Below is an interview with a Saint George’s University School of Medicine (SGU) 3rd year student. Questions encompassing academics, drop out rates, daily life in the Caribbean, and more at SGU were explored below.
Question: How are the professors/lectures at SGU?
SGU Student: Most are excellent. One of the world’s top anatomists teaches at SGU. He wrote the book Grey’s Review. I also had guest lecturers from top US medical schools like Harvard, UCSF, Stanford, UCLA, Duke, Cincinnati, etc.
Are lectures required?
When I was taking classes at SGU, an 80% lecture attendance was mandatory. My strategy was to go to as many lectures as possible at the start, so if I slept in a day, got sick, or needed to cram more for finals I was not risking dropping below that 80% attendance mark. Most of the lectures were recorded, so if you missed a day, you could watch the lectures via an online program called Sonic.
There were 4-8 hours of class and lectures a day depending upon the term and day.
Can you give a general overview of the first four years at SGU?
The first two years when I was there were as follows:
Term 1:
Medical Human Anatomy + Lab
Medical Histology and Cell Biology
Medical Biochemistry
OSCE 1
Term 2:
Medical Bioethics
Community and Preventive Medicine
Medical Physiology
Medical Neuroscience
Medical Immunology and Medical Genetics
OSCE 2
BSCE1
Term 3:
Cognitive and Behavioral Science
Medical Law
Medical Bioethics
Health Insurance
Child and Developmental Psychology
OSCE3
Term 4
Pathology
Medical Microbiology
Communication and Physical Diagnosis
OSCE 4
Term 5
Pharmacology
Pathophysiology
Introduction to Clinical Medicine
Basic Science Foundation and Clinical Reasoning
However, from my understanding, SGU is changing to a single class system. The info above will still be covered, but will focus on a body systems based style of teaching (instead of having many individual classes).
Summer between year two and three:
USMLE Step one (the most important test for a medical student trying to practice in the US)
Year Three:
Core rotations: (I’m here now).
Year Four:
Optional Rotations
What is the attrition rate (i.e. what percent of students drop out?
I don’t know the exact numbers. My class started off with about 1100 students, and by the end of two years dropped to 671. Some students don’t show up to the first day of class. Some students — from the moment they arrive in Grenada — don’t like the island/have never been away from home and leave within the first month (getting almost a full refund).
By the end of the first month, the class was down to about 980.
By the start of the second term, that number dropped to about 800.
By the start of the third term, there were about 700.
By the end of the fifth term, there were about 671.
Note: These students may not necessarily have dropped out. They could have also been held back, or taken a term off to attend to personal matters.
How do students drop out?
There are a variety of ways. Cheating is an automatic fail. I know of a student who was kicked out for “unprofessionalism”, which covers a variety of unprofessional behaviors. Some drop out because they fail two semesters. Although, I know of one student who was given a third chance due to extenuating circumstances. However, this person had to go through an appeals process. Others fail to maintain a cumulative GPA of 75%.
Some people also choose to leave, which accounts for a portion of the attrition rate. I knew someone who became paralyzed in a car accident and ended up leaving SGU. I also had another friend who passed away from cancer. Some people cannot pay the tuition.
Is there a test you have to sit for before taking USMLE Step 1?
After completion of your second year of medical school, SGU requires you to take the British equivalent of the USMLE.
If so, what was the pass rate of that?
I don’t know the exact number, but ~7/671 did not pass on their first try. Each of those 7 got another chance, and I would guess that at least 5-6 of those passed on their second try.
Is there anything important you can add about the USMLE Step 1?
It’s the most important test of your life as a medical student, so do the best you can. It is the most grueling test I have ever taken. It is about 8 hours and 280 questions long. The pass rate now in 2018 is a 194. The average score is somewhere between a 220-230 depending upon the year. For more info, check out First Aid 2018 which will give you the most up to date results.
How difficult is it to get the rotations/clerkships/electives you want?
I’m not there yet, so I can’t answer that one. I do know that SGU sets up each student’s core rotations for their third year. From my understanding, fourth year rotations are the duty of the student to set up. I believe resident hiring managers look most closely at applicants’ USMLE scores (hence its importance).
What percent of graduates from SGU successfully match in a residency position in the US?
I don’t know, but I can say that the match results SGU publishes (edit: 2017 SGU match rate is 93%) only consider those they allow to submit an application to the “match”.
What is life like outside of SGU?
I arrived a week early before school started, so I could enjoy what Grenada had to offer and go grocery shopping (which I ended up doing once every two weeks thereafter), get my books, buy other items, etc. While at SGU, I got certified as a Rescue scuba diver, and was able to go on 30 dives total during my first two years on the island. I was also able to go bowling three times, see three movies at the cinema, and go to the beach occasionally to swim (for exercise). I went on an island tour of Grenada, where I visited places like the chocolate factory, rainforest, and various waterfalls. During my last semester, I played on an intramural basketball team.
SGU offers a variety of Extracurricular activities. I was personally apart of Internal Medicine Group, International Federation of Medical Students Association, and the Christian Student Association, but there are many others.
Because of the monthly meetings after school, though, I was hard pressed for time due to my studies. There was also a weight room that I used.
There are many other intramural sports, medical groups, and tourist activities. Many of my friends enjoyed going on runs through the surrounding community after class or in the mornings.
How are the living conditions near SGU?
I can’t really speak too much about this, since I lived on campus for two years. I lived in both a double and an apartment split between me and two other roommates — I preferred the apartment. There are a wide range of accommodations near SGU, like a free bus system. Students who choose not to utilize the bus system typically buy used “island cars” or mopeds, which can range from reasonably priced to expensive.
Is there anything else you can add or advice you can give to future students at SGU?
Work harder than you ever thought possible. Be nice to everybody you meet. Scores matter. Sleep well. Eat right. Try to get exercise. Reduce needless distractions. Friends are important, but the closest friends I made were my study partners. Get into a good study group. My faith and my family were always there for me when times got tough.
Sincerely,
An anonymous 3rd year medical student at SGU