Caribbean Medical Schools

Generally speaking, Caribbean medical schools are educational establishments that train students for the medical profession in Jamaica, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. One of the many reasons why students often prefer to attend these is that they are far more cost-effective, while still providing complete and recognized qualification for medical practice upon completion.

The criteria for admission to a Caribbean medical school are also far less stringent than they are in the US. This is another reason why many students from the US and Canada prefer to apply to them; students who have been eliminated due to insufficient scores in US or Canada stand one more chance of qualifying as doctors.

It is still necessary to convince the admitting authorities at these medical schools with a medical school personal statement, but this is offset by the fact that Caribbean medical schools have three annual admission cycles.

Foreign students often find it easy to get sponsorship and funding for studying at one of these medical schools, but immigration procedures can be quite tedious. Also, not all Caribbean medical schools are accredited, which means that passing them will not qualify a student for practice in the United States or Canada. There are also foreign language hurdles to over come in some of them. In many cases, the practical exposure to medical practice is also quite limited.

It is necessary to weigh the pros and cons of pursuing medical studies in a Caribbean medical school before deciding firmly on this course of action. Proper homework on the subject can avoid a rude awakening later on. If this is done, qualifying for medical practice in this way can still be very advantageous.