Every year, hundreds of Canadian premed students apply to medical schools located in the sunny Caribbean. Canadian institutions reject many well-qualified students due to limited available educational resources. If you have considered seeking admission to Caribbean Medical School, what type of vetting process should you expect?
Tailoring Your Application
Most experts recommend tailoring your application as much as possible to the specific requirements set forth by every Caribbean Medical University of interest to you. Although today a number of accredited medical training programs in the region accept students from Canada, applicants should pay close attention to the admission requirements specified by each individual school. If you decide to apply to several different institutions to enhance the possibility of acceptance, you may want to consider tailoring your materials slightly to comply with varying institutional requirements.
For instance, in some Caribbean nations, most of the population speaks French. In others, English, Spanish, Creole or Dutch serve as the primary language of instruction. If you apply to multiple schools located in different parts of the Caribbean, it remains a wise idea to apply in the specific language of instruction. This process will demonstrate your ability to benefit from medical school classes taught in that particular language.
Formally Applying For Admission
Most medical schools in the United States and Canada expect students seeking admission to a physician training program to submit certified grade transcripts, a detailed written application, references, standardized test results and, frequently, a written (or video) essay. Successful first round applicants usually then receive an invitation to visit the medical school and conduct an interview with members of the Admissions Committee before receiving a definitive acceptance or rejection.
Admissions committees in the Caribbean may vary slightly with respect to specific course prerequisites and application details, but you should prepare yourself to meet all of these general requirements. For instance, even if certain schools do not require high Medical College Admissions Test scores, the chances remain excellent that several others will want those results. You’ll increase the likelihood of gaining an acceptance letter by applying to a number of schools.
Differences And Similarities
Older students may face some advantages by seeking admission to medical schools in the Caribbean. In the USA and Canada, strong preferences on the part of medical admissions committees often exist against admitting students over the age of 30. Since medical training today typically requires four years of medical school followed by at least one year of internship and one to three years of residency, some professors consider older students less promising in terms of their ultimate career potential.
One disadvantage that some students will encounter in applying for admission to medical schools concerns tuition and fees. Canadian students sometimes cannot expect any form of financial assistance to offset the costs of undertaking medical education in the Caribbean. This situation won’t impact affluent premeds, but may hinder the ability of other students to afford attending medical school overseas, especially in nations which prohibit Canadian expats from holding compensated employment.
