Ownership Structures

Although this may not be the most important section, it may be interesting to know some of the ownership structures of the Caribbean Medical Schools. Almost all medical schools in the Caribbean were started by entrepreneurs with their own money and ideas on how medical education should function. Over the years some schools grew to a feasible business, with annual intakes of over 400 students. Over the last 10 years or so almost all bigger, mainly accredited schools were acquired by larger conglomerates and investors. Nowadays, Devry owns two Caribbean medical schools, while at least five others have been acquired and are being run by the investment capital (Equinox Capital). When deciding between the two schools, this may be an important factor to consider as schools backed by large capital are likely to have better financial stability and stronger interest in improving student’s performance.

Tip #32: Do online research and find out who owns the school you are considering.

Private entrepreneurs have experience and may be less focused on stockholders returns. Large capital ownership will pump in money to make sure the school meets as many accreditation criteria as possible, but will also likely focus on profits and obtaining of financial aid. In the event that enrollment drops they will likely start cutting quickly on education quality.