Saba or AUA

[whatsmysystolicdoc]

What do you think... Saba vs AUA. There's pros and cons to each, and I feel like AUA is improving their reputation.

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[aformerstudent]

And what pros and cons would those be? I'm being serious too.

 

[whatsmysystolicdoc]

Just to name a few...

Saba Advantages: More well known in US and Canada, cheaper tuition, cheaper living on island, better residency sites, smaller class sizes, more personable staff and not as money hungry as AUA, can go back to back semesters (may, fall, spring)
Saba Disadvantages: Rotation sites are just okay, on par with a lot of DO school rotation hospitals, very isolated island, expensive to travel to

AUA Advantages: FIU rotation site program, better island living
AUA Disadvantages: More expensive tuition and living, not as well known, has a fishy history, money hungry, staff is not as personable, can only go fall, spring, takes longer to do classes

 

[whatsmysystolicdoc]

If those that voted don't mind sharing... why AUA over Saba?

 

[metoo]

If those that voted don't mind sharing... why AUA over Saba?

A former student told me that AUA changes their grading policies all the time. I couldn't deal with that.

 

[673441]

What do you think... Saba vs AUA. There's pros and cons to each, and I feel like AUA is improving their reputation.

Doesn't matter where you go. The Caribbean is the Caribbean. Go to the cheapest school with the best match list and clinical sites. AUA nor Saba are considered a Big3 school so you should tread even more carefully than usual. You need to be asking yourself, what is the attrition, match rate, average step scores and clinical rotation sites.

 

[zobay]

I would definitely throw in an app to Ross, SGU or AUC before you sell yourself to AUA or Saba.


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[aformerstudent]

From experience, pick a school with the best track record. That would be SGU and then maybe Ross. And that too if you know what you are doing.

Saba follows the same curriculum as MUA but is much stricter with passing (75 vs 70). I went to MUA and it was a nightmare.

Word from AUA is that the first block average for semester 1 was 72.

 

[vnw98]

First of all I want to say if US medical school MD/DO are options then that is what everyone should do. If like many your dreams of being a physician are strong and you dont qualify for US schools then your option is the Caribbean. First do your due diligence and look at all the schools. You should ask all schools not only about cost per semester but what is the Attrition rate, Match Rate, Clinical rotations and in what states, are they approved by the NY, CA and FL medical boards. There are many people who are successful that have attended many different Caribbean schools. I have friends who went to SGU, MUA, Ross, SABA, and AUC and ofcourse AUA the school I attended. I can only speak for why I picked AUA over the other schools. Also see if you can talk to current students, current residents, and even attending's from the schools above and ask them their experience. Dont pick a school based on random comments on the forums where there could be disgruntled students who failed classes so they just want to point out all of their negative opinions. PM me if you want my honest opinion about AUA about my time there. I can even go over hard facts about the things I mentioned above.

 

[TexasDoc2017]

What do you think... Saba vs AUA. There are pros and cons to each, and I feel like AUA is improving their reputation.

I can only write about AUA as I did not have an experience with SABA:

AUA great island living very easy to get around, it is expensive but most islands are especially the living. If you are flying from ATL or MIAMI it is a direct flight. With any island living it is expensive. If you REALLY want to be a doctor and you didn't have the credentials to make the cut for US schools this is a shot to make it.

Antigua the island has a lot to offer outside of the school when you can take a break from studying. I did something new every chance I took a break, which wasn't that much.

 

[longislandmd]

Having gone to AUA, I can only speak to that. I picked AUA because it was a better known and larger Caribbean school in the US. I knew many people who graduated from AUA and matched well. At the time, I didn't know anyone who went to SABA. Now that I've completed my clinical rotations and matched, I've met people who have graduated from SABA and are doing very well. In terms of academics, I think you can do well at both schools. I have heard that the island of Antigua is more developed and easier to live on.

 

[aformerstudent]

Why do you guys only have two posts a piece? Who's paying you to write these lies?

 

[mambostrike5]

What do you think... Saba vs AUA. There's pros and cons to each, and I feel like AUA is improving their reputation.

Hello. I am a current student at Saba. I highly recommend you do not come to this school. First of all they will literally take anyone that applies. The quality of education is so sub-par I don't even know where to begin. From the multitudes of foreign profs with thick African and Indian accents all the way to the cram sessions they "teach" everything, it is absolutely not worth your time, money, and above all your well being. The schedule starting 2nd semester through 5th is 8a-5p M-F. That leaves hardly anytime to study, especially since they have shortened semesters. The attrition rate is horrible, every class starts with 80ish students and by the end there is 20-30max...this is clearly not normal of an educational institution. There is no time to go to profs office hours or get any kind of tutoring, let alone thoroughly learn the material.

They made a curriculum change back in 2015, and ever since their passing rates have dropped significantly. Dr. Chu the president of the school himself came and told us here that the NMBE Comprehensive pass rate has gone from 80-90% down to 40-50% since the curriculum change!!! In their attempt to scramble to fix things, they keep changing the schedules, adding courses, taking away courses, hiring profs, firing profs, it has been an absolute mess since I've been here!!

In case you are wondering the NMBE Comp is the test the school makes you take before they allow you to sit for the Step 1, so that "99%" pass rate is kind of false reporting because they make it seem like 99% of the students who enroll pass, in fact you have to survive 5 horrible semesters of confusion and self-teaching, and even if you get passed all the courses, then you have to take that Comp (which has had failing pass rates as I mentioned above).....then finally sit for the Step 1. It is all like a staged event so they get to write 99% first time pass rate. And the admin is so out of touch with the students because all the decision are made in Devens, MA by R3 Education Inc. which is the company that owns this school, so no one can be held accountable by the students on the island. Once they take your money they treat like garbage.

If you are a genius or a robot, you will succeed here and learn the material well with cram sessions and no guidance from the school...otherwise average students get destroyed and ripped off like so many of my freinds!

Please take my advice to heart, I am not exaggerating in anyway...don't make the same mistake so many of us have made!