Testimonials

"Deciding to study medicine far from home on an isolated island in the Caribbean was the most difficult step in my life. My biggest fear was the possibility of losing my religion and morality. This worry existed because I have been taught and firmly believe that human beings are products of their environment. Furthermore, our friends and associates shape the way we think and act. We all know this from the common saying, "Show me your friends and I'll tell you who you are." So while flying to Saba I questioned many things. Is Saba conducive to keeping a balance between my religion and studies? What kinds of people will I meet and become friends with? Are there any practicing Muslims?Upon meeting my colleagues I was amazed, Alhamdulillah. Indeed, coming to Saba was a safe choice. I met many Muslims who were actively practicing and loved to cook home made dishes while smiling continuously. I was blessed to join such hospitable company with an islamic environment. We had a wonderful Ramadan together, with several iftars and to top it off we held two Eid dinners, one for the entire general public and the other for just us Muslims. I testify that life on Saba would be terrible if it weren't for the brothers and sisters that brought this island to life. Check out the pictures if you think I'm lying." Budder Siddiqui, 4th semester

"Asalamu Alaikum. Here is some info that I think might be useful to incoming students. Saba is a beautiful place to be and a UNIQUE and RARE CHANCE FOR YOU TO BECOME A PHYSICIAN. So if you encounter difficulties on Saba (and you will) of any kind please always remember why you decided to come here in the first place. With that in mind those difficulties will be much easier to handle. You will hear all kinds of complaints about Saba from your classmates, but just ignore them. Your goal here is to become a doctor despite all the difficulties that may lie ahead of you. Living and studying on Saba is better than in many other places in the US or Canada so use this opportunity wisely and patiently.

Before I came to Saba I asked a friend of mine who graduated from Saba some time ago to give me her most valuable advice regarding medical school. She told me to immediately go to my local library and borrow an anatomy atlas together with a decent text book and start memorizing muscles (their positions, relations, origins, insertions and actions), nerves, arteries and veins of lower limb. Needless to say I didn't follow her advice but soon after I arrived to Saba I wished that I did. The pace and the amount of material of that course are enormous and you have only two weeks before your first exam. Most people who quit Saba within the first two weeks quit because of anatomy which is a shame because it is definitely a course that anyone can do well in, but only if you pace yourself and don't fall behind. So if you have the time do yourself a favor and at least start familiarizing yourself with muscles of lower limb. It will make your first few weeks on Saba so much easier.

There is no need to buy a dissecting kit. Only 2 students dissect the cadaver at a time and chances are that someone in your group will have a knife with a blade, forceps and scissors which will be used by everyone in your group. In our group there are 9 students and all of us are using only one kit. If for some reason you still want to buy it anyway this is all you need: a blade, forceps and scissors.

Do not buy all the "required" books. You will study mostly from notes given to you from professors in either power point or word documents. Thus a lap top computer and a 1 GB (at least) USB storage device are a must for handling the files. However, there are internet capable computers at the library as well as free wireless access for your lap top computer. An Anatomy atlas is a must. Netter's Atlas of Human Anatomy is OK but others are just as good. No need whatsoever to buy the latest edition of any of those books. I use Moore's Clinically Oriented Anatomy from time to time for clarification because it is very well written, but there are students that never used it and they were fine. For embryology I really like Moore's Review of Medical Embryology because it is very well written and explains concepts in a clear way, but again other students never used it and they were fine. All other books are a waste of money. If you need a book for histology you can always look up something at the library or buy a book from one of us who didn't know better.

There are many Muslim students on Saba (more brother than sisters) so there is zabiha meat as well as Jumah prayer. As a matter of fact if you decide to study at the library you will pray all your asrs, maghribs and ishaas in jamaat. The MSA is very well organized so if you would like to get involved they are more than happy to accommodate you.

Armin Behmin, 2nd Semester