Admission Requirements

Caribbean medical school admissions requirements are similar to the ones of the medical schools in U.S. The Admissions Committee at Caribbean Medical University School of Medicine considers many factors as relevant predictors of a good medical student. However, as medical school is a rigorous academic challenge, the committee must be satisfied that a prospective student has the ability to successfully assimilate the curriculum.

The committee evaluates applicants in a comprehensive manner. We are interested in the whole individual and evaluate applications using all components of the application package. Our goal is to determine whether or not you have the academic ability and determination to pursue a rigorous medical school education. We look beyond GPA calculations and test scores in order to determine your motivation, maturity, leadership ability, knowledge of the medical field and academic progression in time.

PREMEDICAL PROGRAM ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Three trimesters of Premedical Science are offered to accommodate students from different academic backgrounds as a foundation for Medical Science, therefore, all Premed applicants have to meet the following requirements:

• High/ Secondary School Diploma and Official Transcripts (minimum educational background)
• TOEFL: 60 or IELTS: 6.0 (if applicable)

MEDICAL PROGRAM ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Caribbean Medical University School of Medicine requires a minimum of 90 credits hours of college level courses for admission to the Medical Science program. Although a baccalaureate degree is strongly preferred, students who have demonstrated exceptional academic achievements may be considered without a baccalaureate degree. 
These requirements are laid down by State Medical Boards and are required for future licensure in the respective states.

To ensure a successful academic career at CMU and to correlate with licensure guidelines, all applicants have to meet the following requirements:

• Applicants must be at least 18 years of age upon arrival at CMU in Curacao
• Bachelor’s degree or at least 90 credit hours of accredited undergraduate studies and have completed the following subjects:
  • One year of Biology or Zoology
  • One year of General Chemistry
  • One year of Organic Chemistry
  • One year of General Physics
  • One semester of Math: Calculus or Statistics
  • One semester of English
• MCAT optional
• TOEFL: 60 or IELTS: 6.0 (if applicable)
• Although not an admissions requirement, the Admissions Committee will take studies in Social Science into consideration as an additional advantage for eligibility and acceptance into the Medical program at CMU. During the medical studies at CMU, Introduction to Clinical Medicine and Ethics will educate the students on the importance of recognizing and understanding the social/human aspects of the patient and the health team members regarding the religion, the cultural diversity.

Please Note: Applicants with lower GPA scores should have strong letters of recommendation and satisfy the Admissions Committee that they possess strong motivation to study medicine. Preference will be given to Applicants who have satisfactory MCAT scores or have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Additionally, a personal interview may be requested at the discretion of the Admissions Committee.

ACADEMIC TRANSCRIPTS FROM NON-U.S. & CANADIAN SCHOOLS

For admission, scholarship purposes, and to apply for some loans, students from non-U.S. & CA schools must request & submit an evaluation report for U.S. equivalence and GPA even if the school follows an English curriculum. If the academic transcripts are not in English, a translation is also required.

Type of Evaluation Report

• For academic transcripts from High/Secondary Schools, IB Programs or equivalent: request a general evaluation report and GPA
• For transcripts from colleges and or universities or equivalent: request a course-by-course evaluation and GPA

List of Evaluation Companies Accepted

• Education Credential Evaluators (ECE): https://www.ece.org/
• World Education Services (WES): http://www.wes.org/
• Any company listed with the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) http://www.naces.org/

Choose a company from the list above, go to the site, and follow instructions for the type of evaluation report required based on your academic transcripts. When the evaluation is completed, the company must forward it to CMU with a copy of your academic transcripts electronically (admissions’ email) or via regular mail. 
Only transcripts with evaluation reports will be accepted for admission, to be considered for the Admission Excellence Scholarship, and or if you want to apply for the CMU MedLoan as all require evaluation reports with GPA.

NOTE: Evaluation reports may take up to 30 days to be completed, please request the evaluation report in a timely manner for the term you want to attend.

PROFESSIONAL EXAMINATIONS

Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) – optional
Applicants who have taken the MCAT examination are highly encouraged to submit their scores to us. While this is not a main determinant of your ability to succeed in medical school, it may help us qualify you for acceptance, in combination with our evaluation of your grade point average. 
For more info visit: MCAT Website

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) – if applicable
The Test of English as a Foreign Language™ (TOEFL) measures the ability of nonnative speakers of English to use and understand English as it is spoken, written, and heard in college and university settings. The minimum acceptable score is 60 on the computer-based test. The paper-based TOEFL ended in May of 2012 so any passing scores before that date will be accepted. 
For more info visit: TOEFL Website

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) – if applicable
IELTS is the International English Language Testing System. It measures ability to communicate in English across all four language skills – listening, reading, writing and speaking – for people who intend to study or work where English is the language of communication. 
For more info visit: IELTS Website

NON NORTH AMERICAN APPLICANTS

The Admissions Committee will review applications from applicants from countries with educational standards comparable to the US. An applicant must have achieved the successful completion of secondary school (12 years post-kindergarten, comprising four years post-primary/elementary, that is at least eight years long). 
All applications will be evaluated on an individual basis. All academic transcripts should be evaluated for U.S. equivalence through an approved evaluation agency along with a translation into English. Applicants whose native language is not English are required to take TOEFL (Test Of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System).

Applicants who do not meet the admission requirements for direct entry into the medical science may apply for admission to the premedical science program. Depending on the country of origin and academic background, a student enters the premedical science course for a period of one to three semesters, depending upon the academic credentials.

Evaluation reports for academic transcripts from Non-U.S./ Canadian Schools: please see information above.

TRANSFER ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Please see our transfer student information page here

REQUIREMENTS FOR GRADUATION

To be awarded an Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree from Caribbean Medical University School of Medicine, the eligible student must satisfactorily complete the medical science portion of the curriculum as well as all required 72 weeks of clinical rotations. Furthermore, the student must pass the USMLE Step 1 and complete all core rotations.

The student has to fulfill all financial obligations to the university, including $780 graduation fee, while complying at all times with the Student Honor Code (set out under “Policies & Procedures “).