Not too much longer now! I find myself getting more and more excited as the days pass. More so even then when I first found out I was accepted to UMHS! The purpose of this post is to update the progress thus far and as well share a few things to keep in mind if you're embarking on the same path as me.
In my last post, I was just settling on a September start date. Things were pretty busy, but it was all the others things in my life that were making it that way. The big difference now is that almost all my time and effort has shifted to UMHS. Things are still just as busy, but all in preparation for the big departure in a month and a half! I will walk you through the major things I have been working on for the past few weeks.
In my last post, I was just settling on a September start date. Things were pretty busy, but it was all the others things in my life that were making it that way. The big difference now is that almost all my time and effort has shifted to UMHS. Things are still just as busy, but all in preparation for the big departure in a month and a half! I will walk you through the major things I have been working on for the past few weeks.
Financing
Well this is one of the most important things... There is no forgetting that medical school comes at a cost. A very significant cost. The money is one of the things that I worry most about and also one of the things I was least looking forwards to figuring out. While I may have been accepted to UMHS, I wasn't going anywhere until I secured the funds so I had no choice:) One thing to note, this should be one of the first things you do in your planning/preparation stage. Up until the point that you get accepted, the cost is fairly minimal (Minus 4 years tuition that you just paid, insane application fees if you applied to any Canadian schools, and maybe even the MCAT) but when you decide 100% that your going to attend UMHS, you have to start spending UMHS specific money. So my advice is to make sure you have the means to afford school before you start spending money only to figure out that you can't pay for tuition..
As a Canadian student, we don't have access to the same financial aid as the Americans do. They have access to Private Educational Loan programs which can cover up to the whole cost of tuition. In addition, they also have access to a UMHS specific institutional loan programs. If you are for some reason reading this blog 4 years from now, things might be different. In order for any international medical school to be eligible for a loan program, they need to be open for a certain amount of time. UMHS is a relatively new school, and as such does not meet the requirement yet. Not to say that in a few years that they won't be eligible and approved to give out loans, but for the time being we have very little means to get the funds necessary. So what can we do. For Canadians, our saving grace comes from the many banks that offer student lines of credit for medical /dental/veterinary students. Banks recognize the earning potential for these types of students and offer large amounts of money at very reasonable interest rates. This is one good thing that we have over the Americans. They are able to get loans from the government and the school, but they can pay as much as 8% interest on money borrowed each month. Which is crazy.. In addition, Canadians are able to get entrance scholarships just like everyone else. I was successful in getting one of these and while not much money in the large scheme of things, very helpful nonetheless. There is no need to apply, as you are considered automatically when you're accepted. So where to start. For me, I thought it was really important to take on the financial responsibility myself. It was me who was going to have to pay back the bank and as such it was me that should be taking all the risk. I talk about this because of the requirements for obtaining these lines of credits, specifically with regards to Co-signers. A co-signer is essentially someone who is willing to back you in case you have no ability to pay back the loan. It is the banks way of getting back their money in the worst case scenario. It was my feeling that nobody should have to take on the responsibility and risk for me. So I first set out in search of a line of credit with this belief. I did all my banking with TD so naturally that is where I started. I was very quickly told that for an international school, I would have to have a cosigner. no way around that. And believe me when I say this. I had very helpful parents and we tried everything to get around this. Even if we were successful, I talked to another TD employee who said a Canadian medical student was just accepted for a line of credit without a cosigner, but only received about half of what I needed and significantly less then they could have gotten if they had a cosigner. This here could have been it for me. Without someone to sign their name under mine, I might have not been able to get the money I needed. Unless you come from a very wealthy family who is able to afford medical school without any outside help, this is essentially the only way to get enough money. In my case, I was extremely lucky to have supportive parents who were in a financial position themselves to be able to cosign for me. It was obviously a last resort, but they agreed in the end. Even then, TD gave me nowhere close to what I needed. So I went on to other banks, a little more worried then I was when I first went to TD. My next stop was CIBC. They were absolutely fantastic. Very helpful and fast. I met with CIBC and within a day an application was submitted. After a few visits back with supporting documents and copies of T4's etc, I was approved for above and beyond the money I would need. Easy to say I was very happy as my search was complete. A huge barrier was lifted and I was now free to move fourth with everything I was holding off on until I knew I had the funds. This blurb may seem a little depressing, but it is an honest truth. While figuring out how I was going to pull it off, I heard of one or two students who were not so lucky. All this to say, this should be the first thing you do after finding out you've been accepted to a school. If becoming a doctor is truly your passion, you will find a way to make it happen. It may take some time, but it will work out. Good luck!
