University College Of The Caribbean Application To Graduate: Fill & Download for Free

With medical schools in the USA so competitive, some applicants apply, but don't get it in anywhere. Therefore, they might think that attending a medical school in the Caribbean is the best path to becoming a doctor.However, I would suggest that students really consider their options before applying to a medical school in the Caribbean. Things they should think about is what type of doctor they want to be when they graduate, and where do they want to practice medicine?Students who want to get into some of the most competitive residency programs like orthopedic surgery, integrated interventional radiology, or integrated plastic surgery, might find that that path is nearly impossible if they go to a Carribean medical schools.Before committing (or even applying to Caribbean medical programs), students should look at what residency programs the graduates of the Caribbean medical school matched with. For example, in the past ten years, St. George's University (SGU), has had more than 4,600 graduates. However, just 1% of students matched with the most competitive residencies in the past ten years. Within that time period, not a single student students matched with residencies in integrated plastic surgery, integrated interventional radiology, thoracic surgery, and otolaryngology. Are you planning on pursuing one of these residencies? Your choice in medical school might make it impossible. It might be a better idea for you to wait until next year’s application cycle and apply again to schools in the US.Plus, each Carribean medical school was not made equal. Each might deliver varying levels of education, and some aren’t even fully accreditated by a US-recognized organization. Therefore, before you decide to attend a Caribbean medical school, see what type of accreditations they have, which will allow you to practice in the state you want to. You should also research to see if the college is approved to participate in the US Federal Direct Loan Program. If it isn’t, you will be required to pay all your medical school tuition bills with no help from the government.Medical school is both a big time and financial commitment as well as an investment in your future. Make sure you research properly to ensure your investment will payout in the future.

Q. What are some pros and cons of attending college and med school in another country? How would you go about doing so?A. In most countries, students apply directly to medical schools which takes about six years. In the US and Canada, students typically earn a college degree before attending medical school (4+4 ), unless they are attending a combined BSMD program (7 or 8 yrs). Caribbean medical schools follow the US system.Pros and Cons of Applying to Foreign Medical Schools (usnews.com)Research international options carefully to ensure a smooth transition back to the U.S.By Veritas Prep, Contributor |Aug. 1, 2011, at 9:30 a.m.For years, less competitive medical school applicants have been attracted to the more liberal admissions policies of medical schools in the Caribbean. Other applicants have been attracted to medical schools overseas for personal reasons, including simply wanting to explore a new culture. However, with a myriad of languages, laws, and curricula, it's hard to know what you're getting—especially if you plan on returning to the U.S. for residency.What is the truth about applying to foreign medical schools? Consider both the pros and cons.Pros: There are some distinct advantages to applying to foreign medical schools, particularly in the Caribbean.1. Acceptance rates are higher than average. Many medical schools in the Caribbean accept a much higher percentage of applicants than schools in the U.S. As an example, the George Washington University School of Medicine (ranked 60th in the research field by U.S. News) accepted just 3.6 percent of all applicants in 2010, while the Ross University School of Medicine, on the Caribbean island of Dominica, accepted 38 percent of applicants that same year. For schools outside the Caribbean, acceptance rates vary considerably, as these typically taxpayer-funded schools tend to prefer their own nationals.[See the rankings of the U.S. News Best Medical Schools.]2. GPAs and MCAT scores are lower than average. For applicants with a blemish on their record, schools in the Caribbean can seem fairly enticing. Successful applicants to Wake Forest University in North Carolina, for example, had a mean GPA of 3.8 and a mean MCAT of 32 in the last admissions cycle, while those to St. George University in Grenada had an average GPA of 3.4 and MCAT of 27. As such, these schools can be a realistic option to consider for applicants with lower scores.3. There are clinical rotation opportunities in the U.S. In many of the Caribbean schools, the first two years of basic science is done on their campuses overseas, while clinical rotations are done in U.S. hospitals, most commonly in the New York area. Though your home school is still overseas, you have the advantage of the same clinical exposure and opportunities as the hospitals' home medical students. Many past students cite this as an advantage in applying to U.S. residencies. Other overseas medical schools allow students U.S. clinical rotation opportunities, though usually on a more case-by-case basis.[See the 10 most popular U.S. medical schools.]Cons: There are some things you should be aware of when considering overseas schools.1. Applying and matching to a U.S. residency can be more challenging. Though many international medical graduates successfully match into residency programs across the U.S., they do so at significantly lower rates than their U.S. graduate counterparts. In the 2011 match, 94.1 percent of U.S. senior medical students matched into a residency program, compared to 50 percent of U.S. graduates of foreign medical schools. Many schools in the Caribbean, however, state that a significant percentage of their graduates find positions outside the match.On top of all that, there are additional paperwork requirements in order to apply. The Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) has details on its website. Before applying, it would be wise to research each individual school's match success rate, as they may vary.[Get 4 tips for selecting a medical school.]2. Grading systems can vary. While many U.S. medical schools have trended toward a variant of an Honors/Pass/Fail grading system, many medical schools overseas, including in the Caribbean, continue to use a traditional A-F system. Though all medical school curricula are challenging, some students may feel that such precise grading systems can sometimes add additional stress to an already competitive atmosphere.3. Living in a different country / system can be challenging. This can be either a pro or a con, depending on your perspective. However, because many foreign medical schools popular with U.S. applicants tend to be located in developing countries, it's important to remember that many of the amenities of U.S. life may not be available. And if you're studying most of the day, this might be the time when you need those more than ever. Politics and weather differ, too—don't forget the 1983 coup in Grenada (St. George University) or the hurricanes.Making the decision to apply overseas is tough. Whatever you decide, it is important to research your options carefully so your transition back to the U.S. is as smooth as possible.Ibrahim Busnaina, M.D. is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and coauthor of "Examkrackers' How To Get Into Medical School." He has been consulting with prospective medical school applicants, with a special focus on minority and other nontraditional candidates, since 2006.Tags: college admissions, health, medical school, medicine, hospitals, George Washington University, Wake Forest University

