Why choose a Caribbean medical school over a US based school

There are many options out there for students interested in a career in medicine. One of the newer options are the wide range of medical schools available in the Caribbean. While there are numerous differences between the available options, there are some distinct advantages to choosing a school in the Caribbean, as long as you consider the accredited Caribbean Medical Schools.

One reason many students choose a Caribbean medical school is because they are less restrictive. While Caribbean medical schools are still selective, they accept a wider range of students. This can be a good fit for a student with an MCAT score that isn't ideal or a GPA that is slightly lower than the average for a US based medical school. This means you can still become a doctor, which may not otherwise be a possibility.

Another advantage the medical schools in the Caribbean offer is a lower tuition cost. You can save money by choosing a Caribbean school, since not only is the tuition less, but often the cost of living is lower on one of the islands than it would be around a US based medical school. In addition, this means your dollar will be able to stretch further. This is a definite bonus when you are attending school full time and spending a lot of time studying.

Caribbean schools also offer fewer distractions. The friends you make on the island will likely be your fellow medical school students. This means that everyone needs to spend a lot of time studying and you are less likely to feel inclined to blow it off in order spend time with your friends. This can help you do better in school. Another advantage that will likely increase your GPA is the fact that the class sizes are smaller. This means you have more chances to interact with your professors and will get more attention. This also helps you learn better and will allow you to have more of a connection with the faculty at your medical school. This will also help you to procure better reference letters.

Perhaps the biggest advantage to a Caribbean medical school, however, is the location. The Caribbean offers year round warm weather, beautiful beaches, and an amazing setting. It allows you to experience an exotic vacation during the times when you are not bogged down with studying. This can help you feel less stress during your education.

While a Caribbean medical school is located outside of the United States, their education is modeled after the US based schools. They utilize the same texts, courses, and tests. In the end, the Caribbean offers you the education of a US medical school, but with many additional benefits.

The Quickest Way to Get Your MD

Over one fourth of the doctors currently practicing in the United States were educated in schools outside of the United States and many of these foreign medical school graduates are from Accredited Caribbean Medical Schools. In addition to be a feasible option for students who couldn't attend medical school in the united states, but would be fantastic doctors, they also often offer the added benefit of being one of the quickest ways to earn your MD.

Caribbean Medical Schools usually work around trimesters, rather than semesters and offer shorter break periods. By working their students year round, they have cut the time it takes to earn an MD down to 36 months, or 3 years. During this time, you spend eighteen months to two years actually studying on the island before you begin clinical rotations in the United States. These clinical years are spent studying alongside students from US Medical Schools. They work in the same hospitals and offer the same programs. However, with the trimester approach, you can become a licensed doctor a full year sooner. In addition, these schools offer several different admission periods, so people who decide to become a doctor after first beginning another career, can begin whenever they want. These students, as well as the more traditional ones, can start sooner and, therefore, earn their degree sooner. A number of these Caribbean Medical Schools offer pre-med programs on the island, which can further decrease the time it takes to earn your degree. These programs are often two years, rather than the traditional four-year college education. Even when studying at a traditional US college, you can often take extra classes during the breaks, as well as during the traditional semesters to cut down on the actual time it takes to complete your degree and earn your medical license.  The three year program that works in the Caribbean, is works by eliminating breaks to offer students nearly the same amount of weeks spent learning, but in a condensed period of time. Since most medical students graduate with a considerable amount of debt, this is a huge benefit to them. It decreases the overall expenses of their education and allows them to begin earning a salary much sooner.

The options offered by these Caribbean Medical Schools make it a possibility for someone to finish their residency as early as twenty five or twenty six, assuming they were able to condense their college education as well. This accelerated pathway has numerous benefits, from a lower debt upon graduation to an increased earning potential. However, the greatest benefit it the ability to begin your dream career sooner, as a capable physician. 

Applying to a Caribbean Medical School

Many college students, as well as college graduates dream of becoming a doctor. Unfortunately, the majority of medical school applicants are rejected each year. Many of these students are encouraged to attempt to improve their application and then apply again the following year. 

However, this isn't a guarantee of acceptance. In addition, this means that your dreams will be delayed for at least an additional year. Luckily, there is another option. There are a number of Accredited Caribbean Medical Schools that can help you to achieve your dreams in a more timely manner. These schools are modeled after the American schools and offer a very similar program. In addition, many great doctors have graduated from these schools. 

The medical schools in the Caribbean have the same general requirements as the schools in the US, including biology, physics, inorganic and organic chemistry, as well as calculus. In addition, they also require the MCAT exam, and the application itself is similar. However, these schools are more lenient as far as your science GPA, your overall GPA, and your MCAT score. They are also more forgiving of mistakes along the way and are more open to non-traditional students. This will help protective students achieve their dream of becoming a doctor.

The curriculum itself is modeled after the US schools, but many schools divide the year into trimesters. This, in addition to the rolling admissions process allows you to start at three different times over the course of the year. This means you don't have to postpone your dreams of becoming a doctor for another year, and you are able to begin much more quickly. In addition, while the first couple of years are spent on the island, many of these schools complete their education in the United States.

You will be doing your clinical rotations in affiliated hospitals alongside other medical school students. While medical school graduates from the US schools are given preferential treatment during the match process, Caribbean graduates are still able to obtain residencies. However, they are less likely to be in the more competitive specialties. This doesn't mean you wont be able to become a doctor, but you are more likely to be a physician in general practice than a surgeon. However, once you are a practicing physician you will be judged on your ability rather than where you went to medical school.

While the admissions process is easier at Caribbean Medical schools, only dedicated students will be able to actually graduate. These schools produce fine physicians and are worth applying to, particularly if you want to become a doctor but don't want to put your dreams on hold.