With an expected shortage of doctors in the United States by 2020, medical schools have seen a surge of applicants — increasing by 2.5 percent in 2010, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.
Students registered in Penn’s pre-medical program fare very well when applying to medical schools. In 2008, 71 percent of Penn applicants were accepted, according to Career Services, whereas only 46 percent of applicants nationwide were granted admission.
But because there is such a demand for doctors, there is also a growing national trend of students who go to offshore medical schools instead of American schools — especially the more than 30 private schools in the Caribbean — to complete their medical education.
The “Caribbean M.D.” has a stigma associated with it, as critics claim that it is not as academically rigorous as its American counterpart. But keeping the physician shortage in mind, Caribbean medical schools will serve a critical role in churning out the kinds of primary-care physicians that will be in demand.
According to a recent New York Times article, the bigger Caribbean medical schools are getting a foothold into U.S. hospitals by paying millions of dollars for clerkship spots for its third- or fourth-year students (positions that are usually free for affiliated U.S. medical schools). The article also reports that critics claim these schools turn out poorly trained students who destabilize the quality of training for U.S. medical students learning alongside them at hospitals.
But that argument is not entirely accurate. Students from any Caribbean school still have to pass the same rigorous exams as U.S. medical students. And passing the United States Medical Licensing Examination will allow almost anyone to practice medicine in at least some state within the U.S. However, it takes more than that to become a successful physician, and unfortunately, no U.S. or Caribbean school is truly equipped for that.
In 2008, 67 percent of Penn applicants had taken time off after college before applying to medical school. The Caribbean is ideal for these students who have spent a few years out of college. It requires a certain mentality to deal with foreign standards and to overcome the difficult academic conditions that places like these present.
If you can get through the 16 months of basic sciences on the islands, it will affect your professional outlook on life. After having experienced the rigorous island life that most students go through, you do feel like you paid your dues to become a M.D.
