Prostudent4life's Progress

I have started this blog for the purposes of documenting my journey through St.James School of Medicine in the island of Anguilla. I have chosen the name this blog Prostudent4life because once you decide to pursue medicine, your profession is going to require you to spend your life as a professional student with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge that could benefit those around you.  Although SJSM has two campuses in the Caribbean, I choose Anguilla because it is the newer campus, the island's status as a British colony gave it a more stable political environment (in my humble opinion), it's proximity to the island of St.Martin ( 20 min ferry ride for $35.00 round trip), and it has the most beautiful beaches in the world according to travel channel. Here are some tips that are recommended for travelling to the island.

Tips in how to prep for island life as a medical school student.

• Come in with a good attitude. It is going to be a nice place to live in for the next 16 months ONLY if you let it be. If you come in with the attitude that "you're better than everyone else" you are setting yourself up for disappointment and misery. Respect the people who help you out in the airport/ferry port because they helped you out because they are just decent people like that. Being humble can take you very far in life, and can bring many people on your side, that also applies in coming to the island

• Be prepared for a change in the pace of life. It is very relaxed and everything is not always on the GO-Go-Go.  They take their weekends very seriously over here. Most of the grocery stores are closed at around 9:00 p.m. during the weekdays and Car Rental places close around 5:00p.m. NO COMMERCIALIZED fast food joints. that's right guys no more taco-bell runs at midnight or IHOP runs at 3a.m. The only places to eat are the chinese food joints located in various ends of the island.
• I recommend that those who plan to come to this campus get to the island around 7-8 days before school starts. here's a breakdown of why that many days before school starts:
• 1-2 days = apartment hunting (and allowance for the delayed luggage arrival which is a norm here in the carribbean).
• 2 days to set up your on island cellphone, internet service, stock up on supplies.
• 3 days to relax, get a day trip into st.martin, and do some light studying for the first day of class. 

• Flying into St.Martin and taking the ferry to Anguilla will save you appx $200 dollars in most cases, but it depends on the season as well. Just make sure that you give the housing coordinator a heads up at least 2 weeks notice so he can pick you up from the ferry port and drop you off to your hotel/apartment or if you have an apartment arrangement prior to coming to the island that you give your Landlord a heads up as most will gladly pick you up. 

• If you know how to cook you might want to package your own set of spices because the selection here is rather limited. In my case i don't have my sea-salt, Kikkoman soysauce, mushroom seasoning, and Fish sauce. 
• Ask your landlord for tips on where to get the best produce, baked goods, and other supplies. This will help pinpoint you to where you need to go.
• Give yourself some room when it comes to budgeting because the things that you purchase here in the island is not as cheap as Wal-Mart due to the fact that everything has to be imported. Doubling or trippling your grocery and supply budget will be sufficient enough. Bring some cash as a back up for your debit card on the island  Budget to have a rental car for about 3 days because you will want to roam around the island and get together with some of your classmates that are on the island already. 

• Bring textbooks and the BRS review books and the First Aid USMLE step 1 review book and the Q&A book. Bring your own school supplies as well. They are rather limited here in Anguilla and they are expensive in St. Martin. 
• Studying for the USMLE step 1 begins those 3days that you use to do some light reading before your class starts.
• Keep in Contact with your admissions advisor during this whole processes. If you feel that your advisor isn't helping you out, then ask to change advisors.  A helpful advisor leads to reduction of stress levels. 
• Get a subscription to one of these VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) services such as skype, oovoo, vonage, or magic jack so you can make calls to Land lines and Cell Phones in the U.S. or Canada. 
• Unlock your phone prior to leaving the country. They charge $35.00 to unlock your phone here
• Change your mentality from "I got into medical school, now I'm a doctor" to "I got into medical school, now I'm going to study to become the best doctor I could be" You have reached the thing that hikers and mountain climbers call "false summit" it's not the top but, your close to it. Keep pushing forward until you reach the real goal as a board-certified independent practicing physician.