Ponce v. SJB

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Honestly

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School San Juan Bautista
Pros
  • Cheaper
  • Higher match rate than Ponce

Cons
  • Less research
  • LCME accreditation issues in the past?


School Ponce Health Sciences
Pros
  • More Research
  • Reputation among the other schools in PR

Cons
  • OOS Cost
  • Match Rate

Summary: Looking for different perspectives. My biggest issue is if the $25,000 difference is worth looking over. In advance thanks for your guy's input!
 
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I don't think LCME accreditation is an issue anymore, I wouldn't worry about that. I'm also looking into these schools and trying to figure out how to rank the 3 OOS friendly PR schools. It's a little hard to do given Covid
 
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SJB is fully accredited so it shouldn’t worry you, I heard that SJB has research incorporated to their curriculum so everyone graduates with research, that’s why they have their higher Match rate. They study by systems. I got into both schools and I am thinking into choosing SJB probably, so maybe we could be classmates
 
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ocond003 said:
SJB is fully accredited so it shouldn’t worry you, I heard that SJB has research incorporated to their curriculum so everyone graduates with research, that’s why they have their higher Match rate. They study by systems. I got into both schools and I am thinking into choosing SJB probably, so maybe we could be classmates
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Yeah I believe most of their first years do research before their second year
 
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I graduated from Ponce years ago now finishing up residency.

Match ate was definitely better for Ponce than SJB back when I graduated. I think it can be very year dependent. Are the match rates of both schools over the past five years available? I would be hard pressed to believe SJBs was better than Ponce's overall. But maybe those lists are out there. I would also look at the fields that Ponce and SJB match - Ponce may have a lower match rate because people apply for (and some match, so don't) into more competitive specialties.

In any case, I think Ponce gets marks over SJB and UCC for the simple reason that they have core residency affiliations that the other two schools simply don't have. Ponce is affiliated with Psychiatry, Ob/Gyn, IM, Pediatric, General Surgery, and Emergency Medicine residency programs which means if you're interested in these fields, there is a home program that would be available to you.

I hate that PSM was bought out and is now for-profit, but I think the residency affiliation it has puts it above SJB and UCC. But things change quick in PR --> so my experience across the last 10 years could be totally different from the landscape now.
 
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If you are OOS, the difference in tuition doesn’t make Ponce worth it. Class this year is expanding to 165. Residencies affiliated programs are mostly for in state student.

Before being a for profit school Ponce was totally the second best school in PR but match rates have drop since and my friends in the school tell me many of their TA are med student that didn't match that is not a good sign
 
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Dr. Venture Capitalist said:
If you are OOS, the difference in tuition doesn’t make Ponce worth it. Class this year is expanding to 165. Residencies affiliated programs are mostly for in state student.

Before being a for profit school Ponce was totally the second best school in PR but match rates have drop since and my friends in the school tell me many of their TA are med student that didn't match that is not a good sign
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Oh wow. Damn
 
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Th
Dr. Venture Capitalist said:
If you are OOS, the difference in tuition doesn’t make Ponce worth it. Class this year is expanding to 165. Residencies affiliated programs are mostly for in state student.

Before being a for profit school Ponce was totally the second best school in PR but match rates have drop since and my friends in the school tell me many of their TA are med student that didn't match that is not a good sign
Click to expand...

This information is troubling. Are your friends from OOS?
 
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Dr. Venture Capitalist said:
If you are OOS, the difference in tuition doesn’t make Ponce worth it. Class this year is expanding to 165. Residencies affiliated programs are mostly for in state student.

Before being a for profit school Ponce was totally the second best school in PR but match rates have drop since and my friends in the school tell me many of their TA are med student that didn't match that is not a good sign
Click to expand...
Thank you for sharing this
 
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Honestly said:
Th


This information is troubling. Are your friends from OOS?
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Instate, most of my friends are instate. Since I studied undergrad in Puerto Rico.
I know a couple of OOS student at SJB that are doing very well top of their class because exams are NBME and some instate struggle a little with the english wording of standardized testing like in the NBMEs. So native english speaker have the advantage there

Both school have their pro and cons, I know students that matched in Derm, ortho, gen surg from both schools.

They only big con last year SJB had was it didn’t have AOA. But this year they started the chapter

In research Ponce have more in school opportunities but it is not required like im SJB. SJB is near RCM, and affiliated hospitals and thats where all the big research takes places in PR.

My opinion PR schools are

RCM
then: UCC, SJB, PONCE no particular order.
 
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I will chime in a little bit and if you have any questions I can help you just let me know.
I am a instate student at SJB
A year ago I was trying to make the same decision. Ponce or SJB.
I will be 100% honest with you, I am not top of my class currently with most Bs and a couple of C. I will give you the opinion of a below-average student that would still choose SJB.

Even though I am struggling with the NBMEs exams, I love them because they prepare me for the step. I am studying mostly step prep material without the need to learn tiny details the professor wants to ask for an ego boost.
Research from day one, I will graduate with at least one pub. And I was accepted in two research summer programs on the mainland. I got friends doing research at the VA hospital in San Juan. So research opportunities are vast if you research for them.


A friends opinion from PHSU:
My best friend is top of his class in Ponce, and he hates it there because he needs to compete with the Master's degree students that already took all the exams a year before and are basically repeating MS1 knowing all the questions of the test beforehand. He tells me the faculty always favor the Master's degree students for every opportunity. But they do have the Honors/Pass/fail so if you just want to pass you will have a Pass in your grade instead of a C.
 
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Dr. Venture Capitalist said:
Instate, most of my friends are instate. Since I studied undergrad in Puerto Rico.
I know a couple of OOS student at SJB that are doing very well top of their class because exams are NBME and some instate struggle a little with the english wording of standardized testing like in the NBMEs. So native english speaker have the advantage there

Both school have their pro and cons, I know students that matched in Derm, ortho, gen surg from both schools.

They only big con last year SJB had was it didn’t have AOA. But this year they started the chapter

In research Ponce have more in school opportunities but it is not required like im SJB. SJB is near RCM, and affiliated hospitals and thats where all the big research takes places in PR.

My opinion PR schools are

RCM
then: UCC, SJB, PONCE no particular order.
Click to expand...
I’ll be moving to PR from Arizona, so I’m just curious how oos perform in school over there.
 
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