When anyone pictures the Caribbean, the first thing that comes to mind is ‘tropical paradise’. Its sandy beaches, stunning coasts, and vivid culture are some of the few features that make the Caribbean region one of the most popular tourist destinations in the West. Countries in the Caribbean are further known for their authentic and diverse communities with people of a wide range of ethnicities living together.

In addition to its popularity as a famous holiday destination, the Caribbean has also gained an increasing reputation for being a study destination as well. Bachelors’ and Masters’ degrees exist alongside the beautiful landscapes of these countries.

With the increasing number of students coming into the Caribbean to pursue their further studies, these islands convened together to form the Association of Caribbean Tertiary Institutions to provide and ensure the maintenance of high academic standards of education.

However, if you are a prospective student interested in the field of Medicine, then the Caribbean is an optimal location to choose. It has become a popular choice for Medical students as these schools offer top-quality education with small student-to-staff ratios, diverse student bodies, and personalized teaching.

With its international student population comprising of foreign students from across the world, any prospective medic from outside the Caribbean is guaranteed to have a well-rounded experience during their studies.

Some of the many advantages to studying in the Caribbean include the fact that their medical schools tend to have lower tuition fees for a very good quality of education, especially with respect to colleges of medicine in the USA.

Additionally, Caribbean schools tend to be affiliated with other colleges in countries such as the USA or Canada. This means that prospective students have the opportunity to gain the same clinical exposure as the original university’s students.

Finally, medical schools in the Caribbean also are not as competitive as when compared to American or Canadian medical schools and tend to be much less picky when it comes to choosing students as well. The reputation, as well as the supportive environment of these medical schools, will ensure prospective medical students gain the best of their experience.

As such, in this article, we present a series of some of the many Caribbean colleges of Medicine that offer cheaper tuition fees for a very optimal level of education.

Which Medical School in the Caribbean Is the Cheapest?

The cheapest medical school in the Caribbean is the Caribbean Medical University with tuition fees starting from $4,000 per year. Please keep in mind that we have started from the least expensive program offered by this institution, which means that your selected program might be more expensive than $4,000 per year.

Check Also: Available Programs for International Students

How Much Do You Pay to Attend a Medical School in the Caribbean?

As you may already know, the Caribbean contains many different countries, and within that particular country, there may be different islands that you can choose from. The overall cost of staying in the Caribbean depends on your location of choice. Due to inflation, the cost of living can be quite cheap, but near medical schools, the accommodation fees might be quite expensive to live in.

Cheap Caribbean Medical Schools

1. Georgetown American University

We start our list of affordable Caribbean medical schools with Georgetown American University, a private institute of higher education that is located in the capital of Guyana, Georgetown.

It was established in 2013 as part of the Caribbean initiative to increase the number of foreign students coming to pursue medical studies. Currently, the university provides degrees in Premedical science and medicine. The medical program is awarded under the MD classification and comprises a 4-year intensive training academic process.

However, the university’s premedical science program is more focused on a diploma but still provides the prerequisites essential for students who wish to continue onto medicine. The university is further affiliated with hospitals in Guyana as well as in the USA (Wyckoff Hospital) and in Canada (Royal Queens College).

2. International American Medical University

Located in the island country of St. Lucia, the American International Medical University (or the AIMU) is a recently established offshore medical college that was founded in 2007.

This cheap Caribbean medical school runs in collaboration with numerous other schools of medicine in the US and in Canada, including institutions such as the Washington Adventist University (WAU). These collaborations and partnerships enable the university to provide numerous support programs and accredited courses.

The academic profile of the university consists of a School of Nursing and a School of Medicine. The university further has a high student: staff ratio and prides itself on providing individual attention so students make the most of their academic experience.

Offshore medical schools like these usually involve providing high standards of academic teaching to foreign students who are particularly looking for opportunities to further their careers in the US or Canada.

3. All Saints University School of Medicine, Dominica

All Saints University, one of the cheapest medical schools in the Caribbean, is a private school of medicine located in the capital city of Roseau in Dominica. It is one of the few schools of medicine in the Caribbean that are administered by an international university based in Toronto in Canada. The university also has an international office in Chicago, Illinois.

