3 Weeks Until D-Day

Hello everyone!

I apologize for the long delay between posts. I plan on typically posting more frequently with lots of PICTURES! but the past number of weeks have been mostly filled with more preparations, which means not many fun pictures to post.

Continuing from where I left off last post, I'm going to run down my list of things to do and think about prior to enrolling at Ross in the beginning of May.

I'm going to start with my:

Student Visa

What a pain in the butt! If getting a student visa into the U.S. is as difficult as it is for Dominica, I feel bad for all my international friends at Notre Dame. I went through a very thorough health physical prior to testing out the ROTC waters, but this one was even more comprehensive, not to mention very EXPENSIVE.

A visa is required by anyone planning on staying for more than 30 days in Dominica.

Here's what I had to do:

- Get up-to-date hepatitis A and B shots
- Tetanus booster
- Typhoid vaccine (this was optional, but in my opinion worth it)
- HIV test
- Tuberculosis test
- Chest x-ray
- Physician physical exam

The visa application also requires a valid passport, a $50 money order, a police background check, and travel itinerary indicating a purchased return flight to the US.

Gathering all this was very time and money exhaustive, and it was very satisfying to receive confirmation of its approval.


Plane Ticket

Considering I will be traveling over 2,300 miles to a country just a few times bigger than Washington D.C., flying to Dominica is actually not that difficult. Two airlines operate out of Dominica: American Airlines and Liat Air, a Caribbean-based airline. Because Dominica's largest airport/runway can only accommodate small propeller-driven aircraft, a direct flight from the U.S. is not possible. Most trips stop-over in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where you go through Dominican Customs before boarding a small plane to travel the final 350 miles of the trip.

There are two airports in Dominica (more accurately called airfields or airstrips), although only one has lights. The airport used by the airlines is called Melville Hall and is located near the northeast coast. The airport is so small that there is only a single terminal. Only a few commercial flights land at the airport each day.

Melville Hall Airfield. The pink building behind the plane is the one and only terminal.

A front view of the pink Melville Hall Airport terminal

I purchased my plane tickets a few months ago, and was able to secure a direct flight from Chicago to San Juan, set for April 3oth. After a layover of about 21 hrs (a long layover in beautiful Puerto Rico? I don't mind!), I'll fly to Dominica and arrive around 2 PM on May 1st. At the airport, I will be met by a Ross driver who will help load my luggage into a van then drive me across Dominica's rugged, mountainous interior to my apartment. Although only 12 miles separate the airport and the Ross campus, it is about an hour drive along a winding, dizzying road that snakes its way through the mountains to Portsmouth.

My flight path: Chicago to San Juan to Dominica

Note: Liat Air allows only one check-in bag. Just fyi for anyone wanting to visit :)



Communication

As anyone who has traveled abroad understands, communicating with friends and family back home can be tricky and expensive. Dominica is definitely no different. I have spent a lot of time researching the options and have developed a communication plan that will be as convenient and inexpensive as possible.

Cell Phone:

Dominica does have a cellular network in place, although no major U.S. carrier provides standard coverage in the country. That means even if my Verizon phone did work (which it won't), if I called home I would incur international roaming charges that would be more than $2.50 a minute!! Instead, I have purchased a prepaid SIM card, which is Dominica-specific. It gives me a local number, and I can use the local cellular network with much lower per-minute fees. The SIM card is prepaid, so I just continue adding $ to it by buying "top-up" coupons. This is nice because I won't have to sign up for a service, and I'll always know exactly how much I'm spending.

Another major problem with cell phones in Dominica is that the local cellular network uses different frequencies than those used in the United States. Therefore, it's important to have a compatible cell phone. Also, in order for the phone to use the new SIM card, it must not be locked into a certain network provider, like AT&T, etc.

My solution was to purchase an unlocked, quad-band cell phone. There are many of these that can be bought online, so after looking at my options I decided on a Sciphone i68+, which is a iPhone rip-off made in China.

Sciphone i68+: iPhone Clone

The i68+ looks almost exactly like an iPhone, and acts like an iPhone in many ways. But I've found that it most certainly is NOT an iPhone. Some of the functions are clunky, slow, or difficult to use, but for a fraction of the price (unlocked iPhones run about $650!!!!) this phone is really cool. I can also use it back home because it will work with the American cellular frequencies.

