Ross University

[melanda8485]

I have been to their website and another forum regarding their program. I am wondering if any of you have heard any personal stories of people who have gone there. Any strengths/weaknesses to the program? Maybe a comparison with St. George? Thanks for any advice!

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[CookieBear]

I have been to their website and another forum regarding their program. I am wondering if any of you have heard any personal stories of people who have gone there. Any strengths/weaknesses to the program? Maybe a comparison with St. George? Thanks for any advice!

Melanda, try doing a thread search in this forum, because there have been at least a couple or more discussions regarding both schools.

St. George's has a Yahoo users group that you can join. Not sure about Ross.

 

[aggiegolf]

Hey Melanda,

After my rejection letter from Texas A&M last year, I began investigating the caribbean veterinary schools. The first one I heard of was Ross, so I attended an information seminar and it seemed great.

I decided to make a personal visit to Ross, and it was a different story. The island is not safe like the officials say that it is. Several students, particularly the female students, have been victims of crimes there. The school itself was okay. It wasn't first class by any means, but as long as the education is good I don't care what the facilities look like.


After visiting Ross and talking with students, I decided that it was not the place for me. It is such a beautiful island, but the high crime rate scared me away.


Then I began hearing about a new caribbean vet school in Grand Cayman. It's called St. Matthew's. I visited their campus last August and I was very impressed. The campus is nice, the students are friendly, and the faculty is great. There are also two very nice residence halls for first and second semesters.

I also had the opportunity to attend St. George's, but I have heard mixed reviews about the island of Grenada. While SGU's campus is great, the crime rate looked shady. I was accepted to St. Matthew's back in October and I am scheduled to attend this May.

Another reason that I chose St. Matthew's is because they never once pressured me into applying. Both Ross and St. George's constantly emailed me about their program. It felt more like a marketing scheme than an interest in my education.

Nonetheless, I would encourage you to thoroughly investigate each caribbean veterinary school before sending in any applications. The website to St. Matthew's is www.stmatthews.edu. There is also a yahoo groups for Ross University and St. George's University.

The most important thing to remember is that all three of these schools provide a high quality veterinary education. Unfortunately, many areas of the caribbean have high crime rates. Even Grand Cayman, the safest island of them all, has experienced an increase in crime. You just have to decide which areas are the most important to you and go from there.

I know how difficult this process is. It took me a year to decide. So please feel free to contact me with any questions that you may have. The more people you can talk to the better. My contact information can be found in the St. Matthew's veterinary forum under "aggiegolf". Good luck!!!!!


-----
Michael
SMUSVM Class of 2011

 

[fingercrossing]

I work with a doctor who went to Ross and she had nothing but great things to say about her time there. I also feel she is a first rate doctor, as good, if not better than some of the other doctors I work with that went to school in the states. Hope this helps!

 

[aggiegolf]

Oops! I almost forgot. I have a few more tid bits of info that may help:


Advantages of Ross:

1. Multiple clinical affiliations with US vet schools. In case you are not familiar with how caribbean veterinary schools operate, you come back to a US vet school (Or the UK, Canada, Australia) for your fourth year of vet school. The clinical locations are listed on their website.

2. Track Record. Ross has been around for a really long time and they have produced many successful veterinarians. I currently know of a Ross student working in an emergency animal clinic and she's making around 115 grand a year.


Advantages of SGU:

1. St. George's has a passing rate of 96% on the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE). You will find that this is higher than some veterinary schools. I believe Purdue University currently has a rate of 98 percent.

2. State of the art campus. Check out their video on www.sgu.edu.


Advantages of St. Matthew's University (SMU):

1. Safety -- it is the safest location by far. It's also located in an area less prone to hurricanes. They call it the dead zone. With the exception of Hurricane Ivan in 2004, the last really bad hurricane was in the 1930s.

2. Standard of Living -- Caymanians enjoy one of the highest standards of living in the world. It is a first world country with many of the amenities that you find in the United States.

3. Smaller classrooms -- There are going to be around 20 students in the May class, allowing much more one on one time with your professors.



Since SMU is still pretty new, they currently only have 3 clinical affiliations. The schools, however, are quite prestigious:

1. North Carolina State (number 4 in the nation)

2. University of Pennsylvania (number 2 or 3 in the nation)

3. University of Florida

The school is currently talking with 3 additional universities and their names will be released once the contracts are finalized.



Again, good luck. We are entering the profession at a very critical and exciting period. Have a great day!!!!