Canadians Studying Medicine in the Caribbean
In the western hemisphere, Canada is fortunate to have 10 Commonwealth Caribbean partners (as well as two continental Commonwealth partners – Belize and Guyana). We share a great deal with these English-speaking Commonwealth countries, and as an ever-growing number of Canadians can tell you, many of these countries are popular holiday destinations for those of us fleeing the winter months at home.
Over the last decade, there has been a steady rise in the number of medical schools in some of these Caribbean countries. According to the World Directory of Medical Schools (https://www.wdoms.org), Barbados, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Lucia each have 9 medical schools, with another 6 in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and 4 in Antigua and Barbuda.
It seems like a very reasonable question to ask … how can the tiny island country of Saint Kitts and Nevis with approximately 48,000 inhabitants have 9 English-speaking medical schools, when Canada with its population over 40 million inhabitants has 13 English-speaking medical schools (as well as 1 bilingual medical school)?
The answer is that, while Canadian medical schools (anglophone, francophone, and bilingual, 17 in all) accept only a small number of international students into its cohort of first-year medical students, the medical schools in the Saint Kitts and Nevis (as well as the majority of other medical schools scattered across the Caribbean) are populated almost exclusively with international students. In fact, with each passing year more and more Canadians are heading south to attend medical school in one of our Caribbean Commonwealth partners. This reality has come about because, in Canada, we have an ever-growing population of talented, committed and dedicated undergraduate and graduate students who are seeking acceptance into a Canadian medical school, but we simply do not have enough spots to accommodate this large competitive population. So, many Canadians opt for medical school abroad, with the most popular destinations being the United States, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, Australia, and the Caribbean.
Of course, one of the most pressing issues facing students who are thinking about embarking on a medical education outside of Canada is whether they can gain a Canadian residency position after the 4 years of away from home. The short easy answer is yes. However, residency spots in the most coveted specialties are limited and there are only so many positions for Canadians who did their medical training at home and for Canadians who did their medical training abroad. For more information, please check out this following question and answer portal on the CARMS website.
https://carms.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/115004093363-How-do-I-apply-to-CaRMS-if-I-am-an-IMG-
It must be a daunting task for students to weigh the pros and cons of attending medical school abroad, especially if that student knows little (if anything) about those foreign countries. I have taught medical neurosciences to second-year medical students at two Caribbean schools (over a period of many years), and I have visited other Caribbean medical schools in my capacity as a university advisor. So, if you are seeking some advice regarding medical schools in the Caribbean, let´s have a chat. It is so much better to make informed decisions when planning for such an important step in your professional development and medical career. Contact me at www.mdcoachingservice.ca.
