Barbados Medicine School: Quick Facts
Admission
No entry exams
Tuition fees
$8,000/year
Undergraduate Entry
5 Years
Intake
January, May, September
Funding
Not Available
Graduate Entry
4 Years
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Is Barbados a Good Place to Study Medicine?
Is Barbados a Good Place to Study Medicine?- Barbados is one of North America’s top countries for international students making it a powerhouse in world-class medical education.
- All programmes are globally accredited, qualifying students with a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree that is recognised by the UK General Medical Council (GMC).
- Factors such as affordability, inclusivity and multicultural programmes, beautiful campuses, and extensive profes-sional pathways make Barbados a preferred choice for medical students.
- Due to Barbadian medical schools’ ethos of educational excellence, medicine programmes are designed to global standards that unify accessible training and ethical medical practice.
- Another benefit to choosing this Caribbean sub-region for medical education is the application-based process with no entry exams.
- An excellent medical education studied in cutting edge facilities with highly experienced faculty is within reach here as tuitions fees start at $8,000 per year — around 33% less than UK medical schools.
- These top-tier programmes are developed to be as competitive as possible and coursework is in line with leading U.S. medical schools.
- Cultural diversity is emphasised to ensure global health outcomes and universities teach programmes in English to prepare students for international practice.
- Wide-reaching rotation opportunities provide clinical exposure and skill development in a range of local and interna-tional settings.
- Student life is another bonus for applicants choosing Barbados as they enjoy the atmospheric and safe region, com-fortable amenities, and Caribbean-American culture.
+ What Are the Best Barbados Medical Universities?
What Are the Best Barbados Medical Universities?- Barbadian universities set the standard for medical education that advances international medicine careers from day one of study.
- Victoria University of Barbados (VUB) is a modern medical school chartered in 2017 based on the ethical values of Barbadian educational standards, world-class medical practice, and achieving international healthcare objectives from the Atlantic-Caribbean sub-region of North America.
- VUB’s programmes are rigorous and are highly-applied to by international students as all modules are taught in Eng-lish and annual tuition fees are $8,000 per year.
- Applicants must submit a professional application to be considered for a course offer and there are no entry exams; graduate programme applicants must hold a Bachelor’s Degree in a science-related field e.g. Bachelor of Science (BS).
- VUB offers two medicine programmes: 5-Year Undergraduate Medicine Programme and 4-Year Graduate Medicine Programme.
- The undergraduate and graduate curriculum is developed in line with U.S. medical schools giving students a pro-gramme structure that prepares them for international licensing and practice.
- VUB’s teaching and organisational ethos incorporates student needs to prioritise achieving academic goals: personal-ised study with smaller class ratios and inclusive cultural practices to centre a humanistic professional outlook.
- Clinical training pathways are exceptionally wide-reaching: students can opt for local training in Caribbean hospitals, additional partnerships exist in the Asian region, and students are supported to pursue international training in the U.S. and other countries.
- While studying on-campus, students learn in comprehensively-equipped classrooms, scientific and research laborato-ries, and traditional and digital libraries.
- The VUB student experience focuses on holistic development as the university provides on-campus housing and facil-ities, lifestyle amenities are close by, and an extensive calendar of annual activities.
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How Much Does it Cost to Study Medicine in Barbados?
How Much Does it Cost to Study Medicine in Barbados?- Overall studying medicine in Barbados has countless financial benefits for students including the medical school costs and quality of life.
- Although certain costs may be higher such as average cost of living compared to some parts of the UK and the U.S., the standard of living in Barbados is very high.
- For example, students have access to exceptional healthcare, education is comparatively affordable, and on-campus living is budget-friendly.
- Additionally students can easily minimise discretionary expenses such as dining out or expensive specialty stores that typically cater to tourists and expatriates.
| Programme | Programme Starts | Annual Fees () |
|---|---|---|
| Medicine | January, May & September | 8,000/year |
| Living Costs | Barbados Monthly () | UK Monthly () | Barbados Annually () | UK Annually () |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | 300–500 | 760–2,100 | 3,600 –6,000 | 9,120 –25,200 |
| Food | 80–120 | 220–440 | 960–1,440 | 2,640–5,280 |
| Utility Bills (Electricity, Gas & Water) | 70 | 340 | 840 | 4,080 |
| Internet | 40 | 40 | 480 | 480 |
| Transportation | 30 | 100 | 360 | 1,200 |
| Total | 520–760 | 1,460–3,020 | 6,300–9,100 | 17,520–36,240 |
+ How Long is Medical School in Barbados?
