Puerto Rico Schools

[Ms. Lippy]

If there is anyone out there at a Puerto Rico school please post how you feel about the school and if you are happy living in Puerto Rico. Thanks so much. Very much appreciate.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Dr Who]

Hi there,
There are quite a few of us around. If you have any questions just PM me and I'll be glad to answer any questions or doubts. You can also do a search.

Dr Who

 

[NRAI2001]

Do US students who go to med school in Puerto Rico (carribean style schools) need to learn Spanish before marticulating? Do they complete rotations in the US?

 

[Ms. Lippy]

Do US students who go to med school in Puerto Rico (carribean style schools) need to learn Spanish before marticulating? Do they complete rotations in the US?

You have to know some Spanish for the PR schools. From what I understand the books and exams are in English but some Prof. will sometimes speak in Spanish. The PR shools in the MSAR (Ponce and Caribe) are A+++ b/c they are LCME approved. Graduating from one of them is like graduating from any school in the US. This is NOT the case for schools in the Carribean. I think that PR schools get confused w/ the Carribean schools b/c PR is in the Car...

 

[Ramon y Cajal]

Puerto Rico has been great. There are three LCME accredited schools here (UPR, Universidad Central del Caribe and Ponce School of Medicine). Classes are taught in Spanish. The overwhelming number of students in each school are native Spanish speakers, but textbooks and the teachers' Power Point presentations are all in English. You should know Spanish before coming down here, however, that being said, the administration (at least at UCC and Ponce) feel that you have the first two years of basic sciences where you can get by with limited Spanish to improve your Spanish before you clinical years where knowledge of Spanish is essential.

Pretty much anything that you would want in the States you can find here. Plaza las Americas is one of the nicest malls I have ever been to, including the US and Europe and all major US chain stores and restaurants can be found here (i.e. Gap, Bed Bath and Beyond, Ruby Tuesday's, Chili's, Burger King, Taco Bell, etc.)

3rd year rotations, as is typical in the mainland schools, are done locally, and 4th year you have the option of doing all of your clinical rotations (18 weeks) in the mainland, but you must spend 12 weeks in PR (6 wks of Ambulatory medicine, 4 weeks of Neurology and 2 weeks of Topics in Medicine (during the Match)) - at least this is how it works at UCC.

Many students do their residencies in the mainland. In fact, there are not enough residencies in Puerto Rico for those who wish to stay.

Hope this helps.

 

[NRAI2001]

Puerto Rico has been great. There are three LCME accredited schools here (UPR, Universidad Central del Caribe and Ponce School of Medicine). Classes are taught in Spanish. The overwhelming number of students in each school are native Spanish speakers, but textbooks and the teachers' Power Point presentations are all in English. You should know Spanish before coming down here, however, that being said, the administration (at least at UCC and Ponce) feel that you have the first two years of basic sciences where you can get by with limited Spanish to improve your Spanish before you clinical years where knowledge of Spanish is essential.

Pretty much anything that you would want in the States you can find here. Plaza las Americas is one of the nicest malls I have ever been to, including the US and Europe and all major US chain stores and restaurants can be found here (i.e. Gap, Bed Bath and Beyond, Ruby Tuesday's, Chili's, Burger King, Taco Bell, etc.)

3rd year rotations, as is typical in the mainland schools, are done locally, and 4th year you have the option of doing all of your clinical rotations (18 weeks) in the mainland, but you must spend 12 weeks in PR (6 wks of Ambulatory medicine, 4 weeks of Neurology and 2 weeks of Topics in Medicine (during the Match)) - at least this is how it works at UCC.

Many students do their residencies in the mainland. In fact, there are not enough residencies in Puerto Rico for those who wish to stay.

Hope this helps.

If you do a residency in Puerto Rico, will you be eligible to practice in the US? Or must you do a residency in the US for this?

 

[Ramon y Cajal]

Absolutely, It would be like a person doing a residency in Iowa that goes on to practice medicine in Arizona.

 

[NRAI2001]

Absolutely, It would be like a person doing a residency in Iowa that goes on to practice medicine in Arizona.

Cool

 

[Ms. Lippy]

Which student body is the happiest? (UPR, Ponce, UCC) How is the crime? Do you have time for yourself? Thank you so much for your help.

 

[Ramon y Cajal]

That would probably depend on who you ask. They all have their pluses and minuses. UPR (Recinto de Ciencias Medicas) probably isn't very realistic unless you are from Puerto Rico. The only exception would be if you can demonstrate strong ties (i.e. your mother and her family are from Puerto Rico) to the island of Puerto Rico.

For me, I prefer UCC because it is located in Bayamón, which is part of the Greater San Juan metropolitan area and thus you are more accessible to the airport and all of the amenities of living in the capital city. There are something like 4 million people on the island and almost 3 million of them live in Greater San Juan.

On the other hand, the ponceños have a saying that "Ponce is Puerto Rico, and the rest of the island is a parking lot", so it is a beautiful city that is away from the San Juan. There is also another expression here, "cien por treinta" - basically the island is 30 miles by 100 miles, so nothing is too terribly far away and there is an expressway connecting Ponce with San Juan.

Bueno, espero que eso te sirve bien.

 

[Ms. Lippy]

Thanks so much. Have a great holiday.

 

[mugen]

Do US students who go to med school in Puerto Rico (carribean style schools) need to learn Spanish before marticulating? Do they complete rotations in the US?

Hola ,

I would never dare to compare any of the medical schools in the Caribbean with the 3 LCME from Puerto Rico. As a matter of fact, not even with San Juan Bautista, which is still pending LCME approval. As a matter of fact, last time I checked NO Caribbean school other than a few from Dominican Republic is in the TEM list of approved schools. By the way, how do you get that list, do you still need to call the TEM because I cannot find anything on the Departamento de Salud website.




no es lo mismo llamar al diablo que verlo venir!

 

[vincomplex]

Hi, was wondering if any one here is from UPR. I'm a MSIV and would like to do an away elective in UPR. Any advice into which electives would be the easiest ones to take??? Quisiera pasar el tiempo mas con la familia y en la playa

 

[vincomplex]

Hi, was wondering if any one here is from UPR. I'm a MSIV and would like to do an away elective in UPR. Any advice into which electives would be the easiest ones to take??? Quisiera pasar el tiempo mas con la familia y en la playa

 

[ejf]

I'm a med student coming to PR for part of the summer and I'm having a hard time finding housing. I've checked craigslist, and there's nothing that works for me there. I thought maybe some of you out there would be subleasing your homes for the summer. I'm looking for something in the northeast, maybe close the airport. San Juan would be great too. Anything at this point would work! Please let me know!

 

[Dr Who]

I'm a med student coming to PR for part of the summer and I'm having a hard time finding housing. I've checked craigslist, and there's nothing that works for me there. I thought maybe some of you out there would be subleasing your homes for the summer. I'm looking for something in the northeast, maybe close the airport. San Juan would be great too. Anything at this point would work! Please let me know!

Hey,
try this site: www.clasificadosonline.com

It is pretty helpful.