About Caribbean Medical Schools
Med Schools in the Caribbean Give Students Another Chance
© John Wu
Jun 18, 2009
Seats in US medical schools are highly competitive. According to the AAMC, the average GPA of matriculants to medical school in 2008 is 3.60 while the average MCAT is a 31. For those who want to become doctors but didn't make the cut in US medical school admissions, it's possible to become a US doctor someday by taking a detour at a Caribbean medical school.
Caribbean medical schools have a bad reputation, because there are some very bad institutions out there. It is up to the student to determine which school is best. Keep in mind that the very best Caribbean institutions have been in existence for over 20 years, such as Ross University, St. George's University (SGU), American University of the Caribbean (AUC), and SABA University School of Medicine. The best schools do well in helping students pass the USMLE, and match into US residencies.
The lesser Caribbean medical schools are often not recognized in all 50 states to practice medicine. This may greatly limit opportunities as a doctor in the United States. The bias of against Caribbean graduates for matches into US residencies is also growing. It is important for potential students to assess the quality of foreign medical schools they're considering while taking career goals such as competitiveness of the desired residency specialty into account.
Caribbean Med School USMLE Pass Rates
If a student wants to practice as a doctor in the United States, the student needs to pass the boards, otherwise known as the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). It is very important to review the USMLE pass rates for any medical schools being considered. According to the USMLE, 93% of MD students pass Step 1 on the first try, versus 81% for DO, and 70% from non-US/Canadian schools. The difference is probably from the higher population of underprepared students in Caribbean medical schools versus US and Canadian schools.
Medical School Loans for Foreign Medical Schools
There are Caribbean medical schools that are eligible for federal financial student aid, but many foreign medical schools are not. When federal financial aid is not available, private lenders of student loans based on creditworthiness are needed. Depending on the current credit climate, it may be very difficult for some students to secure loans to go to Caribbean medical school due to bad credit. For some students with credit problems, a co-signer may be needed to get a private medical school loan.
Keep Expectations Realistic in Caribbean Medical Schools
A student who did not do well in undergraduate work will not necessarily improve just because he is accepted into a top Caribbean medical school. Students should not expect to magically go from a 2.5 undergraduate GPA in the Caribbean to high board scores en route to highly competitive residencies in plastic surgery, radiology, or dermatology. Foreign medical school students have to work very hard just like their US counterparts to get into a competitive residency.
Students who want to match into top residencies as a US doctor in any of the 50 states should seriously consider delaying medical school, and try to get into a US school instead of matriculating at a foreign medical school. Those who need to improve their academic record to get into medical school should consider reading about post-baccalaureate premed programs and MCAT preparation. Readers in California may also be interested in reading about informal postbac in California.
References:
Yarbrough, Marcus. (2007). The Student Doctor Network Caribbean Medical School Primer: Everything you need to know before you go. Coralville, IA: MedRounds Publications, Inc.
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