Carribbean Medical Schools

There are four Caribbean medical schools that are accredited with the U.S. Department of Education. Many of the students who enroll at these colleges are Americans who would prefer to stay in the Caribbean to study and the go back to the U.S. to practice.

Advantages of Caribbean Medical Schools

There are several advantages offered by Caribbean medical schools to a medical student, primary of which is the ease in admission to these schools.  Most schools in the Caribbean offer three application periods every year, as compared with the once-a-year application to most U.S. medical schools. 

If you are serious about getting a quality medical education without wanting to go through the stringent and competitive application process in most medical schools in the U. S. you can consider Caribbean medical schools as an option.

The "big four" accredited and popular Caribbean medical schools are the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC), in St. Maarten in the Netherlands Antilles, the Ross School of Medicine in Dominica, the Saba University School of Medicine, in Saba (Netherlands Antilles),  and St. George's University School of Medicine in Grenada.

These schools offer comparatively the same curriculum and high level of instruction as some U.S. medical schools but for a more affordable tuition cost.  Housing is also readily available around the campuses of these universities.  The medium of instruction is English, however, you may have to learn Spanish in order to communicate with the locals.

Disadvantages of Caribbean Medical Schools

The biggest disadvantage of studying in Caribbean medical schools is the cost of travel, going back and forth to the U.S. during holidays and vacations.  Another disadvantage is you have to get used to another culture, and may even get homesick from time to time.

Not all Caribbean medical schools are accredited by the U.S. government, and there are colleges that offer inferior teaching. Some hospitals in the U.S. or Canada may not accept your degree if you received it from a Caribbean medical school, so check first whether the school you have chosen is accredited with the U.S. Department of Education.

Caribbean medical schools which are not recognized in the U.S. would often limit your opportunities as a medical professional in the U.S.  Some hospitals will not grant residency for graduates of some Caribbean medical schools. It is therefore, necessary to evaluate the quality of education provided for a foreign medical school, and find out if these schools are accredited with the Department of Education, before embarking on a medical education with them.

Your success as a medical professional is entirely up to your level of motivation and diligence, although the quality of the medical school you graduated from is also a factor. If you do decide to go to a Caribbean medical school, choose one of the top 4 accredited universities, and consider the pros and cons first before doing so. 

If you think you are eligible to enter the top medical schools in the U.S. you should just apply to US med schools so that you would have a better chance of residency in a prime hospital after graduation.