加勒比海医学院是最新的选择

加勒比海的罗斯大学 Ross University (Barbados) 和圣乔治大学St. George’s University (Grenada, West Indies) 都经常出现在我寻找新医生为我提供医疗服务的医生档案中。虽然我一直认为这些地方是阳光灿烂的度假胜地，但我惊讶地发现，这里有欢迎国际学生的医学项目。通过更多的研究，我了解到目前还没有针对加勒比地区医学院的官方排名系统，但在“pseudo”在线排名系统使用了美国住院医生的排名来作为衡量加勒比地区医学院是否具有学术信誉的指标。如果你好奇的话，《福布斯》杂志称，“四大”学校是：圣乔治大学、罗斯大学、美国大学加勒比医学院和萨巴大学。

这让我想知道加勒比医学院的要求是什么。一般来说，平均绩点3.3，平均MCAT 498。MCAT分数从472分到528分，中间值为500分，因此很明显，这些盈利性的加勒比医学院是有一些学业困难的学生的一个选择。当然，无论如何，上医学院都不容易，即使是美国的医学院，也只有42%的申请者被医学院录取。在美国，只有155所被认可的医学院，这不仅仅是因为被拒绝入学的申请人不够合格，而且，这些申请人的选择也更少。

在加勒比地区大约有60所医学院，这是在这个竞争激烈的市场上获得医学学位的一条途径。最近在与一位医生交谈时，他的观点是，“如果有人真的想行医，他们会找到方法，如果不在美国，但他们仍然得到成为执业医生所需的所有培训，这才是最重要的。”学生要想成为一名医生，就必须被安排参加住院医师培训项目，因此，评估一个加勒比医学院安排学生参加美国住院医师培训项目的可能性是一项很好的指标，可以判断学生最终是否会达到他们的医疗职业目标。

那么参加加勒比医学课程可能有哪些不利之处呢？由于美国的住院医师实习竞争非常激烈，目前的情况是，美国医科学生更有可能被选中。一些住院医生项目甚至会对面试对象进行选择性的筛选，有些项目表示他们很少或从不面试国际医学毕业生。对于竞争最激烈的住院医师（如综合整形外科、神经外科、矫形外科），超过90%的职位由美国训练的医科学生填补。

此外，如果参加加勒比医学课程，但没有在美国实习的学生的历史，有明显的可能性是，严格的医学课程不能使学生成功通过美国医学执照考试。当然，这并不意味着一个加勒比地区的医科学生将不会成为一名医生，这只是表明学术准备可能不会像美国执业预期那样集中，因此，学生必须更主动地准备他们的执照。

总而言之，加勒比地区排名前四的医学院都有将他们的毕业生与美国的住院医师相匹配的历史，对于对医学院感兴趣的国际学生来说是一个很好的选择（同时需要知道一些注意事项）。虽然加勒比医科学生将得到必要的学术培训，但如果加勒比医学院课程缺乏，这些学生可能必须在自学方面更加努力，以便做好准备。而且，如果申请人有兴趣进入顶尖的、竞争激烈的住院医生职位，加勒比医学院可能不是合适的人选。不同学校的成功率各不相同，但学生还是会继续成为医生。加勒比事实上，美国大学医学院有一个成功的经验与居住匹配率高达91%，此前的毕业生（每一届的高达96%）通过第一步的许可考试在他们的第一次尝试。萨巴大学医学院由纽约州教育部门正式批准，并被加州医学委员会认可，为其学术课程提供了美国国内的信誉。在了解了更多关于这些选择后，我想说，只要一个学生真正投入到成为一名医生，并愿意主动学习，加勒比医学院是一个很好的选择，如果美国医学院不是你的选择的话。

 

Medical School in the Caribbean Is The Newest Option

 

With only 155 accredited medical schools in the U.S., and less than 50 who accept international students into their programs, the competition is fierce for entry.  In 2020-2021, 3.47% of the 53,030 applicants were not U.S. citizens, and of this, only 276 matriculated into medical school in the U.S.  International students make up 1% of the medical students in the U.S. and it is important to keep in mind this is all international students, not just those from China.  Having recently seen numerous doctors graduating from medical school in the Caribbean, I researched this option for the international student population.

