School Name: Saba
Location: Netherlands Antilles
Basic Science Tuition:
$4,950.00/semester
Clinical Science Tuition:
$5,450.00/semester
USA Clinical Rotations: Yes
Time required for MD: 40 months
Ive been reading this board for the past 2 hours or so running through the various threads. Some are uplifting while others make me second guess myself.
I am very new to the whole idea about going to a caribbean school and am still trying to learn all the facts. I have applied to SGU, Ross and AUC. Ive heard some negative things about SABA from my premedical advisor (and he's one of the very very few Ive trusted in this whole process. And Ive a ton of horrible people around me disuading(sp?) me from even attempting medical school. anyways...)
With SABA, I believe that the science instruction would be as good as any other caribbean school. Most of it would stem from my own determination to succeed. What I began to worry about was the clinicals. I couldn't find out any information about where they would be done.
I also couldn't find anything about state licensure. I would like to practice in my home state of Texas and if possible do some clinicals here.
Any helpful advice would be really nice. I plan on filling out the application to SABA right now. But if I do get accepted Id like to know what Im getting myself into.
Thank you
Posted on Dec 13, 2002, 12:12 AM from IP address 12.237.89.229
I am sure that some students will respond to your comments. In the meantime, you can look at the saba.edu website under "graduates & residents" and see where students are in residency. Also, call the admin office and they will send you a list of those states where students are doing clinical rotations (29), states where students are in residency (43, including Texas) and where students have a permanent license (30).
Good luck on your medical program. You will get a good education at any of the schools that are willing to provide you with a similar list of how their graduates perform.
Posted on Dec 13, 2002, 7:47 AM from IP address 141.154.10.199
If you serious about the interested medical school call the state medical board where you want to practice, i'm sure they'll send you a long email with every regulation you'll need to know. As far as clinical rotation sites at SABA, i'm just going to echo the previous response: "Look at the school webpage." While SABA only lists the sites where school has established a connections which were done by both the staffs in the clinical dept. and the previous students who went out of their way to obtain what they wanted. I know a few people who did their entire rotation in one place which is not listed on the web. Therefore, everything is possible.
If you have questions about the island, lifestyle..... the forum is a great place to get the info., as for the eduacation, you have to rely on the graduates, call them up, they made it, the majority of us here are not even half way yet. Don't worry too much about the good/bad professors, just study hard and you'll succeed. Goodluck.
Posted on Dec 13, 2002, 3:40 PM from IP address 198.81.26.208
I would advise you to try to get into a US school first. If that fails, then I would advise you to consider Saba strongly. If I were to do that whole process over again, I would still chose Saba. The only thing I would have done differently would be to do all of my clinical rotations outside of the US ... Saba offers this service. I have seen the recent changes my home state of Texas has taken in regards to FMGs and in particular Caribbean FMGs. For Texas, the one critical issue is accreditation of your clinical rotations. There are a growing number of hoops to jump through if you want to go to a foreign medical school and do the clincal portion of your education in the US. The number of such hurdles drops dramatically if all those clinical rotations are done outside the US.
Remember that the Texas licensing issues are not Saba issues strictly speaking ... these issues concern all Caribbean/foreign medical schools who send thier students to the US for clinical training (which includes the big 3: AUC, Ross, SUG).
Good luck!
Posted on Jan 2, 2003, 10:42 AM from IP address 65.190.185.14
I have been researching Saba for months now. I have applied, but my file is not complete as of yet, it will be soon. My only goal is to attend Saba. At first, I could not have imagined moving to a remote island and attending school, I have a very comfortable lifestyle here in the U.S. and no dependents. However, Saba is an excellent school, they provide a high quality education, their main office in Gardner is very supportive, Saba has a high percentage of students passing the USMLE (which is only an indication of how good the school is), they offer clinical placement, classes at Saba are small, the island is safe and quiet, and most of all the tuition is affordable (I won't have crazy student loans when I am finished). As for other foreign medical schools, be wary of Ross. I have heard from two different sources of a large number of students who fail as they get closer to finishing up their basic sciences, Ross admits a large number of people into their basic science program and they simply do not have enough clinical spots in the U.S. for them. The other school worth mentioning is St. George, good reputation, dangerous & dirty island, large classes, very expensive tuition. As for AUC, I wouldn't even consider that school.
