Saint James School of Medicine - honest review from current student

[Bill Harvey]

This is directly from the World Directory of Medical Schools: School Detail

The data is for the Saint Vincent Campus of SJSM only. I could not find the Anguilla data but I will keep looking. I was not able to find out what percentage of the graduates went on to match.

Prerequisite Education:
Admission follows completion of an undergraduate degree.
Foreign Students:
Foreign students are admitted
Genders Admitted:
Both men and women are admitted
Entrance Exam:
An entrance exam is not required
Tuition Paid By:
All students pay tuition.
Enrollment: Counts of new students admitted to the program and those who graduated, as
reported by the school, are displayed below. “N/A” indicates that no data are available for that
year.

Year	Admitted	Graduated
2018	105	28
2017	103	22
2016	140	40

The information below has been provided by the World Directory’s sponsoring organizations.
Canada

• Unless indicated otherwise, Medical degrees obtained from this medical school are acceptable to the provincial/territorial medical regulatory authorities in Canada, and therefore acceptable to all medical organizations in Canada. For more information about the acceptable medical schools as defined in the Model Standards for Medical Registration in Canada click here.
• À moins d’avis contraire, les diplômes de médecine de cette faculté de médecine sont acceptables aux ordres des médecins dans les provinces et territoires du Canada, et par conséquent acceptables à toute autre organisation au Canada qui œuvre dans le domaine médical. Pour plus d'information au sujet des facultés de médecine acceptables, telles que définies dans les normes modèles pour l'inscription médicale au Canada, cliquez ici.

Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG), United States of America

• Students and graduates of this medical school are eligible to apply to ECFMG for ECFMG Certification and for examination, provided that:
  • For medical school students officially enrolled in this school, the graduation years are listed below as “current”.
  • For graduates of this medical school, their graduation year is included in the graduation years listed below.
• Graduation Years:
  2000 - Current
  • All other eligibility requirements are met. Refer to the ECFMG Information Booklet for detailed information.

FAIMER SCHOOL ID: F0001852

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[Bill Harvey]

Smaller schools in the Caribbean take around 100 to 150 students a year (I assume). By your estimate of 80%, only about 20 to 30 students make it to Clinicals each year. IMGs have a 50% match rate, which would mean about 10 to 15 students match each year? How in the world could a school survive even one year, with such numbers? I am doing my residency in a Chicago area hospital and I can tell you we have about 3 to 4 RESIDENTS come from St. James each year (if not more) to my program alone. For the most part some of the older smaller schools like Spartan and St. James seem to do pretty well since I have met several docs from both these schools. I just cant believe what was written in this post. It makes no sense.

Saint Vincent Campus enrollment and graduation numbers from WFME as shown on their website. Matches not available.

My estimations aren't all that bad really. How much closer do you expect me to be?

from 2016-2018 ~26% of enrolled students graduated. If 57% of those match, then SJSM SVG has a ~15% match rate. if 94% of those graduates match (unlikely) SJSM SVG would have a 24% match rate.

These are the kinds of numbers that keep SJSM in business. If you're okay with that then fine. But don't say the numbers are good.

School Detail

Year	Admitted	Graduated
2018	105	28
2017	103	22
2016	140	40

 

[DocPryor]

So here is the problem with that list and also with what you say....from my experience, most Caribbean schools do not follow a cohort module like american schools. In that data, you are assuming that everyone who didn't graduate left. In all likely hood that is not the case. In my program, people took their own sweet time. In fact I took a lot longer to graduate as well. So long story short, I did not graduate with my "cohort", but graduated with a "cohort" that came later. In fact, I have worked with residents who just matched into my program, from the same school, same graduation year, but started as much as two years apart. Before I embarked on my medical career, I ran a small family run business. I can tell you, just doing simple math, no school can survive if they are losing over 80 percent of their students. The owners just wont make enough money to keep it running for decades. (Unless the school has changed hands, or an imbecile rich family member is running it and doesn't understand simple math and just doesn't care). In our family small business, our operation costs touched a million and there is no way we could have survived as long as we had if we didn't have repeat customers (much like low tuition schools really needing students to get through the ENTIRE program)

 

[Bill Harvey]

So here is the problem with that list and also with what you say....from my experience, most Caribbean schools do not follow a cohort module like american schools. In that data, you are assuming that everyone who didn't graduate left. In all likely hood that is not the case. In my program, people took their own sweet time. In fact I took a lot longer to graduate as well. So long story short, I did not graduate with my "cohort", but graduated with a "cohort" that came later. In fact, I have worked with residents who just matched into my program, from the same school, same graduation year, but started as much as two years apart. Before I embarked on my medical career, I ran a small family run business. I can tell you, just doing simple math, no school can survive if they are losing over 80 percent of their students. The owners just wont make enough money to keep it running for decades. (Unless the school has changed hands, or an imbecile rich family member is running it and doesn't understand simple math and just doesn't care). In our family small business, our operation costs touched a million and there is no way we could have survived as long as we had if we didn't have repeat customers (much like low tuition schools really needing students to get through the ENTIRE program)

But Bill Harvey, my question to you is if you hate your school so much why are you still a student? Why don't you just transfer out? Instead of complaining and spending so much time on a forum and the internet, my advice to you would be to study more, get good scores and god willing nothing can stop you. Moreover, during your residency interviews, if they get an inkling that you a complainer or you are pessimist or talk badly about your school, you wont get into residency. Residency programs dont put up with crap the way a school does. Also, you will need a lot of support from your school going forward....so bad mouthing them will be very detrimental to you. So you either make the most of a bad situation (and put on a smiley face) or leave your school, because with this attitude you just wont go very far in the medical profession.

Your logic is false.

Look at the table headings and the description: "Counts of new students admitted to the program and those who graduated, as
reported by the school"

Many of the students in the "admitted" column aren't even close to graduating, and many of the "graduated" started before 2016.

It doesn’t make a difference to the overall graduation rate if students fail to move in-synch with their cohort. The statistics aren’t based on the percentage of students that graduate with their specific cohort. Do you think the WFME is fudging the numbers? The number that graduate in a given year aren’t drawn from the pool of students that enrolled in that year. No one is getting missed – there isn’t some glut of uncounted students missing from the data because they took a while longer to get through the program, they just get counted later when they do graduate.

You get counted when you enrol, and you get counted when you graduate. It doesn’t matter which year that happens, your graduation is a data point regardless.

I don't hate SJSM. I want it to be the best school it can possibly be. The better SJSM can serve it's students, the more students will attend, the better reputation the school will have, and the better my degree will be perceived.

I won't pretend everything is okay so that students can get lured in though. Good reputations aren't given - they're earned. I'm surprised by the push-back I'm getting, especially from people who are supposed to be entering or working in a compassionate profession.

