Prospective students who wish to be considered for the U.S. scholarship program at the Latin American School of Medicine in Cuba (ELAM in Spanish abbreviation) must be:

1. Be 18-25 years old

2.  Be a U.S. Citizen

3.  Be a high school graduate

4.  Have no criminal background

5.  Be committed to serving in poor and medically underserved communities upon graduation.

Persons of color and/or persons from low-income backgrounds are especially encouraged to apply.

Applicants must submit an application form with personal essays in English and Spanish, transcripts, letters of reference, medical history, and other documents. A personal interview is required; MCAT scores are not required. Applications are screened by IFCO staff and members of the IFCO Medical Advisory Committee, which comprises physicians and other health professionals.  

Selected applicants will be invited to participate in a two-day group evaluation, an essential step in the screening process.  Once the Medical Advisory Committee has made its final recommendations, the files of selected applicants are submitted to the Latin American Medical School and the Cuban Ministry of Public Health, which make the final admissions decisions.

Those admitted into the program will have an orientation just before traveling to Cuba to begin their studies.

** Please note that in limited circumstances, exceptions MAY be considered for applicants over the age of 25. The hard cut-off age is 30. For more information, potential applicants should contact the IFCO office directly by emailing elamscholarship@protonmail.com.

All of the application criteria have been established by the Cuban medical school officials– the entity that makes the scholarship possible. As the sole organization in the US designated by the Cuban Ministry of Health to facilitate the ELAM medical scholarship for US candidates and out of solidarity with Cuba, IFCO respects the criteria established by the school and strictly adheres to all application requirements.

(Please note that in limited circumstances exceptions MAY be considered for those over 25, but a hard cut off at 30. For more information about this, it is critical that potential applicants contact IFCO staff directly by emailing elamscholarship@protonmail.com).

No, the scholarship is open to prospective applicants who are U.S. citizens only and hold a current U.S. passport. Permanent residents holding green cards are not eligible to apply for this scholarship.

No, students are not required to speak Spanish in order to apply for the scholarship. The ELAM program offers a one to two-semester intensive Spanish language course for all non-Spanish speaking students.

Spanish language “mastery” involves more than just casual conversational skills; students need to be sufficiently fluent in medical terminology in Spanish so that they can effectively ask, answer and understand questions — in Spanish.

No, a placement test is given to students to measure language proficiency, and then based on performance, students will either start the intensive language course or the pre-med semester studying in Spanish. The pre-med semester is required for all students studying in the program in order to understand the Cuban medical school curriculum and classroom norms.

Unfortunately, credits cannot be transferred from other medical schools. The ELAM program is a seven-year commitment.

A high school diploma and an officially translated copy of the certificate into Spanish are required upon application. Although this is no longer mandatory, we recommend that prospective students demonstrate proficiency in introductory college-level courses with a minimum average of B. The suggested courses include two semesters each of Biology, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, and Physics, all of which should include both lecture and laboratory components.

ELAM offers a semester of pre-med science courses during the preparatory year, which is beneficial for students who may not have a strong background in science. This pre-med semester is mandatory for all students in the program and includes science courses and other subjects designed to prepare everyone before starting the first year of medical school. It also helps students understand the Cuban medical school curriculum and classroom norms.

The IFCO/ELAM Medical Advisory Committee evaluates each applicant's needs and will provide additional guidance on resources to improve students' Spanish language skills and readiness for science courses.

The standard course of study at the Latin American School of Medicine is seven years.  All classes are taught in Spanish. An additional semester of pre-med coursework is mandatory for all students. Intensive Spanish language training is offered to students who need it, before the start of the six-year course of medical study. The specific course offerings for each semester are listed below. The course of study for the seven-year program begins each September; the Spanish intensive course and the pre-med courses are offered in the fall and spring semester respectively

All students spend their first three years of study on the Latin American School of Medicine’s campus, along with all other international students. During these years, the curriculum focuses on the basic medical sciences and includes some practicum opportunities in neighborhood clinics. The first year of study follows an innovative plan called “morphophysiology,” which integrates the various basic sciences to enhance learning.