A few things to keep in mind;
As a Canadian student, we don't have access to the same financial aid as the Americans do. They have access to Private Educational Loan programs which can cover up to the whole cost of tuition. In addition, they also have access to a UMHS specific institutional loan programs. If you are for some reason reading this blog 4 years from now, things might be different. In order for any international medical school to be eligible for a loan program, they need to be open for a certain amount of time. UMHS is a relatively new school, and as such does not meet the requirement yet. Not to say that in a few years that they won't be eligible and approved to give out loans, but for the time being we have very little means to get the funds necessary. So what can we do. For Canadians, our saving grace comes from the many banks that offer student lines of credit for medical /dental/veterinary students. Banks recognize the earning potential for these types of students and offer large amounts of money at very reasonable interest rates. This is one good thing that we have over the Americans. They are able to get loans from the government and the school, but they can pay as much as 8% interest on money borrowed each month. Which is crazy.. In addition, Canadians are able to get entrance scholarships just like everyone else. I was successful in getting one of these and while not much money in the large scheme of things, very helpful nonetheless. There is no need to apply, as you are considered automatically when you're accepted. So where to start. For me, I thought it was really important to take on the financial responsibility myself. It was me who was going to have to pay back the bank and as such it was me that should be taking all the risk. I talk about this because of the requirements for obtaining these lines of credits, specifically with regards to Co-signers. A co-signer is essentially someone who is willing to back you in case you have no ability to pay back the loan. It is the banks way of getting back their money in the worst case scenario. It was my feeling that nobody should have to take on the responsibility and risk for me. So I first set out in search of a line of credit with this belief. I did all my banking with TD so naturally that is where I started. I was very quickly told that for an international school, I would have to have a cosigner. no way around that. And believe me when I say this. I had very helpful parents and we tried everything to get around this. Even if we were successful, I talked to another TD employee who said a Canadian medical student was just accepted for a line of credit without a cosigner, but only received about half of what I needed and significantly less then they could have gotten if they had a cosigner. This here could have been it for me. Without someone to sign their name under mine, I might have not been able to get the money I needed. Unless you come from a very wealthy family who is able to afford medical school without any outside help, this is essentially the only way to get enough money. In my case, I was extremely lucky to have supportive parents who were in a financial position themselves to be able to cosign for me. It was obviously a last resort, but they agreed in the end. Even then, TD gave me nowhere close to what I needed. So I went on to other banks, a little more worried then I was when I first went to TD. My next stop was CIBC. They were absolutely fantastic. Very helpful and fast. I met with CIBC and within a day an application was submitted. After a few visits back with supporting documents and copies of T4's etc, I was approved for above and beyond the money I would need. Easy to say I was very happy as my search was complete. A huge barrier was lifted and I was now free to move fourth with everything I was holding off on until I knew I had the funds. This blurb may seem a little depressing, but it is an honest truth. While figuring out how I was going to pull it off, I heard of one or two students who were not so lucky. All this to say, this should be the first thing you do after finding out you've been accepted to a school. If becoming a doctor is truly your passion, you will find a way to make it happen. It may take some time, but it will work out. Good luck!
A few things to keep in mind;
- TUITION IS IN AMERICAN DOLLAS!! When you get a line of credit, remember that you have to convert into American. Ouch.
