ARP, Med and EBS:
After you apply, you are accepted into either of the following 3 programs: ARP, Basic Sciences (Med) or EBS and can start in September, January or May. I'm not a great person to ask about ARP because I didn't go through it but basically it is a semester long in which you take a variety of subjects including Math, Organic Chemistry, Anatomy. Almost every Monday you have exams. Depending on your passing score you are then placed in either the EBS (>70%) or Med program (>80%) for the following semester. (Contact the school for more information on the ARP program because I honestly don't know much)
If you are accepted into the Extended Basic Sciences (EBS) program, it is a 5 semester program on the island.
| Semester One | Gross & Developmental Anatomy | 11 |
| Medical Ethics | 1 | |
| Molecular & Cell Biology | 6 | |
| Physical Diagnosis | 2 | |
| Semester Two | Biochemistry | 7 |
| Behavioral Sciences | 5 | |
| Histology | 5 | |
| Genetics | 3 | |
| Semester Three | Microbiology | 5 |
| Physiology | 10 | |
| Immunology | 2 | |
| Semester Four | Neuroscience/Neuroanatomy | 7 |
| Pathology I | 9 | |
| Biostatistics & Epidemiology | 2 | |
| Semester Five | Pathology II | 12 |
| Pharmacology & Therapeutics | 7 | |
| Introduction to Clinical Medicine | 6 |
(Received from www.umhs-sk.org.)
If you are accepted into the Med program (Basic Sciences) program, it is a 4 semester program on the island so you are taking one more class than the EBS students except the last semester is the same.
| Semester One | Gross & Developmental Anatomy | |
| Medical Ethics | ||
| Molecular & Cell Biology | ||
| Physical Diagnosis | ||
| Histology | ||
| Semester Two | Biochemistry | |
| Physiology Biostatistics & Epidemiology Immunology | ||
| Genetics | ||
| Semester Three | Microbiology | |
| Pathology I Neuroscience/Neuroanatomy Behavorial Sciences | ||
| Semester Four | Pathology II | |
| Pharmacology & Therapeutics | ||
| Introduction to Clinical Medicine |
(Received from www.umhs-sk.net) I highlighted in red all the courses that are different from the EBS program to the Med program.
My perspective is going to be from the Med program as that was the program I was accepted into and continued with. The only thing about the Med program is you feel like you are split between 2 "classes". Your first semester, you become friends with everyone in your anatomy classes and cell bio classes because you are all new and instantly become friends. If you are in the Med program, you slowly start to become apart of the EBS class that came to the island a semester before you (all the red classes), until you are 100% part of the Med4/EBS5 class your last semester. I made new friends in the class above me as well but a majority of my friends were in the EBS program and thus were on the island a semester longer than I was.
The 4 semester program (Med) is not easy especially the 3rd semester. You are competing with a majority of students that have one class less than you and technically have more time to study, but don't let that inhibit you. I was told multiple times by faculty as well as members of administration that I should drop down to the EBS program because I was taking classes for my masters through Walden (more on that later) and TAing classes at UMHS as well. One reason I am in the Caribbean is because other U.S. medical schools believed that I would not succeed in their programs. I was tired of people telling me that I couldn't do something that I knew I could. So instead of dropping down to EBS, I used that negativitity to fuel my determination to prove them wrong. And that I did because I am currently in my clinicals, finished the 4 semester program, 2/3 of the way through my Masters with Walden and TAed a class each semester while on the island. I had to work my butt off for it though. I studied almost everyday until 11pm (the last bus from the school to our house), I listened and took great notes in class and most importantly, I had a mission to succeed.
Exams:
Exams are block style. We take all our exams for all classes once a month on the same day. So if you are in the Med program, your 3rd semester you are taking 4 exams that day. I thought I would hate this style of exam taking but it promotes integretation, discourages procrastination (because it's impossible to learn a month's worth of material in a weekend), and is a great stepping stone for studying for the USMLE. All tests are multiple choice. After your last exam, you also don't have anything hanging over your head and can relax, go on a catamaran trip, hang out with friends etc.