What's so wrong with letting people know the truth? I know a lot of doctors, and I speak with them candidly. They seem genuinely interested in what my experiences and insights are, so I don't think I'll need to pretend everything is perfect to move through life.

Though I find your resistance to reality odd, I will accept your dialogue as an education in what sort of doctors I might come across in the future. I've heard that medical school and residency robs some doctors of their empathy. I'll continue to be mindful of this so I can avoid that outcome myself.

 

[Bill Harvey]

I ran a small family run business. I can tell you, just doing simple math, no school can survive if they are losing over 80 percent of their students. The owners just wont make enough money to keep it running for decades.

They are making plenty of money. The facilities are rudimentary with very basic health and safety standards, there are no pensions for staff and the salaries are meager. Most students pay for multiple semesters / course retakes/ Kaplan courses before they call it quits or fail. The school doesn't make much from clinicals so having so few students make it this far doesn't hurt the bottom line much (there aren't even enough clinical slots for all the students that enrol initially). All they need is a few of the students to match so that the flow of new students is maintained. I bet your small business offered an end product of some sort and that you wouldn't get paid if you didn't deliver. That's not what medical school is like. If the end product doesn't materialize, you just go home broke - the school keeps the cash.

 

[doctorsmom5594]

The goal of this post is to provide prospective medical students with some information that will likely not be volunteered to you by the admissions office of the school.

First off, I go to SJSM. This is a real school. It’s accredited (provisional for the year via CAAM-HP), there are 2 Caribbean campuses (Anguilla and Saint Vincent) and a head office in Park Ridge Illinois. The tuition is less than some of the other Caribbean schools and there is a possibility that you can become a doctor by attending this school. Of course, the outcome depends on you.

The numbers (to the best of my knowledge – nothing is posted by the school):

Required GPA for entrance as of 2019 (newly instated): 2.0 on a 4.0 scale

Attrition rate ~ 86%

NBME comprehensive first time pass rate (The school requires that you pass this before you can write the USMLE): ~ 8%

USMLE pass rate: 97%

Pros of the school:

· Provisional CAAM-HP accreditation

· There are doctors practicing medicine that graduated from SJSM

· Less expensive than the bigger Caribbean schools

Cons of the school:

· Unethical business practices

· An education that doesn’t adequately prepare you to pass the USMLE

· Lack of access to educational loans

I need to be honest and say that I’ve had a really hard time at SJSM. I’ve watched my classmates drop out, semester after semester. Some left because they couldn’t handle it academically. Some left because they couldn’t handle the living conditions and others because they got frustrated by the way the school does business and transferred to another medical school. The rest left because they were worried that their chance of making it through the program wasn’t worth the six figures of debt they were going to incur.

Since SJSM is accredited and has students that match, I can say truthfully that if you have everything else going for you that you can make it through and become a doctor. However, statistics on how many of the students that start the program and those that finish is dismal. Many classes end up with less than 10 students by the end of basic sciences. You need to ask yourself: “am I one of those 10 students?”

If you want to be one of those few that make it to writing the USMLE and beyond, you need to be tough and have a great support system in place. To start, you need to be financially secure. SJSM entices financially vulnerable students with financing that hinges on students enrolling in online master’s programs through schools like Walden University. Many students do this. The good thing is that you get a master’s degree out of it. The bad thing is that you must pay for the master’s degree and do the work required for a master’s degree while you’re doing medical school. Some students can’t handle the work load and decide to transfer to a more expensive school that qualifies for loans rather than go with the cheaper but harder to finance option. If you’ve got a spare six figures or have family that funds your education, this part doesn’t play into the equation.

If you’re considering a Caribbean school, you don’t have a GPA that will get you into a proper American school. That might be okay, but probably not. You must be honest with yourself. If you got a 2.0 at any university, in any program you’re not magically going to become a great student in medical school. Things happen. Maybe you had some serious setbacks during undergrad and you got a less than stellar gpa as a result. You know yourself. With a 2.0 gpa admission cut-off, people with below average academic performance can pay their tuition to SJSM and attend medical school. Chances are, you will fail. You won’t fail right away. You’ll probably hold on for dear life, scraping by until the NBME individual subject exams (standardized) make finishing the program untenable.

As for the educational component of the school, the quality of education is variable. Many of the professors are well versed in their field and are passionate about education while others are woefully inadequate. Ultimately, you need to be the kind of person that could teach your self medicine from home, as if it were an online program. To succeed you’re going to have to go online and learn from other med students about how they study, what resources they use, what is high yield and so on. You cannot rely on the school to prepare you for the USMLE.

SJSM would have you believe that they put a lot of money into their faculty, and that is why the campus facilities are so rudimentary. SJSM does not pay their faculty well. Also, they don’t even get sick days. If they miss even a single day, they get their wages docked. The faculty is diverse. The instructors are from different counties and are sometimes at high levels in their fields. So, if the faculty is accomplished, why would they work for less than they could get in the US? The answer is because they can’t find jobs in the US or they aren’t allowed to work in the US because they don’t have visas. It is my opinion that SJSM exploits most of the faculty by paying them less than they’d earn in the US. In some instances, SJSM will have an instructor that practiced medicine in the US. No sane person would give up their MD job in the US to teach at SJSM. The only time this happens is when the instructor committed a serious crime and got stripped of their license to practice medicine.

SJSM is a for-profit business. This isn’t a problem in and of itself. Caribbean schools provide many students with a chance to realize their dream of becoming a doctor and this can be a good deal for both parties. However, problems arise when the balance between profits and obligations to the students (customers) become heavily skewed in favor of the school, when lying becomes normal and illegal activities occur. If you have a legitimate concern about how the school does business, they will lie to you or ignore you. I’ve heard so many disappointing stories from hard-working students, many of which participate in student government or other volunteer groups whose goal is to add value to SJSM and the students.

Here is a recent example of a shady/frustrating experience students had to deal with: SJSM, part way through a semester decided that they were going to have students write exam style questions for marks that would contribute to their course grades. The rumor was that the school was planning on setting up a for-profit quiz bank that would make money for the owner of the school. The SGA wanted to confirm that this wasn’t going to happen. They spoke with the faculty and were told that nothing could be done and that if students didn’t write the questions that they would have grades taken off their other work as a punishment for not writing the questions. Eventually the SGA got ahold of the provost and wrote to him about what was going on. They told the school that using the student’s assigned work without their permission was against the law and that the school’s accreditation mattered more that the money they could make from the questions written by their students. The school backed down and reinstated the old grading scheme for the classes. The point of this one example is that the school is run by advantage takers. They see this as a business and will seek out every opportunity (legal or not) to make some money.