- If Banks are asking, yes UMHS is listed on the University of Copenhagen website via the Avicenna directory and the WHO.
- You will likely face the same repose as me. Yes you will need a co-signer :(
- Don't let this scare you. You will find a way to make it work. It is a big responsibility, but every medical student, no matter where you go to school will face it. If this is what you want to do, it will be 100% worth it.
Housing
The next big hurdle is figuring out where you are going to live while in St. Kitts. It is hard when you've likely never been there, don't know where anything is, not able to physically see where your going to live, and especially when you have worried parents that won't let you live anywhere without a guard dog and police surveillance. All are very valid minus the safety thing.. I was lucky my parents were pretty cool about the whole thing. As for options, Incoming students have two main ones.
1) Go to the Royal St. Kitts. If you have done any research or have sat through any UMHS conferences, you will have heard about this option. It is definitely the easiest option but not for everyone. The Royal is essentially a hotel converted into a residence for the many students on the island. It is located in Frigate bay, which is one of the main tourist areas. So for around 1000/month you get a fully furnished room and utilities. The school arranges transportation to and from school at various times in the day to ensure you can get to school. It is a few miles from campus so it takes a bit of time. Aside from that, I don't know a whole lot about the royal. I have never been, and don't really plan on going there myself. For me, I'm trying spend the least amount of money I can and 1000/month is a little steep for me. This is the easiest option however. You know what your going to get, and know that you will be surrounded by other students in the same position as you. Security is also not a huge concern I would assume as it is in the touristy area and you live in essentially a hotel.
2) The second option is pretty much anything thats not the Royal St.kitts.. The university has a housing database that makes it fairly easy to select housing. They have a housing department that actually goes around St.Kitts and picks housing that works well for students. Housing in common neighbourhoods, and that are fully furnished. They do all the work in making sure the house is good. You get access to this database with plenty of time before going to St. Kitts (SK). You can filter through price, or number of rooms, but not both... My recommendation to you is to get on this as sooonnn as you get your finances in order. There are lots of students looking for housing and things go quick. We share the database with the Ross Vet school as well. Things to keep in mind here is location and transportation. Ive been told that the school is pretty good at stoping their busses at neighbourhoods along the route to UMHS, but I think there are still some routes that you need to have your own transportation. In addition, Ive talked to some students who say that the busses that pick up in the surrounding areas are not 100% reliable with regards to pick up times. To avoid this, I selected a house from an area within walking distance from the school. Until I can figure out the transportation situation, I felt that this was the safest bet. The neighbourhoods that are close enough to the school to walk are Camps and Mattingley heights. I have it in my mind that I would like to have a car which would make location not so important. But until I can figure that out, Im going to live close to the school. As for selection, there is a fair amount of houses but they do go quick. When I was looking, I decided on one house only to find out that the landlord already gave the house away without telling the school. I was then given first refusal to a new house that just opened up, but within the time that I could respond with an acceptance it somehow fell through. (So much for first refusal). But at the same time, the house I originally wanted was back on the list so I got it in the end:) All this to say, don't get your heart set on a house and don't hum and haw over it and expect it to still be there. Even if you log on every day to look at the pictures, it doesn't mean that it is still there. So act quick.
That brings me to my next point. Roommates. You have to decide how many you want or if you want any at all. There are lots of houses for two roommates on the database, and a decent amount for solo's. Any more then 2 becomes a little more slim picking. That being said, there are lots of ways to get houses aside from using UMHS. If you simply google search for rentals in St. Kitts there are lots around and with a large variety. Most are pretty expensive and luxurious as these real estate companies are marketing towards the tourist crowd as opposed to the student crowd. But if you have a few extra dollars to spend and want to live like a high roller, it is easily a possibility. But back to Roomates. If you want one, you need to find one on your own. When your accepted you will be added to a Facebook group for your class, as well as a Canadian group if you're a Canadian. Don't worry Americans, Im sure you have one for you as well. Many will look for roommates via these channels. It works well, but it is once again something you want to do sooner then later. I was in talks with about 6 people before I found one that was serious enough and wiling to act soon. Funny enough, it was a fellow Canadian:) I would have loved a roommate from Puerto Rico so I could practice my Spanish, but a Canadian was the next best thing:P
So there are many options with regards to housing. Most of them require you to stay for at least one semester, so don't be too worried about not liking the place you select. Once your down there, you can actually look at different houses and will learn how easy/hard it is to get around St. Kitts. Once I'm there, I will likely do another post on housing and transportation. So stay tuned for that.
1) Go to the Royal St. Kitts. If you have done any research or have sat through any UMHS conferences, you will have heard about this option. It is definitely the easiest option but not for everyone. The Royal is essentially a hotel converted into a residence for the many students on the island. It is located in Frigate bay, which is one of the main tourist areas. So for around 1000/month you get a fully furnished room and utilities. The school arranges transportation to and from school at various times in the day to ensure you can get to school. It is a few miles from campus so it takes a bit of time. Aside from that, I don't know a whole lot about the royal. I have never been, and don't really plan on going there myself. For me, I'm trying spend the least amount of money I can and 1000/month is a little steep for me. This is the easiest option however. You know what your going to get, and know that you will be surrounded by other students in the same position as you. Security is also not a huge concern I would assume as it is in the touristy area and you live in essentially a hotel.
2) The second option is pretty much anything thats not the Royal St.kitts.. The university has a housing database that makes it fairly easy to select housing. They have a housing department that actually goes around St.Kitts and picks housing that works well for students. Housing in common neighbourhoods, and that are fully furnished. They do all the work in making sure the house is good. You get access to this database with plenty of time before going to St. Kitts (SK). You can filter through price, or number of rooms, but not both... My recommendation to you is to get on this as sooonnn as you get your finances in order. There are lots of students looking for housing and things go quick. We share the database with the Ross Vet school as well. Things to keep in mind here is location and transportation. Ive been told that the school is pretty good at stoping their busses at neighbourhoods along the route to UMHS, but I think there are still some routes that you need to have your own transportation. In addition, Ive talked to some students who say that the busses that pick up in the surrounding areas are not 100% reliable with regards to pick up times. To avoid this, I selected a house from an area within walking distance from the school. Until I can figure out the transportation situation, I felt that this was the safest bet. The neighbourhoods that are close enough to the school to walk are Camps and Mattingley heights. I have it in my mind that I would like to have a car which would make location not so important. But until I can figure that out, Im going to live close to the school. As for selection, there is a fair amount of houses but they do go quick. When I was looking, I decided on one house only to find out that the landlord already gave the house away without telling the school. I was then given first refusal to a new house that just opened up, but within the time that I could respond with an acceptance it somehow fell through. (So much for first refusal). But at the same time, the house I originally wanted was back on the list so I got it in the end:) All this to say, don't get your heart set on a house and don't hum and haw over it and expect it to still be there. Even if you log on every day to look at the pictures, it doesn't mean that it is still there. So act quick.
That brings me to my next point. Roommates. You have to decide how many you want or if you want any at all. There are lots of houses for two roommates on the database, and a decent amount for solo's. Any more then 2 becomes a little more slim picking. That being said, there are lots of ways to get houses aside from using UMHS. If you simply google search for rentals in St. Kitts there are lots around and with a large variety. Most are pretty expensive and luxurious as these real estate companies are marketing towards the tourist crowd as opposed to the student crowd. But if you have a few extra dollars to spend and want to live like a high roller, it is easily a possibility. But back to Roomates. If you want one, you need to find one on your own. When your accepted you will be added to a Facebook group for your class, as well as a Canadian group if you're a Canadian. Don't worry Americans, Im sure you have one for you as well. Many will look for roommates via these channels. It works well, but it is once again something you want to do sooner then later. I was in talks with about 6 people before I found one that was serious enough and wiling to act soon. Funny enough, it was a fellow Canadian:) I would have loved a roommate from Puerto Rico so I could practice my Spanish, but a Canadian was the next best thing:P
So there are many options with regards to housing. Most of them require you to stay for at least one semester, so don't be too worried about not liking the place you select. Once your down there, you can actually look at different houses and will learn how easy/hard it is to get around St. Kitts. Once I'm there, I will likely do another post on housing and transportation. So stay tuned for that.
