Chances is the DOminican Republic Medical Schools

[slatka000]

My friend said he may be going to the Dominican Republic to attend some med school there. He said he can transfer there without even finishing his major, that is cheaper, and that when he is done all he needs to do is take a test to validate his studies. he also mentioned he doesnt even need to take the MCAT!
how much of this is true?
would this mean he is going to be under student visa?
what is the catch? what are the requirements?
please help, i dont want him to make a huge mistake
thank you for your time

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[organdonor]

My friend said he may be going to the Dominican Republic to attend some med school there. He said he can transfer there without even finishing his major, that is cheaper, and that when he is done all he needs to do is take a test to validate his studies. he also mentioned he doesnt even need to take the MCAT!
how much of this is true?
would this mean he is going to be under student visa?
what is the catch? what are the requirements?
please help, i dont want him to make a huge mistake
thank you for your time

The tests your friend was talking about are the USMLE exams. If he passes all 3 USMLE exams he would be allowed to practice medicine in the U.S.

There are several Caribbean medical schools that all operate very similarly. Some don't require you to have a bachelors degree, some don't require an MCAT score. These schools will accept nearly anyone.

The attrition rate of these schools is astronomical, meaning that a great portion of their students are in loads of debt without anything to show for it. You will also have a more difficult time getting into any residency that is the least bit competitive, as FMG's, foreign medical graduates, are looked down upon by domestic schools as a lower quality education. Some schools also require you to set up your own third and fourth year rotations. With some of these schools, you will be living in a third world country. How would you like to have been one of the medical students at St. Georges University (in Grenada) when Grenada was caught in the crossfire between resident communist forces, Cubans, and the U.S. when it invaded?

 

[Catalystik]

You can find more information about specific Caribbean med schools in SDN's International Medicine>Caribbean Forum further down on the main list, with the Search function. Perhaps your friend may have been referring to UNIBE in the Dominican Republic, or UCE?