In the previous blog posts, we discussed why studying medicine in a Caribbean medical school is the right option and the advantages of studying MD in Barbados, a beautiful island country in West Indies, North America. In this post, we will guide you through the factors to look into a medical university to help you find the best Caribbean medical university for your MD/ MD Abroad.
University recognitions constitute the primary element in the checklist for the selection of best Caribbean medical university.
University that you select for your medical education in the home country or medical education abroad must be well-recognized and accredited. To verify the University recognition, go to the website of World Directory of Medical Schools or WDOMS, the most authentic list of all of the medical schools in the world, with accurate, up-to-date, and comprehensive information on each medical school.
On the WDOMS search page, type the name of the University. In our example, we will be looking at the Recognition of Victoria University of Barbados. Once you submit your search, you can see the school details, contact information, as well as details of the Medical Program offered by the University.
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WDOMS Search Page
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Victoria University of Barbados In the World Directory of Medical Schools
After recognition, the second most important thing in the selection of a medical university is to make sure the quality of education provided. Top Caribbean medical schools follow a US-based medical curriculum. You can find more information about their approach to education on the University website and Medical Program page.
Good medical education needs faculty with competence, experience, and natural zeal for teaching. Track record of faculty members of a medical university can tell you a lot about their commitment to teaching and helping students.
So, it’s a good practice to go through the faculty members' profile to have an overview of their qualifications and achievements and what you will be learning with them.
“Without laboratories, men of science are soldiers without arms,” said Louis Pasteur, world-renowned French biologist, microbiologist, and chemist known for his remarkable discoveries and innovations in the field of medicine.
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"Without laboratories, men of science are soldiers without arms" - Louis Pasteur
While Pasteur’s quote dates back to the 19th century, it is even more relevant today than it was back then. Pasteur’s quote beautifully summarizes the importance of infrastructure and pragmatic approach in medical education.
While looking for your best medical university, take time to explore the infrastructure of the University. Make sure the concerned University has appropriate arrangements for laboratories and research opportunities and keep its pace with the latest medical technologies.
Clinical rotations are one of the most important aspects of the MD Program and mark your entry into the world of medical practice. During clinical training, you get the opportunity to attend University-affiliated hospitals, work with experienced doctors and healthcare professionals, involve in patient-care, and learn pragmatically.
To acquire the requisite skills of a successful doctor, the hands-on-clinical experience is important. So, before taking admission to a medical university, enquire about the clinical rotations arrangements the University has in place. It’s better to look for a medical university that provides clinical rotations in different countries. International clinical rotations can help you get global exposure, understand the medical care needs of different people and different regions, and become globally competent healthcare professionals.
Medical education is not easy. Once you go for it, you need to devote 100% of your time to medical studies, and one of the factors that can help you with that is to get admission to a University that provides education in a language you already know and has a culture you can fit into.
Also, it’s a good practice to go to a country where the official language is the one that you are familiar with. In that case, you will have no problem in dealing with local people.
For example, if you know English, you should try to get into a medical university where the medium of instruction is English; otherwise, you have to learn a new language. In the Caribbean, there are many countries where the official language is English, like Barbados and Guyana.
When it comes to higher education, finance is a barrier for many students. We all have limited means, and we should make the best of what we have.
In the Caribbean, depending on the medical universities, medical program fees can be as low as US$ 35,000 or as high as more than US$ 200,000. We recommend you select a university that fits into your budget. To finance your medical education, you can also get an education loan or apply for a scholarship, if available.
Not all universities provide managed hostel and mess facilities. If the Caribbean is foreign to you, you don’t want to take the responsibility of arranging for a rented apartment and cooking food on your shoulders. Do you?
To make the best use of your time at the Medical University, ensure that the University you are going to provides fully managed hostel and mess facilities.
The selection of a university for your MD abroad is no small deal. Once you become a medical student at a university, you will spend the next five or six years of your life there. In those years, you will face several problems – be it related to your health, studies, finance, food, Visa, and making mistakes!
While no University can spoon-feed you, support from the University personnel to resolve valid problems will go a long way. A good way to put a check on the University support system is to have a look at what other students are saying about it. You can also have a chat with some current students and learn from their experiences.