I will only use my phone sparingly when away from my computer because most of my communication will be done via Skype.

Skype

This amazing program will save me hundreds of dollars by allowing me to call home for free from my computer. Not only can I call other people who have Skype, but I can call people's cell phones and land lines back in the States.

I also have signed up for a Skype number which is (574) 914-0031. This number has an Indiana 574 area code but is used to call my Skype internet account. Therefore, people who want to talk to me can call my number and their phone company will only charge the cost of a call to a 574 area code number. When I by my computer, I can just talk to you using my microphone. What is really cool is that if I'm away from my computer, the call can be forwarded, via the internet and Skype, to my cell phone. The call will be a local for you and a local call for me in Dominica. This will save both me and the people calling me from insane international rates, but allow both of us to use our cell phones.

Skype seriously is amazing, and a life saver for students studying abroad.

Once again my Skype number/the number to reach me at after April 3oth:

(574) 914-0031

If you have Skype, my username is:

ndsnare2008


Thanks for reading! More to come soon.

- Jim

The countdown continues...

Hello all!

A little over 2 months to go before D-Day (Dominica-Day) and the preparations continue. There is so much to do and think about. Some of the items on the list include:

-Housing
-Plane Ticket
-Student Visa
-Financial Aid
-Communication
-Shipping my stuff to the island
-Figuring out how to succeed in medical school

The next couple posts I'll be talking a bit about each of these considerations, beginning with:

Housing

Finding quality housing could potentially be a very difficult and dangerous proposition. No one in their right mind would agree to lease from a landlord they've never met, in a foreign country they've never been to, and without ever seeing the apartment they plan on living in for the foreseeable future. But that is exactly what I must do.

Luckily, the University does offer assistance in finding housing and regulates which landlords students can rent from. All apartments authorized by Ross include air-conditioning, Internet access, cable TV, hot water, and some security measures. The Housing Office maintains a website that posts the available apartments with a list of their amenities, distance from campus, price, and also a few pictures. The price of apartments varies dramatically, from $300/month for a dumpy apartment 20+ minutes walking from campus to over $1200/month for an awesome condo near campus.

Besides price, distance from campus, and quality, another important consideration is the landlord. I've heard quite a few horror stories so I need to be extra careful. For instance, I've heard of landlords who randomly refuse to give back security deposits (which is a full month's rent, so a big deal), landlords who randomly evict their tenants, landlords who randomly levy fines and extra charges. Then their are the stories of rat and bug infestations... not something I want to deal with.

So, after scouring the housing list and getting the opinions of some current/past students, I have decided on renting an apartment from a complex called Harmony Apartments. The building is fairly new, decently close to campus, and fully furnished.

That color is oh so Caribbean...

To reserve my unit, I mailed my security deposit via an International Money Order (done through the post office) to the Ross Housing Office in Dominica. The landlord then will cash the money order at a Dominica post office, and my housing plans will then be solidified.

Harmony Apartments Website

Some more photos of my apartment:

The kitchen is quite pretty

The bathroom is nice as well

A backup generator is really nice because the power in Dominica is very unreliable

View from the top floor (unfortunately, I'll be on the bottom floor)

2nd floor view

Obviously the apartment's distance from campus is a big deal, because you'll be walking back and forth multiple times a day, and rarely do people have cars or bikes. Using Google Earth, I was able to locate the exact location of my apartment and determine how far away the school is.

The collection of white buildings is the Ross University campus, and my apartment is on Banana Trail, a little less than a 1/2 mile walk down a windy gravel road to campus and .25 miles from the ocean (click on the picture for a higher resolution version of the picture).

The bay on which Ross and my apartment sit is called Prince Ruperts Bay. On the photo, the town to the left (north) of Ross is Portsmouth. Its a bit over a mile away from my apartment and 1/2 mile from Ross. (click image for higher resolution)

A Google Earth view of Prince Ruperts Bay, looking to the East. The white buildings of the Ross campus can be seen just to the right of the center of the frame.

