Like most Medical school applicants, you are probably thinking about applying to a long list of medical schools. Most applicants aspire to get in the most prestigious institute that they know of, but keep in mind that the reputation of a medical school alone is no surefire way to know if it will be the best fit for your aspirations and sensibilities. To help you evaluate potential schools and choose the best one, here are six considerations that you need to focus on:
When it comes to Residency Placements, How do their Graduates Benefit?
All your aspirations of becoming a practicing physician will go down the drain if you fail to include a medical residency experience on your resume. For each potential medical school, evaluate and compare their rate of students who have garnered successful matches into a credible residency program. This information goes a long way towards establishing the quality of education that the school provides.
Look Out for The School’s Educational Partnerships
High-end American medical schools are not always the only ones affiliating themselves with prestigious hospitals to expose their students to a wide host of cases and hands-on training. Medical schools in the Caribbean have also secured partnerships with leading hospitals to offer more opportunities to students. Medical schools often acquire relationships with a wide array of hospitals, where students acquire experience working in myriad specialties and with all sorts of patients. The Windsor University School of Medicine in St. Kitts is proudly affiliated with leading hospitals throughout North America, to enable their students to acquire a solid understanding of practicing medicine.
Where is the Medical school located?
Since you will be spending the next four years of your life in the locality of your medical school, it’s highly important that you take stock of its surroundings and make sure that you will be content to settle in for a while.
- Region: This includes considering the regional cuisines, subculture, demographics, climate, and all such factors that may be different from what you are accustomed to.
- Setting: The rural, suburban, or urban location of the school greatly impacts the clinical education you receive, and also the time spent outside of class, such as indulging in recreational or cultural activities.
- Proximity to friends and family: While you are surely going to cultivate your own support system in your new surroundings, made up of mentors and peers in your program, if it is important that you stay in close proximity to your family, look for a school in your area.
Does The Program Offer Student Support Services?
The coursework that students are bombarded with during medical school takes up a major chunk of their time. Even students who find a thrill in challenges and new adventures, begin to find it tiresome after a while. This is where the student support services come into play. This is why you should consider all the services that a medical school touts. The Windsor University offers stellar student services to create an enriching and rewarding experience for their students, one that prepares them for the journey ahead. Their office is available to students requiring assistance with visas, health services, career counselling, housing, transportation, as well as connecting them with student organizations to help them forge lifelong relationships.
Is the School Financially Feasible?
The tuition difference between public and private schools is astronomical, which is why if you are low on budget, you need to ask yourself if attending an Ivy League medical school worth the trouble you will go through in procuring tens of thousands of dollars debt. To know your options, you need to take an inventory of your financial situation. Consider myriad ways to finance your education, such as viable assistance. While loans are a ubiquitous option, also look for scholarships and veterans’ benefits. For instance, the Windsor University School of Medicine was founded with the goal of providing a broad, exceptional medical education program accessible to students from across the globe for a reasonable tuition, making it a pocket-friendly experience for all.
Is the School Accredited by Credible Accreditation Bodies?
Most students don’t know the importance of accreditations when it comes to medical schools. Especially if you are looking to study abroad but have plans to practice in the U.S., it becomes all the more important to prudently look into school accreditation. The Windsor university school of medicine has received accreditations from numerous credible bodies, providing a testament to its high quality of education.