Classes:
I feel like I received an excellent education from all of my professors on the island. Anatomy lab was super helpful your first semester and there are 6 students to 1 cadaver, and you are dissecting every other day with 2 other students (2 groups of 3). You get to see everything! There are also TAs for every class that are students that previously did well in that class. They have weekly review sessions and office hours.
Some have asked me about the size of classes. I'm not so sure of how big the class sizes are now because I know the school is becoming more well known. If you start in September, those tend to be that largest classes just because September is the "traditional" time to start an academic year. When I was there September classes were usually over 100, I started in January and probably had 80 or so?
There are plenty of places to study at school if you chose to do so (and it's air conditioned!). The library has a large computer lab with printing (you are given a certain number of pages you can print each semester), a quiet room in the back with cubicals and an open area with tables. There are all the necessary books that you can reserve to use within the library or others you can check out. The auditorium is also open every night for people to study. As well as classrooms and group study room. There is a student lounge in which you can rent out lockers to use while on campus.
The Library
Food:
There is a small cafeteria on campus that offers usually 2 different options to eat each day for lunch and there is always Dominos pizza for lunch and dinner. They also have bagels, coffee, cake, candy and other snacks to take care of that sweet tooth while you are studying. There is also fridges and microwaves in the student lounge so you can bring your own meals to heat up. FYI, food is very expensive on the island so after your first semester you will packing your suitcases full of food! The school also offers weekly bus trips to the grocery store!
Getting to School:
The school hires taxi drivers to pick people up from their individual homes each morning and take you home. There are normally a few pick up times in the morning and then in the evening there is usually a 5:30pm , 8pm and 11pm bus home. If you need to go into town for shopping or the post office, the school is located on the main street so you just stand on the side of the road and hail an H bus (the local buses) for super cheap.
What to bring your first semester:
You need a white coat that is waist length (you're a student not a resident, coat should be short!), a longer lab coat for anatomy lab (it will get dirty and you will want to throw it away after), a pair of scrubs that you don't mind throwing away after anatomy because they get pretty gross, pairs of nicer scrubs for your physical diagnosis class. A few business casual outfits for physical diagnosis and the white coat ceremony. Sweatshirts! Yes, you are going to the caribbean but the classrooms are cold so I wore pants almost every day to school and brought a sweatshirt even though it was >80 degress outside. Also a stethoscope for physical diagnosis. For books, don't buy all the books, first of all they are more expensive through the bookstore, 2nd all you really need is Grant's Dissector and an anatomy atlas (I prefer Netter's to Grey's). There are usually upper semesters selling books for cheap too!
Oh if you want to get your white coat embroidered with your name and UMHS there is a place on the island that does it. I can't remember the name but if you take the main road from school that goes into town and eventually hits birdrock area, its right before you hit the best buy in bird rock. It's by the Sol gas company. Its pretty cheap like 20 E.C. or so and just tell them UMHS.
Where to live:
Once you are accepted, the school sends you a housing database that you can see different places offered. Some students choose to live at The Royal which is a hotel/ student housing. It's right across from the Marriott and is easy access to everything but not exactly close to school. But like I said before, buses take you to and from school. The Royal is expensive though. I never lived there for that reason. I mostly lived at Ram's apartments in Birdrock. I loved living there, it was $1100 for a 2 bedroom 2 bathroom and it was right across the street from Ram's grocery store. Some places had cockroaches and centipedes in the houses but we never had a problem. If you want to live somewhere within walking distance to the school, Camps is the closest. Most places in Mattingley Heights are also within walking distance. West Farm is a little bit of a jaunt but still walkable if in a dire situation. Most all other "neighborhoods" are not within walking distance.
View of Ram's grocery store (yellow building) from my apartment balcony!
Any other questions, let me know!
The color of figs mens scrubs is vibrant and pretty. The bottoms are equally as wonderful. I would highly recommend them to anyone as the small fits well with room to spare.
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