Medical Schools in the Caribbean

If you tell yourself that you want to be a medical student and establish that as your goal, it narrows down your choice among all the available options offered by institutions of higher education. Not only is this decision admirable, it also allows us to see that despite the number of medical-profession hopefuls, a lot more still want to become a member of this noble and respected profession. However, the desire to practice medicine though may be considered as the ultimate ambition for some, is only the first step. You have to come down with the reality that studying for a specialty takes time, and would take a lot more during clinical training, certification, and licensing before you can eventually practice and call yourself a doctor. Moreover, you have to be financially prepared once you are decided to spend the rest of your days practicing the profession you always dreamed of. But foremost among these challenges is making the right decision on knowing what medical school to get into.

Getting an M.D. degree is not the final goal of every medical student as this can be secured anywhere. The decisive factor is attaining a residency where you could practice your profession. It is imperative that you choose your medical school wisely since getting into a med school that is not widely accredited and certified means having fewer slots for residency.

One of the options to secure a residency is to get into a good med school in the Caribbean and then move on to the US to practice medicine. Caribbean boasts a good number of medical schools that offer quality and reliable educational programs in the field of medicine.

A note to be considered, this article does not attempt to provide a full-blown guide to the med schools in the Caribbean but only highlights some of the top-performing schools and what they offer so that you, our reader, will gain information regarding the services, program, and nature of the institutions in the region.

MEDICAL SCHOOLS IN THE CARIBBEAN

The American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC), located in Saint Maarten in the Netherlands Antilles, is one of the med schools recognized by the US Department of Education as having similar academic standards as the US med schools belonging to the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), the organization that accredits schools of medicine in the US. More than that, AUC is approved by the Medical Board of California, Texas Medical Board, New York State Board of Medicine, and Florida Department of Education’s Commission for Independent Education. This is really impressive since the states of New York, New Jersey, Florida, and California demand a stringent accreditation process. Because of this, American citizens registered in AUC are qualified for student loans.

Two years of basic medical sciences and two years of clinical training at associated hospitals in the US and UK comprise the medical education curriculum of AUC. An accelerated program is also available which can be taken in only 38 months. Upon completion of the program, you have to get registered in Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG), pass the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE), and then obtain a residency in the US.

The Ross University School of Medicine offers a 4-year medical program in Dominica, after which advanced clinical medicine and clinical training may be accomplished in the country or in the US (Michigan, or Miami, Florida). Just like AUC, Ross is accredited in New York, New Jersey, California, and Florida. In this manner, medical students in Ross are authorized to get a residency in American Hospitals. The continuous expansion and growth of the school and its affiliates quantifies its appeal among prospective medical students. Not to mention the high number of residencies it places among US hospitals.

In the Caribbean island of Saba in the Netherlands Antilles, the Saba University School of Medicine offers a thorough curriculum in medical education, patterned from leading medical schools in the US. Just like the above-mentioned schools, Saba is accredited by the Medical Board of California, New York State Board of Medicine, and Florida Department of Education’s Commission for Independent Education. The med school also fosters a dynamic conglomeration of demographically diverse student population. The med school is also passionate in maintaining its small student-faculty ratio to preserve the level of the quality of medical program it offers.

St. George’s University School of Medicine in Grenada has a number of affiliate teaching hospitals and clinical centers in the US and UK where the students can engage in a more advanced clinical training when the curriculum progresses into the final stage of the medical program, which is approved in New York, New Jersey, California, Texas, and Florida.

Currently, the school has an exclusive contract with the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation to provide training slots for the students of St. George. This affiliation secures the advanced training of medical students that is required in the curriculum of the school.

Here is a list of other medical schools found in the Caribbean:

o American Global University School of Medicine (Belize)
o American International School of Medicine (Guyana)
o American University of Antigua (Antigua)
o American University of the Caribbean (St. Maarten)
o Central American Health Sciences University (Belize)
o Grace University School of Medicine (Belize)
o International University of the Health Sciences (St. Kitts)
o Medical University of the Americas (Nevis)
o Ross University School of Medicine (Dominica)
o Saba University School of Medicine (Saba)
o Saint Theresa’s Medical University (St. Kitts)
o Spartan Health Sciences University (St. Lucia)
o St. George’s University School of Medicine (Grenada)
o St. James School of Medicine (Bonaire)
o St. Martinus (Curacao)
o St. Mary’s School of Medicine (St. Lucia)
o Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara School of Medicine (Mexico)
o Universidad Iberoamericana (Santo Domingo)
o University of Health Sciences (Antigua)
o University of Medicine and Health Sciences (St. Kitts)
o University of Sint Eustasius Medical School (St. Eustasius)
o Windsor University School of Medicine (St. Kitts)

Getting into a Caribbean medical school presents a number of advantages. Cost-wise, the tuition is more reasonable. But you may have to put things into perspective since part of the educational cost involves travel expense and insurance. In addition, there are three application periods per year. Lastly, many of the schools in the Caribbean models their curriculum from US medical schools, allowing greater chances of accreditation should med students decide to obtain residencies in the US.

In the other end of the spectrum, reality check states that not all of the Caribbean med schools are accredited in the US. Furthermore, the medium of instruction of some schools is Spanish, that’s why learning how to speak the language is a requirement prior to acceptance to the medical school.

All things considered, simply saying that you will paint a portrait is obviously different from actually doing it. Having the best brush and using the most expensive paint accounts to nothing if no action to start painting begins. Needless to say, the initiative to start painting is evidently not the same as finishing the task. So whatever choice you make, be willing to face the challenges, surpass all obstacles, and emerge victorious. Medical school is tough, that is a given. But you can be tougher. Just keep in mind; it’s not the brush or the paint that makes a painting great… it’s the painter!


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