As Medical School Applications Skyrocket, More Candidates May Turn To The Caribbean – Forbes

Some are calling it the "Fauci Effect." Others attribute it to a lack of gap year opportunities or a less burdensome virtual application process. Whatever the reason, one thing is clear: applications to medical school have skyrocketed.

Medical schools have gotten more competitive and hopefully applicants are turning towards ... [+] alternative paths to medicine.

According to the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC), applications increased 18% over the 2020 cycle. They grew less than 3% per year, on average, over the last decade.

The dramatic increase in apps this year is an acceleration of a long-running trend. The number of applicants jumped nearly 60% between 2002 and 2020. The number of spots available at U.S. medical schools hasn't kept pace. Between 2002 and 2020, the number of students who enrolled in med school increased just 35%.

During the most recent application cycle, Boston University School of Medicine received over 12,000 applications for 110 seats. Stanford University School of Medicine received 11,000 applications for 90 seats.

Increasingly long admissions odds are causing many U.S. students to consider medical schools abroad, particularly those in the Caribbean.

A 1980 report published by the federally chartered Graduate Medical Education National Advisory Committee predicted that the United States would soon have an excess of doctors. So no new medical schools were established in the two decades that followed.

But since then, the U.S. population has grown and aged. That has dramatically increased demand for physician care. Now, the country is projected to be short up to 124,000 doctors by 2034, according to the AAMC's latest figures.

Creating a new medical school requires years of work and millions of dollars. And it's difficult for existing schools to grow. As Geoffrey Young, the AAMC's senior director of student affairs and programs, said in an interview with MedPage Today earlier this year, many schools lack the necessary resources to support larger classes and would have to go through a laborious accreditation process to boost class sizes.

"For decades, medical schools weren't meeting the needs of an increasingly older U.S. population. Now, they're forced to play a game of catch-up," said Dr. G. Richard Olds, co-founder of UC-Riverside School of Medicine and current president of St. George's University (SGU) in Grenada, in an interview with Moon Prep.

Consequently, there won't be enough medical school slots for the foreseeable future. As Jayme Bograd, director of application services, recruitment, and student affairs for the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, told MedPage Today in January, "There will be qualified people that just don't have a seat to medical school this year."

Qualified students who come out on the wrong end of an admissions decision may find that a Caribbean medical school is a worthwhile option.

International med schools may be more willing to look beyond a low MCAT score or one semester of subpar grades than U.S. schools. There are plenty of people who would make excellent doctors who do not have the opportunity to work in hospitals or have experiences and skills that compensate for a lower-than-average GPA. International schools take pride in finding - and admitting - them.

"A student's test-taking ability shouldn't define their potential as a doctor," Olds said. "Caribbean medical schools provide a necessary pathway for thousands of highly competitive U.S. applicants every year."

It's important to note that not all Caribbean medical schools are created equal. While some have long-standing records of student success, others have varying attrition rates, accreditation status, and student opportunities.

Consequently, applicants must research the Caribbean medical schools they're considering and weigh their options carefully. Medical school hopefuls should ask about the school's accreditation, federal student loan qualification, affiliated hospitals, student support, and residency match rates before making a decision. St. George's University, for example, placed over 1,000 students in residencies this year.

More and more students are attending medical school abroad - and then returning to the United States to practice. Since 2010, the number of international medical graduates (IMGs) practicing in the United States has grown by nearly 18%.

According to the latest data from the Federation of State Medical Boards, the share of licensed U.S. IMGs who have graduated from Caribbean medical schools has increased by more than 150% since 2010. About one-quarter of all licensed doctors in the United States are international medical graduates. Many of them are U.S. citizens.

"More than three-quarters of SGU students are U.S. citizens," Olds said. "Our students are also more likely to work in underserved areas and specialties where physician shortages are most acute."

More students are applying to medical schools than ever before. After careful research and consideration, many of them may decide that pursuing their medical educations abroad is a smart move.

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As Medical School Applications Skyrocket, More Candidates May Turn To The Caribbean - Forbes