The newly lowered gpa requirement is in place so that they can get more tuition money even though it means that an even higher percentage of students won’t make it through the program. I wouldn’t have an issue with the low gpa cut-off if prospective students were given the real numbers on how many students make it through each semester. That way you could at least make an informed decision. Unfortunately, the truth is denied to you.

I wish I could recommend SJSM to other med school hopefuls. This is the school I go to and will likely graduate with a degree from. I worry about what would happen if the school closed due to lack of attendance. How would I get my transcripts? What would potential employers think of me when I tell them that the school I went to doesn’t exist anymore? Would my patients trust my judgment if they found out where I went? I really do want SJSM to succeed, because their success is good for me too. What I can’t do is stand by and say nothing while another incoming class with smiling faces comes through the doors of the school only to see them slowly fall apart like all the classes I’ve seen before them.

She has one interview scheduled so far.

She just received an invite from her top choice, she said that she agrees to beware of for profit schools, she saw plenty on military scholarships that never passed exams and it was doubtful that they would from the beginning.

 

[doctorsmom5594]

1) There is no reciprocity with LCME (Liaison Committee on Medical Education). Indeed the LCME has no reciprocity with ANY other country's accreditation system, nor does the ACGME (American Council on Graduate Medical Education) which oversee residencies.
2) Accreditation requirement is by the ECFMG (Educational Commission on Foreign Medical Graduates), a non-profit private agency . This is committee is designed to verify the credentials of those applying to take the USMLE (United States Medical Licensing Exams).
3) Due to international agreements and membership in the WHO (World Health Organization), any medical school that is chartered (given permission to grant degrees) by competent/recognized legal authority (municipal, state/provincial, or national) can register their institution and their student can sit for the USMLE. This is the only "reciprocity" in the system
4) LCME comparability determination are done by to the US-DOE (Department of Education) NCFMEA (National Committee on Foreign Medical Education and Accreditation) solely for allow US students to apply for direct loans while at an international medical school. It should be noted that it appears US students at St. James are currently NOT eligible for the Federal Direct Loan program.

PS 5) St James is not recognized by the Medical Board of California and its graduates cannot be licensed in the state. Several other state's medical boards, including Indiana, Colorado North Dakota, Alabama, and Vermont, formally use California list in their licensing process, and therefore these graduates cannot be licensed in those states as well

Just so you know California new law goes into effect jan.1, law changed in July, there is no longer California list, you can apply to all states if you go to st James

 

[doctorsmom5594]

Quick question for the SJSM students. Is Anguilla worth the extra money? The tuition is significantly more expensive but I think I could make it work financially if the extra cost is worth it. Is the cost of rent much different between saint Vincent and Anguilla? is the food much different? Is the higher tuition because the instructors are better qualified, the campus is nicer? I heard that the gpa cut-off for Anguilla is higher than for saint Vincent and that could mean that your peer group is more capable and can help push you towards achieving more, potential resulting in better outcomes.

My daughter went to st Vincent. She spent 400 a month for rent. She bought groceries at the market by the port.

 

[NonTeaditionalProspect]

Hi everyone, I recently attended a SJSM open house event. I’m 53, and am considering a 2nd career. I’ve been at the same job for over 30 years, and I already make six figures plus other perks, (pension, 401K matching). I asked the enrollment advisor assigned to me what my chances of matching were at my age, and he said, to be honest, matching is possible, but specialties would be very limited. I had another Caribbean school tell me I’d be wasting my time due to my age, and not to do it unless I just wanted the MD title. That person said it would be very unlikely I’d match anywhere at my age. So, obviously I would not walk away from a 140K per year job to pursue a dead end career if age is indeed a obstacle that would prevent me from reaching my goal. My question to the forum, have any of you encountered 50 somethings in school, or know of any that have matched? I’d like to pursue internal medicine, or a family practice. Thanks!

 

[Emmet2301]

Hi everyone, I recently attended a SJSM open house event. I’m 53, and am considering a 2nd career. I’ve been at the same job for over 30 years, and I already make six figures plus other perks, (pension, 401K matching). I asked the enrollment advisor assigned to me what my chances of matching were at my age, and he said, to be honest, matching is possible, but specialties would be very limited. I had another Caribbean school tell me I’d be wasting my time due to my age, and not to do it unless I just wanted the MD title. That person said it would be very unlikely I’d match anywhere at my age. So, obviously I would not walk away from a 140K per year job to pursue a dead end career if age is indeed a obstacle that would prevent me from reaching my goal. My question to the forum, have any of you encountered 50 somethings in school, or know of any that have matched? I’d like to pursue internal medicine, or a family practice. Thanks!

Hey-that's a noble idea wanting to go into medicine as a second career. There have been 1-2 people on here who pursued that. Not sure their outcome. Have you looked into nursing/PA?

 

[NonTeaditionalProspect]

Hey-that's a noble idea wanting to go into medicine as a second career. There have been 1-2 people on here who pursued that. Not sure their outcome. Have you looked into nursing/PA?

Hi, thanks. My wife’s a BSN/RN, so I have given that avenue some consideration.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Financially, this is a terrible idea but I expect you know that. You'll give up your current salary, pay $350K in tuition, then work as a resident for at least 3 years. You'll be more than 60 before you start your true career as a physician, and will likely never make up the difference in lost salary. But not everything is about money.

I have had a resident in their 50's. She did all the work without problem. Ended up doing a fellowship so will be close to 60 before she's done with training. She went to a US MD school though, being an IMG will make this a much more uphill battle. ERAS screens DOB, but it's obvious when you have to state your YOG from undergraduate. Going back to medical school is not easy. If you were not to do well you would then have no medical degree and have given up your job -- getting a new one might or might not be straightforward.

 

[Bill Harvey]

My question to the forum, have any of you encountered 50 somethings in school, or know of any that have matched? I’d like to pursue internal medicine, or a family practice. Thanks!

I've seen multiple students over 50. Mid to late 20's makes up the bulk of the student body. I don't know what their prospects are like, but they definitely exist at SJSM.

 

[NonTeaditionalProspect]

Financially, this is a terrible idea but I expect you know that. You'll give up your current salary, pay $350K in tuition, then work as a resident for at least 3 years. You'll be more than 60 before you start your true career as a physician, and will likely never make up the difference in lost salary. But not everything is about money.

I have had a resident in their 50's. She did all the work without problem. Ended up doing a fellowship so will be close to 60 before she's done with training. She went to a US MD school though, being an IMG will make this a much more uphill battle. ERAS screens DOB, but it's obvious when you have to state your YOG from undergraduate. Going back to medical school is not easy. If you were not to do well you would then have no medical degree and have given up your job -- getting a new one might or might not be straightforward.

