Caribbean Medical School Admission Requirements

Caribbean medical schools have become famous for candidates competing for a limited number of slots in medical schools in Canada and the United States. Is it, nevertheless, a good idea to attend one? What are the advantages and disadvantages of attending a medical school in the Caribbean?

In this article, you will learn whether Caribbean medical schools are worth considering, their admissions standards and whether you should attend one.

Caribbean medical schools are growing in popularity among Canadian and US students who wish to pursue their dream of becoming a doctor despite hurdles to admittance. There are a lot of success tales out there. One gifted OB/GYN with a strong interest in pelvic pain attended medical school in the Caribbean before completing his Obstetrics and Gynecology residency at the University of Toronto. He is a success story for a Caribbean medical school and any foreign medical institutions attempting to attract aspiring American and Canadian medical students. But for every doctor like him, countless others still need to get into their desired medical specialty or do not do so at their preferred university. There are horror tales of people who spent hundreds of thousands of dollars and many years of their lives at a foreign medical school to find out they didn't get a residency position and had nothing to show for it. The truth is that training outside Canada or the United States is intrinsically riskier if you wish to practice in these two nations.

Why Caribbean medical school? 

We have a series of postings that address frequent issues about medical schools in non-traditional places such as the Caribbean, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as medical schools in Europe and other areas outside of North America. Getting into medical school in North America, particularly Canada, is challenging. Getting into medical schools in different regions is often more accessible in terms of admissions standards, and there are more spaces available. It could be enticing to pursue a medical degree outside your home country.

The Caribbean is the most popular overseas medical school location for Canadian and US students, owing to its easy access to medical institutions.

Accreditation of Caribbean medical schools

Considering attending a Caribbean medical school, you should look into its accreditation status. Many of the Caribbean's schools are not accredited.

Find out if the school's accreditor is recognized by an international authority, such as one of the following:

• World Federation for Medical Education (WFME)
• Foreign Medical Education and Accreditation National Committee (NCFMEA)
• New York or California State Recognition

For example, the WFME only recognizes accrediting bodies with extremely high requirements, as you would expect from your medical school.

Indeed, if you are about to start medical school and your preferred school is not certified by a WFME-recognized institution, you will be unable to get clinical rotations in the United States in the future. To be approved by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates, a medical school's accrediting organization must be WFME-recognized.

You should also check if the medical school to which you are applying allows you to practice in the place of your choosing eventually. Some US states, such as New York and California, maintain their list of accredited medical schools, and only graduates of these institutions are permitted to practice medicine in those states.

Cost of Caribbean medical schools 

Tuition in Caribbean medical schools is less costly than in the United States (but still more expensive than in Canadian schools). It ranges from roughly $4,000 each semester for lesser-known colleges to around $20,000 for the primary four.

Most of the finest Caribbean colleges are qualified for US federal student loans and Canadian bank student lines of credit. For example, all four prominent colleges above participate in the US government student loan program. Many Caribbean medical school applicants may require funding, and a few scholarships are given at the institution's discretion.

So, what is the conclusion?

If you attend medical school in the Caribbean, you will not be assured a residency position in the United States or Canada. The odds are stacked in favor of the United States but against Canada. Furthermore, there have been a few disputes in Canada about the allocation of second-round residency seats to well-connected foreign-trained graduates, such as when the son of the Head of Cardiac Surgery at St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver got a coveted spot in his father's programs.

If you don't want to return to Canada or the United States for residence and can afford to live in the Caribbean, go for it. You will likely be able to get a residency position abroad, and there are many countries where post-graduate medical education is excellent, albeit under-appreciated. But go to one of the top institutions so you can spend some time training in the US throughout medical school. For more information on Caribbean medical schools, go to https://medipathway.com/ or call +971 58 833 6007.