Going to medical school is a dream for many students around the world. Getting a medical degree is definitely challenging and the hours can be long, successful foreign medical graduates gain an enormous amount after graduation, as do the communities in which they eventually settle down to work. 

Unfortunately, for many students who want to practice medicine, the challenges begin long before the ever starting medical school. Simply getting accepted to medical schools is an immense challenge in many countries around the world, which is why Caribbean medical schools are so popular with international students. 

Medical school graduates earn the opportunity to help improve the lives and health of others, they gain access to a variety of interesting and well-paying career options as they move on to practicing medicine in fields as diverse as family medicine or plastic surgery. Best of all, Caribbean trained doctors start down a lifelong educational career path in an intellectually stimulating environment that is always changing.

If you have decided to start your medical journey at a Caribbean school, there will be one question on your mind above all else: “What are the best Caribbean medical schools? When you’re researching international medical schools, remember that not all Caribbean med schools are of equal quality. To help prospective med students decide which med school in the Caribbean to choose, we grouped them in three tiers based on approvals and accreditations. Read on to find out how they stack up.

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3 Tiers of Caribbean Medical Schools

caribbean medical school course
Student participating in laboratory

Top-tier

These are the schools you should seriously consider. We may be a little biased putting AUA at the top of the list but we are one of the best, quantifiably. AUA, St. George’s, and Ross are the only three Caribbean medical schools that have approval by the New York State Education Department and the Florida Department of Education, recognition from the Medical Board of California, and accreditation from CAAM-HP. They are also approved to participate in the U.S. Federal Direct Loan Program (sometimes referred to as Title-IV). These schools also have thousands of alumni in residency or practicing throughout the U.S. and Canada – another testament to the quality of their education.

Mid-tier

These medical schools have at least an accreditation or approval. MUA is New York approved and has Title-IV. However, St. Matthews is disapproved by the Medical Board of California but has New York approval. MUA and St. Matthews in particular have many graduates throughout the U.S. and Canada. Spartan and Xavier have provisional CAAM-HP accreditation.

Bottom-tier

These schools have no state approvals or CAAM-HP accreditation and low residency placement rates, which should raise a major red flag with prospective medical students. There are other Caribbean schools that aren’t included on this list because the goal is not to create an exhaustive list of medical schools in Caribbean countries. We simply want to provide anyone interested in studying at a foreign medical school the information they need to make an informed choice.

How to Choose a Caribbean Medical School

student in a caribbean medical school
Student studying x-ray scans

If you’re an aspiring medical school student and you’ve decided that you want to pursue your medical education at one of the many schools in the Caribbean, there are a number of factors for students to consider. However, when researching Caribbean medical schools, it is important to note one very important thing: not all schools are created equal. 

The most important two factors to consider when judging a school of medicine in the region are related to:

  • The accreditation level of the Caribbean school in question
  • The success of that school’s students

Let’s break each of those down. 

Accreditation

The accreditation status of a medical school is the key indicator of the institution’s legitimacy and education quality. 

American and Canadian students often wonder if an education from a Caribbean medical school will allow them to practice medicine in their home communities. This is where students need to do their research when it comes to the accreditation status they will need to pursue clinical rotations and residency.

Whether you’re an aspiring medical student from the United States, Canada or abroad, the most important accreditations to look out for in a prospective Caribbean medical school are those from the following organizations:

CAAM-HP

Established in 2003, the Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education in Medicine and Other Health Professions (CAAM-HP) helps to determine and prescribe standards and accredit various medical education programs in the region. They help generate confidence and provide an assurance of quality among stakeholders, students and the public.

ACCM

The Accreditation Commission on Colleges of Medicine (ACCM) helps governments in other countries ensure that students accredited by the ACCM meet the standards that are set in their own countries. 

The U.S. Department of Education’s National Committee on Foreign Medical Education and Accreditation (NCFMEA) has vouched for the standards of accreditation used by both the CAAM-HP and theACCM, describing their standards as comparable to those used to accredit medical schools in the U.S. 

WFME/FAIMER

Established in 1972 by the  World Medical Association, the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) aims to enhance the quality of medical education worldwide, and works with doctors, educators and universities through their six regional associations.

U.S. Department of Education Recognition

Being accredited by the U.S. Department of Education means that the United States affirms that institution’s acceptability and level of quality. Note that the US DOE does not accredit Caribbean medical schools. However, remember that the DOE’s NCFMEA has deemed both the CAAM-HP and ACCM as employing standards comparable to those in US medical schools, which is why students of that Caribbean medical school to receive federal student aid through the US DOE. 

Various U.S. State Approvals

If you’re a student who wants to practice in the United States,  having approval or recognition from various state boards and departments is also important in a Caribbean medical school. Three major ones to look for are:

  • New York State Department 
  • Florida Department of Education 
  • Medical Board of California 

Student Success

Student success comes in many forms, and two of the most important metrics for success are:

  1. Residency performance
  2. The first-time pass rate of the United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 (USMLE)

Residency Performance

It’s no secret that obtaining a residency is strongly tied to a student’s academic performance. Successfully obtaining a residency would, in this context, represent a good “residency performance.” 

A high overall residency performance rate from each graduating class would be an indicator of the quality of the Caribbean medical school’s program. 

Good residency performance represents both the personal success of medical graduates, and acts as an indicator of the effort the medical school put into their student body as a whole.

USMLE Step 1 First-Time Pass Rate

Although USMLE Step 1 will be a pass/fail exam starting in January of 2022, the first-time pass rate is still an important metric to take into consideration when looking at a school. 

Failing the USMLE even once can potentially set you back when applying for competitive residencies or sought-after specialties, so it’s important to ensure that you’re in the hands of an institution that fully prepares its students for this exam.

Learn More About American University of Antigua College of Medicine

American University of Antigua Campus

We hope some of the information presented has helped guide you as you perform your research into some of the options for accredited Caribbean schools of medicine. 

However, if you still have questions, we have answers! 

If you want to know more about Caribbean medical school requirements, want to discover Caribbean medical schools accredited in the United States or Canada, or are simply a student or aspiring doctor that wants to learn more about the AUA, visit our website. 

There you can discover our campus, explore some of the scholarships on offer, or add to your knowledge about what it’s like to live in Antigua.

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