Best Program and Ranking

Ross University (Barbados) and St. George’s University (Grenada, West Indies) in the Caribbean have both shown up regularly on the doctor profiles that I have been searching as I look for new doctors to provide my own healthcare.  While I have always viewed the locations as sunny vacation destinations, I was surprised to find they house medical programs that welcome international students. With more research, I learned that at present there is no official ranking system for the Caribbean medical schools but the ‘pseudo’ ranking systems that are online use placement in U.S. residencies as indicators of whether or not a Caribbean medical school offers academic credibility.  The “Big Four” schools, if you are curious, are St. George’s University, Ross University, American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, and Saba University, according to Forbes Magazine. 

 

Requirements

This led me to ask what the requirements for Caribbean medical schools are.  Typically, the average GPA 3.3 with an average MCAT 498.  The MCAT scores range from 472 to 528 with a midpoint of 500, so it becomes clear that these for profit Caribbean medical schools are an option for students who have had some academic struggles. Of course, no matter what, medical school is not easy–even for U.S. medical schools, only 42% of applicants matriculated into medical programs.  With only 155 accredited medical schools in the U.S., it is not just the case that the applicants who were denied admission were less qualified but also, there are just less options available to these applicants.  

 

With approximately 60 medical schools in the Caribbean, this exists as a pathway to the medical degree in this ultra competitive market.  Speaking recently to a physician, his view was this “if someone truly wants to practice medicine, they will find a way and if it’s not in the U.S. but they still get all the training they need to become practitioners, that’s what matters.” For a student to become a doctor, they must be placed into a residency program and thus, reviewing a Caribbean medical school’s likelihood of placing students into residency programs in the U.S. is an excellent indicator of whether or not the student will eventually reach their medical profession goals.

 

Potential Concerns

So what are the possible disadvantages to attending a Caribbean medical program? With U.S. residency placements being very competitive, it is currently the case that U.S. medical students are more likely to be selected. Some residency programs will go so far as to be selective about who they will interview and some programs say they either seldom, or never, interview international medical graduates.  For the most competitive residencies (e.g., integrated plastic surgery, neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery), over 90% of the spots were filled by U.S. trained medical students.

 

Additionally, if attending a Caribbean medical program without a history of students who place into U.S. residencies, there is a distinct possibility that the rigor of the medical program does not set the student up to successfully pass the United States Medical Licensing Exam.  This, of course, does not mean that a Caribbean medical student will not become a doctor, it just indicates that the academic preparation may not be as focused on U.S. practicing expectations and therefore, the student must take a greater initiative to prepare when sitting for their license.

 

SUMMARY

In summary, the top four medical schools in the Caribbean have a history of matching their graduates to residencies in the U.S.  and are a great option for international students interested in medical school (with some cautionary).  While Caribbean medical students will have the needed academic training, it is likely that these students must work a little harder in terms of their own self learning to prepare themselves if their Caribbean medical school curriculum is lacking.  And, if an applicant is interested in placing into the top, ultra competitive residencies, the Caribbean medical school may not be the right fit. Success rates to vary across the schools, but students still do go on to become doctors…in fact, the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine has a proven track record of success with a residency match rate of as high as 91 percent and previous class graduates (as high as 96% of each class) passing step 1 of their licensing exam on their first attempt. Saba University School of Medicine is officially approved by the New York State Education Department and recognized by the Medical Board of California, lending stateside credibility to their academic curriculum. Having learned more about these options, I would say that so long as a student is truly invested in becoming a physician and is willing to take initiative in their learning, the Caribbean medical school is a great alternative should U.S. medical schools not be an option.