Caribbean medical schools have long been the butt of jokes, but their graduates are the ones getting the last laugh. There are thousands of licensed physicians from Caribbean schools practicing throughout the country. More than 25% of all physicians in the US come from international schools. Do you know which medical school your primary care physician attended? This is the field where Caribbean graduates are expected to dominate with a large percentage of graduates training in Internal and Family Medicine. They are expected to fill a national shortage that is currently filled by physician assistants and nurse practitioners.

Imagine this. A 17-year-old high school graduate enrolls in a pre-med program at a Caribbean university. Schools will automatically accept students into their medical programs as long as they maintain a certain GPA in the pre-program. This means that you don’t need to take the MCAT, so you can save yourself the headaches of preparing for it. The program is completed in 2 years and the student enrolls in the first year of the medical degree program at age 19.

Many schools in the Caribbean offer an accelerated curriculum that divides the year into trimesters. Students attend the entire school year and can complete their Ph.D. in less than 36 months. Not to mention, you only spend 18 months studying on the island. The clinical years are spent training alongside American medical students in US hospitals. St. George’s School of Medicine has hospital affiliations that match any US school. Our fictional student graduates with his Ph.D. in Medicine at the age of 22 (going to 23).

Our recent graduate is eligible to practice in any state in the country as long as he has attended one of the “Big 4” medical schools in the Caribbean (St. George’s University, Saba University, Ross University and American University of the Caribbean). Internal Medicine residencies last 3 years, so we have a residency-trained physician ready for board exams, licensing, and employment at just 25 years of age. Not quite Doogie Howser, but he’s impressive to say the least.

This fast-paced path also benefits those seeking a new career or pursuing their dream of becoming a doctor. Time is of the essence and wasting summers in the traditional semester system is not time well spent. Caribbean medical schools are full of nurses, pharmacists, dentists, chiropractors, and many other health professionals. Many schools offer several different entry times throughout the year, providing flexibility for students who want to start their medical education right away.

There is a risk involved in attending medical school abroad, but there have been thousands who have led the way before you and set the precedent. Caribbean medical schools produce capable physicians and serve a comprehensive need in the US healthcare system.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *