The new way of scamming medical students at Unibe Costa Rica

It was very hard to sit today and write about a subject that really hurts me. It hurts because I saw so many of my good friends being scammed by one particular medical school here in Costa Rica.
So here is what came to realize just the other day.
Caja Costarricense del Seguro Social is an entity that controls the health public sector here in CR. They are also responsible for assigning openings to all Medical schools, (private and public) a number of openings per year per school for clinical rotations.

How can a school scam you if everything is so crystal clear?

Well, easy, they accept all applicants. Usually there's between 3-5 groups with 27-35 students per group for a total of up 140 students by third block.  Everything goes well up until they get to the "filter". This is at the fourth block (there's 3 quarters per year, you can refer to my post Semesters vs Quarters http://medicalstudentunite.blogspot.com/2015/01/quarters-vs-semesters-options-in-costa.html)

Fourth block consists of the following classes:
-Fisiologia (physiology) 6 credits
-Bioquimica (Biochemistry) 4 credits
-Histologia (Histology) 4 credits
-Embriologia (embriology) 3 credits
-Ingles (English) 2 credits
Even if your first language might be english you still have to take a costly proficiency exam.

Biochemistry and physiology are very hard to pass. When I say hard doesn't mean you must study hard, means no matter how hard you study, you won't pass. Passing rate for physiology is less than 6%. This past quarter, only 9 out of 74 people passed.

For biochemistry no one passed. I don't have the exact number for total students but must be about the same as physiology. However 28 people got to take an extraordinary exam.
(Here in CR, if your final grade is under 70 but above 60, you are allowed to take an extra exam called Amplicacion. It's all or nothing. If you pass this exam with at least a 70, you get to pass the class, if not you gotta retake it.
So out of this 28 people, none passed for a whopping 0% passing rate!!!!!

I used to wonder why the Dean did not take an action against the professors! It can't be the students!
The reason is because only two quarters after this fourth block students go on clinical rotations so the school must get rid of a third of their students before clinical rotations.

How do do they do it?

Picture yourself in a new country, during your first stages of adaptation, new language for many students. You take all chemestries, ride in the park...finally you get to anatomy and neuro-anatomy, most people fail their first try but pass the second time around, would you pack it up and go home? Of course not, you stay and try again!

Forgot to bring up for neuro-anatomy's passing rate is also ridiculous.

Basically you get stuck in the third block for up to a year per subject.(You are allowed to RETAKE a suject twice, 4 months first time, 8 moths second and third time, that makes 12 months) Most people fail anatomy and neuro-anatomy and decide to take them separately because the amount of material is out this world!

Fourth block is even worse. Most people pass biochemistry and physiology on their third try.

Up to this point, you have advance in your career a year and two blocks but have put in about 3 years of your life.

Fourth block is key for this school because they filter about 90% of the students and only about 25-30 people makes it to the fifth and sixth block that number is also about the same number of openings available for clinical rotations per University according to my source. Let's just say non official source because this information is sensitive. I won't get anybody in trouble.

Americans who study in CR with a loan use Sallie Mae only. However the administration uses the same guidelines as Federal loans which is really bad for the students because they apply the satisfactory progress card on you, make you sign letters left and right and is not up to this point that Unibe informs you're about to be dismissed from the program for exceeding 150% of the career length. options left: pay out of pocket or go home to pay the loan back approx $60.000 up to this point.

If you do the math, at the time you get kicked out of the program you have paid for at least three years worth of medical school (out of the 4 year 8 months lenght of the program)

You are sent home with three years of illusions crushed and at least $700 monthly payment to Sallie Mae for the next 14 years!

Fortunately enough, There's another 8 private Universities you can attend to and pay a third of the cost without loosing your mind or bankrupt your parents!

Costa Rica is a great place to be just stay away from Unibe!

Medical Schools accredited in the U.S in Costa Rica (NO MCAT REQUIRED)

I'm almost certain Costa Rica is the last place on earth that does not require MCAT to Americans. So here is a list of The Universities available and my impression of them...

1.Unibe (Universidad de Iberoamerica)
http://unibe.ac.cr/

Degree offered:General doctor and surgeon (Medico y cirujano)
Open since:1995
Language: Spanish
Duration of Medicine program: 5 years
Cost of the program:

Total Tuition cost for 5 year $ 65.000/ Close to $100.000 including living expenses Accreditation in the US: Not on the California List.

Paying with Sallie Mae/Navient: 

TUITION			SEPT-2014		ENERO 2015
TUITION FEES	COSTOS UNIBE		$1,384.00		$5,500.00
ENROLLMENT FEE	Matricula		$250.00		$250.00
HOUSING	HABITACION		$1,800.00		$1,800.00
	Housing fee		$0.00		$0.00
FOOD	ALIMENTACION
Lunch  / Snacks	Almuerzo y Meriendas		$500.00		$500.00
Personal Expenses	Gastos Personales		$0.00		$0.00
Books and supplies	Libros y suministros		$0.00		$345.00
Dependent Care	Cuido de Niño		$2,000.00		$2,000.00
TRANSPORTATION	TRANSPORTE
In house transportation	transporte local		$500.00		$500.00
Immigration expenses	Migración		$0.00		$0.00
Transcripts	Convalidaciones		$0.00		$0.00
Insurance	Seguro		$170.00		$205.00
TOTAL			$6,604.00		$11,100.00

Paying with Cash:   Tuition will the approximately $6000 per quarter (every 4 months) and for expenses look for my post on cost of living in Costa Rica. So aproximately the whole tuition fees for 5 years is about $65.000 My impression of Unibe: Academically, has changed. In my opinion the quality has decreased. Is the most expensive University in the country, has the most challenging academic program (17-19 units per quarter versus the rest of Medical schools in Costa Rica do 12-15 units per quarter). They are currently building a 7 story simulation hospital which I'm sure is going to be stunning and a great way to learn but most schools have some simulation equipment. Unibe specializes in health sciences: Medicine, nursing, psychology and pharmacy. However is owned by lawyers. I have realized they don't understand the medical students and have no clue what is like to go through Med school. So if you have any special situation you want them to understand, they won't  and  will make it very clear how much they don't really care. Student life: Most students are very nice and friendly. So as long as you are friendly too you should have no issues making new and long lasting friendships. Professors: Most of them are highly recognized in the country, some of them teach at some of the best other universities but they way they test is very easy to flunk. A lot of their exams are 20 questions long so if you fail more than 3 you're pretty much screwed! Students here must always prepare with old exams to practice the types of questions each professor has. Costumer service: Non existent, dismal, I really have no words to describe how bad it can be. Specially the International Department. Infrastructure: -Very small. -The school is scattered in small buildings along a block. -Lacks restrooms, the library only has the books each professor lists as official. This can be annoying. -The is study room for group and a quiet room for independent studying which is pretty cool. -Most class rooms are clean, have AC, two big boards, TV and a projector. -Students get free consultation at Unibe Clinic located next the main building. For any other services such as lab work, shots have to be paid and you get 10% off in any procedure. -Cafeteria is very small, they have one worker to serve and one cashier...for over 2000 students! (expect delays) Would I recommend this school? No. There are definitely better options. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2. UACA universidad autonoma de centro america

Degree offered: License in Medicine
Open since:1976
Language: Spanish
Duration of Medicine program: 5 years
Cost of the program: $31.500 (I know, I know!!!) No student loans available for Americans

My impressions of UACA:

My first appointment in UACA with Dr. Galeano, career director. He was very nice, he talked to me about the philosophy they go by "Noxam vero et maleficium propulsabo" (verse in Latin of the Hippocratic oath means "I will take care that they suffer no hurt or damage".
He answered all my questions and judging by the way the appointment went by, I can tell how engaged he is with the students and the faculty. He also teaches so I'm looking forward to take his class.

UACA offers other non health care related careers which is going to add so much more fun into the student life!

Infrastructure:
-There's a small private bus you can take from UACA to San Jose.
-Has a train stop. (Train connects San Jose with Cartago)
-This looks and feels like a real College!
-Gorgeous gardens
-2 swimming pools
- Volleyball court yard
-Stunning view to the mountains
-Good size cafeteria
-They give you the best student experience.

Medical Program specifications: Students only take up to 12 units per quarter,
they try to combine the hardest classes along with really easy classes to allow more time to learn the material better.

Costumer Service:
-Excellent
-They focus on getting you to graduate not so much in the method of payment I'm going to use.

Would I recommend this School? Absolutely yes!!!! I'm a little bit obsessed with this school. They hold the highest graduation rate and the very best part....This school is ONLY private med school accredited in EVERY SINGLE STATE IN UNITED STATES!!!

HANDS DOWN BEST OPTION TO STUDY MEDICINE ON THE PLANET!

3.Universidad Hispanoamericana:





Degree offered:General doctor and surgeon (Medico y cirujano)
Open since:1997
Language: Spanish
Duration of Medicine program: 5 years
Cost of the tuition: $40.000. No student loans available for Americans.

Accreditation in the US: Not on the California List. My first impressions of UH: I have heard of a lot of amazing doctors who graduated from this university. Including my cousin.

Infrastructure:
-The school looks like a clinic. Everything looks clean and new.
-They have the Best simulation hospital.
-There's a small food court in the second floor of the medicine faculty.
-The first appointment is with a recruiter not a doctor or a professor so that reminded me a little bit of the Unibe attitude.

Overall, UH is a really good university, It ranks higher than Unibe as far as Residency exams for Costa Rica and graduates more students. (UACA is still the leading private University).

Other Med schools in Costa Rica no Mcat required:

-Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR) Is a state univeristy, little to no cost for the medical program. However there is a entrance exam and you really gotta be a bright mind to get in! If you get in, is good to know this school is accredited in every state.
-UCIMED only private university with semesters instead of quarters. I'm not aware of the costs but here is the website .http://www.ucimed.com/ Is not on the California list.