Overall, I'm really excited about my housing! While my Dad probably would prefer I stay somewhere cheaper, I really think having a comfortable place to rest and rejuvenate is vital to do well in my studies. Living away from everything and everyone that I'm accustomed to and comforted by, in a country with a completely different climate and culture, with the stress of a medical school workload will be an extremely challenging experience. A comfy place to unwind, relax, study, and sleep will tremendously help me overcome these challenges.


Dominica Fact of the Day:

The name "Dominica" is pronounced "Dom-ah-knee-ka", as opposed to "Dom-in-ah-ka". It is important to differentiate between Dominica and the more popularly known Dominican Republic. I hear the locals will give you a dirty look if you get it wrong.



Thanks for reading! Next time I'll detail some of the other preparations I've been making.

And remember: POST COMMENTS PLEASE!


- Jim

Dominica. Here I come! (in 2 and 1/2 months...)

Hello friends and family! Welcome to my blog.

As most of you have heard, I will be leaving for the Caribbean come this May. My home for the subsequent 16 months will be the island nation of Dominica (more on this beautiful, exotic land later). Here I will embark upon the most difficult challenge of my life: medical school. With much effort, determination, and maybe a touch of luck, I will emerge 4 years later with the title of Dr. Jim Stone M.D.

Throughout my time in Dominica, I will occasionally be posting pictures of my surroundings and adventures, along with descriptions of my day-to-day experiences. Pleeeeeeeease POST COMMENTS! Any link to home will be greatly appreciated as I will be mostly cut off from the outside world, and the friends and family who I will miss dearly.

Below I have provided some background information on Dominica and Ross University.

Ross University:
Founded in 1978, the Ross University School of Medicine is one of the most reputable and prestigious international medical schools in existence. Ross students have traditionally performed extremely well on the U.S. Medical Licensing Exams, and Ross currently has more graduates in US residency programs than any other medical school in the world. Its academic facilities in Dominica are some of the most technologically advanced anywhere, and Ross grads have received residencies in all specialties and sub-specialties and at many prestigious institutions.

USMLE Exam 1 pass rate for first-time takers: 96%
US Residency placement for first-time applicants: >95%
Accreditation: all 50 states

A unique aspect of a Ross University medical education is the total amount of time spent abroad. Compared to all other international medical schools, Ross students spend the shortest period outside of the United States: 16 months. This period of time covers 4 semesters of basic science education. The 5th semester is spend at a teaching hospital in either Saginaw, MI or Miami, FL. The final 5 semesters involve clinical clerkships at one of over 70 teaching hospitals around the U.S.

Links for more info:
Ross's primary website
Wiki
Nice Overview

Dominica:
Known as the "Nature Isle of the Caribbean" for its unsurpassed beauty and relatively untouched landscape, Dominica is one of the most exotic and remote locations in the Caribbean and world. Only 72,000 people populate this nation, which covers just 291 square miles. That's about 30,000 less citizens than South Bend alone possesses, and about 60% the size of St. Joseph County. The official language is English, but some french creole (a characteristically Caribbean french dialect) is spoken by the locals.

The most mountainous and youngest island in the Caribbean, Dominica is in fact still growing. Much like Hawaii, geothermal activity continues to push the island upward out of the sea. Signs of this activity are visible all over the island. For instance, a hike up into the highest peak will take you to the world's 2nd largest boiling lake. Also, a popular snorkeling spot is just off the shore of a town called Champagne, named because of the air bubbles that rise to the ocean surface from thermal vents on the ocean floor.

The primary commercial activities on the island are agricultural in nature, with farmers producing mostly fruit crops. Fishing is also important to the economy. Ross University, its faculty, and students are responsible for 60% of Dominica's GDP, which goes to show both how small the nation and economy is, and how valued Ross is to the country's economic well-being.

As the days count down towards my departure, I will continue to update you on my preparations. In addition, I'll add more information and background on Dominica. Below are some pictures I found online of the island.

Ross University School of Medicine and all of the student housing is located near the city of Portsmouth, the 2nd largest city. Portsmouth is found on the coast in the north east region of the country. Roseau (pronounced "Roe-zo") is the capital and locate along the southeastern coast and is about an hour drive from Portsmouth.

View of Roseau from a cruise ship at port.


The Ross University campus with Portsmouth in the background.


Another picture of the capital, Roseau. Yes, Dominica is a popular port-of-call for Caribbean cruise lines. So come visit!