In regards to St. Matthew’s University, if you are planning to attend this medical school there are some things you should definitely know before you invest your mind, time, and money. I will tell you how it really is there and what you really need to know. First let’s talk about the Cayman Island itself, then I will discuss the medical school and other things I learned while I was there. Please listen to me before you or your family make the final decision.
The Island (people, transportation, food, atmosphere, entertainment): The people in the Caymans are very friendly and a lot of tourists visit this island either by plane or by ship. It receives 3 to 4 ships a week twice a week on average. It is very expensive to live there and getting around can be a challenge as well. I lived off campus near the residence hall, utilized a bike, and it usually took about 10 minutes to get to school. I would recommend that if you are going to use a bike, buy it when you get there. You can buy new at Uncle Bill’s which could cost you up to 400 CI for a really good bike. If you want to purchase used, there is a pawn shop in Georgetown that will sell you a good one. There is also taxi service and a bus system which continuously travel up and down Seven Mile Beach. The bus service will cost you 2 CI one way. The food markets are very nice; just like the ones in the United States but much more expensive. The two markets we used were Kirks and Fosters. Between the two, Fosters was cheaper and just as good. You can pretty much get all the same products as you can in the United States. The Caymans have a lot of nice restaurants as well as a Wendy’s, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Subway, etc. No McDonald’s. They also have 3 home improvement store for items you cannot purchase at the food market. They have a movie theater at Camana Bay as well as a lot of liquor stores, dive shops, and bars. As far as the atmosphere, there are a lot of beautiful beaches. There are a lot of chickens, roosters, and iguanas roaming the streets and trash is seen heavily on the sides of the roads. With tourism as one of their main revenues, one would think the government would do better with keeping the streets clean.
The University (residence and school building): As a first semester student you will be required to live in the Student Halls (except if married or if you bring a pet) which is about 2.5 miles south of the school. You will find that many students will help you with books, notes, etc. The Student Hall is not owned by St. Matthew’s but privately owned by an individual. In fact, it was once a hotel and is quite run down. St. Matthews leases two of the six business buildings owned by Regatta. The other four buildings are occupied by a bank, a cellular service company, and other companies. It feels nothing like a “University“. As a student of St. Matthew’s you will be required to wear a uniform. If you are not dressed correctly they will make you go home and change. This may have something to do with the Cayman government requirements for the student visa. It never really bothered me; just different. As far as the student visa, there is a representative there that will assist the student every six months to renew. However, it will cost you about 92 CI every 6 months. As a new student you will be orientated the first day of class. You will also be required to perform in their “White Coat Event” in which an upper semester student will put a white coat on you. This maybe traditional but really is a waste of time.
Students and the first two weeks: Students at this school have varying levels of education ~ recent graduates, Master’s degrees, PhD’s, and other doctorate degrees. During the two weeks, you will be required to pass a quiz on the handbook and pass a test on medical terminology. Also expect to hear a 4 hour lecture on how to take notes after four or more years of college. For me it was 8 years.
Academics: The professors have varying backgrounds ~ Masters, PhD’s, and MDs. I wonder if those with MDs have actually practiced any length of time. Also, why are they there and not practicing medicine? I don’t know any of which are actually practicing on the island so it’s a mixed bag. That being said, which doesn’t matter, they are very knowledgeable and do a great job. Here’s the challenge: as the student you will be bombarded with material via PowerPoint. There are four block exams; one every three weeks. The block exams are comprehensive and weighted differently. Your block exams for each subject will all be on the same day for each block. The key to remember is they are comprehensive as you go through each block (1 thru 4). Anything below a 70% on a block exam is a fail. At the end of the semester you will have a shelf exam in which you must score at least 30% or you fail the whole class. They set the bar so high because they need excellent NBME and USMLE Step 1 scores; this is fine but at the expense of the student. There are really good students there. The problem is for example in second semester when the student is trying to take three very hard classes out four classes at one time (biochemistry, genetics, physiology), it is difficult for the student to balance all three. Most end up dropping one to save the other two. So instead of attending 5 semesters, it’s now 6 semesters and so on if one continues to drop a class.
Enrollment Numbers Dropping: There are less than 75 medical students total at St. Matthew’s among semesters 1 through 5. St. Matthew’s enrollment has dropped over the last few years; the last year dropping by 50%. Total new student enrollment: 2010 – 117, 2011 – 152, 2012 – 139, 2013 – 116, 2014 – 68, 2015 – 37 thus far. The entering class in the summer 2015 was 11 students. As you can see there is a significant decrease in the numbers. It makes one wonder if there is a lack of funding from lending institutions.
Keeping Their Doors Open: It also makes one wonder if there is a correlation between the lack of funding and the recycling of students throughout semesters. Eight of the 24 students in the January 2015 class had to repeat one or two of the classes from Semester 1. A student can get through this program however it will most likely take more than 5 semesters. So what happens if their enrollment continues to drop? Will they close the doors? Let’s say you’re at the fifth semester or in your clinical rotations and this happens. You would no longer be associated to St. Matthews. You would need to transfer schools to be able to graduate. That is a lot of time, money, and energy invested to be put at a full stop. This can and will happen if the enrollment numbers continue to drop. As for me, I left this school because from my perspective it is a bad business deal. I would hate to know that I invested $200K+ and they folded before I was safely across the finish line. I was making A’s and B’s on my quizzes and blocks. My decision was strictly a business decision. I hope this is helpful in your decision making. Just remember St. Matthew’s is a business like any other business. They can go under and they will if they do not change their practices.
