"You're going where? For medical school?"
This is the usual response from friends, relatives and acquaintances, when I tell them what I am doing and where I am going.
They are probably thinking: Why wouldn't I stay in Canada? and Why the Caribbean? Despite their increasing popularity, the fact that Caribbean Medical Schools can be viable alternatives to Canadian and American medical schools is still relatively unknown. Although, word is spreading, and the more people I talk to, the more they recall that they know others who are doing the same thing.
Most know students going to Ross and St. George's, two of the more popular and populous medical schools in the Caribbean. I have chosen a bit of a different path, after being accepted to both of these schools, I opted to attend Saba University School of Medicine.
It is a school where I felt that it may give me an advantage being in a smaller class, paying significantly less tuition, and being among more Canadian classmates. The administration was great to deal with and easy to get a hold of and speaking to alumni made me feel like Saba was a good choice for me.
But I think I have skipped ahead a little too fast - how did I end up in this "Caribbean Medical School" Situation anyway?
Well, a couple years of sub-standard grades in my first couple years of school helped keep down my GPA permanently into the category of "Not good enough for most medical school". After doing a little bit of self-discovery during my undergraduate years, I decided I did in fact want to do medicine, and went about taking pre-requisites as a I aimed to complete a specialized psychology degree.
Long story short, when all was said and done, I applied to medical school for two years in a row, the first year without MCAT scores to Canadian schools, the second year to Canadian, American and Caribbean schools. But with a 3.5 CGPA, 3.2 ScGCPA, and 29T, no-one gave me more than a second glance except Caribbean schools.
So, I did a double-take, and then decide to do some research. I slowly came to understand that if I went to the Caribbean, that my life was going to be hard for the next couple years, and the stigma is there. I know that I will have to work harder to get the same respect as the Canadian and American Medical students. But, I also learned that it was an opportunity, a real opportunity to become a doctor. Match lists seem to show it is possible to work hard and know that if I do, I can still have the door to Canada at least a crack open, or perhaps pursue a specialty in the United States.
And I am up for the challenge. It's part of my list... my life list that is. To become a doctor, and to give back to the global community...
Saba is a great opportunity for me, it seems like a good school, and the more people I speak to and preparations I make, the more excited I become.
Moving to a 13 square kilometre island after living in Toronto, Canada for all my life (apart from brief vacations), will be a big change. Saba is very isolated, as I have heard, and I am excited but apprehensive to be moving away from those very close to me...
So I invite you to hang out with me on this journey! I will update as often as I can with pictures and stories!
This is the usual response from friends, relatives and acquaintances, when I tell them what I am doing and where I am going.
They are probably thinking: Why wouldn't I stay in Canada? and Why the Caribbean? Despite their increasing popularity, the fact that Caribbean Medical Schools can be viable alternatives to Canadian and American medical schools is still relatively unknown. Although, word is spreading, and the more people I talk to, the more they recall that they know others who are doing the same thing.
Most know students going to Ross and St. George's, two of the more popular and populous medical schools in the Caribbean. I have chosen a bit of a different path, after being accepted to both of these schools, I opted to attend Saba University School of Medicine.
It is a school where I felt that it may give me an advantage being in a smaller class, paying significantly less tuition, and being among more Canadian classmates. The administration was great to deal with and easy to get a hold of and speaking to alumni made me feel like Saba was a good choice for me.
But I think I have skipped ahead a little too fast - how did I end up in this "Caribbean Medical School" Situation anyway?
Well, a couple years of sub-standard grades in my first couple years of school helped keep down my GPA permanently into the category of "Not good enough for most medical school". After doing a little bit of self-discovery during my undergraduate years, I decided I did in fact want to do medicine, and went about taking pre-requisites as a I aimed to complete a specialized psychology degree.
Long story short, when all was said and done, I applied to medical school for two years in a row, the first year without MCAT scores to Canadian schools, the second year to Canadian, American and Caribbean schools. But with a 3.5 CGPA, 3.2 ScGCPA, and 29T, no-one gave me more than a second glance except Caribbean schools.
So, I did a double-take, and then decide to do some research. I slowly came to understand that if I went to the Caribbean, that my life was going to be hard for the next couple years, and the stigma is there. I know that I will have to work harder to get the same respect as the Canadian and American Medical students. But, I also learned that it was an opportunity, a real opportunity to become a doctor. Match lists seem to show it is possible to work hard and know that if I do, I can still have the door to Canada at least a crack open, or perhaps pursue a specialty in the United States.
And I am up for the challenge. It's part of my list... my life list that is. To become a doctor, and to give back to the global community...
Saba is a great opportunity for me, it seems like a good school, and the more people I speak to and preparations I make, the more excited I become.
Moving to a 13 square kilometre island after living in Toronto, Canada for all my life (apart from brief vacations), will be a big change. Saba is very isolated, as I have heard, and I am excited but apprehensive to be moving away from those very close to me...
So I invite you to hang out with me on this journey! I will update as often as I can with pictures and stories!
