A critical resource for any student considering medical school in the Caribbean Region! Central and South American Medical Schools - Caribbean Region, 1st edition, includes a wealth of information for prospective medical students on twenty-two medical schools located throughout this region of the Caribbean. This book is meant to be an adjunct to: Caribbean Medical Schools - Greater and Lesser Antilles, which describes forty medical schools in this region of the Caribbean. Both books include information on acceptance requirements, licensing, international medical graduate residency acceptance statistics, travel information, and island and international life. The book is produced by the American Medical Residency Certification Board (AMRCB(R)) for the purpose or assisting students in selecting an appropriate medical school and understanding the process of attending an international medical school in the Caribbean Region. Often referred to as the "Bluebooks," these guides have become trusted references for multitudes of successful physicians.
About the Author: I did not decide to become a physician until I was in my late 20's and did not actually apply to medical school until I was 30 years old. At this juncture in my life, I was happily married, had a 6-year-old daughter, and was well into my original career choice, which was as a firefighter and a paramedic. It was not at all easy to return to college full-time while I worked full-time and enjoyed my family. I knew that I wanted to be a physician, however, and was prepared to do what was necessary to accomplish this. My intention from the beginning was to matriculate into a United States medical school. Knowing that competition was fierce, I was a realist when it came to understanding that it was completely possible that I might not get accepted. It was at this point that I began researching international medical schools and the procedures that would be required to practice medicine in the United States were I to graduate from one of these schools. I quickly discovered that no complete resources existed to provide me with the information that I needed on schools located throughout the Caribbean region. Consequently, this book was born. I have since graduated from Mercer University School of Medicine in Macon, Georgia U.S.A. I completed a combined residency in Internal Medicine and Psychiatry at Dartmouth in New Hampshire and obtained a Master's Degree in Health Policy from the Dartmouth Institute. I continued to work clinically and hold the position of the Chief Medical Officer at a Dartmouth affiliated hospital. Subsequently, I was asked to lead the American Medical Residency Certification Board(R) and function as the Chief Executive Officer. I am very thankful for my education and training in the United States; however, I would have gone to the Caribbean without regret for my education had this been necessary. This book will hopefully provide guidance to prospective students so that they, too, can matriculate into the medical school of their choice, whether it is in the Caribbean or elsewhere. Steven W. Powell, MD, MPH, CPE