Should I Apply for Medical University
3 min readMost high school graduates in the United States and Canada face this difficult question when they are
held back from being admitted in medical schools in both the USA and Canada: “Should I apply to
medical school in the Caribbean?”
Taking admission into an American or a Canadian medical school can be difficult. First, the students
need to take pre-medical coursework which can go up to two years. Then they are admitted into the
program and graduating in the end will award the graduates “Bachelor of Medicine” degree and further
education & clinical rotation will lead to “Medicinal Doctor” degree.
Caribbean medical schools have a relaxed admission criterion. They do not take the pre-medical
coursework as a necessary measure and allow high school graduates to study as well. They are also
known to take in students a few weeks before the semester starts.
Reasons you should study in the Caribbean
Below are the reasons why you should consider studying medicine in the Caribbean:
The fees are affordable, and programs are competitive
The programs at most Caribbean medical schools are affordable and competitive. Since most Caribbean
Island nations are members of the World Health Organization (WHO), they offer clinical rotations in
Numerous WHO programs regionally and globally. They are also affiliated with many clinical programs
on mainland United States thereby offering students and graduates clinical rotations stateside.
High school grades and MCAT scores are not the only factors considered for
admission
Most Caribbean medical schools do not take MCAT and high school grades as sole factors of admission.
These schools take comprehensive interviews to see if the student has the needed aptitude to become a
Physician upon graduation.
Take admission is applications to American & Canadian medical schools were
rejected multiple times
Getting admitted to medical school in either the United States or Canada can be cumbersome. The
criterion can be stringent in terms of extra cocurricular activities, high school grades and MCAT scores.
The tuition fee in American & Canadian Universities is also quite expensive.
Year-round warm climate
The climate in the Caribbean island nations is warm all around the year. Though life may not be a
complete paradise as tourists experience but the experience students get while studying in the
Caribbean (especially medicine) is an experience which is worthwhile.
Clinical rotations are offered in mainland United States
Though, studying medicine in the Caribbean will take students a bit far from home. Studying medicine in
the Caribbean will help students obtain clinical rotations and residencies stateside. The programs at
most Caribbean medical schools are competitive, strong and well placed.
Considerable medical schools in the Caribbean are affiliated with numerous healthcare benefits institutions in
the United States which offer graduates of Caribbean medical schools’ placements in residency
programs.
Competitive specialties are offered
Surgical subspecialties (head and neck surgery, neurosurgery, urology, dermatology, dentistry etc.),
radiology and interventional radiology are among the numerous specialties offered by most medical
schools in the Caribbean. The internships offered in these fields are holistic and provide students &
graduates alike an exceptional practical experience.
Over to You – What’s your choice?
It may sound as an option which can be worrisome – but studying medicine in the Caribbean has its own
benefits. The benefits of studying medicine in the Caribbean are numerous, and the environment in
most Caribbean island nations is beautiful, friendly and, alluring.
Life in the Caribbean may not be the rosy tropical paradise some expect to be but is somehow making a
decent improvement. The nightlife in the Caribbean island nations is vibrant, the US Dollar is widely
accepted, and bank accounts are easily opened in the US Dollar. Furthermore, the entertainment
options are wide & many.
Healthcare in Caribbean island nations is making an upward spike and is set to improve in the coming
years thanks to the policies & programs of the World Health Organization (WHO). The medical schools
are also partnering with WHO in order to enrich the study programs and add more practicality to the
programs as well.
For those who wish to study medicine in the Caribbean, look no further: Windsor University School of
Medicine is one of the finest medical schools the Caribbean has to offer. Located in St. Kitts and Nevis,
Flights to mainland United States from this place are affordable and quality of life is more than
Reasonable on this Caribbean island nation.