Although out of the Carribean Medical Schools Saba , St. Georges and Ross are good (or so I thought) I found out something about Ross I did not know from a Ross student who I rotated with in Internal Medicine at Harbor. First off Ross has a high pass rate on Step 1 because students are not allowed to sit for step one unless they pass the NBME shelf exams which are old retired board questions that Ross gives. Admittedly these tests may be good predictors of performance on step one but should not be used as a potential blockade for licensing. So only students who pass the shelf tests get the oppurtunity to take Step One . ( I found that a bit disturbing, put it this way I want the decision to take the USMLE whether Im prepared or not as that is my business if I passed the first five sememsters at my respective medical school) This all of the sudden explains their better than 90% Step one pass rate. This is a very misleading figure which in my opinion is the reasn for what attracts so many applicants to their school. The potential students get the idea they will do better on the boards if they go to Ross which is totally misleading as Ross takes as many if not more unqualified applicants into their program as many of the other foreign schools do. Ross has a huge advantage in attracting all walks of life because they sponsor federal loans and such have ridiculous class sizes. This weeding out process is okay but the only problem is Ross will continue to string them along and bleed them dry with loans or until they give up. In my opinion that should NOT be left up to the hands of the owners of a foreign medical school by imposing an extra test. Who gives them the authority after you complete the basic sciences and pass them to possibly reject you from taking the USMLE because of their meaningless shelf exam to protect there so called high pass rate. (NO THANKS ROSS< I DONT CARE WHO YOU ARE) Secondly, which I did not know, but found ridiculous as well, is if you fail even one class in a sememster (usually you take 3 on average each term), You still have to repeat all three classes and pay the full 10,300 dollars in tuition for as many semesters as it takes to get out of there and as long as you can keep getting the student loans. (Now that is complete total unadulterated bullsh*t). Oh great,,, first you fail biochem but pass anatomy and cell bio then the next time you get a lousy prof or some goof ball and you fail a different class the second time that you already passed the first time and now your out 20 grand and still have to repeat the whole first semester AGAIN!!! (OUCH). Now many of you are out there saying that they shouldnt be doctors if they fail. Well let me tell you , there are plenty of licensed physicians who went to carribean medical schools who failed classes. Now where in the world of academia is anyone aware of an institution that makes you retake and pay for classes that you have already passed. If anyone has heard of any I would steer clear as they could not possibly be reputable. This particular Ross student, who happened to do quite well on his boards said he would not even consider sending his children to the school because it could literally ruin someone financially as they would get strung along in major debt and never even get the chance to take the USMLE in the name of protecting Ross's pristine pass rate. My personal ranking of the medschools in the carribean has changed over the last 3 years. In light of this Ross practice they have moved down the list. If someone is not sure of their academic ability (and that is okay to be unsure at least you are giving it a shot) I would stress that ROSS is not the place to apply. If you are darn smart and know you will crush medical school wherever you go then I guess it does not matter where you go. Ross has a little too much control than my liking over a student's future. Admittedly Saba's first time pass rate is not as high as Ross's but every student who passes the first 5 semesters gets a shot at the test and that is the way it should be. And to add to Saba's credibility they will not let you continue onto clinicals until you pass STep One. This is good practice, why should they string you along if for instance it just wasnt meant to be and you couldnt pass step one. Ross on the other hand given this exact same scenario would bleed you dry and perhaps never give you the necessary form with the school stamp to be sent to the ECFMG to even take step one. Remember you need the blessing of your school right until the time you graduate to get that ECFMG certificate.(which by the way requires you to have your MD degree) The whole process with the ECFMG starts with your application for STEP ONE. Your medical degree in the united states is meaningless without your schools blessing and the ECFMG certification. And if you get pissed dont think you are going to sue your medical school.
Good Luck on that one. They are foreign institutions and litigation would be difficult and costly. And dont think any Home Office of any foreign medical medical school can be sued either. Home offices of all foreign medical schools are seperate consulting corporations that administrate on behalf of foreign medical schools and I guarantee share NO liability whatsoever if you get screwed over by individual school policy. The home office is NOT the school. Remember it CANNOT be the school, if it was it would be a US SCHOOL. All potential students out there need to do their home work carefully and work hard. It will pay off!!!!
1.Georges ($$$)
2. Saba-(cheap, solid clinicals and edu, downside:small island)
3. St. Christophers (damn good clinicals for a new starter)(downside not cheap and in England)
4. MUA at Nevis- great home office, newer school but has Saba Model and should be quite successful. Profs to some degree when I spent a sememster on Nevis I felt were superior to those on Saba). In 5 years I would be ranking this higher on list.
5. AUC-high crime island, student dissatisfation, no one goes to class, overall morale is not great. Beautiful building with marble floors. Home office was less than helpful in my dealings with them.
6. Ross- good education as long as you realize it is survival of the fittest. (NOT CHEAP 10,300 a semester now in clinical sciences)
For the money, the same clinical experience as Ross, St. Georges, and AUC, and for the best home office of all of these above schools put together SABA is #1 by far. If money is no object St. Georges is the #1 pick but if saving 75 grand or so is important to you as it was for me and my family then the choice was easy. Sorry for the long post but this above information needs to be known and I know if I had known this up front 3 years ago I would have never ever even requested a school catalog from Ross.
Best of Luck to All. Scott Jones DC MS III (approaching 4th year and if I had to do it all over again it would again be Saba hands down)
Posted on Nov 15, 2002, 7:22 AM from IP address 207.19.126.2
