New guide to Caribbean medical schools published

The Complete Guide to Caribbean 
Universities, Licensure 
Requirements, and Island Life 

Monday, February 23, 2004

MACON, USA:  Acceptance into medical school in the United States has become increasingly difficult. Medical school applications rose to an all-time high of 46,968 in 1996 and have hovered around 40,000 each year over the last several years. In 2000, 38,529 applicants competed for only 16,221 spots. Of these, only 155 foreign students entered the first year class at a United States medical school. In 2000, 3907 applicants competed for 571 spots in Canada. The situation is similar throughout Great Britain, Europe, and across the globe. 

Hundreds of thousands will not gain acceptance into schools in their home countries and must decide what course of action they will follow. Prospective students can reapply each year hoping for acceptance, choose a new career in medicine such as a physician assistant or podiatrist, or do what many rejected applicants are doing and seek acceptance at Caribbean medical schools.

The Caribbean has many medical schools to offer with a wide range of acceptance criteria. Over 2000 spaces are now available each year in the Caribbean. For many, this is the only option available that will allow one to pursue their dream of becoming a physician. The certification of an internationally trained physician is much more convoluted than a physician trained in the United States, but will result in the same certifications, employment opportunities, and privileges in the end. A physician trained in the Caribbean will need to be motivated and may have to work harder than their North American peers to reach the same goal. The Caribbean provides an avenue for a person not accepted in their home country to still become a physician.

Caribbean medical schools began appearing in the 1980's. They arose because of the swelling application pool in the United States in the 1970's that left a record acceptance ratio of 2.8 to 1. The schools were designed to cater to United States citizens offering American style curriculums, clerkships, and courses and texts in English. Beginning in the 1990's, attendance began to increase in the Caribbean as the applicant pool again began to swell. For many, this option is much more appealing than floundering year after year waiting to be accepted in their home county.

Caribbean medical school graduates have historically concentrated in primary care specialties. These include family practice, pediatrics, internal medicine, and psychiatry. Caribbean graduates can be, and frequently are, found in other specialty areas although this may be more difficult to accomplish in certain situations. In the United States, high scores on the licensing exams will be paramount for being placed into highly competitive areas such as surgery. International medical graduates currently make up 20% of all of the physicians and residents in the United States.

Caribbean schools fill a necessary void that has developed over the last 25 years. A problem has arisen in that prospective students do not know what to expect. The Complete Guide to Caribbean Universities, Licensure Requirements, and Island Life is designed to explain the processes that a student will have to follow and the hurdles that they will have to overcome. This book is primarily set up to explain the licensure requirements needed for international graduates to practice medicine in the United States. Licensure procedures may vary in other countries. Island life is explored and every school that is currently operating in the Caribbean is described. Prospective students have many questions. What should I expect? Will my degree be recognized? What will it be like to live on an island? What type of housing is available? This guide is designed to answer these questions, and many more, and to adequately prepare the student to successfully matriculate into a Caribbean medical school.

For more information, visit http://geocities.com/powellpublications/ 

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