"Teachers not showing up to class or coming very late" - Sadly this is true sometimes but it's normal in DR.
"Teachers/admin talking down to students" - this depends on the situation sometimes the students have attitude and I have seen that before. If you have a problem go straight to the highest power.
"Preference being given to students in the Spanish program" - I don't think we have preference (Spanish section). I mean you guys are paying wayy more than us, you guys even have like a whole floor to yourselves - again depends on the situation.
"Students having to "split" semesters in order to have time to prepare for the USMLE" - This is totally up to you, Unibe has nothing to do with this decision.
"Unreasonable class schedules" - Honestly you kind of just have to take what they give you. The professors tell the school their schedules and then they work it out from there.
"Teachers that don't teach well or don't speak English well" - If you think about it, it's rare to find native English med school teachers in the Dominican Repbulic so, I think we should give them a break in that sense.
"Exams that aren't in proper English because they use Google translate instead of having a person translate them" - A lot of times this happens but the teachers take that into consideration and they wont take off points if you get the question wrong because it was their error, at least now. I don't know how it used to be.
"Things being disorganized or difficult like registering for classes" - It's hard when you fail a class and you want to stay like with your class' track.
"Students having to retake premed classes that they have already taken in the US" - Unibe has their own way of considering what classes count as premed. If you haven't taken physics or chem or orgo you need to take it before entering med.
"Students that feel that they can't speak up to administration about anything bad because of possible repercussions" - You CAN speak up. That's not a problem and I haven't heard about repercussions. If you have a problem just go to the highest power.
"Tuition going up every semester" - Tuition goes up 10% every September and we can't change that. (this goes for all careers at unibe)
Good luck.
Hi Michelle!
ReplyDeleteIt's so great to read you blog, I was looking so earnestly for someone who can give an inside scoop on UNIBE in Santo Domingo! I am also brought up in the United States with Dominican parents, so I felt going to DR to get a Medical degree would be great! :)
I have a couple questions:
1. About the MCAT, did you take the test before getting accepted? I will be graduating with a Bachelor degree in English this year and plan to take the test. What GPA are they looking for, What is a minimal MCAT scores they accept?
2. You mentioned in older posts that you studied a year here in the states before going to DR to pursue Medicine: Did UNIBE accept any courses toward the Pre Med programs?
3. Can I send UNIBE my unofficial transcript to see which courses would transfer to the Pre Med requirements?
4. If I decide to pursue the Medical Program in English, can I pay the price in Pesos Dominicanos (I have dual nationality-Cedula Dominicana and US Passport, but my Spanish is not good enough for university studies, so I would have to take it in English).
Thank you soooo much! I look forward to your reply. Keep posting, you have diligent readers...and Congrats on working hard towards a degree many people only aspire to do!!
If it's easier for you, you can email me: annasophiabee@gmail.com
Oh, and my name is AnnaSophia Balbuena. :) Thanks Michelle! Hasta luego!
Hey Anna I'm so sorry for the late response but i'm hoping that in answering your questions I can still help in some way or someone else who is reading! So here goes nothing;
Delete1. I didn't take the MCAT. GPA is 3.0 and up but if it's lower try to improve your resume and show them your passion! Minimal MCAT score i'm not sure!
2. I wasn't able to transfer credits because the application deadline was coming up and I wouldn't have been able to apply.
3. You can try but I can't give you a definite answer!
4. RIght now tuition dropped for the English section but unfortunately they don't offer financial aid. You would have to get a personal financial aid if that makes sense. But, before this happened, I knew students who were in your same situation and paid a cheaper price but still in dollars.
Good luck! and again I'm sorry for the lateeeeee response!
Hi Michelle Rodriguez, your posts helped me a lot during my application process. I did an interview abt 3 weeks ago and received an " acceptance email" from Unibe yesterday for this coming semester. I am beyond excited........words cannot describe how excited I am. Thanks a lot
ReplyDeleteAwesome Lovell! I'm so happy for you! Hope you're doing okay. If you need anything let me know!
DeleteThank you for writing this blog entry. You've set my nerves at ease as I was scared of the upcoming semester due to negative comments about the school. I'm coming from the U.S. and I cannot wait to get started at school.
ReplyDeleteHey Meg! I'm sorry for the late response but i'm glad you like my blog! Hope you're doing well. If you need anything let me know!
DeleteHi Michelle, I know you haven't written on your blog in quite awhile but I thought I'd leave a comment anyways and hope for a response. I'm considering applying to attend UNIBE in the fall of 2018 but I have a lot of questions and concerns. I was wondering if you could post an update (or shoot me a quick email) about your experience at UNIBE since you must be quite close to finishing your schooling there. Any information would be really helpful as most everything I can find is from several years ago. I've enjoyed reading what you posted so far and would love an update!!
ReplyDeleteHey Emma! You're in luck! I happened to reopen my blog and try to update before I finish my last year!. Please reply with any questions !
DeleteTalk to you soon!
Hello Donella! Thank you very much. I'm sorry about my super late response! I'll be updating soon!
ReplyDeletethank you!
ReplyDelete