Global Health Careers for Caribbean Medical Graduates
Attending a Caribbean medical school can be a challenging task as you will find yourself traveling away from home and into a BRAND NEW environment!
Although for some people, this experience can leave them with uncertain feelings, it can and will provide innumerable benefits to your educational experience and to you as a person. Through rigorous studies and a diverse student community, you will broaden your horizons in a way that is often not available at a North American (United States & Canadian) institution. When you choose to pursue a degree at a Caribbean medical school, you are choosing to use your education as an opportunity to achieve your future goals.
Both career and personal!
The global health field is a field that opens many doors and creates your pick of career options. Keep reading to learn more!
Careers in the Global Health Field include BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:
- Global Health Consultant: In the role of a global health consultant, you will be called upon to offer your hard won, professional, medical expertise and solutions in relation to any number of projects and ideas that could have a global impact (Shemmassian).
- Epidemiologist: As an Epidemiologist, you will “plan and direct studies of public health challenges to prevent, treat and anticipate patterns of sickness and disease.” You will have the opportunity to take these findings even further by assisting in the development of public health programs (A Public Health Career in Epidemiology, 2025).
- Policy Analyst: When you pursue a career as a Policy Analyst, you will be working towards making the world a better place through the “influencing of political and social decisions” (Blanchard, 2007).
- Medical Doctor: You can directly help those in need through non-profit organizations (example: Doctors Without Borders).
Regardless of your passion and where your career path leads you, the education you receive at an accredited Caribbean medical school will equip you with the skills and knowledge you need to be able to create a more equitable world.
Avalon University School of Medicine, a fully accredited medical university, located on the Caribbean island of Curaçao works HARD to ensure that our students are prepared for whatever path they decide to take. Avalon’s students are equipped with the academic knowledge AND social skills necessary to pursue any line of work in the Global Health field.
Click HERE to learn more about Avalon University School of Medicine.
One way in which Avalon University separates itself from other medical schools in the Caribbean is its respect and celebration of the many cultures found among our faculty and students. This intentional respect, demonstrated at all levels in the university and is fully expected from our students, allows not only a more inclusive environment but can increase a student’s ability to adapt to situations they come across in the medical field. Students will be able to better appreciate the different practices of healthcare delivery, especially when exposed to different cultures and their medical practices during basic sciences and their Clinical rotations.
Global health offers medical students diverse experiential learning opportunities that improve their skills, knowledge, and attitudes about health equity. Global health is part of our Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Evidence-based Medicine courses and throughout clerkships/clinical rotations. The Global Health curriculum is intertwined throughout our MD program’s research, medical education, clinical service, and public health/service learning programs. Our curriculum includes training in social determinants of health, research ethics, and public health policies while exposing students to the skills required to advocate for health equity. These experiences inspire future healthcare leaders who will transform and innovate health in communities with the most resource constraints locally and globally.
Dr. Sateesh Arja, Dean of School of MedicineAvalon University understands how important it is for students to be exposed to these ideas early into their education to prepare them for global career paths. Through pursuing an education at Avalon University, graduates will be able to pursue a career in essential medical non-profits, epidemiology, health policy analysis, global health advocacy, public health advisory, and many more options!
The experience of pursuing a degree in a Caribbean medical school does not only benefit a student when they pursue a career in global health, but it also provides a tremendous benefit when practicing medicine in the United States and wherever it is you call home. The working knowledge of various cultures and how you see the impacts on a global scale demonstrates a student’s ability to successfully help a broad range of patients. Upon graduation and pursuing a residency position, the student who possesses these skills will stand out among the crowd of fellow applicants. The world is only increasing in its diversity which can make your studies an invaluable time to learn how to remain relevant in medicine in an ever changing world.
It’s important to keep in mind that you will encounter a diverse patient pool and the wide range of backgrounds they may come from. Avalon is incredibly proud of our ability to educate students on global health and encourage expression of culture. These parts of Avalon can provide necessary experiences that can lead to career paths globally and ability to adapt to diverse populations.
References:
- A Public Health Career in Epidemiology. (2025). Milken Institute School of Public Health: The George Washington University. https://onlinepublichealth.gwu.edu/careers/epidemiology/
- Blanchard, S. (2007). Policy analysts: Shaping society through research and problem-solving. Occupational Outlook Quarterly
- Shemmassian, S. (n.d.). How To Prepare For A Career In Global Health As A Premed. Shemmassian Academic Consulting. https://www.shemmassianconsulting.com/blog/how-to-prepare-for-a-career-in-global-health-as-a-premed
