The Medical School Assessment Program is an intensive four-week pre-admission program offered by invitation only. It is designed to provide students with a strong foundation for the first term of study at St. George’s University, and to provide the Committee on Admission a clear assessment of your readiness for the medical school curriculum. Students who pass this program are accepted into Term 1 of SGU medical school. Students who do not are invited into the Charter Foundation Program, a longer preparatory and assessment course.

Click here to see the official calendar

Q: What are the computer/technical requirements to do the course?

A:You will need:

• Fast/reliable Internet connection to access course resources. You should have 2mb/s upload and download to make sure you can access all course content. You can easily check your download/upload speed by going to: http://www.speedtest.net/
• To take the quizzes and final exam you need to make sure you also have the necessary bandwidth for the entire length of the quizzes/exam which range from 30min- 2 hours.
• In addition, you will also need a webcam for quizzes and the final exam.
• All modern computers should work fine on our platform; we recommend at a minimum 1 GB of memory/RAM.
• We will need to use Google Chrome. Don’t worry, it’s free.

Do I need to purchase course materials?

No, everything is provided 100% FREE of charge

Can I speak to a live person during the course?

Yes, there are several options:

1. You can post and discuss questions with your peers in the discussion board. Faculty also monitor the discussion board.
2. You can also email Faculty to set up an online face-to-face meeting time.
3. There are several online group tutoring sessions. Here, a facilitator guides students in the discussion of content questions.
4. If you are having a serious problem and do not think that it is being addressed by the above communication vehicles, please feel free to contact your Admission Counselor.
5. We also provide a Learning Strategist to assist you with studying.

When does it start and end?

Please see calendar.

Do I have to log on the very first day to register?

You will be asked to log-in prior to the start of the program to complete “Onboarding Materials”. THESE ARE MANDATORY to make sure you do not have any issues before starting the course. While the course is designed to be flexible (does not need to be done every day at the same time), to keep proper pace, you will have to start right away.

What is the anticipated time commitment? Will I be able to keep my job, research, travel?

The course itself should take no more than 12 hours of lecture content per week – however you will also need to plan for additional time to review and study. You should plan on approximately 30 hours a week in total depending upon your pace of learning.

What are the dynamics of live group sessions? Is participation mandatory? How will you accommodate for different time zones?

Live group study sessions are offered through a webinar service that will be provided free to everyone and will work with the requirements listed above. More information on this will be provided on the course website. There will be sessions at a multiple times to compensate for different time zones and a variety of students schedules. A schedule will be posted with some required sessions, but the vast majority will be optional for students.

Will I be able to apply for financial aid or do I have to wait for the results of the program?

Yes, you may start applying for Financial Aid but will not have loans certified until the results of the program are finalized.

Will I be able to apply for housing or do I have to wait for the results of the program?

You will apply for housing once your results are finalized. Housing allocations will not be made until after MSAP students have had a chance to make their applications and match with potential roommates.

If I fail, can I take it again instead of doing the CFP?

No

Can I do MSAP if I’m also working/doing research/traveling?

Yes, as long as you can:

• Access high speed internet (adequate internet is 2Mbps upload and download)
• Can commit to at least 30 hours/week
• Can commit to being online during your weekly 1 hour quiz and 2 hour final exam (See calendar)

If you cannot meet the above, then you cannot participate in this program but you can accept a seat in the Charter Foundation Program (CFP).

I don’t want to do MSAP …can I just go straight into the CFP?

Yes.

I don’t do well with online classes. I prefer brick and mortar classrooms …is this an option?

You may start in the CFP.

Will I have a chance to appeal the decision/retake the test if I do poorly?

No to both questions. This is a one-time opportunity.

MSAP Course Structure

What exactly is the curriculum?

The MSAP course is an Integrated Systems curriculum based upon the upper level biomedical science courses: Anatomy, Physiology, and Biochemistry.

Can I take the classes whenever I want or are there specific times I have to be “in the class"?

The vast majority of the course content is based on a “flexible” schedule, meaning you can watch the lecture videos/engage with the content on your own time, but you will have to keep pace with the weekly quizzes.

How long are the lectures?

It depends on the topics.....5 min to 1 hour

Is there one instructor for all three courses, or multiple instructors? Are there TAs? 

There are several instructors that have contributed content to the records, and facilitator sessions with TAs who will conduct live study group sessions throughout the week.

MSAP Grading

In regards to the 75% passing score, is that per subject (Biochem, Physio, and Anatomy) or is the 80% a cumulative score, the average for all three courses? 

This is a cumulative score.

How are we graded? Just quizzes, and a final exam? Or, are there other components that make up the final grade? 

The quizzes represent 50% of your grade and the Final Exam is 50% of your grade.

Is the 75% based on a curve, or done meritoriously?  

There is no curve.

Are the quizzes taken at a very specific time during the week, or can they be taken at our leisure?

 The quizzes/final exam are given in a specific time frame. You must start and complete the exams during this time frame. See calendar above for specific dates/times.

Are quizzes open note/book? 

No. The quizzes and final exam are given online using advanced proctoring technology. You will be given clear instructions on this once the course begins.

Will this course and grades show on my transcript?

No

Will I get credit?

No