PLEASE Help! SGU vs Ross?? 2015

Greeting my people! Term-2.....in the books. Neuro, Physio, MIMG (taught horribly this term imho), all done. Bioethics, and CPM, completed the first few weeks of term-2. We just had our BSCE's a few days ago, all the grades are released, and I'm very happy and eager to say that I did really well this term. I didn't make IEP, but I didn't get one C either. Physio, being my best class. I hope you are doing well after such a long time, I believe the last post was an update after term-1 was completed. Now, first YEAR of medical school is complete. It's overwhelming at moments, especially knowing that my friends are passing on with me.

After being on this island for a year now, I can honestly say that I get what people were saying about SGU being a ****ty school. But when it comes to the curriculum, the standards to where they hold us professionally, and to putting our butts in 5th gear all semester, they are wonderful. Great teachers, great curriculum and preparation for the USMLE's. They suck major balls in the department of caring for their students (just my opinion). I have had MANY friends decel a semester, and many friends kicked out after 1st term, and again 2nd term, never to return, and in some serious financial debt. They really hold no bounds when it comes to missing a mark by a point, or 0.1%, you're either deceling, or your're kicked out. It's harsh, it's grueling, and it's f**king scary thinking about it, but like I said almost a year ago when I first posted on this forum, "don't believe me just watch." I've been greeted with much success through all of SGU's difficult classes, and surprisingly did very well on my BSCE's, considering it was 2 days after our last final and we had no time to prepare for it.

It's humbling indeed, preparing for OSCE's with your PD kit in hand, "am I going to use the fundoscope to check for retinopathy for the diabetic patient? Do I have enough time? Do I look at the patient and say 'We're ganna have some FUN using the FUNdoscope?'" It's all challenging and so much fun, waking up every single morning, knowing that I'm living out my dreams! I feel that SGU has placed me in a very good position to meet more success as my second year approaches with Pathology (yayy) and Micro, and especially going into my rotations, which are arriving faster than I expected. I feel that I've gained the confidence through this first year to be very comfortable going into my USMLE's and crushing the exam, placing myself in better position to obtain the residency of my dreams.

I'm living proof, so far, that as long as you go into SGU with a strong mentality, and a willingness to succeed, that you can definitely make it out a success. The one thing that can be tricky about SGU is the temptations of being on an island and having the Banana's bar up the road to you, and your entire term is going to relax on a weekend night, or two. So long you can keep yourself on track, make the CORRECT FRIENDS (can't stress this enough), you will be a certain success. Understanding how to conceptualize difficult concepts and ask the same question from various vantage points will prepare you well for their exams, studying the material verbatim isn't merely enough. It's not undergrad.

I'm sitting in my dorm room, waiting for my flight out of here back home to Cali, my roommates are gone and it feels like a ghost town here right now. I decided to update in hopes that anyone that was following this, to always keep your dreams alive. You will become a star, just keep grinding away at the mountain top, keep building new rungs to your latter to success, if you feel that you've reached the top, build more rungs. There is no top. I wish everyone the best on their endeavors, current and future. I am thankful for anyone who has payed attention to these, and am proud to be a second year medical student attending St. George's University, the school that pushed my career into the sky, now onto the stars.

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PLEASE Help! SGU vs Ross?? 2015

PLEASE Help! SGU vs Ross?? 2015

"If you retook the MCAT, if only you had a higher MCAT, don't go to the Caribbean, DO is the only route, blah blah blahhhh."

I was in the same boat as you and was accepted to Ross and SGU (never applied to UMHS or AUC). I decided SGU. I'll explain why in a moment, and never looked back. I'm an incoming student for the January 2015 term, and feel that I made the correct decision.Though not applying to AUC made me ponder a bit..I have heard good things about AUC. So I can speak on Ross and SGU only.

If you're like me, you don't care about spending a little extra money (attending SGU vs Ross) for a better living situation and better (imo) curriculum. Why I say curriculum is because SGU is a semester system similar to the US-style med schools. Ross is on a quarter system and accepts people in three separate cycles, SGU in two, and US med schools just in one cycle.

Since I'm joining SGU in January, I'll finish at the SAME TIME as the students who begin in August, since they are apart of the same cycle. That means I'm not only competing against my January class for spots, but moreover the August 2015 class as well. For Ross, it is much more competitive since you'd be competing with three separate incoming classes of god knows how many students, all who graduate in the same year with you. Regardless, I hear total class size for both schools for the school year is 1,000+ (I can't verify this, maybe someone can?).

Just do a quick youtube search of Ross University SOM and they'll have students who post tours of the campus, similarly do it with St. George's University SOM. You'll be able to see the differences in the school right away, and maybe get a feel of student life. There are a lot of videos on both schools.

I was first accepted to Ross and was so happy to just have been given an opportunity to pursue my dreams, I'm passionate and dedicated and have learned the error of my ways. I had a crappy MCAT (21) but had a 4.0 post-bacc GPA and did a year of significant research at a really reputable lab. Then I was accepted to SGU and now, I was in the position of deciding what school I wanted to attend; instead of taking a one-way street, I now had options. SGU is more expensive, but I just don't care, it's a better fit for me.

Now, I'll regurgitate the positives of what people say on here..

Doesn't matter which school you choose (Ross or SGU) in the end, you're there to study your butt off and pass Step 1's with flying colors. It's an uphill battle going to a Caribbean school, but hell, be up for the challenge! It'll make it all the more sweet when you succeed in life. Learn to take criticism (especially online, especiallyyy on SDN) of the route your taking, there are stigmas involved. My advice, F**k them. Do your thing, close your mind's eye to what people are saying and open it in your books. You'll do great.

Lastly, don't ever doubt yourself. ever.

-Zedd

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PLEASE Help! SGU vs Ross?? 2015