Thanks for sharing your point of view, I certainly appreciate it. I agree, financially I’d be off my rocker to retire early and chase this rabbit. This is the main reason I’m very apprehensive. I’m not intimidated over the hard work that I know is required to pass basic sciences, and then the USMLE. I see that as a challenge with a greater sense of accomplishment after it’s successfully completed. Plus, I love science. My reluctance is due to costs, how many working years I’d have left after Residency, and if my age, coupled with attending a Caribbean Med School, would indeed be an obstacle I couldn’t clear. This is why I’m hoping to hear from people who made that leap, and what their experience was like. I did have a representative from the school
In St. Kitts tell me I’d have about a 1% chance of matching. Basically, I’d have to crush the USMLE to even have a chance. He said age isn’t supposed to be a factor, but it is. He went on to say he wanted to be perfectly honest up front. I certainly appreciated his honesty. I do get it, matching an older student doesn’t make as much sense as bringing in a younger MD. I’d still love to hear from some non traditional students / doctors.

 

[Gambino.]

Thanks for sharing your point of view, I certainly appreciate it. I agree, financially I’d be off my rocker to retire early and chase this rabbit. This is the main reason I’m very apprehensive. I’m not intimidated over the hard work that I know is required to pass basic sciences, and then the USMLE. I see that as a challenge with a greater sense of accomplishment after it’s successfully completed. Plus, I love science. My reluctance is due to costs, how many working years I’d have left after Residency, and if my age, coupled with attending a Caribbean Med School, would indeed be an obstacle I couldn’t clear. This is why I’m hoping to hear from people who made that leap, and what their experience was like. I did have a representative from the school
In St. Kitts tell me I’d have about a 1% chance of matching. Basically, I’d have to crush the USMLE to even have a chance. He said age isn’t supposed to be a factor, but it is. He went on to say he wanted to be perfectly honest up front. I certainly appreciated his honesty. I do get it, matching an older student doesn’t make as much sense as bringing in a younger MD. I’d still love to hear from some non traditional students / doctors.

Your story reminds of this video and it was from the perspective of starting med school at 37 at a US school as opposed to in the 50's. As a US-IMG we're already looking at an uphill battle. Finding someone in their 50's that went IMG and matched is not going to be easy. Are you in the position to be able to renew your pre-req requirements and MCAT so you can apply US MD/DO? If you have good experiences from your successful life already and are willing to put in the work to absolutely rock Step 1 then this should be an easy thing for you.

 

[NonTeaditionalProspect]

Your story reminds of this video and it was from the perspective of starting med school at 37 at a US school as opposed to in the 50's. As a US-IMG we're already looking at an uphill battle. Finding someone in their 50's that went IMG and matched is not going to be easy. Are you in the position to be able to renew your pre-req requirements and MCAT so you can apply US MD/DO? If you have good experiences from your successful life already and are willing to put in the work to absolutely rock Step 1 then this should be an easy thing for you.

Ironically, I’m an aircraft mechanic too! However, I teach mechanics now, verses turning wrenches.

 

[They_Call_Me_OD]

Yeah, I would not recommend this school at all, you're better off working and making money as an Uber driver for the amount of time/money you spend here and pick any other school.

fax

 

[Bill Harvey]

I'm very concerned about matching, but maybe there is a silver lining for some students. If you're an Indian SJSM student who wants to practice medicine in India it looks like you could be okay. SJSM has a bridging program for those that want to practice there. Maybe this is the direction they're going in?

sjsm

Just another WordPress site

sjsmindia.org

From the website:

"In 2018, SJSM was approved by the Medical Council of India (MCI), which now allows India students to study at SJSM and return to India to practice medicine if they should choose to do so."

 

[Philip Smith]

I worked at St. James in Park Ridge. This place could make a car dealership look like a church.

 

[Bill Harvey]

I worked at St. James in Park Ridge. This place could make a car dealership look like a church.

Do you have any advice for current students? Like how to contact head office, navigate the administrative system, get advice for clinicals etc?

 

[Philip Smith]

I'd suggest you re-read the cons and paragraphs that followed in your first post. I wish you success on your future step exams.

 

[browbeat]

I'm considering SJSM because I'm Canadian and I really don't have a good chance of getting into a Canadian medical school based on my gpa. I could go and get masters degree (still an option) but I lack the motivation to start studying something just as a stepping stone. I might just bite the bullet and go Caribbean.

So about this match list. I put it into a spreadsheet so that I would be eairt to work with. I want to know what the numbers are, so this is good for me too.

I was think of posting the list but that might not go over well. I know its on the website but I don't if it's okay to post it here. It is easy to find on the wesite. Its listed under student success.

I decided to change the average annual enrollment to 125 per campus because from what I've heard its the September classes that have 50+ students but that the other classes are smaller. Anyone can correct me if I'm wrong but I decided to go with 55 + 35 +35 = 125. Instead of the 150 used before

I took out the few duplicate names that I saw. There weren't many and likely were there becasue people match in more than one program.

125 a year for aeach of the campuses means that there are ~250 students enrolled a year. of thse students this perscentage of students matched.

2019 32%
2018 21%
2017 14%
2016 21%
2015 14%
2014 10%
2013 11%
2012 7%
2011 8%

15% of enrolled students matched between 2011 and 2019. and it looks like the trend is upward, so fingers crossed.

I think this is just how it is. I don;t think these numbers are good or anything, but If you know that this is what is and you think you can be one of those 15% then go for it. Someone has to be in that 15%. its better than nothing.

Hi there, I want to give a potentially straightforward explanation to the rise in people matching.

What has gone on recently is that the people who have past a LONG time before they write their exams.

The figure given to me by the dean was a mean of about 1.6 years after finishing just basic sciences!

So these big numbers are probably a combination of several years.

Also.. these numbers are not % of the students that started in 2015 and actually matched in 2019. The number would probably be quite low... like single digits low.

Don't let the school fool you.

 

[drOnez]

I was just accepted into this school. Have yet to accept their offer. Not sure, can someone please guide me in a way. I am iffy about them due to them not really caring about an MCAT score. They told me my mcat only matters for scholarships. Also money wise, they don't have alot of financing options. I am an underprivileged student making ends meet, should I not even consider them due to this?

 

[Deecee2DO]

I was just accepted into this school. Have yet to accept their offer. Not sure, can someone please guide me in a way. I am iffy about them due to them not really caring about an MCAT score. They told me my mcat only matters for scholarships. Also money wise, they don't have alot of financing options. I am an underprivileged student making ends meet, should I not even consider them due to this?

