The real Caribbean Medical School

Over the years I have posted about my experiences and Caribbean schools. I feel its time to post a real perspective on the topic.

What St. Georges, American University of the Caribbean, Ross ( Big 3) and the 30 other Caribbean medical schools do not want you to know is that out of all the apply and go to the schools only 40 to 30% ever finish and end up in a residency.

Schools Fault? Heck no!

Students Fault.

The big 3 mentioned require an MCAT and have a higher % ( 40 to 60%) that do complete and go into residencies, the other 30 odd schools its as low as 5% to 30%.

Why is this Dr. Bill?

several factors

1. Poor students: Did not take the MCAT ( getting a 24 or higher on the MCAT one should be able to pass the USMLE at least 70% of the time) Low GPA's

2. Students who do not study and unable to learn the material

3. Students with out funds to finish ( can cost 200k USD to finish)

4. Can't pass USMLE step 1


The schools offer an opportunity to study medicine, being accepted is an opportunity not that the person will be a Doctor.

The last 10 years has seen the USMLE evolved into one of the hardest medical tests in the world.
This is partly due to Indian Doctors who have been practicing in India making a low income in India want to come to the US to practice. They live meager lives and study for 6 months to a year at a time for each step to obtain a "99" on the test. Many of them do.
Because of this it has caused the USMLE to become harder but it has also caused a change in the reporting of scores in 2011. "99" now is almost impossible to obtain.

On the FMG message boards there is anger at the new scoring and disbelief.

With the increase in difficulty on the USMLE the US will get what it wants, less FMG's but more US students may struggle with getting decent scores or even passing. (The US has always had a 5 to 10% fail rate that gets ignored by US)

Facts about Caribbean schools

1. You study Basic science ( Book study) on the islands (US model)

2. You study Clinical science ( years 3 and 4) in US hospitals with same instructors as US medical students, hands on learning.

3. Except for sitting in a classroom for lecture in the US, Caribbean students and US students share the same education.

Indian students

1. Study Medicine in a non US model

2. Hands on is in India

3. They do an intern year plus in India

4. US experience is by observing

So are they smarter in the past? No they have months to years to sit and study and study and study for the USMLE test, Caribbean and US students have weeks to prepare. Big difference.

Passing the USMLE does not mean that the Doctor is accustomed to the US and our way of life, these Doctors have experienced and are from a different culture, US Caribbean students like me are from our culture here in the US.

Advantages of US Caribbean Medical students over the Indian and other FMG's

1. Most of us if not all are from the US and Canada

2. We are from North American Culture.

3. English is our first language.

4. Hands on US clinical experience.

I'm not anti Indian or FMG, on the contrary I believe we should have Doctors from all over, but I'm tired of the belief that Caribbean students are so much different than US medical Grads, we are not, we are more alike than different.

Final thought:
"It's the Student not the School"

Dr. Bill