Andrew Lingard earned an undergraduate degree in Anatomy and Cell Biology, and a Master's in Experimental Medicine both at McGill University in Montreal. “I specifically went to medical school because I wanted to do pathology, a non-clinical specialty so I was not your typical medical student. Saba was very supportive of this. During my clinical rotation years I rotated through Queen’s for a month of Pathology and loved the doctors and the city (the hospital is right on Lake Ontario) so that pretty much clinched it”. Andrew went on to match into Anatomical Pathology at Queen’s University in Canada.

“Saba gives you flexibility to rotate wherever you want to go, and take time to go to conferences. The Clinical Deans keep your specialty of interest in mind and suggested rotations accordingly. The RLRA is a great built-in way for students to delve into a topic of interest, which also gives them a chance to publish and have something academic to have on their resume to chat about during residency interviews.

Happily practicing medicine back in his Canadian hometown after matching  into a two-year Family Medicine residency at Queens University, Stephen “works a stone’s throw from his old house” as a Family Physician in the Oshawa Clinic Group. He has also has stayed connected to Queens University, now serving as an Associate Professor in the Family Medicine Program. 

“When I was looking at med schools I really wanted to travel and live somewhere different, so I didn’t apply to any med schools in Canada. I had a friend at Saba and I went to look at the school, and ended up meeting with the Dean. I decided it was the right school for me”.

“Saba was very, very rewarding. I made many good friends and I felt so well prepared for clinicals. It was a rigorous program.” While at Saba, Stephen made the time to help his fellow students as a TA for both the Anatomy and Physiology courses, while also making the Dean’s List and the Alpha Omega Phi Honor and Service Society.

After choosing the opportunity to see some different areas of the U.S during his clinical rotations, Stephen matched into his first choice back in his Canadian hometown. “Interestingly, four of us from Saba matched back into Queen’s University my year. Saba has a great reputation at Queens”.  A true Canadian, he is never too far from his hockey stick and manages to enjoy some carpentry work on the side. 

“From Saba all roads lead to becoming a doctor. Just put in the effort.” 

 

A Magna Cum Laude graduate of University of Ottawa with a specialization in Biochemistry, Sonia was active throughout her undergraduate years volunteering and working in many areas of the medical profession. In Ecuador, while on a medical mission in the country, she assisted in the MEDLIFE mobile clinic brigade. She also volunteered in the Ottawa General Hospital Oncology unit, and worked in the Emergency Department of Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario screening patients for various clinical research studies. Once a student at Saba, her volunteerism continued and she served as a Neuroscience TA, was active in the South Asian Student Association and served as a secretary on the Primary Care and Pediatrics Coalition team. "I had a lot of Canadians in my program, and we were all very close. Learning medicine can be difficult, so a toxic environment wouldn't help. We all got along so well in my class and really supported each other. It was a very tight knit group. I had applied and been accepted to other schools in the Caribbean, and chose Saba because it was safe, more affordable and had the right learning environment for me." Sonia particularly loved her clinical rotations at Saba, and refers to her different rotations as the highlight of her medical education. "For me it was important to see how different states and hospitals approach medicine. I think that is important learning. I fell in love with the Midwest during a rotation, and matched into a Family Residency at Aultman Hospital. This was my first choice and I am so happy to be here. I am doing an Emergency medicine rotation right now, and will continue to rotate through several specialties throughout my residency. Family Medicine is very broad so it allows me to manage patients of all ages with a diverse constellation of medical conditions. My goal is to be an outpatient Family Medicine MD, where I can really build a relationship with patients over time." "Learning medicine takes a lot of hard work and perseverance. I strongly believe that it is all about the journey to reaching a goal that matters the most. Throughout this adventure, I learned so much - not just academically, but in all aspects of life. Saba provided me with a platform to achieve my dream, and I am thrilled to now be training as a Family Physician."

Suy sen Hung Fong is a Biochemistry and Biophysics graduate of Hunter College in NYC, and a May 2018 graduate of Saba University School of Medicine. He is currently in a five year General Surgery Residency at HCA West Florida/Brandon Regional Hospital, affiliated with University of South Florida in Tampa.

Says Suy sen, “I originally thought I would be a Family Medicine doctor. Because of my not-so-good MCAT score, I was not able to get into a US medical school and so I decided to look into the Caribbean route. When I did my research into the four top Caribbean medical schools, I learned that Saba was the most affordable and had the least distractions on the island. When I came to the school I had all the resources that I needed; it was comfortable and I had a beautiful view. The island is peaceful and the people were always really nice. I actually liked everything about Saba.” 

It was during his anatomy class in first semester that Suy sen began to develop an interest in surgery. “I really enjoyed working with my hands, and it was then that I start to have spark into pursuing a surgical residency”. Suy sen said that the anatomy professors were always available, often meeting over the weekend with students in the labs to review structures of the body and answer questions.” Very supportive of his burgeoning interest in surgery, he became an anatomy course teaching assistance (TA). “I love teaching and helping the other students, so my experience as a TA was very rewarding and consolidated my foundation of human anatomy”. 

Suy sen says he knew how competitive it is to get a surgery residency and that he would have to do well on the USMLE Step one exam. Saba prepared us well for the USMLE Step One exam, he says. They were very on point with the prep materials and taught us great study habits and great discipline”. Suy sen scored 250+ on his Step exams, and after completing his general surgery rotation during his clinical years decided that he definitely wanted to pursue surgery. He did his surgical core and elective rotations at Saint Mary’s Hospital and Bridgeport Hospital, both in Connecticut, and Sinai Hospital in Baltimore. “I came to realize how proactive surgeons are and the amount of leadership skills that is required in the field attracted me the most". “Because of my surgical clerkships, I had a chance to truly experience what surgery residency was about and helped become a good candidate for my residency application”. He matched on his first attempt into a General Surgery Residency at Brandon Regional Hospital and began his training in July 2018. 

In first year of his residency, Suy sen has held multiple leadership roles at Brandon Regional Hospital including Morbidity and Mortality Conference, Surgical Simulation Curriculum, Faculty Lectures, and Programmatic Activities. He has also won several awards, including winning first place at the Florida Chapter ACS (American College of Surgeons) Challenging Case Oral Podium Presentation and the Surgical Olympics Competition in March 2019. Because of the good study habits he developed at Saba, it helped him to score well on his ABSITE exam. Suy sen currently has an increasing interest in pursuing a vascular surgery fellowship after his residency. “Patients with vascular diseases are very sick people and I am attracted to the opportunity of a long continuity of care with my patients and forming great patient-doctor relationships”. Within his first year, Suy sen had accomplished multiple scholarly activities, presenting at the local and national level conferences and he is currently working on clinical outcome research studies in endovascular procedures and minimally invasive surgeries. He has also become a committee member of the Florida Chapter Resident and Associated Society (RAS) - ACS for his increasing interest in leadership roles and his desire to be an active member in ACS.