Do NOT go here. Dont go to any caribbean school. Period. Formulate a competitive app for US DO or MD schools. Trust me on this

 

[doctorsmom5594]

My daughter went to st Vincent. She spent 400 a month for rent. She bought groceries at the market by the port.

I am not sure if Anquilla is better. Everyone who graduated obtained a residency except two who were trying for very competitive positions. My daughter is in internal medicine residency in Florida.

 

[IMGASMD]

I was just accepted into this school. Have yet to accept their offer. Not sure, can someone please guide me in a way. I am iffy about them due to them not really caring about an MCAT score. They told me my mcat only matters for scholarships. Also money wise, they don't have alot of financing options. I am an underprivileged student making ends meet, should I not even consider them due to this?

NO!

 

[Genji_Shimada]

tldr; does ANYONE who isn’t like, a 21-yo-biochem undergrad know of, go to, would hire, or aspire to be an sjsm grad? (If you are 21 and have family that went to a similar school of course that is an exception).

I recently got into and deposited at sjsm. Idk what to think- I have one American Md interview...dad is faculty...but he also is on the hospital board and very much respects two tier 4 and 7 (or whatever) Caribbean practitioners, one of whom he insisted be my gp.

I’m older, have had a career before half of podiatry school (was dismissed and offered readmission because of some nonsense...I was top 20 in class) but fear US schools won’t consider me because of the reasoning that also allows for a doctor shortage during a diabetic, opioid, and potentially endemic coronavirus pan/epidemic. I also got almost a full ride to sjsm due to my mcat and science gpa hovering around 3.9, so us schools (law, md, ethnomusicology, whatever) seem less enticing after having my loans paid off already.

anyways I also got into law school and bioethics phd programs and have options. It’s just $47k for a t14 law school vs almost free md is enticing- not even factoring in the job market. I have interviews with other Caribbean schools but they cost as much as md schools for the tier 1 ranked programs. Are they even distinguishable from sjsm? Why does a medical school take students for the clinical years if that student would according to them (hypothetically) not make it past the didactic years according to their own estimates? Does the alternative prey upon the hopeful and reward the determined? Or are md schools simply wrong about my general practitioner and the specialist that my dad chose to practice with (spoiler alert, they were cut out to reach practice). Note that I only applied to one md school here and am wondering why these schools are seen as “NO DONT EVEN CONSIDER IT” when Baylor medical centers in Houston disagree - and therefore invalidate - said “sentiment”. I don’t know if I’m hopefully ignorant or if medicine is changing. Remember when DO school was for dumb people? Well DO’s are not dumb- so what is with the hate, explain the successes, advocate for the alternative, and subtract $300,000 in loans and you will see why I desire sound and level headed input. Not from sjsm employees or people who think along the lines of the old DO mentality.



Sorry for the chip on my shoulder, but my anesthesiologist cousin will be in debt for his entire life and spent 5 cycles applying to get into med school. Why not just consider (IF SJSM IS) what seems like a quicker alternative that yields results that are the same? Unless they don’t and I am disillusioned.

It’s between sjsm or the best health law jd/phd program this side of Grenada. I want to practice medicine but the fight to start over as an md applicant vs ...I’m in + almost free is really tough. Any insight is welcome, I did deposits everywhere and have like two months to choose. Thanks!

 

[Genji_Shimada]

Do NOT go here. Dont go to any caribbean school. Period. Formulate a competitive app for US DO or MD schools. Trust me on this

just curious- I know a handful of doctors who either transferred out or just excelled (I guess). Apparently Saint George had a 100% match rate recently beating Harvard AND having more graduates. DM for the source but why do you say so emphatically not to?

I am asking cuz I spent a grand doing what you said not to lol.

 

[Genji_Shimada]

Hi there, I want to give a potentially straightforward explanation to the rise in people matching.

What has gone on recently is that the people who have past a LONG time before they write their exams.

The figure given to me by the dean was a mean of about 1.6 years after finishing just basic sciences!

So these big numbers are probably a combination of several years.

Also.. these numbers are not % of the students that started in 2015 and actually matched in 2019. The number would probably be quite low... like single digits low.

Don't let the school fool you.

good point. Is it impossible to succeed if you believe (kinda know) that you are gonna go bananas on the books? Or is the school itself a hindrance.

 

[Gambino.]

I have interviews with other Caribbean schools but they cost as much as md schools for the tier 1 ranked programs. Are they even distinguishable from sjsm? Why does a medical school take students for the clinical years if that student would according to them (hypothetically) not make it past the didactic years according to their own estimates? Does the alternative prey upon the hopeful and reward the determined? Or are md schools simply wrong about my general practitioner and the specialist that my dad chose to practice with (spoiler alert, they were cut out to reach practice).

A lot of your post seems like personal venting without a clear point but I'll answer the "why not SJSM instead of the more expensive big Carib schools" question. It's because they're at risk of losing their CAAM-HP accreditation lol... They need that accreditation starting 2023 to be eligible for ECFMG so their grads can apply for US residency spots. They were already on probation with a site visit scheduled before COVID which has to be pushed back until it is safe to go there. We had a transfer that finished their 1st year there and bit the bullet to restart 1st year again at Ross since they don't take SJSM credits. She said that the campus was in a poor state and that the student body was genuinely concerned for the accreditation.

We already take enough risks as it is going Caribbean, why would you potentially compound that risk with something out of your control such as accreditation? source: Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education in Medicine and Other Health Professions - http://caam-hp.org

The fact that you'd compare HARVARD to SGU shows that you're kinda delusional lmao. Feel free to share your source as SGU's own website claims 94% placement for 2019 which includes residency, SOAP, and international positions. Not even gunna bother comparing resident specialties or types of programs since it'll fall on deaf ears. But did you really say "AND having more graduates" as if SGU is better than Harvard for taking 10x the students/year?

 

[IMGASMD]

A lot of your post seems like personal venting without a clear point but I'll answer the "why not SJSM instead of the more expensive big Carib schools" question. It's because they're at risk of losing their CAAM-HP accreditation lol... They need that accreditation starting 2023 to be eligible for ECFMG so their grads can apply for US residency spots. They were already on probation with a site visit scheduled before COVID which has to be pushed back until it is safe to go there. We had a transfer that finished their 1st year there and bit the bullet to restart 1st year again at Ross since they don't take SJSM credits. She said that the campus was in a poor state and that the student body was genuinely concerned for the accreditation.

