Hello,
Looking for advise where to stay which is inexpensive. Also,any other cost saving ideas.
Thanks,
Looking for advise where to stay which is inexpensive. Also,any other cost saving ideas.
Thanks,
AUREUS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE - Where to live
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If I were you, I wouldn't even waste my time on this school. I checked out the website. There's no list of graduates who obtained residency placement, no mention of graduation rates, no mention of board pass rates, no mention of where clinical rotations are available, and the school doesn't even require an MCAT. If you're going to go the Caribbean route, pick someplace more reputable, like SGU, Ross, AUC, Saba, or even SMU or AUA.
Well, it is friend of mine who plans to go there. Actually, they have pre-med program in Canada- I think it is four/five condensed terms that cover more than basic chem, org chem, phy, bio. I have seen him study, it is really hard. They started with 20 and half dropped during first term. I think they have only 7 left now. They require 80% grade to continue.
Having said that.... re: all carrib schools, if you're hard working and do well on USMLE, you'll get into residency. You need get ready to work hard. There fall out rate is high.
I hope this helps.
Most, if not all, does rotations are in USA. But if you can find in Canada, they'll accept it.
Some do return to Canada but most go to USA as most students are from USA.
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What is your source? Look at match stats. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY TRUE... if you're 99%, you'll get offer before you get home. I know people who got offers like this... if you have good grades and verified by USMLE, you're in good shape... same as MCAT, i.e. if you have 4.0 GPA and 40 MCAT, do you think anyone will question which University/community college you went to... just think??
Yes, you can get unrestricted license in all States and Canada after USMLE 3 and residency training.
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Not entirely true. The Caribbean grads with good grades and USMLE scores probably will match into a residency, but it may not necessarily be their first choice. Let's say a Caribbean student with a 4.0 and a Step 1 score of 250 decides to try for ortho. There is a chance that s/he may not receive an interview from any ortho programs because they take AMGs before Caribbean grads, and ortho is competitive even for AMGs. So the student might have to settle for something else, like general surgery, ER, or even one of the primary care specialties. And an average student from the Caribbean will have an even harder time matching into a residency. And as far as I know, only graduates from the big 4 schools can get an unrestricted license to practice in all 50 states.
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Yep. This is what makes the big 4 the big four. And isn't Aureus just a different name for All Saints University? http://caselaw.findlaw.com/nj-superior-court-appellate-division/1619126.html
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I did. Did you?
U.S. Citizen Students/Graduates of International Medical Schools
Active Applicants 4,279
Matched PGY-1: 2,102 (49.1%)
Unmatched PGY-1: 2,177 (50.9%)
(Page 11)
http://www.nrmp.org/data/resultsanddata2012.pdf
Ah... qualifiers. So, how many students at AUREUS have achieved these stats?
Are you certain about this?
Okay, so don't take it from me... a board-certified actively-practicing Ross grad with an unrestricted license to practice in a "difficult" state. Do you own homework. Please.
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http://www.mbc.ca.gov/applicant/schools_recognized.html#a
There are currently no schools in Aruba that are recognized by the Medical Board of California. There are many other states who maintain comity with this Board.
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Yeah, this really paints the completely wrong picture about what studying medicine in the Caribbean is truly like.
When I was at Ross, I can best describe my time there is endless hours studying in empty classroom's and the campus library. Overall, it was a very competitive and, dare I say, cutthroat environment.
I occasionally was able to go to the beach and got the chance to SCUBA dive once in a while, but there were a lot of kids (yes, that's the best way to describe them) who didn't take seriously the opportunity they were given... and paid the ultimately price (i.e., dropped/failed out with large debt and nothing to show for it).
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Completely agree. I hardly ever got to go to the beach. I spent countless hours studying in the library, my dorm room, or my apartment while I was at SGU. When I wasn't studying, I was either in lecture or lab. The ones who did spend significant portions of time at the beach were the ones who decelled and/or failed out/dropped out completely.
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And, look at this guy... In addition to the other comments, he has no beach towel? No backpack? Probably no sunscreen?
Either this is a completely staged photo, or this is just another N00b that's serving lattes somewhere right now.
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Actually the most impressive thing is that he is able to sit Indian style with his legs crossed like that to study. Most guys don't have the flexibility and would be in pain after a couple of minutes sitting like that. He is probably into doing beach yoga with that flexibility.
But seriously......you have a school that most of the world doesn't take seriously......so why would they post pics like this on their web site that make their school look even more like a joke? Are they really TRYING to attract the med student who thinks med school is just a breeze and I can go to the beach a few hours a day with my book and flip through it?
After all, the above students stated that students who hung out at the beach were the ones who most likely failed out.
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Makes sense doesn't it? Most student who elect to go there must not read much anyway, otherwise they'd realize they should try their chances elsewhere.
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But seriously......you have a school that most of the world doesn't take seriously......so why would they post pics like this on their web site that make their school look even more like a joke? Are they really TRYING to attract the med student who thinks med school is just a breeze and I can go to the beach a few hours a day with my book and flip through it?