Medical education is demanding, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t have a life as a medical student! See what the prospect University has in place to make your student life happy and developing you as a person.
This —Postgraduation Career Opportunities— factor, in the context of the medical career of International Medical Graduates, points to the two other factors we have already discussed: University Recognitions and International Clinical Rotations.
Once you complete your medical graduation, your career opportunities will be highly influenced by the recognition of your University, reputation of hospitals where you have done your clinical rotations, recommendations you have earned as a student, and the efforts that you have put into the entire journey of becoming a doctor.
When you go to a foreign medical university to pursue MD , there are many other things that you need to take care of, from the beginning, during the program, and even after completion of your medical program. Passport, Visa application and renewal, travel arrangements, preparation of postgraduate medical licensing examination are just a few of the many tasks you need to handle as a medical student/ graduate.
While your final move will not be solely dependent on University support for these tasks, it is worthy to see if University helps its students in these areas. It helps to check the level of University’s engagement with its students.
As per the survey, work-life-balance and stress are two of the top six challenges faced by medical students and healthcare professionals. In a hectic schedule of the medical program, it’s natural to get caught into a never-ending study and study cycle.
For the well-being and all-round developments of the students and burst study stress, the University must make arrangements for student refreshments, extra-curricular, and sports activities.
What’s the point of looking up to a medical school that has put in place eligibility criteria that your records can’t match? For example, if your school percentage doesn’t match the required level of percentage for MD admission in a certain medical university, that doesn’t mean that you can’t get MD Admissions elsewhere. There are so many universities in the Caribbean, and you can find the one for which you are eligible.
Once you are an MD student, your school grades have nothing to do with your future. It is your determination and work that you put into your study and training as a medical student that will shape your future as a medical professional.
Once you are an MD student, your school grades have nothing to do with your future. It is your determination and work that you put into your study and training as a medical student that will shape your future as a medical professional.
Current students of a university have already been there where you are looking to be! They have already gone through the University experience and know all about the education quality, how the faculty is, where the University infrastructure and facilities stand, and student life.
If you can connect with a current student of a prospect University, online or in person, you can get a glimpse into your future life and make a wise choice.
These are the most factors that will help you find a medical university in Caribbean that is best for you. In case we missed factors that you would like to add in this list that can help students, do let us know in the comments section.
Victoria University of Barbados: Medical University In Barbados, Caribbean, North America
Victoria University of Barbados (VUB) is an international and one of the fastest-growing medical universities in Caribbean situated in Bridgetown, the capital city of Barbados, a beautiful island country in the West Indies region of North America.
VUB is a well-recognized University listed in WDOMS, licensed by the Government of Barbados, and approved by the Medical Council of India (MCI). The University offers a US-based MD Program to students from Barbados as well as other countries worldwide, with a pragmatic approach to education supported by laboratories, modern classrooms, and renowned faculty members.
English is the medium of instruction at VUB, and the fee structure of the University is one of the lowest in the entire Caribbean region making it affordable to study medicine in Caribbean. For all international students, VUB takes care of Visa and travel arrangements and provides a fully managed hostel and mess facility on the campus. For clinical training, the University has arrangements in Asia while opportunities for clinical rotations in the USA, Caribbean, and other regions are being developed.
Currently, the University has students from South Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean and invites applications for admission from aspiring doctors worldwide. If you are looking for one of the finest medical universities in the Caribbean, we invite you to apply to the MD Program of Victoria University of Barbados, come to Barbados, study medicine at VUB, and Let Your Medical Career Shine.
Victoria University of Barbados, School of Medicine (VUB) is one of the well-recognized and fastest-growing medical universities in Barbados, North America. Among other recognitions, the University is listed in World Directory of Medical Schools (WDOMS), chartered by Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Government of Barbados, approved by Medical Council of India (MCI), and offers US-Based International-Standard MD Program (equivalent to MBBS).
Know more about The University, MD Program, or contact us for admission inquiries.
Victoria University of Barbados, School of Medicine (VUB) is a well-recognized Caribbean Medical University in Barbados, North America and offers MD Program to aspiring doctors worldwide.