Airline Tickets
This topic varies quite a bit depending on where your from. I myself am from Ottawa. Obviously, an airline ticket is something you will need. For VISA purposes, a return ticket is required. My understanding is that it doesn't matter when the return ticket is booked for, just that there is one at a later date. For me, since Im starting in September it was logical to get a return ticket to return in December, our first break. I did some searching online and found a few flights, but flights with a million connections taking me 2 days to get from Ottawa to St. Kitts. Not very nice. So I tried to call the broker that UMHS has on their website. I called him and within a few minutes I had a return ticket booked from Toronto (Flights from Ottawa were way more expensive). It was super easy and fast. However, While the deal I got from his was acceptable, I tried to look a bit more online. Previously I was searching for flights on discount airfare sites such as travelocity and cheapoair but when I looked to book a regular ticket straight from American Airlines, I was shocked to see the price was almost cut in half from what I had just paid! I emailed the broker with the information I just learned and he was kind enough to match the price. The thing was that with a slightly different routing I was able to reduce the cost even more. He was not able to bring the price down anymore then he did, in which case we decided that he was going to void my ticket and refund me. I would book on my own. The only thing I lost was a 50$ broker fee... If you are on a tight budget, do your research. The issue is that the cost of airline tickets changes all the time. From day to day there could be a 100-200$ difference. Three days after I bought my ticket from AA, the cost was up around the same as the broker. So book flights early, and do your planning. I recommend searching for flight directly through AA before doing anything. If you are looking for zero hastle, the broker is a great option. He does all the work for you and even sets up your welcome party upon your arrival is St. Kitts:)
VISA Application
One of the things that takes up quite a bit of time is gathering the documents for your VISA. It may seem like an easy task, but it requires time. You have to have this stuff done in advance of leaving for St. Kitts, so its not something you want to leave until the last minute. The things that will take the most time are police records checks, medicals, and notarized documents. For the police records check, in Canada anyways, it is the form for the non-vulnerable sector. The green form :P I was a little worried when it said it could take 4-15 weeks because I didn't have that much time. However when I got there, the specific form need by UMHS was done on the spot. It cost 50$ but I had it same day! As for the medicals, depending on your doctor it might take a while to get seen. There are a few tests that need to be done, so ensure everything is in order before you go. If you have spare time, make sure all your immunizations are done including the TB test. If all this is in order, it will likely cut down on at least one trip to the doctors. You can get a TB test done at any clinic. Make sure you keep originals of all your forms. If you don't, you need to get them notarized. A service that will cost money. If your medical forms are original, they are good to be sent (what the school told me anyways). The only thing that needs to be notarized then is your Birth certificate and Affidavit for financial support. I have yet to send everything away, so hopefully all of the time consuming ones have been completed:P The rest are simple signature forms etc.
So all in all, these are the things Ive been working on. Ive talked about a few of the things I had questions about in hopes that it will clarify things for other prospective students. If your reading this out of pleasure, I hope you enjoyed.. Its a dry one. I want to be posting fun pictures, but I have yet to get any.. Ill be sure to post em when they start to be taken:)
Cheers,
Mike
So all in all, these are the things Ive been working on. Ive talked about a few of the things I had questions about in hopes that it will clarify things for other prospective students. If your reading this out of pleasure, I hope you enjoyed.. Its a dry one. I want to be posting fun pictures, but I have yet to get any.. Ill be sure to post em when they start to be taken:)
Cheers,
Mike