Who typically transfers into a Caribbean MD program
Transfer applicants generally fall into three groups: students at another Caribbean or international MD program seeking stronger US clinical rotations, students at a US DO program who want an MD credential, and students who left an unaccredited program and need to restart at a WFME-recognized school. Each group has a different credit-transfer story and each is evaluated case-by-case by the receiving school's academic committee. Before starting an application, confirm that both your current program and the receiving school are recognized by CAAM-HP, ACCM, GMDC, or another WFME-listed body. Credits from an unaccredited program cannot be transferred to a school that expects to remain WFME-recognized after 2024. If your current program lost or never had accreditation, expect to restart from Semester 1 rather than receive advanced standing.
Eligibility and documents you will need
Every school has slightly different requirements, but the core document package is consistent across the top programs.
- Official transcripts from every college and medical school attended
- Letter of good academic and professional standing from your current dean
- MCAT score (many schools waive this if you have completed one full year of medical school)
- USMLE Step 1 score or Comp Basic Sciences evaluation, if applicable
- Personal statement explaining the reason for transfer
- Two letters of recommendation from medical school faculty
- Course syllabi for every course you want evaluated for credit
How credit evaluation actually works
Advanced standing is not automatic. The receiving school's registrar performs a course-by-course comparison against their own basic-sciences curriculum. To receive credit for a course, you typically need a syllabus that matches at least 75% of the receiving course's contact hours and learning objectives, and a grade of C or better (some schools require B). Anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and pathology transfer most reliably; behavioral science, medical humanities, and school-specific integrated blocks often do not. Most applicants who transfer after one completed year of an MD program are placed into MD-2 or MD-3, saving one to two semesters of tuition. Transferring after basic sciences (post-Step 1) is rarer because the receiving school still needs to certify you for clinical rotations under their own accreditation.
Which Caribbean schools accept transfers
The list changes year to year based on class capacity. As of 2026, transfer applications are actively reviewed at St. George's University, Ross University, American University of the Caribbean, Saba University, Medical University of the Americas, and Trinity School of Medicine, among others. See our directory page on Caribbean schools that accept transfers for the current list, application windows, and typical decision timelines.
Aligning your USMLE timeline with the transfer
If you transfer before Step 1, plan on taking the exam through the receiving school after you complete their required basic-sciences remediation blocks — most schools will not allow you to sit Step 1 under their sponsorship until you have completed at least one semester on campus. If you have already passed Step 1 at your prior school, ECFMG will still accept the score, but the receiving school will run its own pre-clerkship readiness assessment before assigning core rotations.
