
Most students live in one of three places; all three are apartment-style condos.

*Parque Monterey, which is directly behind the school
*El Mirador, a "high-rise," if you can call it that (24 stories, but it is the tallest in Ponce), that's about two blocks away
*Los Paseos, a row of 4-5 complexes on the other side of town that are a little nicer but further away. they are on Blvd. Miguel Pou, next to Ave. Fagot.

I could tell you a lot of things about Ponce, but the best is thing I can say is to be patient. It's a different culture here, slower with more bureaucracy. You will fit right in if you stop yourself from asking "Why don't they. . ." or "Why is it this way?" The school is pretty open to changing things for the better of the students (new president this year attests to that), but "Ponce es Ponce" as you will come to find out. As for cranky professors, I thought they all were, but then again I hated going to class no matter who was teaching. You'll get better advice from the class directly ahead of you; they give a great orientation right after the "official" one you get from the school.

What to bring to Ponce:

I would think twice about bringing most things; I definitely have too much now to bring home. I would bring clothes (you'll need at least a week's worth of shirts and ties for third & fourth year rotations) and electronics, as those tend to be pricey and hard to come by. there's a marshall's in ponce; that's where i get most of my clothes. as for electronics, the only place you're not going to pay more is compusa in san juan. pretty much every place in ponce is marked up.

If you are looking to bring a car into Ponce, there is a ferry from Miami that costs about $1000 each way. I would not bring a car here unless it was a truck or SUV. the potholes are vicious.

Stores/Restaurants:

Ponce has a Sam's, Super Walmart, K-mart, Home Depot, and a mall with Sears, Pier One (I think), and JC Penny, among others. There's also the Marshall's I mentioned before. The better restaurants are Mark's at the Melia (hands down the best and most expensive, La Cava & Sushi at the Ponce Hilton, and El Rincon Argentino (Churrasco). Some other places worth mentioning are Ruby Tuesday's, Chili's, Cold Stone, and King's Cream (in the Pueblo). There are a string of great seafood places going west away from Ponce, toward the Holiday inn. They are all on the left, overlooking the water (Pito's, Yeyo's, Monserrat. . .)

Hope this helps!
 
Dr. Blue,

Thank you so much for posting so quickly! I'm sorry I forgot to state that I already live in PR (in Dorado). But your information helps out alot since I know it's totally a different culture down there. Now that you mention clothes, what is the dress code (to go to class)? Also, I haven't been told about orientation. How does that go? I just heard from my friends that are going to UPR-RCM that they have to take a summer intro class and then orientation, do we have something like that at Ponce?

I'm sorry if I keep asking questions, but I have no idea what to expect.

Thanks!
 
ya; i would agree that ponce is "different" from the rest of the island. there is no pre-class class that i'm aware of, your start date should coincide with orientation pretty closely. in the "official" orientation, they'll tell you that the dress code is "business professional," or slacks and a button up shirt, but by the second week people will be coming to class in board shorts and flip flops. our class (read, me) was notorious for this, and eventually we got lectured on the issue, but we just went right back to wearing what we though was comfortable. usually the professors are content if you are on time to class (oops). the shirt and tie thing is reserved for clinical experiences, i.e. standardized patients and clinical rotations.
 
Have any of you U.S. mainland students that interviewed in March received acceptance letters yet? Thanks.
 
I graduated from PSM in 06

The majority of students live in Parque de Monterrey. This are walkup style apartments and you can see them from school. its a 1-2 minute drive and some students go in bicycle.

I used to live in Paseo del Principe, another walkup type of complex. There're 4 Paseos (Principe, Rey, Reina y Princesa). I used to pay 1000 for a 3 bedroom 2 bathroom apt. I had a roomate and I paid 600 and he paid 400 since I had the masterbedroom and the parking space closer to the apt. It was pretty nice place, quiet. 2 or 3 doctors that gave us class live there. this one is like a 10 minute drive from school.

Another place where students used to rent was the neighborhood behind the school but the majority live in Monterrey!!
 
I interviewed in March (5th) and have basically called every week since then. According to everyone I have spoken to, the committee meeting that was scheduled for last week was rescheduled to April 25th in the evening. According to Mrs. Cintron, they will have the decisions on everyone waiting to hear that interviewed in February and March by the 27th of April, Friday. So I will be calling on that day to see where my future lies. Good luck to all of you and I hope to meet you guys next year if and when I matriculate.
 
HI--I AM A 4TH YEAR PSM student and I wanted to say hello to all of you!

Dr Blue is a good buddy of mine (believe me, you'll all become good buddies) and I wanted to offer my advice/help/assistance in getting any of you situated here in Ponce.

Most important for you all is probably an apartment and a car--and I would be happy to help you all with those things too--sadly the PSM Administration doesn't help students out very well on these fronts.

I am very active in advising first year-second year-third year students on residencies and the Match, too, so if you have questions about those things, I would love to help you out.

Additionally, you can send me a PM and I would be happy to call you on the phone to answer any questions you all have :)

We really try to help each other out, as much as possible down here. That's one of our BIG advantages!

Hope to hear from you all soon and CONGRATULATIONS!:thumbup:

Christopher
 
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