Dr. Barnett is mostly correct in her answer.I’m on faculty at an allopathic (MD) medical school in the United States, UC Irvine. DOs, or Doctors of Osteopathic medicine are governed by the same state medical boards as MDs, but they have a different national oversight body.As such, they are licensed to practice the same. It is true that it is MUCH easier (but not easy) to get into DO school than an American MD school but it is still MUCH more difficult than getting into a Caribbean medical school. Getting in is just one obstacle to being a practicing doctor in the US. You still have to graduate medical school, pass your boards, and complete residency (at least internship).As far as I can tell from the many DO and MD applicants to my residency and fellowship medical school is NEVER easy. It doesn’t matter if they come from DO school, Caribbean, India, Iran, Nigeria, China, Korea, etc. Residency is even more difficult and many times fellowship can be the most difficult.So if someone went to Podunk State University for college, and Hollywood upstairs medical school (like Dr. Nick from the Simpsons), but then did neurosurgery residency at the Barrow Neurological Institute, you can be as sure as possible that they are a competent Neurosurgeon.We have had several DOs serve as fellows at UCI in Ophthalmology (different subspecialties) over the years. Some of them were among the best we had. But there is definitely a selection bias there, because a middle of the road DO applicant will be ranked lower than a middle of the road MD applicant because the competition isn’t as good. And until recently DOs had their own residency programs (that is disappearing soon, or maybe it is this year).These better DO applicants in Ophthalmology came from MD residencies, because the Osteopathic medicine doesn’t really apply to Ophthalmology and so the MD programs were older and more established so were much better.So if you are looking at the quality of your doctor, their pedigree matters to some extent, but it most certainly isn’t the end of the story. I have seen good doctors come from weak programs and terrible doctors from top tier programs.Sorry it just isn’t that easy to determine what makes a good doctor.