Selecting the right medical school is the most important step in the academic journey of a medical student. While U.S. medical schools have long been a preferred choice for students, the admission process is becoming increasingly difficult.
Along with stringent admission procedures, students are also denied admission due to excessive applications and a widespread lack of seats. Often many worthy candidates are unable to get admission into U.S. medical schools because of these reasons.
However, that’s no reason to get disheartened as there are several good medical schools in the Caribbean that offer an excellent education and have helped many students start their journey to become a doctor.
Not only do medical schools in the Caribbean have higher acceptance rates, the Caribbean medical university tuition is significantly more affordable as well. When it comes to choosing the best medical school in the Caribbean, you must keep some important factors in mind and ensure that your preferred option meets the below criteria.
Accreditation
The most important factor that needs to be kept in consideration is accreditation. Only when you earn a medical degree from a recognized medical school will it be of any value in your career. For this reason, Caribbean medical schools are ranked into three different tiers which are top, mid, and bottom. This ranking represents the approval and accreditation of the medical school and it does not impact the quality of education that you will receive.
If you are planning to study in the Caribbean, then accreditation is essential as it will make it easier for you to practice medicine in the U.S. and elsewhere.
Clinical rotations
If you are looking for the best Caribbean medical school, then make sure that you select the one that offers clinical rotations. This is an important part of the medical curriculum where medical students get practical training and learn everything about medicine, diagnosis and treatment in a real-world medical setting.
During this time, students become an integral member of the team and receive supervision from doctors as they learn more about patient care. Clinical rotations also allow students to experience the environment they will be working in and how to interact with fellow doctors, nurses, patients, and other hospital staff.
Residency
Another equally important factor for every medical student is residency as this is the time that they receive training to become doctors at hospitals. Often, resident doctors even end up getting a permanent position in the hospitals as well.
Various recognized medical schools in the Caribbean have high residency match rates. So, it is important that you pick a medical school with a high residency match rate.
Fees and cost of living
There are several different medical schools in the Caribbean and the fees vary for each one of them. According to data compiled by CaribbeanMedicine, the fees can range from $4,000 to $19,000 for Basic Sciences and $7,000 to $21,000 for Clinical Medicine.
Also, the cost of living in the Caribbean is not too high and students will easily find accommodation.