We already take enough risks as it is going Caribbean, why would you potentially compound that risk with something out of your control such as accreditation? source: Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education in Medicine and Other Health Professions - http://caam-hp.org

The fact that you'd compare HARVARD to SGU shows that you're kinda delusional lmao. Feel free to share your source as SGU's own website claims 94% placement for 2019 which includes residency, SOAP, and international positions. Not even gunna bother comparing resident specialties or types of programs since it'll fall on deaf ears. But did you really say "AND having more graduates" as if SGU is better than Harvard for taking 10x the students/year?

I thought we are talking about going to Harvard but on a Caribbean island. Win win.

 

[Genji_Shimada]

A lot of your post seems like personal venting without a clear point but I'll answer the "why not SJSM instead of the more expensive big Carib schools" question. It's because they're at risk of losing their CAAM-HP accreditation lol... They need that accreditation starting 2023 to be eligible for ECFMG so their grads can apply for US residency spots. They were already on probation with a site visit scheduled before COVID which has to be pushed back until it is safe to go there. We had a transfer that finished their 1st year there and bit the bullet to restart 1st year again at Ross since they don't take SJSM credits. She said that the campus was in a poor state and that the student body was genuinely concerned for the accreditation.

We already take enough risks as it is going Caribbean, why would you potentially compound that risk with something out of your control such as accreditation? source: Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education in Medicine and Other Health Professions - http://caam-hp.org

The fact that you'd compare HARVARD to SGU shows that you're kinda delusional lmao. Feel free to share your source as SGU's own website claims 94% placement for 2019 which includes residency, SOAP, and international positions. Not even gunna bother comparing resident specialties or types of programs since it'll fall on deaf ears. But did you really say "AND having more graduates" as if SGU is better than Harvard for taking 10x the students/year?

They matched 100% and more students. Dm me if you want the contact info.

But the accreditation is scary, I was under the impression that they had it cancelled due to corona but were quite sure (of course they’d say that) they’d get it.

But a doctor I am close with at cwru shared how tgrads of apparently unaccredited Caribbean schools now practice at UH. I’m hoping that hitting board prep daily will set me apart. Idk I though losing accreditation is obviously scary.

it looks like a full ride now For sjsm, I’ll update ya. That’s a risk I’ll take.

“ The fact that you'd compare HARVARD to SGU shows that you're kinda delusional lmao.”

And the fact that they had an entire class match (psychiatrists gp and radiology mostly) when Harvard didn’t Have 100% indicated you are not willing to consider that non-US schools produce doctors. I’m not delusional kiddo (I think) but Accreditation being lost would stink. Hence the deposits to 5 other programs, podiatry, and awaiting md result. But if sjsm is free and they practice what’s the harm? You heard that there was truly fear sjsm would lose the meaningful accreditations? That’s something I appreciate you sharing. If they lose accreditation then oh well, I’ll get in somewhere else (can’t afford anymore apps if I retake mcat. Always apply to one school and always got in, most of them full merit). I chose sjsm because I’ll teach myself and if they lose accreditation I’ll transfer or reapply after passing step one. Is that so invalid? I’m honestly asking your opinion.

Btw a delusion is a form of psychosis where a person cannot tell what is real from what is imagined. You should brush up on your nomenclature. The correct word was cherry-picking probably, and it wasn’t untrue. Pursue a procedural field maybe!

 

[Genji_Shimada]

Also you can’t be kinda delusional. Sorry I’ll let it go- but I consider all facts and don’t diagnose student doctor posters (especially without understanding them).

Colloquially maybe I am delusional but hey they said I’d never get into Juilliard or pod or md or law so meh. The tier one Caribbean schools aren’t bad. Medicine is changing. The fact that the hospitals around me take a not insignificant amount of students from the ocean means someone from an American school didn’t get that spot right? I’m retaking the mcat since I killed first semester and most of second, but o would go to sgu over wvu because it doesn’t matter.

I’ll make a thread next year about sjsm for anecdotal research. Also Harvard is a better school to be clear, just not that year regarding residency match rates in fields blah blah we had this with DO schools and podiatry, don’t fall for either hate bandwagons OR inflated advertising. I’ll report later.

And for real hit me up, an Avalon grad teaches clinicals at cwru atm (UH employees can get offered part time faculty). Mutual exchange of thought trumps misdiagnosing.

Also they got their accreditation according to an email yesterday. until 2027.

Y’all think like lawyers too much, but medicine is about excelling in didactics and nailing boards + matching (part of which is having credentials AND a demeanor that would make them want to be around the potential candidate. SOMEONE are gets turned down in favor of trinity and Avalon and all the nono schools. And you CANNOT know what you want to practice until clinical rotations are done. If you do, then good on ya. You might fall in love with it orthopedics or whatever though. Also gp is a crucial part of medicine. People need to stop treating it like it needs to be treated as some sort of ulcer on the community (you did not specifically mention that but others do).

Here’s hoping to sgu cwru or anywhere credentialed because passing the boards is mostly on the individual tbh. Boards and beyond is the way.

 

[Genji_Shimada]

I thought we are talking about going to Harvard but on a Caribbean island. Win win.

We are talking about becoming a medical practitioner who cares about patients and can excel in their field. Stop caring about how you get there. You are aware that an MD degree confers the same status of “physician“ if you go to an accredited school anywhere right? Educate yourself and study hard in school.

I get the vibe that this forum is as toxic as Botox, but getting a residency with that elitist attitude will weigh into their consideration. I’ll stop posting here until I have results, so go to Harvard if you can (I would if it was reasonable in price and I could get in) and talk to physicians, not your echo chamber so much friend.

 

[Genji_Shimada]

Not even gunna bother comparing resident specialties or types of programs since it'll fall on deaf ears. But did you really say "AND having more graduates" as if SGU is better than Harvard for taking 10x the students/year?

I hear your failure of understanding the need for ENT, gp, or psychiatrists like I have tay-sachs (hyperacusis pun, you set me up haha).

Go get that orthopedic residency so you can flex your superiority over specialties that you see as lesser. I want to be a psychiatrist as of now, so what?

 

[deleted859689]

Also you can’t be kinda delusional. Sorry I’ll let it go- but I consider all facts and don’t diagnose student doctor posters (especially without understanding them).

Colloquially maybe I am delusional but hey they said I’d never get into Juilliard or pod or md or law so meh. The tier one Caribbean schools aren’t bad. Medicine is changing. The fact that the hospitals around me take a not insignificant amount of students from the ocean means someone from an American school didn’t get that spot right? I’m retaking the mcat since I killed first semester and most of second, but o would go to sgu over wvu because it doesn’t matter.

I’ll make a thread next year about sjsm for anecdotal research. Also Harvard is a better school to be clear, just not that year regarding residency match rates in fields blah blah we had this with DO schools and podiatry, don’t fall for either hate bandwagons OR inflated advertising. I’ll report later.