After all, the above students stated that students who hung out at the beach were the ones who most likely failed out.
I know, right? Its no wonder PDs don't take Caribbean grads seriously, with this sort of advertising. Matching into a residency is hard enough for Caribbean grads. Why put up pics that make the schools look even worse?
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After all, the above students stated that students who hung out at the beach were the ones who most likely failed out.
And I know people who go to the beach, have quite a bit of down time, do other things that don't involve ~studying every second of the day and still leave the island with a 4.0.
It isn't necessarily about how long and hard you study all the time...it's about how smart you study.
[and there's always that flipside with the person who you always see in a classroom studying 24/7, and still end up failing].
But either way, that picture is pretty ridiculous lol
I second your statement...Including how ridiculous the picture lol.
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It seems to me that you need to study smart and incessantly if you want to get good grades. I'm of the opinion that studying with a decent amount of focus for a reasonable amount of time will only get you by with Cs with very few exceptions. If you want to get Bs, As, or make AOA, you have to study incessantly AND study efficiently. More efficient study just gives you more time to go over the material again, which will allow you to perform better and get better and better grades. I'm amazed at how fast the days go by when an exam is coming up, and even when I put in 14 hrs a day into schoolwork, it always seems to come down to the wire. Now, I'm not saying this just for the sake of argument, because what you said has merit. But I am saying that people who think that they'll get by in med school (ANY med school) by just putting in a few solid hours of studying each day are mistaken. Medical school is like drinking water from a fire hydrant. If you only take a few sips, you're going to drown. This is why that picture is misleading. Anyone who goes to medical school and attempts to study like the kid in that picture is going to be absolutely massacred.
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Because all they want to do is fill up their class, and getting tuiton money to run their business. They don't really care if half of the students don't make it, as long as they get their tuition money til however long they can go. Many students at these new Carib schools pay tuition all the way til Step 1, and then run into problems with the exam. The schools fail them, and then pass them on repeat classes all the way til Step 1.
That being said, has anyone found any concrete information on clinical rotations at Aureus, recent graduates, and those getting residency yet? Anyone contact the school to ask for this information?
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I know Aureus is not approved in California, just like most schools outside of the "big 4." That also means that Aureus is not approved in some other states as well.
But Aureus and other Caribbean schools help fill a massive need for primary care physicians in America. I go to Aureus and I know I will most likely be going into Family Medicine or some other primary care residency. That's totally fine with me, that's what I wanted to do anyway.
I have two friends who matched into FM residencies for 2013. These are people who I knew on the island when I first got there. They went through Aureus all the way and just now matched. So it is definitely doable.
I think the people on here are quick to ridicule these schools. But honestly USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 are the great equalizers. If someone is able to get good scores on those two exams, then in my opinion they are as qualified as anyone else getting similar scores. At least their knowledge is up to par-- that's the whole point of standardized tests. And if they are willing to work in FM or other primary care programs in rural and underserved areas, then I don't see how that is a case for ridiculing someone for going to Aureus.
So my personal story is that I had low grades in college, and a low MCAT. Decided to head down to Aruba. The picture above is definitely not true; we really had to study like crazy. You weren't just automatically pushed through, many people failed. And right now I'm studying for my Step 1 which is in a month.
I'm not saying Aureus is some amazing university. Obviously we are on the very low end as far as medical schools are concerned. But I have worked hard, and if I go on to do well on Step 1 and 2 then I'm not going to think any less of myself in comparison to other medical students.
But Aureus and other Caribbean schools help fill a massive need for primary care physicians in America. I go to Aureus and I know I will most likely be going into Family Medicine or some other primary care residency. That's totally fine with me, that's what I wanted to do anyway.
I have two friends who matched into FM residencies for 2013. These are people who I knew on the island when I first got there. They went through Aureus all the way and just now matched. So it is definitely doable.
I think the people on here are quick to ridicule these schools. But honestly USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 are the great equalizers. If someone is able to get good scores on those two exams, then in my opinion they are as qualified as anyone else getting similar scores. At least their knowledge is up to par-- that's the whole point of standardized tests. And if they are willing to work in FM or other primary care programs in rural and underserved areas, then I don't see how that is a case for ridiculing someone for going to Aureus.
So my personal story is that I had low grades in college, and a low MCAT. Decided to head down to Aruba. The picture above is definitely not true; we really had to study like crazy. You weren't just automatically pushed through, many people failed. And right now I'm studying for my Step 1 which is in a month.
I'm not saying Aureus is some amazing university. Obviously we are on the very low end as far as medical schools are concerned. But I have worked hard, and if I go on to do well on Step 1 and 2 then I'm not going to think any less of myself in comparison to other medical students.