Founded in 2006, All Saints University has expanded into an internationally recognized institution of higher education that provides studies for hundreds of students. Courses are offered for both local and foreign students.

Programs that are provided include the 5 year MD program for recent school leavers who wish to gain direct admission into this affordable medical school in the Caribbean.

A 4-year program is also offered for graduates of the university, usually with a Bachelor’s of Science degree. Additionally, students have the advantage of pursuing clinical fellowships and rotations with affiliated hospitals and medical centers in the United States.

4. All American Institute of Medical Sciences

Based in the southwestern city of Black River in St. Elizabeth Parish, Jamaica, the All American Institute of Medical Sciences is an offshore school of medicine that was established in 2009. It officially began inducting students in 2011.

The institution is known for its picturesque, 5-acre campus that overlooks the Caribbean ocean. It provides several facilities including on-campus accommodation and ideal academic buildings for the students. The main educational program offered by the university is the four-year MD program.

The unique feature of this program is the fact that the first 2 years of the program consist of the pre-clinical studies in Jamaica while the final clinical years take place in the United States/Canada/UK or affiliated hospitals in other countries.

Admission does not usually require the MCAT examination for entry as well. Additionally, its low tuition costs and low cost of living in the area make it a very good option for prospective medical students.

5. Windsor University School of Medicine

The Windsor University School of Medicine is a private college of medicine that is located in the town of Cayon in Saint Kitts and Nevis. The university was founded in 2000 and is among the oldest of the new medical schools that were created in the Caribbean.

It has since expanded into one of the most prestigious institutions in the Caribbean region with a student population exceeding 1500. It operates through an administration office in Monee, Illinois as well as additional campuses in Carbondale, Illinois, and Houghton Lake, Michigan.

It provides a 4 year MD program comprising 10 semesters (with 3 semesters each year). Clinical training and clerkships include the bulk of the program as well. The largest proportion of students come from foreign countries and have access to multiple student organizations and societies.

Additionally, the program is based on the curriculum of the British and American medical school systems. As with the majority of medical schools in the Caribbean, clerkships are completed either in national hospitals or in hospitals in the United States.

In addition to the MD graduate program, the university also provides a pre-medical program for high school leavers who do not have the necessary requirements for entry into the MD program.

6. American University of St. Vincent

  • Tuition Fees: From USD $6,000 Per Year

The American University of St. Vincent is a medical institution that was is one of the most recent establishments in the medical schools of the Caribbean.

Despite its inception, the university has been highly promoted by both academics and physicians due to its increasing standards of education. The AUS campus is located in the heart of the island of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Based in the city of Kingstown, the campus is secure yet serene and beautiful which is a high advantage for its students. The academic environment at this cheap medical school in the Caribbean is built up in such a way that students get one-to-one attention with the small class size and the relatively small student: staff ratio.

Students further gain clinical exposure from the onset of their course, introducing them to significantly higher skills as opposed to other courses in university. Its course content is further heavily integrated with an emphasis on medical courses in the United States, Canada, and the UK.

In terms of international student requirements, the university accepts applications from prospective medics who have undergraduate degrees from any university other than those in the United States.

7. Caribbean Medical University

The Caribbean Medical University is an independent medical school located on the Caribbean island of Curaçao (part of the Antilles in the southern Caribbean ocean). Founded in 2007, this affordable Caribbean medical school confers the Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree after an intensive four-year training course.

Similar to most medical programs, the course academically consists of around 10 semesters (with 1 year having 3 semesters). The first 4 semesters provide the basic pre-clinical studies (and necessary clinical exposure), while the remaining 5 semesters consist of clinical clerkships in affiliated institutions in the United States.

It is also recognized as a designated educational institution of medicine by the Canadian government. As such, the university provides excellent affiliations with prestigious medical institutions both in the United States and in Canada.

Furthermore, for prospective medics, in addition to the relatively cheap tuition fees, the university also offers payment plans as well as student loans to ease finances.