And for real hit me up, an Avalon grad teaches clinicals at cwru atm (UH employees can get offered part time faculty). Mutual exchange of thought trumps misdiagnosing.

Also they got their accreditation according to an email yesterday. until 2027.

Y’all think like lawyers too much, but medicine is excelling in didactics and nailing boards + matching (part of which is having credentials AND a demeanor that would make them want to be around the potential candidate. SOMEONE are gets turned down in favor of trinity and Avalon and all the nono schools.

Here’s hoping to sgu cwru or anywhere credentialed because passing the boards is mostly on the individual tbh. Boards and beyond is the way.

US MD/DO that do not match have multiple red flags on their application. It is still possible to match as a US grad with a *few* board failures or class remediation. Something like that would detriment a US IMG that went Carib even more to the point of tanking their residency app. If you make it through the carib, get off the island, pass boards etc. yeah you will become a real doctor. The problem with carib is that they are predatory and dgaf about their students.

If you want to go carib go for it, but one mistake and your career is down the drain. From your history in pod school and the way you post here, “I get the vibe” that you might not make it. I would’ve honestly went back to pod, but hey they dismissed you for a reason right?

 

[Genji_Shimada]

US MD/DO that do not match have multiple red flags on their application. It is still possible to match as a US grad with a *few* board failures or class remediation. Something like that would detriment a US IMG that went Carib even more to the point of tanking their residency app. If you make it through the carib, get off the island, pass boards etc. yeah you will become a real doctor. The problem with carib is that they are predatory and dgaf about their students.

If you want to go carib go for it, but one mistake and your career is down the drain. From your history in pod school and the way you post here, “I get the vibe” that you might not make it. I would’ve honestly went back to pod, but hey they dismissed you for a reason right?

They accepted me back for other reasons I might not make it is your opinion, but I failed out, declined the offer to resume with scholarship again, got into an md, interviewed at us md, and my 10 years of 4.0 should remind of you of a saying when approaching the Boolean diagnostic approach you will use. If you hear hooves think horse, not zebra. I had one bad semester, but unlike you I am determined to succeed in order to provide the highest caliber of care in the most humanitarian-oriented manner.

I might not make it, but I believe we both will. Call poison control. I won’t stoop to discouraging a colleague. If you were also in the top 20 Of your first semester in medical school I’ll poor my foot in my mouth though. Dm me if you actually want to know any details, I am more confident and perpetually successful than most. Your tenacity will do you wonders. if your compulsion to belittle aspiring physicians does not metastasize further you will be a wonderful asset and shoe in for residency too. Just like me

Would you want a doctor like you? “You won’t make it based on your history” versus “let’s do what we can to reasonably manage expectations but pursue the best course of actions” is my preference. Live and work like you want your practice to one day be.

 

[IMGASMD]

We are talking about becoming a medical practitioner who cares about patients and can excel in their field. Stop caring about how you get there. You are aware that an MD degree confers the same status of “physician“ if you go to an accredited school anywhere right? Educate yourself and study hard in school.

I get the vibe that this forum is as toxic as Botox, but getting a residency with that elitist attitude will weigh into their consideration. I’ll stop posting here until I have results, so go to Harvard if you can (I would if it was reasonable in price and I could get in) and talk to physicians, not your echo chamber so much friend.

Please check back in a few years. I always want to know how people similar to you do.
Good luck.

 

[Genji_Shimada]

Please check back in a few years. I always want to know how people similar to you do.
Good luck.

Will do, if I don’t get into the US school. Thank you and best of luck in your pursuits as well.

 

[deleted859689]

They accepted me back for other reasons I might not make it is your opinion, but I failed out, declined the offer to resume with scholarship again, got into an md, interviewed at us md, and my 10 years of 4.0 should remind of you of a saying when approaching the Boolean diagnostic approach you will use. If you hear hooves think horse, not zebra. I had one bad semester, but unlike you I am determined to succeed in order to provide the highest caliber of care in the most humanitarian-oriented manner.

I might not make it, but I believe we both will. Call poison control. I won’t stoop to discouraging a colleague. If you were also in the top 20 Of your first semester in medical school I’ll poor my foot in my mouth though. Dm me if you actually want to know any details, I am more confident and perpetually successful than most. Your tenacity will do you wonders. if your compulsion to belittle aspiring physicians does not metastasize further you will be a wonderful asset and shoe in for residency too. Just like me

Would you want a doctor like you? “You won’t make it based on your history” versus “let’s do what we can to reasonably manage expectations but pursue the best course of actions” is my preference. Live and work like you want your practice to one day be.

I chose my wording very carefully. I was under the impression you did not fail out since you were “top 20” first semester and had a near 4.0 for how many years. Instead, I was thinking you were dismissed for other reasons not related to academics. Saying you were top 20 for one semester is like saying you were in the lead for 1/4th of a race. Your need to flaunt that is concerning. In the end it is about actually finishing than how far ahead you were in the beginning.

Do I believe you can make it? Yeah definitely. Do I have reservations that you might not make it? Yeah, that too. If you get into US MD, I believe you will make it 100% with the support a US MD offers. Carib, not so much.

 

[Gambino.]

They matched 100% and more students. Dm me if you want the contact info.

But the accreditation is scary, I was under the impression that they had it cancelled due to corona but were quite sure (of course they’d say that) they’d get it.

But a doctor I am close with at cwru shared how tgrads of apparently unaccredited Caribbean schools now practice at UH. I’m hoping that hitting board prep daily will set me apart. Idk I though losing accreditation is obviously scary.

it looks like a full ride now For sjsm, I’ll update ya. That’s a risk I’ll take.

“ The fact that you'd compare HARVARD to SGU shows that you're kinda delusional lmao.”

And the fact that they had an entire class match (psychiatrists gp and radiology mostly) when Harvard didn’t Have 100% indicated you are not willing to consider that non-US schools produce doctors. I’m not delusional kiddo (I think) but Accreditation being lost would stink. Hence the deposits to 5 other programs, podiatry, and awaiting md result. But if sjsm is free and they practice what’s the harm? You heard that there was truly fear sjsm would lose the meaningful accreditations? That’s something I appreciate you sharing. If they lose accreditation then oh well, I’ll get in somewhere else (can’t afford anymore apps if I retake mcat. Always apply to one school and always got in, most of them full merit). I chose sjsm because I’ll teach myself and if they lose accreditation I’ll transfer or reapply after passing step one. Is that so invalid? I’m honestly asking your opinion.

Btw a delusion is a form of psychosis where a person cannot tell what is real from what is imagined. You should brush up on your nomenclature. The correct word was cherry-picking probably, and it wasn’t untrue. Pursue a procedural field maybe!