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Also m2k, to answer your original question: I lived in Blue Village my whole time. Get one of the single apartments by the pool. Trust me you don't want roommates. I paid around $7-800 per month (they'd raise it/lower it randomly). But the landlords were nice and a bunch of other students lived there too. You will also need a car, which is $400 per month to rent; I split it with someone so it was $200 per month plus gas.
Aruba is a very well developed tourist island, so just about all the amenities you have in America/Canada you will be able to find here. There's a Sam's Club/Costco's kind of place, and a bunch of big grocery stores.
Just keep your head down and study. I can think of countless people who came here. Very rich people since you have to pay straight cash each semester (no loans). And these kids would party for a semester and leave. But there are a good amount of serious students too so don't think it's too crazy.
As far as beach and all that, yes they are beautiful. I would drive to the beach and just sit in my car and look at the water after class for a few minutes. Besides that I would only go after exams to play football or something. And then I stayed in Aruba for semester breaks, and that's when my friends/family would come down and we'd have fun in Aruba. But during the semester it's go go go all the time, everyone is competitive.
The new campus Aureus built is pretty nice also, so you are lucky in that regard. The old one we had was terrible. But I got to enjoy the new one in my last semester.
Any other questions let me know. Just keep in mind that getting a primary care residency through Aureus is doable (I personally know people who have). But anything beyond that is going to be tough unless you really destroy Step 1 and make excellent contacts. So make sure you're ok with primary care.
And don't worry about the Aruba part too much to be honest. It's really only a year and a semester, it flies by. After that you're back in America for good.
Aruba is a very well developed tourist island, so just about all the amenities you have in America/Canada you will be able to find here. There's a Sam's Club/Costco's kind of place, and a bunch of big grocery stores.
Just keep your head down and study. I can think of countless people who came here. Very rich people since you have to pay straight cash each semester (no loans). And these kids would party for a semester and leave. But there are a good amount of serious students too so don't think it's too crazy.
As far as beach and all that, yes they are beautiful. I would drive to the beach and just sit in my car and look at the water after class for a few minutes. Besides that I would only go after exams to play football or something. And then I stayed in Aruba for semester breaks, and that's when my friends/family would come down and we'd have fun in Aruba. But during the semester it's go go go all the time, everyone is competitive.
The new campus Aureus built is pretty nice also, so you are lucky in that regard. The old one we had was terrible. But I got to enjoy the new one in my last semester.
Any other questions let me know. Just keep in mind that getting a primary care residency through Aureus is doable (I personally know people who have). But anything beyond that is going to be tough unless you really destroy Step 1 and make excellent contacts. So make sure you're ok with primary care.
And don't worry about the Aruba part too much to be honest. It's really only a year and a semester, it flies by. After that you're back in America for good.
I agree,it is going to be more challenging getting into residency. Once you get into family practice/internal medicine... you can go to Cardiology etc. At that time you'll be judged how you did during family medicine residency more than where you got your degree... if you work hard during first residency you'll good chance to get into next residency.
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If you are 26-years-old and finishing your degree planning on residency in one of the approved states, that's fine. Understand that you will never be able to practice in a currently-unapproved state, unless you go back and potentially re-complete portions of your undergraduate education. Subsequent approval does not retroactively include those students who attended during periods when the school wasn't approved for the majority of medical boards.
Again, your plans now and your plans in the future could change drastically. Most physicians don't really want to build their entire careers around working on an Indian reservation in the southwest. And, I would surmise that many of those who do would also still appreciate the flexibility to change career paths should future and unforeseen situations arise.
Then why does the school publish such a photo on their website? What cohort of students is this picture catering to?
I wish you good luck. And I sincerely hope twenty years from now you won't look back at your decision with regret.
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Did you even read through this thread? Or, just "search and reply" (after looking at the first one or two posts)?
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Brand new account, 3 posts, all in threads specific to Aureus. How interesting!
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And then the posts vanished.
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Matched IM
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Where?
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In baltimore, another friend matched in anesthesia at robert wood johnson hospital, rutguers, NJ
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Which program?
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Internal Medicine
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Yes, which program?
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MedStar
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Thank you for responding.
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Do you recall how many students were in your first year class?
Did any of the high school students transfer in?
Were there transfers from other schools?
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My class started out with aprox 65 students and by graduation was down to 54. Many students in my classes did undergrads and then came to aureus, about 15-20 were from highschool (not transfers) who had done premed program through aureus. about 6 transfers in my class.
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Would you estimate the denominator for the 20 matches to be about 80 original applicants?
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This was a smaller batch as now the class batches are bigger, but, speaking for my class, i know for a fact 42 were original applicants out which 20 matched in categorical and 6 others in prelim. Other then the 42, many others found research positions (around 8-9)
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The school said that there were 20 NRMP matches. Were there SOAP successes?
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yes, the school only counts categorical positions. i have heard of few SOAP success in previous classes but none in my class.
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Your school does not even list clinical locations on it's website. Beyond that, you are making it sound like Aureus has better stats than some more established schools. How could that be?