8. Saint James School of Medicine (Highest Value)

Next on our list of cheapest medical schools in the Caribbean The Saint James School of Medicine is a private school of medicine that is academically comprised of 2 basic science campuses that are located in Anguilla (the British Overseas Territory) and in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Originally founded in 2000, the university underwent several mergers before establishing its two campuses. As is the case with other universities in the Caribbean, the medical course comprises 10 academic semesters. The first half of the course consists of pre-clinical studies on the home campuses while the remaining half consists of clinical courses in the United States.

9. St. George’s University School of Medicine

Founded in 1976 and known for being one of the oldest schools of medicine in the Caribbean, St. George’s University School of Medicine is an elite international university and school of medicine based in the capital city of St. George’s in Grenada.

It has grown into a world-class institution that provides academic courses in a range of fields including medicine, public health, veterinary medicine, health sciences, nursing as well as arts and business studies.

It has a student enrolment of over 6300, of which the vast majority comprises international students who come from over 140 different countries, as well as a staff of over 2000.

The campus exists on 42 acres of expansive grounds located in a picturesque location in the peninsula of southwestern Grenada. Buildings on the campus have an iconic Georgian architectural style as well.

The academic organization mainly consists of the Doctor of Medicine (MD) program which is usually around 4 years. It is also one of the only universities in the region that offers the MD program in joint partnership with other degrees such as the Master of Public Health, the Master of Science, or the Master of Business Administration.

This affordable medical school in the Caribbean is affiliated with international institutions in the United States, the UK, Canada, Australia as well as in Ireland.

10. Ross University School of Medicine (Most Reputable)

Located on the sunny island of Barbados, the Ross University School of Medicine is an offshore private medical college that was founded in 1978.

While the main campus of the university is based in the capital of Bridgetown, the university has its administrative offices located in Iselin, New Jersey, and Miramar, Florida.

From the inaugurating class of 11 students, it has now expanded into a global institution of over 2000 students. The international student population primarily consists of students who are interested in pursuing a cheaper clinical education with access to medical clerkship opportunities in the United States and other foreign countries.

We rank Ross Medical School to be the most reputable among this list of cheap medical schools in the Caribbean because of international collaborations including the Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science as well as the Dillard University.

11. New York Medical University

Based on the Caribbean island of Curacao, the New York Medical University is an internationally recognized and foreign-oriented offshore school of medicine.

The university is comprised of a strong and vibrant international student community as well as academic staff who come from across the world. Curacao has a unique location based just north of the South American continent.

It prides itself on the diversity of culture and the population is oriented towards four languages: Dutch, English, Spanish, and a local language known as Papiamento. This affordable medical school in the Caribbean provides two programs of medicine: an MD program of 4 years and a 5.5-year program.

The latter program is aimed at students who enter the university with no bachelor’s or undergraduate degree. On the other hand, students with a bachelor’s degree, preferably in the field of Science, can enter the 4-year program.

12. St. Matthew’s University School of Medicine

We end our list of affordable medical schools in the Caribbean with St. Matthew’s University, a private institute and school of medicine that was founded in 1997. It is located in the Grand Cayman of the iconic Cayman Islands.

The university’s internationally recognized MD program comprises a 10-semester long course with the first half being the basic pre-medical sciences and the remaining half focusing on clinical training.

The university runs collaborations with the New York as well as the Florida State Education Department which enables its medical students to pursue 12 week-long intensive clinical clerkships in New York and the state of Florida in the United States.

 

We hope that this article on cheap medical schools in the Caribbean was helpful! Make sure to also check out the Available Programs for International Students!

About the Author: Hyun Lee

Hyun is the founder at Global Scholarships. He has received a full-tuition scholarship at Birmingham-Southern College as well as $1,000 Burger King Scholarship for his undergraduate degree and has been offered a fully funded scholarship consisting of tuition, living stipend, and health insurance for computer science Ph.D. program at North Carolina State University. Read more about his scholarship journey here.

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2 Comments

  1. VenkataSubrahmanyam - Reply

    I need more information for 2024 intake admission

    • Hyun Lee - Reply

      Hello, the information on 2024 admissions for Caribbean Medical Schools can be found in their website. Each Caribbean medical school’s admissions is different, so you do need to go to their websites to find the relevant information.

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