RCSI-Bahrain 2013 Entry

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t118NYU

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Hey everybody!

Has anybody applied to RCSI-Bahrain for fall 2013 entry? I applied through the Atlantic Bridge Program and just had my online interview! I am 22, male, and recently graduated from NYU in NYC, USA. Anybody else that has applied and is also waiting to hear outcomes please message back! :)
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Hello,

Same boat! I did the interview on the 26th, they said in 2 weeks they'll get back to us right? I'm also 22, female and graduated from canada in may 2012 :)
 
Just wondering, why Bahrain and not Ireland campus?
 
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Well I've got a few good reasons:
1) I love the Middle East. I've been volunteering there for a few years, and even studied abroad in Abu Dhabi for a few months. It was amazing. I also know Arabic.
2) I want to specialize in global public health surgery / humanitarian medicine. I want to work in the developing world, as well as Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. I just want to travel and have a global reach in my medical career and I think learning medicine in such a global context would be greatly beneficial and unique.
3) Easier to get in? Probably
Lastly, 4) Amazing weather, cheaper accommodations and living expenses, and still get the NUI and RCSI degrees

All this coming from a graduate of NYU and currently working at an Ivy League Medical Center :)
 
I know this is probably late but u may have heard of Cornell-Qatar? I think thats a great option as well in the middle east, especially since Cornell is very reputable.
 
Thanks! I actually work for for Cornell Medical Center in NYC, and my department works with Cornell Qatar frequently. The problem is I didn't take the MCATs, didn't take physics 2, and got a C in Orgo 2, so I would need to (re)take those classes/exams and that would take at least another year. I'm anxious to move on! RCSI Bahrain doesn't require any of that.
Thanks for the input though.
 
Are there many american medical students in bahrain? How's the match rate?

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Hello,

I applied recently, i'm expecting my online interview to be held sometime during the next week :)
 
Hey!
That's great, where are you from and which program did you apply to? I submitted my application back in November, lol, just had my interview and they said I would hear back before the end of the week! Ill let you know my outcome!
 
I got an email today inviting me to an online interview for the 6 year program at RCSI-Bahrain! Any advice?

Also, I haven't been able to find any definitive numbers as to the tuition there. So any info would be appreciated.
Btw, I'm from California.
 
I guess they held teh interviews for the five year program earlier. They ask simple questions about why you chose the university, qualities of a good doctor, how you plan on funding your education, extracurricular activities, hobbies, etc. You get around 30 seconds to plan your answer (they dont record at that time) and you get around 1-2 min to answer each question.
 
Hey,

I really do hope you get accepted t118NYU :)
I applied for the medical program, they didn't specify whether my interview was for the 6 or 5 year program. I'm currently living in Qatar and completing my A-LEVELS. Can anyone living in Bahrain give me an insight about the conditions in Bahrain, whether its safe in general and if there are any revolts going on in the area. Any comments are highly appreciated :)
 
Accepted!! :) :laugh::):thumbup:

I am going to visit Bahrain and RCSI in about 2 weeks! I cant move there for 5 years without seeing the place!
And to second the comment above, it would be great to hear from any current RCSI-Bahrain students or people living in Bahrain! Private message me!
 
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Hi Guys,

I'm from Canada finishing my HBSc undergraduate degree this semester. I have also got an online interview invite for the 5yr program, hopefully it goes well. Did anyone get any outcomes yet and any thought how to prep for the interview and how the questions were overall. Also how close are we to an acceptance, does getting an invite to online interview a good sign? Or are they just going to look at our application after the interview.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated!
 
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Hey there!
I was recently accepted to the 5-year program for the RCSI-MUB and I was wondering if anyone else is accepted and is willing to share their contact information with me. I think that I'll go there and I'm now looking for a roommate!
 
I was accepted as well. Unfortunately, I just learned that RCSI-MUB is not eligible for federal student loans.
What options are left for us Americans?
ABP did not clearly indicate on the application/website that this school is different interms of federal loans. I feel like I was missleaded.
 
Did any of you who have been accepted into the 5 yr program submit your MCAT score with your application? I'm not sure if my MCAT score would help or hinder my application.
 
Hi Driver23d. I did not submit mine as it was not required, but if your MCAT score is good, it will definitely help!
 
I would really love to know where RCSI Bahrain graduates are getting residencies. Does anybody know?
 
Have any of the people who did the 6 year program interview received any news yet?
 
yep, i got my acceptance yesterday.
 
I just accepted my offer for the 5-year program, has anyone accepted their offer yet?
 
loana said:
I just accepted my offer for the 5-year program, has anyone accepted their offer yet?
Click to expand...

Congratulations!!

I myself will be applying to the 5 yr program as a recent college graduate for Fall 2014 entry.
 
