The US Medical School Experience in the Caribbean: Quality, Opportunity, and the Trinity Advantage

The Governor General of St. Vincent & the Grenadines, US-trained cardiologist Sir Frederick Ballantyne, MD, GCMG, is fond of saying, "Trinity isn't about being a good 'Caribbean' medical school, it is about being a good medical school, period." Over the years, Trinity has distinguished itself from other schools in the Caribbean. We, as an institution, always strive to reach the gold standard in medical education, a standard set by US medical schools and the LCME. Today, we're going to walk through some of those key similarities that set Trinity students apart and give our applicants the opportunities and experiences they couldn't find at home.

The chart on the left breaks it all down very well (you can also click on it to get a PDF copy!), but we're going to unpack some of what you see in there for those of you who want a little bit more info. Let's get into it.

‍Accreditation

‍The LCME sets the standard for accreditation in the US and is recognized globally. However, the LCME doesn't accredit schools outside of the US, (with the exception of a partnership program in Canada).Trinity School of Medicine’s accreditation (CAAM-HP) is built on those same standards and is recognized as comparable to the LCME by the US Department of Education.

‍Class Size

‍Small classes lead to student success. By design, Trinity School of Medicine’s annual student enrollment (134) is smaller than the average US medical school (150) and significantly smaller than the average DO school (174).

‍Tuition

‍The cost of Trinity School of Medicine is comparable to a public medical education in the United States, around $5,000 per year above the in-state median, but $21,000 below out of state and $17,000 below the private school median tuition. Trinity is also almost $10,000 less than the median cost of DO schools.

‍Curriculum

‍A focus of Trinity School of Medicine’s research is medical pedagogy, that’s why we deploy the latest, most thoroughly vetted approaches to education. Our curriculum is laterally coordinated, aligning subject matter across classes (and their systems and topics) each week. This is further supported by parallel clinical experience.

‍Faculty

‍Trinity’s faculty is made up of MDs, PhDs, and MD PhDs with serious clinical experience and major academic bona fides. They also know each student and their individual needs. Don’t be surprised if a professor directly checks on you if you miss class.

‍Structure

‍Trinity’s four year program means you are on track to succeed on the same timeline as US schools.

‍Clinical Medicine

‍One place we diverge from US schools is providing extensive clinical training during the basic sciences, anchoring classroom knowledge to practical use. More similarly to the US, Trinity School of Medicine is the only Caribbean school with centralized clinical affiliations in one metropolitan area in the United States. Asking students to move around the country to rotate in hospitals with minimal notice is disruptive to learning. It’s not a factor at US schools, so it’s not a factor at Trinity.

‍Outcomes

‍60% of med school applicants in the US are left without a seat. It's 80% among Canadians.  That's why we're here. We give every applicant the chance to tell their story and succeed in medical school. It works out, too. Trinity students who faced rejection at home and got the chance they deserved with us are fellows at the CDC, and the Cleveland and Mayo Clinics. They're attendings at Johns Hopkins, and treating patients in need of excellent medical care across the US and Canada.

We provide a path for qualified medical students that have gone overlooked by the hyper-inflated competition in the North American medical school systems. It shows in our student successes, low attrition, and ever-growing network of prestigious, hard-working alums.