So, my advice is to get a list of Saba graduates and speak to them directly. DO NOT listen to other people(especially Anonymous Posts), the decision will be your own. Use this forum as a information source, of course you will read some bad posts from unhappy, miserable people, but do not let their posts get you down. Do your research and I wish you the best of luck.
Posted on Jan 5, 2003, 4:39 PM from IP address 64.12.96.198
Hi Seven Jeans Girl,
Just read your excellent post response. I would be interested in any observations that you might have regarding MUA. Also, what aspects influenced your opinion about AUC.. Thanks!...... Gail
Posted on Jan 26, 2003, 7:48 PM from IP address 67.234.91.11
I would certainly appreciate information regarding apartment availability, range of amenities and cost based on either your experience or reference to a prior post. Also, because the island appears to be quite hilly what are the usual modes of student transportation. Thanks for your help.
Posted on Jan 26, 2003, 7:39 PM from IP address 67.234.91.11
I really want to go, but I want to practice in Miami. I have call to Florida State Board of Independent Colleges and Universities and only 3 schools are accredited Ross, St. George, Autonoma de Guadajalara.
I want to know if SABA is trying to get accredited so that I can go. I think it SABA is best choice if you are not from Florida.
Posted on Jan 11, 2003, 11:18 PM from IP address 166.72.138.204
I am a single mom with 2 kids considering a career change. I plan to complete my science prerequisites next year and apply to med school. I don't anticipate being accepted in the states so am looking at foreign med schools. My biggest concern, beyond a quality program that will get me where I want to be, is doing med school with kids, specifically in a foreign place. What kind of childcare/school options are available on Saga? Are there any single parents working their way through the school with their kids on the island? I would love to hear from anyone who can help me get information about options available so I can determine if Saga will be a realistic consideration for us. Please reply here, or to my e-mail address tlgosnell@msn.com Thanks.
Posted on Jan 20, 2003, 11:39 PM from IP address 67.250.179.216
Right now I'm comparing St. Christopher's, St. Matthews, and Saba. I'm leaning toward Saba, but the other two schools guarantee ACGME accredited clinical rotation sites, whereas it seems Saba does not. I would really like to get licensed in my home state of Texas, and they require ACGME accredited rotations in each rotation. I know that wouldn't necessarily make me able to get licensed in Texas, but it would clear one hurdle. Does anyone know about Saba and ACGME clinical rotations?
Also, do other states have ACGME issues like Texas?
Posted on Jan 4, 2003, 10:03 PM from IP address 66.140.104.68
I too am concerned about greenbook rotations because I wish to get licensure in Pennsylvania which has the same requirements as Texas with regards to all rotations including electives must be done in Green Book Hospitals. Saba students do not have a problem to date getting green book rotations if you need them. Yes it is true that St. Chris and St. Matthews currently seem to have an abundance of clinical sites and there are students from schools like AUC that I know of who have transferred or who are trying to transfer to take advantage of these spot surpluses. Here is the deal though. St. Christophers is a new school and the diversity of locations of their clinicals is not nearly as vast as Saba's with regards to the number of states. If St. Christophers clinical spots fill (and they eventually will) they dont have the base to quickly put you somewhere else only because of the fact they havent been around as long. At least if you get into a Jam at Saba you can get the green book somewhere but you may have to be flexible in travel. I know that occasionally Saba students get bumped out of a rotation here and there to help another student who needs to make his match but frankly I would want that same courtesy if I were cutting it close but trust me it is not that common. I guess if it happens to you though it seems like a major bitch but I know of NO one who could not get green book if they needed it including myself. For example let me use my situation as an example. I currently had to set up a Neurology elective in January and a Pulmonary elective in Feb. (both green book) because I am waiting for an OB core spot to open up in March and I will have to travel but that is the deal. I will then have to travel again to go to NY for Peds. (again green book). When you are waiting for a core it is NOT a problem to set up electives. Once you do Internal Medicine as a core in a green book hospital there is usually an abundance of electives to take should you have any downtime waiting for a particular core rotation to come up. If you need green book, be flexible and it will work out. I have one Caveat however, if you wish to practice in Pennsylavania you CANNOT do an elective or core in a DO hospital even if it is teaching hospital. (Total BS I know because the very medical students at Philadelphia medschools do a family practice elective in my office with my partner who teaches is a DO) (TOTAL hipocracy but that is a state requirement for FMG's. Saba has some DO hospital affiliations and this is just fine for electives and cores as long as you are not going for licensure in PA or possibly TX. There is resident at Harbor Hospital Center that started his RESIDENCY!!! in a Philadelphia program and could not get his tempory license for residency to practice because he did a Family Practice elective at a DO hospital. (TOTAL HORSE CRAP BUT A FACT) Because he did most of his medicine rotations at harbor they made a spot for him and was let go by the Philadelphia program and trust me he was not happy. Of course I talked to him ad nauseum as I did not want to fall into the trap he did as PA is likely where I will go. I actually have the Pennsylvania 1 page form for each elective approval and core and it clearly states that the program has to be EITHER a teaching hospital (which means it has residents in training and can be found on the FREIDA website) or is a University affiliate of a US medschool (which of course pretty much says the same thing as these programs also will be teaching programs with residents in training. Currently Saba has licensed doctors in 30 states and rotations in 40 states. St. Christophers as far as I know does not even have a resident in training as of yet and surely they could not have a licensed physicians as the school is roughly 2 or 3 years old. Based on this fact that Saba is going on a proven 10 year track record I just think Saba is by far your best bet. Its as good as AUC, its about to pump out close to another 100 residents and its solid, and is a helluva lot cheaper. There are 4 schools in the Carribean with long term proven track records and one is much cheaper than the rest. Good Luck to all.