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Hey everyone.
I am an American student who was accepted into the 5 year program about a month ago. I went to visit RCSI Barhain and loved it, but am still having a difficult time deciding whether or not to go. Is anybody else on the fence? I just saw this article, which I take with a grain of salt, but is still disturbing to see.
<http://www.irishtimes.com/news/call-for-irish-medical-council-not-to-accredit-rcsi-bahrain-campus-1.1410465>

I just don't want to move there for the first year and then have to leave because RCSI loses their Irish accredidiation. There just seems like a lot of risks. I mean even the PRESIDENT of the school stepped down about 2 months ago..

Anybody else feeling similar hesitations please reply!
 
t118NYU said:
Hey everyone.
I am an American student who was accepted into the 5 year program about a month ago. I went to visit RCSI Barhain and loved it, but am still having a difficult time deciding whether or not to go. Is anybody else on the fence? I just saw this article, which I take with a grain of salt, but is still disturbing to see.
<http://www.irishtimes.com/news/call-for-irish-medical-council-not-to-accredit-rcsi-bahrain-campus-1.1410465>

I just don't want to move there for the first year and then have to leave because RCSI loses their Irish accredidiation. There just seems like a lot of risks. I mean even the PRESIDENT of the school stepped down about 2 months ago..

Anybody else feeling similar hesitations please reply!
Click to expand...

Yes I can understand your uneasiness. The combination of the president stepping down and now the call to not accredit the Bahrain campus is very worrisome. Unfortunately these seem to be the political consequences that RCSI-Bahrain will have to face but at least the political unrest has calmed down from what I've heard. RCSI now has to find a new president for the Bahrain campus and deal with the upcoming visit from the Irish Medical Council. In a worst case scenario if the Bahrain campus is forced to close down or looses its accreditation I would imagine that they would send some of their students to the Dublin campus. As far as graduates from the Bahrain campus getting residency positions I read somewhere that non-Bahrainies would have some difficulty attaining a residency position because there are only so many residency positions in the Kingdom of Bahrain and I would imagine that the government would favor their own citizens rather than international students. If anyone has any other information please feel free to contribute your thoughts.
 
Yeah i wouldn't take a risk on top of the risk of not matching.. Go to RCSI Ireland if you can i wouldn't go to Bahrain for now.
 
I called RCSI-Bahrain today and the person I spoke with said that there's a misconception. He said RCSI Bahrain did not have an accreditation from the Irish Medical Council since its opening in 2004. However, they were trying to get people from the Irish Medical Council to come visit the school in order to accredit it, since it is wholly owned by RCSI-Dublin (and they follow the exact same curriculum and write the exact same exams), they want their graduates to have the same accreditation as their colleagues in Dublin. Unfortunately, political instability in Bahrain is hindering this process, but he said a group of representatives are scheduled to come see the school this year to make a decision. He assured me that all graduates (from the past, present and future) will all have the same degrees listed on their website and nothing will change.
 
Btw for those of you North Americans who want to go to Bahrain and what this means:

If Bahrain is not accredited by the Irish Medical Council, your degree is considered to be from Bahrain, which will SIGNIFICANTLY reduce your chances of getting a residency position.

It was mentioned in an article that 3-4 doctors who studied at RCSI, were jailed in Bahrain for apparently assisting wounded protesters, this is a violation of human rights and will likely not allow the IMC to accredit them.
 
S0B said:
Btw for those of you North Americans who want to go to Bahrain and what this means:

If Bahrain is not accredited by the Irish Medical Council, your degree is considered to be from Bahrain, which will SIGNIFICANTLY reduce your chances of getting a residency position.

It was mentioned in an article that 3-4 doctors who studied at RCSI, were jailed in Bahrain for apparently assisting wounded protesters, this is a violation of human rights and will likely not allow the IMC to accredit them.
Click to expand...

But how is that the university's fault? These students were doing their job by treating the wounded protesters. The government is violating human rights, not the university or the students. For this reason, I don't think the IMC will hold the university accountable for all of these violations.
 
loana said:
But how is that the university's fault? These students were doing their job by treating the wounded protesters. The government is violating human rights, not the university or the students. For this reason, I don't think the IMC will hold the university accountable for all of these violations.
Click to expand...

It won't significantly reduce your chance of getting a position in Canada or the US because as long as its accredited by FAIMER or IMED they treat all medical schools the same (of course different PIs could have preferences), but why go to a place where theres even risk of a conflict happening if you have a choice? You are already taking a risk when applying to these schools in terms of matching, don't take another risk like this.
 
I'm a first year student at rcsi Bahrain. It is a pretty safe place and I see no chance of it becoming unstable in the next five years. Honestly I've really enjoyed my experience here with the exception of the enormous tuition fees we're paying. If you guys have any specific questions Feel free to ask.
 
