Veterinarians provide care for animals of all types. These professionals treat illnesses and injuries, perform surgeries, and advise owners on best practices for animal care. Many veterinarians also play an important role in public health, working to ensure the safety of farm animals that serve as food sources and applying veterinary research to human and animal health issues.
This article highlights the top Caribbean vet schools and programs. In addition to a ranking of the top programs, this guide explores career paths, earning potential, licensure requirements, and scholarships available for veterinary students in the Caribbean.
Veterinarians earn competitive salaries, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects careers in the field to grow 16% from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the national average for all occupations. Veterinarians need a doctor of veterinary medicine (DVM) to enter licensed practice. DVM programs take four years to complete and require knowledge in biology, along with strong clinical and communication skills.
Why Should I Study In A Caribbean Vet School?
Caribbean veterinary schools are a less expensive alternative for veterinary studies. They offer DVM programs to national and international students.
Asides the fact that studying vet medicine in the Caribbean is quite affordable, studying in the Caribbean allows you to study in one of the most beautiful locations on earth.
The three vet schools in the Caribbean offer top notch educational orientation that aligns with the 21st century vet medicine practice as you will be taught by renowned professors and also gain practical insights into the life and spirit of the profession.
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How Long Does It Take To Study Veterinary Medicine In Caribbean?
While completion time varies among schools and programs, most full-time students complete DVM programs in four years. The four years comprise of three years of study abroad and one year at veterinary school at AVMA-accredited veterinary school.
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Admission Requirements To Study Veterinary Medicine In The Caribbean
The admission requirements to study vet medicine in the Caribbean differs according to institutions. Moving on, we’ll list the prerequisite entry requirements to study vet medicine in any of the veterinary medicine colleges in the Caribbean.
How Much Does It Cost To Study In A Veterinary School in the Caribbean?
Students pay less at in-state vet schools but still spend more than $200,000 for a D.V.M. on average. The average cost of four years of veterinary school is more than $200,000 for in-state students and $275,000 for out-of-state students, according to the VIN Foundation, a nonprofit that offers veterinarians education and support.
The exact amount you are to pay for vet school in the Caribbean solely depends on the particular school.
Top Caribbean Vet Schools
The veterinary schools on our list are among the best colleges in the Caribbean. Attending a Caribbean veterinary school means getting to study parasitology while looking out at an ocean of endless blue in the distance. It is almost surreal, especially if you are from an area where you don’t get to stare out at the ocean every day.
As of 2022, there are over 50 accredited veterinary colleges worldwide; two are Caribbean vet schools. Our list of veterinary schools in the Caribbean comprises accredited schools that pass the required standards. Some of the required standards include:
- The school must keep the safety of personnel and animals as a high priority.
- Must maintain on-campus veterinary teaching hospitals.
- A diverse number of animal patients be available to students.
- The college’s admissions policies must be non-discriminatory, as consistent with applicable law.
- Must have an 80% NAVLE pass rate.
There are currently three Caribbean Veterinary Schools. They are Ross University College of Veterinary medicine, St. George’s College of Veterinary Medicine, and St. Mathew’s University School of Veterinary Medicine.
#1 Ross University
At Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, students learn adaptability, resilience, and patience fostered by island life and a rigorous academic program.
The Caribbean vet school offers a DVM program, vet prep, graduate programs, and dual degrees. At Ross Vet, you’ll have unique experiences and opportunities to dive deep into veterinary medicine, gain new skills, work with real patients, and build something more than just a resume.
The cost of tuition at Ross Vet School varies, Click to see U.S. pricing and non-U.S. pricing for our Canadian and International Student Pricing Program.
Admission requirements
To study vet medicine at Ross University College of Veterinary you need to be passionate, excellence-driven, and resourceful.
To gain admission into Ross University Veterinary college, you need to satisfy the following:
#2 St. George’s College of Veterinary Medicine
Next on our list of Caribbean vet schools is St. George’s College of Veterinary Medicine! St. George’s gained their accreditation the same year that Ross did, in 2011. St. George’s is on the island of Grenada.
St. George’s University School of Veterinary Medicine is one of only a few schools in the world that is accredited by both the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education (AVMA COE) in the United States and Canada and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) in the United Kingdom.
Founded in 1999, St. George have graduated over 1,900 veterinarians into the global healthcare system who prove that excellence knows no boundaries.
Offering DVM/MSc, DVM/MPH, DVM,MBA, and Veterinary medicine PhD, St. George University offers students valuable hands-on experience in veterinary surgery and other skills prior to their final-year clinical training at one of SGUSVM’s 32 affiliated schools of veterinary medicine in the US, UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, and the Netherlands.
The cost of veterinary school is more than a dollar figure: It includes an investment of your time and determination. St. George’s University’s tuition total SOVM for all years is $197,595.
Admission requirements
If you wish to apply for admission at St. George, you need to follow the following guidelines:
For VMCAS applicants
As a member of the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC), SGU uses the AAVMC’s centralized Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS).
Most US citizens who are aspiring veterinary medical students use the AAVMC’s application service to apply to veterinary medical schools that are accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).
VMCAS collects, processes, and submits application materials to the veterinary medical schools and responds to inquiries about the application process from applicants, advisors, parents, and schools. The system also has electronic evaluation and submission capability, and serves as a social media hub via Facebook, where applicants can ask questions, interact, and obtain updates.
To apply through VMCAS, please click here.
Non-VMCAS Applicants
If you are not applying through VMCAS, you are able to apply online through the SGU website and track your application status through Self-Service Admission. As an alternative, you can still download a PDF copy to complete electronically or print and complete manually.
All supporting documents must be in English or must have a certified English translation attached and must be originals or certified copies. In addition to the completed application, the following are required:
- Application fee: $50 US for preveterinary medical and veterinary medical sciences.
- Official secondary school transcripts.
- Undergraduate coursework transcripts must be submitted by the undergraduate institution.
- Official TOEFL or IELTS scores if English is not your principal language.
- Two letters of recommendation. In order of importance to the Committee on Admission, these are the categories:
- A veterinarian with whom you have worked
- A university professor (or, for those applying for the preveterinary program, a teacher)
- A preveterinary advisor committee, or an advisor/counselor
- 1,500-word personal statement discussing the significant factors that led to your decision to pursue a career in veterinary medicine and how you see yourself using this career to make a difference in the world
#3 St. Mathew’s University School of Veterinary Medicine
The last Caribbean veterinary school on our list is St. Mathew’s University School of Veterinary Medicine, on the Grand Cayman island. St Matthew’s University School of Veterinary Medicine is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).
As an institution of learning, St. Mathew’s is dedicated and committed to teaching and mentoring students to be the best they can be in practice. They develop socially responsible veterinary doctors skilled in the art and science of veterinary medicine.
St. Matthew’s University offers a tuition that compares very favorably with other veterinary school. At SMU, the total DVM tuition for non U.S. residents is $200,492. Other Caribbean programs cost $189,029.
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Admission requirements
In order to apply to St. Matthew’s University, you need to satisfy the following entry requirements.
Click here to begin the application process.
Conclusion
Each of the three Caribbean veterinary schools has its advantages. Ensure you go through the each school’s official website for more details on how to apply.