Contact info for what? If it's a site just post the link. There needs to be a reliable source for the 100% match rate and if their own website doesn't advertise it then I wonder the authenticity of that, as that would mean out of all the students with a residency that none of them had a red flag or exam failures that would stop them from matching.

Again, the accreditation requirements are different now than they will be in 2023 (changed to 2024 as of 2 week ago d/t COVID) so even if they weren't accredited locally, they'd still get in if they had other accreditation and listed on FAIMER. Also if that email your referencing has to do with CAAM-HP accreditation then it is untrue. Accreditation for CAAM goes from 1-5 years depending on provisional vs full accreditation. Even if SJSM went from probationary to full (which would be unlikely as they'd first be accredited with conditions likely for 1-3 years) they still wouldn't have 7 years of accreditation as they aren't given that long without renewal.

You say you'll "let it go" to me calling you kinda delusional then spend another paragraph harping on it which has changed my diagnosis from kinda delusional to hella delusional.

 

[Bill Harvey]

I’m sorry not to be able to give a full run down of what earning a degree from SJSM entails but for various reasons I transferred to a different school. It was a hard decision but taking into consideration multiple factors (financial etc.), I think it’s for the best. As I’ve said previously, I only have my own perspective and experiences to base my review upon. I wish SJSM and Caribbean schools in general would be more straightforward with potential and current students. This was a hard decision to make because I know that no situation is perfect and that I’m probably swapping old troubles for new ones.

I only did basic sciences at one school so I can’t objectively compare SJSM to any other school in that regard. I also know that I’m comparing basic sciences at SJSM to my past life and educational experiences, which were very different. As such, individuals that have written about how much they liked attending SJSM, and/or value the school’s contribution to medical education, from either a first-hand, or second-hand account have my blessing.

For any potential med student that may be reading this: be ready to take control of your own learning. You must be self-directed, and goal orientated when it comes to studying for the USMLE. I currently don’t regret going the Caribbean route. I do wish that I had known what I was getting myself into beforehand so that I could avoid some of the pitfalls I came across, and I feel terrible for the students that dropped out or failed with nothing to show for their efforts. That’s why, despite getting dragged for what I’ve written previously I’m taking the time to write this post.

I’m not going to post numbers again, but if you want them, go to: World Directory of Medical Schools Search. If you are searching the Anguilla campus, you’ll have to click on the box that says: “Include non-UN member States.” These numbers are submitted to the WFME by the school. They are official.

For any potential or current SJSM students looking for advice, I recommend joining one of the student run Facebook groups. Make sure it’s student run, otherwise you won’t get straight answers. SDN is fine, but you’ll find more SJSM students if you go to the Facebook page. Sorry for not keeping up with this thread, but with studying for step, running out of money and working as much as possible before moving on to clinicals, I wasn’t emotionally ready to start thinking about all this again.

I don’t know about the Anguilla campus, but safety needs to be a priority if you go to the Saint Vincent campus. There are legitimate safety concerns you should consider when choosing an apartment and do not walk alone at night. If you end up speaking with a current student, bring this up with them and have them advise you about what their specific recommendations are. Take care and God Bless.

 

[125896]

Hi everyone, I recently attended a SJSM open house event. I’m 53, and am considering a 2nd career. I’ve been at the same job for over 30 years, and I already make six figures plus other perks, (pension, 401K matching). I asked the enrollment advisor assigned to me what my chances of matching were at my age, and he said, to be honest, matching is possible, but specialties would be very limited. I had another Caribbean school tell me I’d be wasting my time due to my age, and not to do it unless I just wanted the MD title. That person said it would be very unlikely I’d match anywhere at my age. So, obviously I would not walk away from a 140K per year job to pursue a dead end career if age is indeed a obstacle that would prevent me from reaching my goal. My question to the forum, have any of you encountered 50 somethings in school, or know of any that have matched? I’d like to pursue internal medicine, or a family practice. Thanks!

Mike Lewis was a is grad and went to medical school at 49 former engineer was a dean and director of wv Medicaid has unfortunately passed on

Michael Lewis, MD — ‘Celebration of Life’ | WVAFP

So yes you can but maybe not from non LCGME school

 

[B1GM0N3Y86]

Can't give too much info from past couple years. However I graduated in 2015. Was lucky enough to snag a residency spot, finish my residency, pass my boards, and thus a FM Board Certified Physician.

Even with all this said. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone unless you been unable to get into US schools x 2 years applying, working on your app, have 1 to 200k of spending money to get thru med school without debt, and can't imagine doing anything else in life that would make you somewhat happy. Otherwise, find something else to do.

Reasoning: we likely are poor candidates for medicine (why we have not been accepted to a US school), we will require tons of work to mold us into good doctors (most cant do this), carib schools have a high drop out rate, high step failure rate, high non-match rate. All of this is risky and you could be wasting many years and tons of money.

You'll do what you end up wanting to do, however I've seen this play out many times with carib students during my years basic and clinical science years and then during match years. And lastly of my initial class of about 35, only 5-6 of my classmates are practicing as physicians.

Caribbean Medical Schools to new Med students, "May the odds be ever in your favor..."

 

[Goro]

School Detail

There world medical education statistics

They're under no obligation to tell the truth on anything.

 

[thumbz]

Alrighty, I had more free time than I expected this morning, and this thread caught my eye. I took particular interest in @doctorsmom5594 just because the story didn't seem to make sense, but then suddenly there was a good explanation. I jumped down a rabbit hole of fact checking:

Residency List | Saint James School of Medicine - you can see 3 people matched in Florida in 2020 - so story is sounding legit

So I tried to find the actual resident - well here is Blake Medical Center where "Hibah" matched - only there is no Hibah listed as a current PGY1 (Current Residents)

I then looked at USF (Residents 2023 | USF Health) where there is no Jennifer K - now admittedly this is not specific to the Moransi Campus - which as I go deeper into that rabbit hole is their medical school and their IM program is the link I posted. On the SJSM site it says "Citrus Florida" but HCA healthcare does not list a Citrus, FL internal medicine residency program campus.

Finally, you won't find Sagar B on these lists either.

But, here is Jonathan L from 2019, so maybe these others are just slow in updating their current residents? (Residents PGY-2 | ECU Internal Medicine Residency)

Anyways, this thread was entertaining. If I was a prospective student, I would NEVER entertain going to a school with an 86% attrition rate. Just my 2 cents.

 

[deleted1082375]

Take it from someone who had to fix their grades to get into a US school: YOU NEED TO DO WELL IN PREMED CLASSES.

Why? Med school is brutal. Those who do the best had the best undergrad GPAs. 3,000+ slides and 50+ lectures per exam will rock even the best students.