The University of the West Indies Faculty of Medical Sciences, St. Augustine

[SDN-Jim]

http://www.fis.utoronto.ca/research/programs/uwi/fms.html

If you have any experience with this medical school, please let us know!

This is part of the medical schools section in the Big Guide at http://studentdoctor.net/guide/medschool_listing/index.html

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[galadriel]

UWI is for natives of the West Indies. It is not an offshore medical school nor a US med school.

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[Stephen Ewen]

Obviously it is not a US school , but it accepts quite a few Americans each year, and there is a large UWI Alumini association here in the US.

 

[KungFuMaster]

It is under unlimited registration with GMC, but that could change in the future, as well other unlimited registration medical schools elsewhere in the world.

 

[Atlas]

I've been interested in this school since I met a graduate...an ophthalmologist in my area. If anyone has more information, I'd appreciate reading it!

 

[busupshot83]

I've been interested in this school since I met a graduate...an ophthalmologist in my area. If anyone has more information, I'd appreciate reading it!

http://sta.uwi.edu/fms/prog_mbbs.php

 

[busupshot83]

Here's more:

http://www.trinidad.net/amsa/info.htm

 

[Skip Intro]

This is a "true" medical school (i.e., large full-time faculty, all rotations done at their teaching hospitals in the islands, etc.) and they offer the M.B.B.S. degree in lieu of the M.D. degree. It is based on the British medical education model. And, it is very competitive.

-Skip

 

[busupshot83]

This is a "true" medical school (i.e., large full-time faculty, all rotations done at their teaching hospitals in the islands, etc.) and they offer the M.B.B.S. degree in lieu of the M.D. degree. It is based on the British medical education model. And, it is very competitive.

-Skip

U.S. students take the USMLE Step I after their first 2 years, can UWI students do the same (or after their basic sciences, because it is 5 years)?

 

[Skip Intro]

U.S. students take the USMLE Step I after their first 2 years, can UWI students do the same (or after their basic sciences, because it is 5 years)?

I think most students who go to this school intend to stay and practice in the Caribbean. Having said that, though, if whatever school you are at will endorse you and you are able to get an ECFMG registration number, you can take the USMLE Step 1 at any time after you've been enrolled for at least two-years in any WHO/IMED-listed, ECFMG-recognized school in the world, which West Indies definitely is (with stipulations).

More info:

http://www.ecfmg.org/2005ib/ibexam.html#eligibility

-Skip

 

[busupshot83]

I think most students who go to this school intend to stay and practice in the Caribbean. Having said that, though, if whatever school you are at will endorse you and you are able to get an ECFMG registration number, you can take the USMLE Step 1 at any time after you've been enrolled for at least two-years in any WHO/IMED-listed, ECFMG-recognized school in the world, which West Indies definitely is (with stipulations).

More info:

http://www.ecfmg.org/2005ib/ibexam.html#eligibility

-Skip

Thank you Skip. I have another question:

The majority of posts regarding UWI, both on SDN and ValueMD, portray it as a prestigious medical school. In terms of training doctors to return to the U.S., how does UWI compare to SGU and Ross ?

 

[Skip Intro]

Thank you Skip. I have another question:

The majority of posts regarding UWI, both on SDN and ValueMD, portray it as a prestigious medical school. In terms of training doctors to return to the U.S., how does UWI compare to SGU and Ross ?

I think the difference basically comes down to this, and I'll be completely candid.

West Indies was set-up to address a need in the area, and to train physicians to practice medicine in the Caribbean. Ross and SGU (and others) were set-up to address a need in the U.S., and to train physicians to practice in the U.S.

These are two completely separate goals being pursued here. At Univ of West Indies, they will strongly consider students who intend to become physicians and remain in the islands. As a result, they predominately draw from those students who are native islanders, and the school is competitive. At Ross and SGU (and the others), they'll strongly consider anyone, and they predominately draw from those who - for whatever reason - couldn't go to school in the U.S.

You can't fairly compare Ross and SGU to UWI anymore than you can compare Ross and SGU to a school in Western Europe. Their primary missions and reasons for existence are completely different. And, if you are not an islander with a competitive application and/or you interview and tell them flatly that you intend to come to the U.S. to practice when you graduate, you will likely not get a spot there unless they have extra space that year.

That's not to say that a strong applicant from the U.S. wouldn't do well there any more or less than any other student, like they would at Ross or SGU (or the others). But, they don't offer a lot of admissions with the intent of subsequently weeding people out during the education process. Again, their mission is to provide doctors who want to practice in the Caribbean. It's a hard program to get into just like U.S. schools, and they have a completely different educational modus operandi.

Put simply, this school does not exist to cater to U.S. students like Ross and SGU (and the others) do.

-Skip

 

[busupshot83]

I think the difference basically comes down to this, and I'll be completely candid.

West Indies was set-up to address a need in the area, and to train physicians to practice medicine in the Caribbean. Ross and SGU (and others) were set-up to address a need in the U.S., and to train physicians to practice in the U.S.

These are two completely separate goals being pursued here. At Univ of West Indies, they will strongly consider students who intend to become physicians and remain in the islands. As a result, they predominately draw from those students who are native islanders, and the school is competitive. At Ross and SGU (and the others), they'll strongly consider anyone, and they predominately draw from those who - for whatever reason - couldn't go to school in the U.S.

You can't fairly compare Ross and SGU to UWI anymore than you can compare Ross and SGU to a school in Western Europe. Their primary missions and reasons for existence are completely different. And, if you are not an islander with a competitive application and/or you interview and tell them flatly that you intend to come to the U.S. to practice when you graduate, you will likely not get a spot there unless they have extra space that year.

That's not to say that a strong applicant from the U.S. wouldn't do well there any more or less than any other student, like they would at Ross or SGU (or the others). But, they don't offer a lot of admissions with the intent of subsequently weeding people out during the education process. Again, their mission is to provide doctors who want to practice in the Caribbean. It's a hard program to get into just like U.S. schools, and they have a completely different educational modus operandi.

Put simply, this school does not exist to cater to U.S. students like Ross and SGU (and the others) do.

-Skip

great post