Source where you can verify which schools are accredited in the United States. 

https://imed.faimer.org/


Enjoy your Medical school search!

How to pay for medical school in Costa Rica and other careers available

I will do a general review on each option, if you have questions, feel free to email me.

1. Cash:
If you have dual nationality (American/Hispanic) you can take advantage of this option and pay as a costarrican. (about 30% less on tuition fees)

2.Sallie Mae/ Navient:
This is a private loan based on credit score. You'll need to apply each year to renew the loans. So basically your credit needs to remain perfect throughout the career and on top of that you always need a co-signer with a good job and good credit. Make sure your co-signer understands they need to co-sign EVERY year for you.

The cool thing about this loan is that they give you the flexility to start repaying after you graduate, I believe up to 6 months after. You can also make small payments towards the interest.

3. Federal Loan: (ONLY for pharmacy and psichology)
For this option you'll need to apply for FAFSA every year and be qualified. There's a maximum of $20,500.

For Medicine you can only use the first two options.

More Warnings:
-To be able to pay with a loan you must maintain a GPA above 70%.

-You must finish your career within 150% of estimated time (this means if the career takes 4 years, you must finish it within 6 years)-----> U.S government does not want slackers using education funds!

A lot of students tend to break blocks according to the difficulty of the courses. I will advice you on that later as I advocate for certain courses to be taken separately for the quantity of material and the attention required to pass this classes.

-This is for all students: You can only take a subject three times, if you fail a fourth time, you need to wait one year! This can be very inconvenient, so I advice everyone to start strong from day one because every bit counts. Even the easy subjects, do not underestimate any class. The better grades you accumulate the better chances you have to stay in the medical program if you happen to get stuck in a hard class such as biochemistry.

Available careers in Unibe:
-Medicine
-Pharmacy
-Nursing
-Psychology

Quarters vs Semesters. Options in Costa Rica

Unibe is the university where I go. We do 4 months instead of 6, so basically we do 3 quarters per year .

Pros's:
1. Allows you to finish the medical program faster. (Lenght of the career: 4 years and one quarter if you choose to not do the intership which is one year long and this is the only way to become a costarican doctor, however Americans are not required to fulfill this requirements as we can apply to do the intership back home and start getting paid for it too!!!)

2. You get two 2 week vacation and one month vacation in December. For international students this works amazingly to get to go home and relax for a full month! Many students use the short vacations to go explore the country. (let's keep in mind this is Costa Rica= Natural Paradise)
The University is located in the capital city, San Jose, third city to have electricity in the world! So is not near the water only lots of green areas.

Con's:
1. Time is your enemy. Is very fast paced, doable but your game must be always on point. I can say here the old saying really applies" There's two rules in Medical School: Don't fall in love, don't fall behind"

2.This is an intensive program. There is not a lot of time to party and socialize but because we spend so much time together it becomes easy to make friends within your class room and join a study/hangout group. Costaricans are super friendly which is a huge plus!

There are several Medical Universities in Costa Rica, most of them accredited in the US. UCIMED is the name of another private university but this one goes by semesters. So as you can see there's plenty of options and soon I will posting information on all of them. Subscribe to my blog for more! That's it for this post!

Sincerly,

The chronic red eye student


Here is a pic of Tibas park. The city where Unibe is located.

Best Medical school for spanish speaking Americans

Attempting to go to Medschool outside the U.S is a real challenge. I took a looong time planning. (years) but I was able to find an affordable option and would like to make a series of posts giving out the best possible info so you can decide weather to come to Costa Rica or not.

1. You must understand Spanish or be a 100% committed to learn it in less than a year.
This school offers an introductory spanish course which to be honest with you, they only teach you very basic stuff that will not be very useful in sense of your medical classes.

The first year is very easy, basic science, math, advanced spanish but once you start the 3rd block the second year (which I will explain the structure of the school year later)the professors will have no mercy on you as far as language limitations. I know people who has been denied enrollment (with good grades) for not being proficient in Spanish during a class presentation.

2. If you are going outside the U.S to find an "easy way" to become a Doctor. DON'T COME HERE!
Unibe's professors change every single exam. They never ask from the same point of view. So studying from old exams is a tool only to practice answering difficult questions and associating ideas from class.

This University is serious, they want only serious students. Teachers and professors will make you read and read!

3. You need to be good at learning on your own:
The professors discuss during class the difficult concepts and answer questions, they won't tell you everything you need to know to pass the exams. The idea is for you to prepare for lecture the day before. Again, this is done to ensure the students put in their time reading and doing research individually.

Academically I think this are the main warnings I have to give you today. Any questions feel free to email us or leave a comment.

Sincerly,

The chronic read eye student.

Follow me for more. In next posts I will talk about life in Costa Rica, cost of living, financial options to pay for med school, available careers using Federal and private U.S loans, pricing, etc....EVERYTHING you need to you...the naked truth! Pros and Cons...other options out there and much much more