Starting the third year of medical study, students are located at one of Cuba’s 21 teaching hospitals, with Cuban and international students. In these advanced years of study, supervised clinical practicum work on the hospital wards is incorporated with classroom and laboratory studies. The sixth year of medical study is the internship year, in which students complete rotations in internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics/gynecology, surgery, and general medicine.

In terms of subject matter, the Cuban medical curriculum corresponds very closely with how medicine is taught in the US. The teaching style, however, is different: the Cuban schools emphasize cooperative rather than competitive learning, smaller class sizes, frequent oral exams, and intensive tutoring to help all students succeed.

In rare cases, admitted students who have completed one or more semesters of medical school training prior to their enrollment at the Latin American School of Medicine may be considered for advanced standing. Evaluations are done on a case-by-case basis, and involve detailed analysis of the students’ prior coursework by the faculty of the Latin American School of Medicine.

The first semester begins in September and runs through January. The second semester resumes in February and ends in July. There is a summer recess from mid-July until the end of August. First-semester exams are held in January, before the next semester begins in February. Second-semester exams are given at the end of June & July. 

There is a short break from December 23 to January 2.

The only official academic vacation recognized by the Cuban Ministry of Health is from mid-July to the end of August. During this time, U.S. ELAM students are encouraged to pursue clinical & shadowing experiences in the U.S. and to prepare for the United States Medical Licensing Exams required to practice medicine in the U.S.

Frequent oral exams are given in most classes, and written mid-term and final examinations are given in all courses. Students who don’t pass a final exam on the first try are given two more weeks to study and get additional tutoring, and then can retake the exam. (This second try is called the “extraordinario.”) Students who don’t pass the extraordinario can retake the exam one more time before the start of the next calendar year. (The third try is called the “mundial.”) Students who fail two or more mundial exams must repeat the entire academic year. This option to repeat a year can be used only once during the six-year course of study.

No, while in Cuba, students will not be able to work during the school year. However, during summer breaks, students may work in the U.S. in areas that will add to their clinical experience and resume.

The Latin American School of Medicine is fully accredited by the World Health Organization (WHO), the recognized body that accredits all international schools of medicine. In the United States, the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) oversees licensing requirements for medical students who study in schools outside the U.S. The ECFMG fully recognizes any medical school that is certified by its own government’s Ministry of Health. Therefore, students who study at the Latin American Medical School are considered by the ECFMG to have received a fully accredited medical education. The Latin American School of Medicine has also been evaluated and fully accredited by the Medical Board of California, which has the most stringent standards of any state in the US. This means that graduates of the Latin American School of Medicine are fully qualified to apply for medical residency in any state in the U.S.This means that graduates of the Latin American School of Medicine are recognized as fully qualified to apply for medical residency in any state of the U.S. after successfully completing the USMLEs. 

In February 2024, ELAM was awarded international accreditation by the Council for Evaluation and International Accreditation of the Association of Latin American and Caribbean Universities (UDUAL). Being the youngest medical school on the island, the institution has, in the 24 years of its existence, again had the distinct honor of undergoing the rigors of an external evaluation. This process assessed the quality of education at ELAM and the medical profession in Cuba, as it follows a uniform curriculum across Cuba. This merit leverages Cuban medical education in an increasingly competitive and hostile arena. We hope you all will celebrate and join us in extending our gratitude to the Cuban government for prioritizing this development.

U.S. ELAM graduates are known for their commitment to humanism as a core belief and practice. They are welcomed by other IMGs and U.S. medical school graduates for their collegiality and dedication to excellence in patient care.  As a result of high patient and supervising physician evaluation and review scores, many now serve on medical committees, participate in resident selection, and serve as chief residents. A few are chairpersons of residency programs.

To practice medicine in the US, students at the Latin American School of Medicine (ELAM) need to pass the US Medical Licensing Exams (USMLEs). These exams are required for all US students who study in any medical school, whether in the US or abroad. There are three components to the US licensing process, Step 1, Step 2 CK, and a Pathway application for clinical skills evaluation: 

-Step 1 exam is a computer-based multiple-choice exam that focuses on the basic medical sciences. 

