Admission Process

CUCOM uses a holistic approach to evaluate the students beyond their test performance. Applicants strengths in terms of experiences, extracurricular activities, personal attributes and proficiency in English language and the ability of the individual to contribute value as a medical student and physician will be considered in the selection.

What students should know before applying to CUCOM

Review the admission requirements and academic prerequisites (Appendix A) published online  

Consider the best time to commence medical school: January, May or September 

Admission process: 

  • Application with supporting documents
  • Admissions Committee will determine the eligibility and acceptance
  • Admission Director will issue letter of acceptance and visa process
  • Visa process
  • Fees involved
  • Payment of tuition fee for the first year

1. Application with supporting documents:

  • Complete online application form 
  • Application fee: Non-refundable 200 USD payable to CUCOM
  • Official transcripts: Official notarized transcripts must be sent to CUCOM’s Director of Admissions. Foreign transcripts must     be evaluated by a credentialing service that is a member of National Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). 
  • Personal statement: Provide a statement summarizing your reason for choosing a medical career, in what you intend on         specializing, where you want to practice and personal attributes that qualify you to become a physician. 
  • CV: Chronological listing of educational, employment and other experiences such as volunteering or clinical exposures         dating back to high school. 
  • Certificates: High school diploma, college degree certificates and other certificates since high school. 
  • References

2. Evaluation of applications by Admissions Committee:

The applicant’s file will be evaluated by the Admissions Committee of five members of faculty.

The evaluation process involves:  

  • Eligibility of the applicant based on the application form and the supporting documents
  • Interview with the applicant (Interview guide: Appendix B)

Outcome of the evaluation will be informed to the Director of Admissions. 

3. Admissions Director 

  • Will inform the applicants of the decision taken by the Admissions Committee 
  • For successful candidates – a provisional offer letter is supplied to the student indicating the student’s acceptance.  This letter must then be signed by the student and returned to CUCOM to confirm their admission and acceptance of the conditions. 

The student pays the one-time administrative and enrollment fee of 2500 USD to confirm admission and initiate the immigration procedures. Once the student confirms admission,  an amount of 2000 USD will be transferred toward the educational resources, library, technology and simulation fees.  

4. Visa process

Student pays the administrative and enrollment fee of 2500 USD and provides the following for processing of St. Lucian visa for one year. Visa is renewed yearly: 

  • 2 certified passport-size photographs
  • Completed St. Lucian visa application form 
  • A valid passport for up to six months
  • A return ticket to port of origin
  • Copy of travel itinerary
  • Students – letter from school, college or university/ Offer of Admission Letter
  • Proof of sufficient funds/bank statement  
  • Medical Certificate (CUCOM has a medical certificate form)
  • Police Clearance Certificate/Letter of good conduct

These documents are first delivered to the Ministry of Health where a cost waiver letter is prepared so that the students are not charged the visa fee at the airport, then the letter is sent to the Immigration department by the Ministry of Health.  Immigration then does the visa letter.  This letter is sent to the student and they must travel with it and present it to immigration at the airport.  Then, the passport is endorsed with the visa upon arrival at the St. Lucia airport. 

5. Fees involved: 

  • Application fee of 200 USD (non-refundable) 
  • Administrative and enrollment fee of 2500 USD. Once the student confirms admission, an amount of 2000 USD will be          transferred toward the educational resources, library, technology and simulation fees.  
  • First year tuition fee of 12,000 USD

6. Tuition fee for first year:

All students must pay all fees up to their 1st Year tuition of 12000 USD before arriving to St. Lucia to attend classes. 

All fees must be paid through Wire Transfer to the wire transfer details below before the beginning of the academic year. Kindly be advised that all applicable bank charges are the responsibility of the student. 

ALL FEES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT THE UNIVERSITY’S DISCRETION 

ACADEMIC PREREQUISITES 

CUCOM requires a minimum of 90 credit hours of college courses with a GPA of 2.5 and above for undergraduate performance.   

The following courses are prerequisites: 

Course Course – Credit Hours  Lab – Credit hours 
   
General biology or zoology (2 semesters) 6  2 
General chemistry or Inorganic chemistry (2 semesters) 6 2 
Organic chemistry (2 semesters) 6 2 
Physics I (1 semester) 3 1 
Mathematics- calculus or statistics (1 semester) 3  
English (1 semester) 3  

Other preferable subjects: History, languages, arts, information technology.  

CUCOM strongly recommends that applicants earn a degree from an accredited undergraduate institution.   

Completion of the 4-semester program of Pre-med from a recognized University with the above required credit hour, prerequisite courses and GPA will also award direct entry into the Medical Program.   

If two of the above courses are in progress, decision on provisional acceptance will be rendered if the planned completion date is 2 months prior to the start date. The visa process will commence after successful completion of the courses in progress and other requirements as stated above in the visa process.  

CUCOM does not require MCAT scores as a prerequisite for admission.  

US citizens, US nationals and permanent residents who wish to obtain federal financial aid are required to take MCAT exams and provide the school with scores for admission consideration. This is a regulation set by the US Department of Education. 

INTERVIEW GUIDE  

The Director of Admissions confirms an interview date and time with applicants. A video interview will be conducted with the applicant by a faculty interviewer using Vonage Business calling system.  The interviewer will be a faculty member of the Admissions Committee; if the number of interviews is high, then a faculty interviewer may be utilized from the pool of interviewers selected by the committee.   

All interviews will be recorded and stored in an online system in a secure manner. The interviews will be available for review by the academic leadership and the Chair of the Admissions Committee. Other persons will not have access to the interview records. Each record will be stored for a period of not less than 10 years.  

The interviewer will complete the evaluation report and send it to the Admissions Committee within one business day of the interview.  

  • Tell me briefly about yourself and your family 
  • Do you have any family members who are physicians? 
  • Why do you want to become a doctor?   
  • Can you briefly explain your signed written personal statement?  
  • Have you volunteered in the medical field? How have the jobs, volunteer opportunities, or extracurricular experiences that     you have had better prepared you for the responsibilities of being a physician?
  • What are your career plans in medicine? Where do you see yourself ten years from now?  
  • Thinking of examples from your recent past, how would you assess your empathy and compassion? 
  • What are your hobbies? 
  • What qualities do you look for in a physician?  
  • What excites you about medicine in general? 
  • What do you believe to be some of the most pressing health issues today? Why? 
  • What special qualities do you feel you possess that set you apart from other medical school candidates?  
  • Have you traveled outside your home country before? 
  • Do you have any medical issues or any disability of which I should be aware of?  
  • How did you hear about CUCOM?  
  • Do you have any friends or relatives studying at CUCOM?  
  • Is there anything else we have not covered that you feel I should know about you or your interest in becoming a doctor? 

Maximum grade 10 

Ability to properly explain written personal statement   2 

Good language proficiency and performance in interview 2 

History of volunteering and social service 2  

Well-defined career goals and motivated to be a doctor 2  

Knowledge about contemporary issues in medicine 2 

Grade 9 or above Excellent 

7 to 9 Good 

4 to 7 satisfactory 

Less than 4 poor