It’s a cruel reality for would be medical students. Every year over 39,000 folks apply for admission to a US medical school, but only about 47% are admitted. What do the remaining 53% do? Well, instead of sitting around feeling sorry for themselves, a substantial number are running away to an island and going to medical school. One vacationer’s gorgeous tropical island is an additional student’s campus. Some are gaining as great a reputation as those within the United States. Within the late 1970’s Caribbean islands realizing that tourism could be fickle began to look for other streams of income. They hit upon the thought of medical schools, primarily for US students who had been being shut out of medical schools within the United States. In a short time St Georges University in Grenada, (which benefitted from some unsuspecting exposure when the US invaded Grenada in 1983) Ross University on the island of Dominica as well as the American University of the Caribbean, originally on the island of Monserrat, opened their doors. They were and are extremely prosperous. Inside the years that followed it seemed a medical school opened on nearly each Caribbean island. The selection became as significantly about the high quality of the education as what the island itself offered. No 1 can doubt the success of St Georges University in Grenada. It was so prosperous, they’ve branched out to include a school of veterinary medicine, a school of arts and sciences and a graduate studies program. But maybe you can’t take the steamy heat in Grenada. Maybe diving is your pastime. If so, head to Bonaire, the island recognized for its incredible diving and enroll in St James School of Medicine. The remote island of Sint Eustasius, (St Statia), is also recognized for its underwater beauty also as the University of Sint Eustasius Medical School. In case you get bored there, head to its neighbor island Saba and attend the University School of Medicine. Is a rainforest additional your interest? Half of Belize is covered by rainforest and it has 3 medical schools, Grace University School of Medicine, Central American Health Sciences University plus the American Global University School of Medicine. Should you prefer your Caribbean islands with a Dutch influence, head for the Lesser Antilles. You’ll be able to attend St Martinus in Curacao, or Xavier Univerity School of Medicine in Aruba, which has the added benefit of no MCATS for admission. Maybe the island of Nevis can tempt you with the Medical University of the Americas. Its neighbor, the island of St Kitts is positively flush with medical schools such as St Theresa Medical University, Windsor University School of Medicine, and the University of Medicine and Health Sciences. The choice is yours.

With so several offerings, how do you select? Price is a large concern of course. All offer financial aid, though some are much cheaper than other people. Saba boasts a price of around ten thousand dollars a semester, considerably cheaper than its US competitors and also the island competitors of St Georges University in Grenada and Ross University in Dominica. Way of life is really a factor too. The island of Dominica is significantly much less “Americanized” as far as food and shopping than either Grenada or Belize. The high quality of education is also a major factor. All Caribbean medical students must take United States Licensing Exam, the USLE, after their second year of medical school. Grenada leads all the other islands with a initial time pass rate of 84.4 percent. Dominica comes in second at 69.7 percent, while St Lucia scores a dismal 19.4 percent. Compare that to the US/Canada pass rate of around 95 percent, and you may see what you might be up against. Whilst the top quality of the Caribbean schools might not equal those within the United States, for a significant population of wish to be medical students, it is the only option. Besides, you know what they call the St Lucia medical student who got the lowest passing score on the USLE? Doctor.

I understand that medical schools don’t require a specific major, but just that you take the prerequisite courses and the MCAT. If you were on a medical school’s admission selection committee, which double major would stick out (in a good way) to you and which double major would you most applaud?

Biology and Molecular Biology
Biology and History
Molecular Biology and History

I want to apply for a job as a pharmacy assistant( which is not the same as a pharmacy technician) and I am wondering if it helps getting into medical school.
I mean I know the most important thing are grades, etc but work experience also counts.
Because I have seen some med applicants writing on their resume that they have been working as a lab tech, etc. So I am wondering if I work as a pharmacy assistant at Shoppers Drug Mart or London Drugs, I’m actually adding to my experience to get more prepared for medical school? Does it increase my chances of admission?

hello i live in Michigan and am wondering about the program that gives direct admission for High School students into med program. If u know anything about it, please help
Thanks!!!

Im curious that…for example if i get into Harvard for undergraduate, then does that mean I can go into the medical program in Harvard automatically or do i have to compete for admission just like students not in Harvard?

I am 30 years old and considering going to Medical School.I have been a Registered nurse for 3 yrs, also I hold a diploma in Engineering from a foreign university. I only have to take Physics 1 & 2 and also Organic 1 & 2. My other sciences are more than 5 yrs old. Any suggestions on how to increase my chances of admission

i wanna apply for a medical school that has easy admission but i like to know is there any difference graduating from a prestigious medical school and a school that is not so prestigious easy admission. such as when you graduate and you find a doctor job. does hospital generally hire u no matter what medical school u come from ? and pay you the same? i wanna apply for ucr and go to ucr medical school cuz i think it will be easier than going to ucla medical school right?

Will a letter of recommendation from him, for my son, make any difference in admission to the college my son applies to, or farther down the road to the medical school my son applies to?

If my son applies to the medical school that this person is chancellor/dean of, will that make any difference in admission?

This is all based on the assumption that my son has the grades and test scores to qualify for admission to these schools.

I am a highschool student in toronto, and going to graduate next year. I am thinking of applying to life sciences in a university in Canada, and from there to get into medical school. I am planning to take 2 to 3 courses in the first year of university as a part time student to get a good footing in the university, and then to gradually step it up. I have heared that medical schools look at your undergrad courseload, as a guidline for admission. Is this true, and if so is this for all four years, or just for the final year of the undergrad?

when do i apply for pharmacy school? is it like after 2 years of college or after 4 years of college? what courses are prequistes for pharmacy school? if anyone can explain the whole process to me that would be helpful!
currently i am applying for nursing major but im thinking of switching to pharmacy in college.
secondly how hard is admission to medical school, dental, optometry school?

I was accepted into the 7 year medical program at USF and was wondering if I should attend there or go to a more prestigious university (UF or U of Miami) or even Bryn mawr, wellesley, smith which are smaller, a lot tougher liberal arts colleges in the east coast in hopes of getting into a better medical school.

What should I do? Is guaranteed admission a lot better since it’s less stress?

Intelligence wise, I have all A’s, one B in high school and take all my courses at a college through a dual enrollment program. My sat’s pretty much suck though: CR 710, Math 660, Writing 680;….so maybe i’m better off at a program which guarantees admission into a mediocre medical school (ranked at 74) ??