Hi Kevin. I was accepted to the Fall 2002 semester but for family reasons have had to defer to the Fall 2003 class so I guess I will eventually meet you. I have done as much research on Saba and Caribbean med schools as anyone. I have talked to numerous physicians about Caribbean schools. Here are the facts:
1. There is some truth to the fact that Saba (and most other Caribbean schools) accept most students who apply. Since Saba only has a class of 40 (3 times a year) I am SURE that they deny some people admission. However, it is obvious that the acceptance criteria are lower. These schools give students who have a past blemish on their academic records a chance to become a doctor. That is the bottom line. Do not be dissuaded by people who tell you that these are not legitimate schools. Granted, it is the more difficult way to become a doctor but it is certainly possible. You will find that even the US schools will occasionally accept some students with only 90 hours of academic work. It is NOT a requirement even for the US schools that a student have an undergrad degree. However, probably 99.5% do have an undergrad degree.
2. I met with a recent grad from Saba about 6 months ago for dinner. He is finishing his 3rd year of family practice residency and had nothing but good things to say about Saba. You cannot get any more reliable info about Saba than from a recent grad. He has already signed a contract with the state of Florida to go there and practice for about 4-5 years while they pay his loans. They are allotting him $125,000 to set up his practice and will pay him a salary of $125,000. Not too bad for a Caribbean schools??? That is reality. He studied like crazy and did well on the boards. He told me that the subject of going to Saba was NEVER a subject in his interviews and he had 30 residency interviews!
3. Many of the students who attend Saba are American and DO practice in the US. No doubt about it. Some students are not Americans and hence go back to their own countries to practice. There is no validity to the statement that most Caribbean students do not practice in the US.
4. I work in clinical research conducting drug trials for pharmaceutical companies and I can tell you for FACT that I have met many doctors who have graduated from a Caribbean med school and are VERY successful in the US.
5. I find the question about how to finance your education at Saba interesting. It never came up in my interview. No doubt they are interested in making money. However, I am self-employed and I can tell you there is NOTHING wrong with providing a service and getting paid for it! They provide the opportunity to train us as doctors and that is a service worth making a profit over. Ask any Caribbean doctor who is successfully practicing and this will not even be an issue. What I would ask is ...Do the US schools not want to make a profit? Do they not make sure their students are able to pay? Of course they do! They wouldn't be in business if they didn't make a profit. I know most of the US schools if not all of them are Non-profit but that is only an IRS designation for what they must do with their profits...trust me, they make a profit also.
4. If you "work your tail off" and score well on the boards, you will find MANY doors of opportunity open to you. DO NOT be discouraged. You will drive yourself crazy. I would recommend that you go to Saba's website and look at the residency placements. See if there is a recent grad in your area and call him/her and ask if you can take him/her to dinner and pick his/her brain. Bring the spouses too. That is exactly what I did and it was well worth the $50 for dinner. His wife even brought pictures of the island as the living conditions were and are a big concern for my wife (we have 2 kids under three).
I hope I have given you some encouragement. I am 31 years old and I think I have learned some good lessons in life...one of the biggest is that NOBODY gives you anything for free. If you are willing to work hard, stay focused, tune out the negative comments from others, you will succeed. Being self-employed proves to me that you get nothing for free. Let me finish by asking this: Are you pursuing medicine with the idea of impressing people or do you sincerely want to help people? If the answer is the latter, Saba will give you the opportunity. It is up to you to make it a reality. Do not be discouraged! Feel free to email me and we can chat more.
Posted on Sep 17, 2002, 6:24 AM from IP address 63.52.27.232
