In general, prerequisites for Caribbean medical schools are less stringent than those in the United States. The Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER) lists about 60 Caribbean medical schools in their International Medical Education Directory. Caribbean medical schools are added to this directory when they meet requirements for recognition from the local Ministry of Health or other appropriate agency. Because each country in the Caribbean has different standards, Caribbean medical schools have different prerequisites.
Not all Caribbean medical schools consider an undergraduate college degree a prerequisite for admission. While a degree is always preferred, many schools accept 90 hours of college course work. These schools include Central American Health Sciences University, Medical University of the Americas, Ross University and University of Health Sciences Antigua. Other schools, such as American International School of Medicine, St. George's University and American University of the Caribbean require a completed college degree from an accredited institution.
Regardless of the degree requirement, all Caribbean medical schools require a foundation of basic pre-medical college coursework. At a bare minimum, colleges require one year each of general chemistry, organic chemistry and biological sciences with labs. Saba University is the only school where this will satisfy requirements, however. Spartan Health Sciences University also requires one year of mathematics. American University of Antigua, Ross University and many others include physics and English coursework as core requirements. All Caribbean medical schools recommend a broad background in humanities, social sciences and/or physical sciences to strengthen your application.
MCAT scores are not always a prerequisite for admission to all Caribbean medical schools. Taking the MCAT is optional for admission to Spartan Health Sciences University. Central America Health Sciences University and University of Health Sciences Antigua encourage students to take the MCAT, but it is not required. However, schools such as Saba University, Ross University and St. George's University do require prospective students to take the MCAT, so be sure to submit test scores if these schools are on your radar.
Caribbean medical schools use the English language to conduct classes. Students from non-English-speaking countries are welcome to attend if they demonstrate English proficiency. This is done through submitting scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).