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Accredited Caribbean Medical Schools: CAAM-HP, ACCM and ECFMG
The two regional accreditors for Caribbean medical schools are CAAM-HP and ACCM, and some schools use a national body, such as Grenada's for St. George's or the Netherlands' NVAO for Saba. For US residency, the key is an ECFMG Sponsor Note in the World Directory of Medical Schools. Since November 2024, a school whose accreditor is recognized by WFME or NCFMEA also gets a notation there under the Recognized Accreditation Policy, which residency program directors can see.
Below: who the accreditors are, what the policy changed, six schools' accreditation and state approvals from their own pages (read October 30, 2026), and a five-step check.
Who accredits Caribbean medical schools?
- CAAM-HP. The Caribbean Accreditation Authority was set up in 2003 under CARICOM and launched in Jamaica on July 14, 2004. Ross and Trinity use it.
- ACCM. The Accreditation Commission on Colleges of Medicine is an independent nonprofit based in Ireland. Governments without their own medical accreditor invite it in. It reports renewed WFME recognition. AUC and MUA use it.
- National accreditors. St. George's is accredited by the Grenada Medical and Dental Council, and Saba by NVAO, the accreditor for the Netherlands and Flanders.
Schools CAAM-HP lists as recently assessed
CAAM-HP's site lists these among its recently assessed schools: Windsor University School of Medicine, Avalon University School of Medicine, Lincoln American University School of Medicine, Metropolitan University College of Medicine and the University of the West Indies St. Augustine Global School of Medicine. Assessed is not the same as accredited, so check each school's current status with CAAM-HP.
What does the ECFMG Recognized Accreditation Policy change?
Less than many school pages suggest. ECFMG announced the idea in 2010, and Intealth began applying it in November 2024. A school meets the policy when its accreditor is recognized by one of the two bodies Intealth approves, WFME or NCFMEA, and the school also has an ECFMG Sponsor Note.
Per Intealth's own FAQ:
- It does not affect whether you can apply for ECFMG certification.
- It does not affect whether you can take the USMLE.
- A school that meets it gets a notation on the Sponsor Notes tab of its World Directory listing, which residency program directors can see.
So the policy is a public signal, not a gate. Still, an accreditor with WFME or NCFMEA recognition is the safer choice, because program directors read that notation.
How six Caribbean schools are accredited
| School | Accreditor | Accreditor's recognition | State approvals named |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. George's (Grenada) | Accreditor: Grenada Medical and Dental Council, through 2030 | Accreditor's recognition: WFME through 2032, NCFMEA comparable | State approvals named: New York (through 2029), California, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey |
| Ross (Barbados) | Accreditor: CAAM-HP (Accredited with Conditions until the next site visit) | Accreditor's recognition: WFME and NCFMEA comparable, per its schools | State approvals named: California, New York, New Jersey, Florida |
| AUC (St. Maarten) | Accreditor: ACCM, since 1995, through December 31, 2027 | Accreditor's recognition: WFME and NCFMEA comparable | State approvals named: California, Florida, New York, Texas |
| Saba (Saba) | Accreditor: NVAO (Netherlands and Flanders) | Accreditor's recognition: WFME and NCFMEA comparable | State approvals named: New York, California, Florida, Indiana, Kansas |
| MUA (Nevis) | Accreditor: ACCM, since 2010, through June 30, 2032 | Accreditor's recognition: WFME and NCFMEA comparable | State approvals named: New York, California, Florida |
| Trinity (St. Vincent) | Accreditor: CAAM-HP, since 2015, through 2026 (renewal due, check CAAM-HP) | Accreditor's recognition: WFME and NCFMEA comparable, per its schools | State approvals named: Georgia (authorized by GNPEC) |
For pass rates, residency rates and cost at five of these schools, see best Caribbean medical schools.
How accreditation connects to federal loans
Through NCFMEA. The US Department of Education authorizes it to judge whether a country's accreditation standards are comparable to those for US medical schools, and that finding is required before a country's schools can take part in the federal Direct Loan program. Ross, AUC, Saba, MUA and St. George's each say their accreditor's standards were found comparable and that their students can use federal loans. MUA says only seven Caribbean medical schools are approved, and these five are among them.