How Long is Medical School in Barbados?- The duration of Barbados medical school is based on the student’s course:
- Undergraduate Medicine is a 5-Year Programme
- Graduate Medicine is a 4-Year Programme
- VUB’s programmes are both developed to have a curriculum — including laboratory and clinical modules — that’s consistent with U.S. medical schools.
- Throughout the phases of each programme, the Basic Sciences are followed by the Clinical Sciences so knowledge is developed through sequential conceptual study and application that’s progressively advanced.
- For the 5-Year Undergraduate programme there are three learning phases:
- Year One is a Premedical Program of study
- Years Two to Three are a Pre-Clinical Program covering Basic Sciences
- Years Four to Five are a Clinical Science Program comprising rotations and training modules
- For the 4-Year Graduate programme there are two learning phases:
- Years One to Two are a Pre-Clinical Program covering Basic Sciences
- Years Three to Four are a Clinical Science Program comprising rotations and training modules
- Students studying at VUB have extensive training pathways for their Clinical Science Program years with options to pursue local rotations in the Caribbean or international rotations with affiliate hospitals in Asia; students can also un-dertake their own rotations in the U.S. and UK.
+ What’s it Like Living in Barbados?
What’s it Like Living in Barbados?- Barbados has been compared to heaven for good reason and the spectacular nature is almost equalled by its cultural attractions.
- The small but mighty island keeps life interesting as it’s stunning, has rich culture and sites, and extensive, multifacet-ed history.
- Life in Barbados is diverse and peaceful: it’s an independent Commonwealth country, the official language is English, and Bajan Creole is widely spoken, too.
- People are friendly and it’s an extremely multicultural place with a demographic of Creole, European, Indian, and ex-patriates.
- The island is well-developed and offers a full range of lifestyle amenities including excellent infrastructure and educa-tion systems.
- The great weather is a feature that wins students over immediately as it’s a comfortable temperature making life super pleasant.
- Beyond the lovely climate, Barbados incorporates the Caribbean coastal features people fall in love with like beaches, jungle, and wildlife.
- These natural wonders make the student extracurricular lifestyle laid-backed and outdoorsy and it’s common to take part in recreational activities like snorkelling, diving, surfing, and caving.
- Another beloved part of Barbadian culture is its food, music and arts, and local specialties like rum.
- The greater cultural scene is inspiring, fun, and enriching with endless establishments and events to frequent and en-joy.
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Is Barbados Safe?
Is Barbados Safe?- Above all, Barbados is, by all relevant metrics, a safe place for international students and visitors.
- The country is economically and civically stable with a high quality of essential facilities like healthcare, plus water is drinkable.
- As per standard safety recommendations, students are encouraged to approach their personal safety, wellbeing, and security thoughtfully and never take risks.
- Additionally Barbadian infrastructure is reliable and the island is well-connected so students can easily seek civic sup-port if needed.
- VUB students receive additional care via campus security and the university’s administration maintains a comprehen-sive system for anyone on-campus.
+ How Long is the Flight to Barbados?
How Long is the Flight to Barbados?- Students love the variety of options they have for travelling to and from Barbados.
- The Bridgetown capital city directly connects with flights from the UK, U.S., Western Europe, Central and South Amer-ica, and the Caribbean.
- For students directly travelling from the UK, flights from London Heathrow are 8 hours 10 minutes and flights from Manchester are 8 hours 15 minutes.
- The closest connection from the U.S. is a 4-hour flight from Miami and from Germany it’s a 9-hour flight from Dussel-dorf.
- The range of flight connections into Barbados mean students can plan a flexible itinerary and easily organise a cus-tomised transit.
+ Is Barbados Expensive?
Is Barbados Expensive?- Approaching expense comparison for Barbados is an important part of choosing a medical school in this part of North America.
- Generally, some costs in Barbados are on par or possibly more expensive than parts of the UK outside of London.
- Living costs such as specialty groceries, entertainment, and dining are a common higher expense.
- Even so, it’s worth understanding that Barbados is considered a luxury destination and this causes some inflation when reviewing costs.
- Therefore students should be prepared that some parts of Barbados are definitely expensive but it’s more affordable overall than major UK cities and medical schools — it’s simply a matter of not opting for luxury goods and services.
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