Caribbean medical schools offer many alternatives, and one key advantage is the ability to start at different times of the year, such as May and January, in addition to September.
The UMHS Pulse takes a look at the benefits of starting medical school in either May or January. We will examine why people take this unconventional approach and why you might consider doing so as well.
Reasons Why Students Choose May or January Start Dates
People Miss Application Deadlines: Quite simply, many prospective medical school students miss deadlines to begin the following September, which are often 8-10 months prior to the intended term of enrollment. The reasons why future doctors miss the deadlines differ vary. Some are finishing a research project in a medically related field, while others are involved either taking or studying for the MCAT. Many are either busy saving up money for tuition and expenses or paying off existing debt so they can enter med school without worrying about finances. Finally, some prospective medical students wish to strengthen their GPA by taking advanced undergraduate coursework. These students often take a class they didn’t have time for as an undergraduate, but want to complete to demonstrate ability to do well in upper-level science courses. These individuals want to complete the course before applying to schools, and therefore miss traditional deadlines.
If you missed the deadline for September enrollment in medical school, consider applying to international or Caribbean medical schools that let you start in January and May in addition to September. We spoke to Sean Powers, UMHS Director of Admissions, about the benefits of starting medical school in May or January.
"Schools which offer the opportunity to enroll in 'off-cycle' semesters such as January or May provide flexibility to many types of students. Particularly, those who have completed their undergraduate program at any point other than the late spring can benefit as they would not need to wait as long to begin medical school. For example, a student who completes their bachelor's degree in December could start right away in January, as opposed to waiting for the following fall."
Starting in May or January Means You Finish Med School Faster: It takes an average of four years to complete an M.D. at allopathic medical schools, and an additional three to five years to complete medical residency training (depending on your specialty), and you must pass all three steps of the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE). So, with seven to nine years of combined schooling and residency training, many students choose international medical schools to get on the fast track to becoming a doctor.
For example, you may have missed the deadline for September enrollment at North American medical schools for one of the reasons explained earlier, and don’t want to wait another year to get started on your dream. Caribbean medical schools such as UMHS offer spring/summer semesters that start each May.
(Top photo). The UMHS campus in St. Kitts. Photo: UMHS file photo
About UMHS:
Built in the tradition of the best US universities, the University of Medicine and Health Sciencesfocuses on individual student attention, maintaining small class sizes and recruiting high-quality faculty. We call this unique approach, “personalized medical education,” and it’s what has led to our unprecedented 96% student retention rate, and outstanding residency placements across the US and Canada.
Scott is Director of Digital Content & Alumni Communications Liaison at UMHS and editor of the UMHS Endeavour blog. When he's not writing about UMHS students, faculty, events, public health, alumni and UMHS research, he writes and edits Broadway theater reviews for a website he publishes in New York City, StageZine.com.
