On January 6, 2012, I wrote an article listing the best medical schools approved by the Medical Board of California. The article listed over 130 top medical schools in the United States that are approved by the Board. Since moving to San Francisco in September, I have had the opportunity to test out some of the area’s best medical teaching schools, including the well respected UCSF (University of California San Francisco) medical system. Because I write this blog, I thought it a good idea to start posting my personal experiences with various teaching hospitals throughout the United States. I have lived and traveled in a number of states including New York, Connecticut, California, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Texas. While Texas Medical Schools are popular, the Texas public health system, from my experience, truly lacking. So far, I have found the best public health coverage for both low-income, i.e. Medicaid and private health insurance to be in New York. California has fine hospitals and doctors, but it does not have a dental or vision plan for its medicaid recipients. New York. on the other hand does and is comprehensive. Texas does not have a decent mental health plan or dental plan for its Medicaid recipients. No wonder there are so many toothless people in Texas and California. With the economy worsening and so many people losing their benefits, I foresee a lot less healthy people – especially in California and Texas. In whichever state you reside, I definitely recommend using the services of a teaching hospital or clinic, as their facilities are generally new and state-of-the-art and are generally more affordable, and accept more health insurance plans, including Medicaid, than private practices. Students who attend these schools are also more likely to find jobs in the cities where they did their internship.
With a rapidly growing California population, the state must oversee more and more healthcare facilities than ever before. In California, there are over 30 medical school teaching hospitals and that number is expected to increase as the need for more doctors, nurses, and other professional personnel increases. California also has a very large foreign born population, which includes medical workers and non-medical workers. If you are considering coming to California to work in the healthcare industry, especially in the position of doctor, please take note of the following list of medical schools that are not recognized by the Medical Board of California.
| Name of Medical School: | Date Disapproved: |
|---|---|
| 1. CETEC University, Santo Domingo (closed) | 05-19-83 |
| 2. CIFAS University, Santo Domingo (closed) | 11-16-84 |
| 3. UTESA University, Santo Domingo | 07-13-85 disapproval reaffirmed 02-07-97 |
| 4. World University, Santo Domingo (closed) | 12-01-89 |
| 5. Spartan Health Sciences University, St. Lucia | 06-13-85 |
| 6. University of Health Sciences Antigua, St. John’s | 07-28-95 |
| 7. Universidad Eugenio Maria de Hostos (UNIREMHOS), Dom. Rep. | 11-01-96 |
| 8. Universidad Federico Henriquez y Carvajal, Dom. Rep. | 07-31-98 |
| 9. St. Matthew’s University, Grand Cayman | 02-18-05 |
| 10. Kigezi International School of Medicine, Cambridge, England and Uganda | 11-02-07 |
Students that attended any of the schools that are not recognized or disapproved by the Board will have difficulty applying and getting into the best medical schools and programs in California, as well as other schools in the the United States. If your school is listed below and you plan on moving to the U.S. to practice medicine, it is best to call the Medical Board of California directly at 916) 263-2382 to get their advice Additionally, you may want to also contact the American medical schools that you are considering applying to and ask they their advice. They may consider reviewing your official transcripts in order to determine which classes you will have to take over in order to be licensed in the U.S. If your transcripts are in a language other than English, make sure to get a certified translation before sending it off to your prospective school.
For you adventurous Americans, who think that the best medical schools don’t necessarily have to be located within the U.S. to be good, I would research these schools before you start packing. Many young people have been intrigued by advertizements for Caribbean Medical schools, which may be top medical schools in their area of the world, but that may not gain you acceptance into practice and eventual licensing in the U.S. I would make sure that these schools are recognized by the Board before being further tempted to apply to exotic medical schools outside of the U.S. As always, I hope the information on this site may cause you to think and further research your choice.
“The Top Disapproved Medical Schools in California” was written by Brenne Meirowitz, BA, MA, MS.
©2012 Brenne Meirowitz & Best Medical Schools & Medical School Requirements. All Rights Reserved