A school also needs to require the MCAT of its US students to stay in the loan program. Our Caribbean schools without the MCAT guide explains that rule.
Why do state approvals matter?
Some states review a foreign medical school before its students can do clerkships there. Saba says New York approval also gives access to residencies in the state, and that California recognition is needed for licensure there, with other states following California's lead. If you want to train or practice in a particular state, check the school's page for that state by name.
How to check any Caribbean school in five steps
- Find the exact school and campus in the World Directory of Medical Schools.
- Open its Sponsor Notes tab. Look for an ECFMG Sponsor Note that covers your expected graduation year, and below it the Recognized Accreditation Policy notation.
- Go to the accreditor's own site and confirm the school's current status and when it ends.
- On the school's page, check its approvals for the states where you want rotations, residency and a license.
- If you are a US student who will borrow, confirm the school takes federal Direct Loans.
Start at the World Directory of Medical Schools. If a school's marketing says “listed” or “recognized” without naming its accreditor, ask which body, and check that body's site. Then look at the admission requirements and what the school publishes about getting in.
Practice the question that tests your research
Interviewers notice who has read past the brochure. Our Caribbean interview guide covers each school's format, and IMG residency interviews covers the one after graduation.
“What do you know about our school, and why is it the right fit for you?”
Show you did the homework the accreditation pages make possible. Pick two specifics, like where clinical years happen and how students are supported, and tie each to your plan.
Example answer written by Confetto (the applicant is invented)
I know your students do basic sciences on the island and then rotate at affiliated hospitals in the US, and that you are approved in New York and California. I want to train in New York, so that matters to me.
I also read how you support students before Step 1. I am a career changer, and a school that tracks progress early and has advisors on campus is the kind of structure I do my best work in.
Sources: CAAM-HP, ACCM, Intealth/ECFMG and each school's accreditation page, linked throughout and checked as of October 30, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Who accredits Caribbean medical schools?
Mainly CAAM-HP, set up in 2003 under CARICOM, and ACCM, an independent body based in Ireland. CAAM-HP accredits Ross University School of Medicine, Trinity Medical Sciences University School of Medicine, American University of Antigua College of Medicine, American University of Barbados, Avalon University School of Medicine and The University of the West Indies School of Medicine. ACCM accredits American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, Medical University of the Americas, Avalon University School of Medicine, Saint James School of Medicine, Texila American University College of Medicine, University of Medicine and Health Sciences (UMHS) and Xavier University School of Medicine. Some schools use a national accreditor instead: St. George's uses the Grenada Medical and Dental Council and Saba uses NVAO from the Netherlands. See CAAM-HP's site.
What is the ECFMG Recognized Accreditation Policy?
Intealth, which runs ECFMG certification, began applying it in November 2024. A school meets it when its accreditor is recognized by WFME or NCFMEA and it has an ECFMG Sponsor Note. It is shown as a notation in the World Directory of Medical Schools. Read the policy.
If my school doesn't meet the policy, can I still get ECFMG certified?
Yes. Intealth says the policy has no effect on eligibility for ECFMG certification or for the USMLE, as long as the school has an ECFMG Sponsor Note. Residency program directors can see the notation, though. See Intealth's FAQ.
Which Caribbean medical schools are approved for US federal loans?
MUA says only seven are. St. George's, Ross, AUC, Saba and MUA each say on their own pages that their students can use federal Direct Loans. That requires an NCFMEA comparability finding for the school's country. See MUA's statement.
Why do state approvals matter for Caribbean schools?
Some states review a foreign school before its students can do clerkships there. Saba says New York approval also opens residencies in the state and California recognition is needed for licensure there. In the United States, the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) accredits MD granting medical programs, while the US Department of Education uses NCFMEA to determine whether a foreign accreditor uses standards comparable to LCME, and Saba notes that graduates who pass the licensing examinations are eligible to practice medicine in Canada, Puerto Rico and all 50 US states. See Saba's approvals page.