Scott Jones DC MS III
Posted on Jan 7, 2003, 8:45 AM from IP address 207.19.126.2
Thanks for your rather long, but very informative reply. :)
I also want to express my thanks to Paul Plowman for his posting of Texas requirments at least twice on this board.
I have a wife and toddler, but as a former Army brat I don't mind moving too much. Being in different states or regions to do green book rotations could be seen as a way to broaden one's cultural experience (you know, like going to a foreign med school does, lol). All just part of the adventure. Good luck to you!
"Those who are skilled in combat do not become angered, those who are skilled at winning do not become afraid. Thus the wise win before the fight, while the ignorant fight to win." --O Sensei, Morihei Ueshiba
Posted on Jan 7, 2003, 10:14 PM from IP address 64.216.32.168
I have been looking through prior posts and cannot find comparisons of Saba and Mua. If this discussion has taken place please post me a reference so that I can find it. Anyone with information on this issue please respond. Appreciate your help.
Posted on Jan 24, 2003, 5:50 PM from IP address 63.156.84.158
Hi:
I am a former student from the Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara. I left in good academic standing after the second semester, just ran out of money. How will my credits transfer to SABA? My classes were taken in 1996 to 1998, so will the time be a factor?
Also, I took Anatomy at a medical school in the US. Will this be accepted for transfer?
Thanks for any input.
GCM
Posted on Jan 24, 2003, 7:42 AM from IP address 199.222.14.2
Hey im a current 3rd yr student in pakistan..our schools curriculum is 3 years basic 2 clinics..i plan to take step 1 in in july. I was wondering what the chances 1 has to transfer directly into the clinical program of saba should you pass step 1....and how far in advance should you send in an application for transfer?
Whopper_24
Posted on Jan 21, 2003, 12:58 PM from IP address 196.3.139.34
hey guys, i was wondering if you guys could give me an idea of whether i can get into ross or not. I have a 2.5 gpa, majored in computers (screwed up in undergrad). After graduating i worked for two years in the IT field and decided it was not for me. I quit and went back to school to take my pre med courses, averaged in those a 3.5 gpa. i took the mcats and got a 28. i also have been working in a clinical environment for the past 6 months, assisting a physician. what do you guys think, do i have a shot?
Posted on Jan 20, 2003, 2:27 PM from IP address 68.50.120.223
Hello
I will be attending SUSOM this May and I will be traveling from the Midwest. I was wondering if anyone will be traveling down to Saba to at this same time to attend school? If so, would you like to meet up some where in the U.S. so we can travel down there together?
If this may be a possibility please respond.
Thanks!
Posted on Jan 19, 2003, 11:26 AM from IP address 67.251.163.13
I just wanted to know if your BF is attending SABA SOM. If he is, was it hard for him to get in and how is his learning process. Also have he taken his USMLE...
.. I very concern about apply to some medical school in the caribbean, but know nothing about the schools so can you help me.....
Thank
Doug
Posted on Jan 17, 2003, 7:00 PM from IP address 68.116.145.131
Housing and Apartments Exchange for med students
For Sale By Owner.
