How are the SGU success stories explained?

[hallowmann]

I do appreciate the effort you have put into your last two posts but you are presenting 50% anecdotal information and 50% your opinions.

Firstly, I would never compare SGU's clinical location setup to ANY other Caribbean medical school and you can go verify that with some of the members here who graduated from SGU. The setup is vastly different and the price tag SGU pays for those spots is vastly different. That is the main reason for going to SGU and not another school...

SGU is not the only school that spends a lot on rotations. Take a look: Med students squeezed amid wider competition for rotation space. Both AUC and Ross spend millions on spots as well.

I can only tell you what I've read and what I've heard from SGU students and grads. You are free to believe that this setup is vastly different than other schools, but I don't believe that's accurate.

...I do understand your position on DO and I don't disagree with any of it. I was just inquiring about SGU. I still have to take the MCAT but SGU does allow a start for August whereas a DO or SMP app is for next year. So I hope you understand why people like myself bring SGU into the equation.

Everybody does not share the same goals as it pertains to becoming a doctor. Some want to change the world, some want to become wealthy, some want prestige, some want to compete with their fellow doctors, and others want an MD (or DO) to work as doctors and make a difference in their communities. If SGU makes that a little more accessible and a little faster with less risk then its something people like me will consider.

Some people might disagree with me but once you have your degree, any doctor is a good doctor...IMG included.

I agree that everyone's goals are different. Many people questioned my willingness to go DO as opposed to reapply MD after some GPA repair. I was an older non-trad with a family, and it made sense to me to just run with my acceptance. What I'm telling you is to save you the high risk of not finishing.

The truth is that med school is difficult. Even good and hard-working students struggle. Its unfortunately also not a matter of reaching a threshold of doing "well" as much removing as many barriers as possible when it comes to matching. The things that make matching (and matching well) possible is by presenting the best application you can. Going Carib MD is viewed as worse than US MD and DO (this has been more the case in the last 10-15 years, so I encourage you to keep that in mind when you hear from current SGU grad attendings). No matter what, as a Carib grad, you will have less chances to slip up. What does that mean? It means that when you end up scoring 220 rather than 230 on Step 1, you might not match.

In the end, only you can make this choice, but please recognize that what you're doing is a risk. Far riskier than staying stateside. Go in striving to do the very best you can.

Also, since no one has talked about it, SGU tuition is outrageous. We're talking $65-$70k/year on just tuition. You're talking almosr $100k-ish per year when you factor in living expenses, flights, moving around for rotations, etc. That's a hefty penny to pay, considering you get a US degree way cheaper than that. At least Ross and AUC are a little more reasonable.

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[Sephirakra]

Remember when trolls had a playful quality, rather than just faux-irritated stonewalling?

 

[DrStephenStrange]

Oh IDK, maybe because THEY WENT TO SGU! lol

Actually, an SGU grad who actually succeeded in matching dissuaded me from going there 2 years ago when I was just a premed. Back when I was losing hope and didn't know I was gonna be able to secure a DO spot 5 year post undergrad. Anyway, You should just close this thread. It's no longer productive. We're not gonna change your mind, and you're not gonna get new information.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Remember when trolls had a playful quality, rather than just faux-irritated stonewalling?

Lol I know. In case anyone missed it OP was offered the chance to talk to someone who has actually graduated SGU and they said they were “exhausted from typing and would do it tomorrow” and then just kept right on stonewalling any chance at a reasonable discussion with other posters with long posts.

 

[hallowmann]

So I don't really spend time in the Carib forum much, but I just read this thread: Chances at SGU

OP, if you haven't already (and aren't a troll), you should read it. There are multiple posts from SGU students/grads in there, and they basically echo what we say here. Even the guy that matched fellowship in Cards admits that the SGU match rate is ~60%. The only place I've ever heard the 85% rate from is from their advertising or people who have talked to their reps.

 

[DrStephenStrange]

Lol I know. In case anyone missed it OP was offered the chance to talk to someone who has actually graduated SGU and they said they were “exhausted from typing and would do it tomorrow” and then just kept right on stonewalling any chance at a reasonable discussion with other posters with long posts.

He put you on ignore earlier too, which is why he hasn't been stonewalling you lol.

 

[johncstudent32]

So I don't really spend time in the Carib forum much, but I just read this thread: Chances at SGU

OP, if you haven't already (and aren't a troll), you should read it. There are multiple posts from SGU students/grads in there, and they basically echo what we say here. Even the guy that matched fellowship in Cards admits that the SGU match rate is ~60%. The only place I've ever heard the 85% rate from is from their advertising or people who have talked to their reps.

I've heard 85% from SGU residents at the hospital I shadowed at. I actually also heard its a 93-95% match rate after two years. That's my info. and that's why SGU is still an option. If their match rate was 50% then I don't think we would even be having this discussion.

EDIT: Those numbers are for those students who entered the match. Nobody cares about the amount of students who start there.

 

[DrStephenStrange]

I've heard 85% from SGU residents at the hospital I shadowed at. I actually also heard its a 93-95% match rate after two years. That's my info. and that's why SGU is still an option. If their match rate was 50% then I don't think we would even be having this discussion.

93-95% incredible!!! Yeah, SGU is definitely better than even some DO schools. You should definitely attend.

EDIT: Even if those numbers are only for those who entered the match, It's incredible. WOW I should have ignored the SGU grads that told me the actual match rate for people entering the match was around 60%. Those LIARS man!!!

 

[Emmet2301]

I've heard 85% from SGU residents at the hospital I shadowed at. I actually also heard its a 93-95% match rate after two years. That's my info. and that's why SGU is still an option. If their match rate was 50% then I don't think we would even be having this discussion.

EDIT: Those numbers are for those students who entered the match. Nobody cares about the amount of students who start there.

This is so wrong lol

 

[gyngyn]

It appears that everyone's voice has been heard.