Hey everyone,

I have received an offer of admission to RCSI-MUB. I am, however, unable to attend. Can someone tell me how to decline the offer? All I can see in the admissions package is that if I want to accept, I should mail the forms to Atlantic Bridge within 30 days of the offer. How about declining?

Someone give me an answer ASAP please!!!!
 
Hi,
Can someone pls tell me when the first day of orientation is?
Thanks
 
Haven't received exact details from RSCI Bahrain on when the program actually starts etc, I guess the details will be sent out soon. Loana do you know the date when the program begins for the 5yr MD program. Thinking of booking my tickets in advance.

Thanks
 
kai9 said:
Haven't received exact details from RSCI Bahrain on when the program actually starts etc, I guess the details will be sent out soon. Loana do you know the date when the program begins for the 5yr MD program. Thinking of booking my tickets in advance.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Hi kai9,

Orientation week begins on September 15th and runs until September 19th

Classes begin the week after on September 22nd for both Foundation Year (6 year course) and Junior Cycle 1/2 (5 year course). Any other questions, please feel free to ask :)
 
Thanks a lot it really does help us to have someone like you to give us some insight and advice on coming to bahrain.

The university says we need to have our original transcripts authenticated by the Bahrain high commission before the first week of september, will the university do this for us or do we have to go there on our own.
 
kai9 said:
Thanks a lot it really does help us to have someone like you to give us some insight and advice on coming to bahrain.

The university says we need to have our original transcripts authenticated by the Bahrain high commission before the first week of september, will the university do this for us or do we have to go there on our own.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't worry too much about this until you arrive in Bahrain and start Orientation week which is when all the documentation is checked at registration, photo IDs are made, buddy tours are given etc. The university will inform you about the procedure and student services are always there so contacting them in this regard would always be helpful. The important thing would be to bring all your documents with you including the original transcripts. I hope you are all prepared and ready to go but again if you or anybody else on the forum need advice I would more than willing to help.

With regards to the IMC accreditation, the student council has informed us that the university has made a renewed application recently to the IMC for an accreditation visit in the past few weeks in light of there being a change in the membership of the medical council with the president being a RCSI council member himself. Its just a matter of waiting to hear back from them which we hope would be soon inshallah :)
 
I see thanks for the insight, as for housing do most students live walking distance from the university in Busaiteen or do most of them commute by cars. What would you advise on the location to get an apartment, personally I was thinking to get an apartment in Juffair or Seef district and commute by car, do you think this is advisable? main reason is that I wanted to get a short term rental for 1-2 months and then look for a proper apartment in a location that suits my needs. Is it possible to get short term apartment rentals in Busaiteen or is it only found in the city. What would be the best approach to this in your regard.

Thanks
 
kai9 said:
I see thanks for the insight, as for housing do most students live walking distance from the university in Busaiteen or do most of them commute by cars. What would you advise on the location to get an apartment, personally I was thinking to get an apartment in Juffair or Seef district and commute by car, do you think this is advisable? main reason is that I wanted to get a short term rental for 1-2 months and then look for a proper apartment in a location that suits my needs. Is it possible to get short term apartment rentals in Busaiteen or is it only found in the city. What would be the best approach to this in your regard.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Most students live around the university in apartment blocks that are within 5 min walking distance of the uni in the Busaiteen area. Places like Juffair and Seef are far from the campus and you would have to take into account morning traffic on weekdays. Rent for apartments in the vicinity of the university vary from one apartment block to another and they do yearly contracts for students. A list of some of the apartment blocks include;

Dream Plaza, Al Asfoor, Hanan Tower, Burj Dalia, Bustana, La Vida, Busaiteen Towers, Busaiteen Star, Al Zamil. Except for Busaiteen Star, they are all 2 bed and start in monthly rent from 450BD onwards . It would be cheaper if you found a roommate to share with, this is what most students like myself do. If you want to find yourself a roommate, ask student services to send you and put you on the roommate list or try to get in touch with another student who would be starting with you .
 
JuanPabloCastel said:
I'm looking to apply now for a spot in september. what are the options for american grads who don't want to go back to the US or canada? I understand that spots in bahrain are severely limited.
Click to expand...

It depends on where you would like to practice in the world. Personally I plan to go back to Europe after graduating to either Ireland or the UK. I have some friends who plan to go back to Australia when they finish. A good portion of students are here from North America and they are planning to take the USMLEs or Canadian medical board exams. Most students plan to go back to there home country whether it be within the GCC or elsewhere to do their internship.
 
Hello! I am looking for a roommate who is entering RCSI-Bahrain this fall 2013 in the medical program. If there are any guys on here also looking for a roommate (rcsi seems to be taking a while to circulate the roommate list), private message me!
 
Hey guys! I just got admitted in the 6 year program at RCSI Bahrain and I have just found a new apartment in the Busaiteen area that has two bedrooms. I need a roommate so if anyone is interested please pm me.
 
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