-Step 2CK exam focuses on clinical knowledge. 

The Pathway application qualifies a student for evaluation of clinical skills. The Step exams can be taken in any order, but it is encouraged to take them in order after the second year of medical school, with the written agreement of the medical school dean and IFCO/Pastors for Peace. 

Students should begin studying for the USMLE exams during their first year of medical school and aim to take the exams by their third year at the latest. Unlike in US medical schools, advancing to the clinical years is not strictly based on passing these exams. US ELAM students have the flexibility to demonstrate their mastery of the material before sitting for the USMLE. After graduating from ELAM and completing the USMLEs, graduates receive certification from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) and can then apply for medical residency in their chosen specialty. The USMLE Step 3 exam is taken during residency.

To facilitate this process, careful consideration has been given to the particular needs of U.S. students as they prepare for these mandatory examinations. Faculty and administrators at the Latin American School of Medicine have analyzed the U.S. Step exams to be sure that all anticipated items are covered in detail in their course offerings. Some adjustments have been made in the standard Cuban course sequence to accommodate the special needs of U.S. students (for example, offering Pharmacology in an earlier semester so students can prepare for the Step 1 exam).

In addition, U.S. physicians who are members of IFCO’s Medical School Advisory Committee offer supplementary short courses to U.S. students, in several subject areas which are included in Step 1 and Step 2CK exams, but which are taught from a different perspective in the Cuban curricula — courses such as Medical Ethics, Legal Medicine, Psychiatry, and Biostatistics.

Supplemental study groups are available for all U.S. students to help them prepare for the Step 1 exam. These study groups are considered optional, but participation is highly encouraged, even though they are not a formal part of the ELAM curricula, since all U.S. students MUST be sufficiently prepared to pass the USMLE exams to practice in the U.S.

Since US students first started enrolling in the Latin American School of Medicine in the spring of 2001, about 20% of enrolled students have left the program, and 80% have remained enrolled. This rate is exactly comparable to the attrition rate at any medical school in the US. Most of the students who have chosen to leave the program have left for personal or family reasons, or because studying medicine in Cuba just wasn’t a good fit for them. Very few have left for academic reasons.

The scholarship includes full tuition, room & board which covers dormitory housing and three meals a day at the campus cafeteria, textbooks in Spanish for all courses, bedding, a small monthly stipend in Cuban pesos, and a school uniform (short-sleeved white lab coat; dark blue pants or skirts). 

The scholarship does not include travel expenses to and from school; it does not include the fees for taking the USMLE Step exams; it does not include costs for laptops, tablets, supplemental English-language textbooks, or study resources. 

IFCO has provided a small library of supplemental English-language medical textbooks for U.S. students and other students from English-speaking countries. US ELAM Alumni also contribute periodically to updated digital resources. IFCO has also partnered with AMBOSS and their Global Health Initiative to provide resources to prepare for the USMLE Step exams.

Campus life at the Latin American School of Medicine is a vibrant, multi-cultural experience. Daily life is shared with students from more than 124 nations and the richness of this cultural diversity is celebrated by the school. Student delegations from each nationality organize “Culture Night” galas in which they showcase and share their own cultural traditions.

Dormitory accommodations are very spartan. Living conditions are quite modest, and students coming from the so-called ‘first-world’ environment of the US need to be prepared for this. Dormitory rooms have bunk beds and lots of people sharing space; and there are occasional power outages. Three meals a day are provided free of charge at the cafeteria, but the food is very simple: lots of rice and beans. Snack bars and small restaurants on and off campus provide inexpensive meals for a few US dollars or Cuban pesos.

All students are required to live in the dormitories on campus during the first two years of study (and any pre-med semesters). No special accommodations can be made for married students or for students with children.  Please note that NO exceptions are made to this rule.  Students should be prepared to make a number of lifestyle adjustments — to the Spanish-speaking environment, the relative lack of private space, and the spartan living conditions. Students who are open to making these adjustments — and who understand the incomparable value of what is being offered in this unique program — will also find the experience of campus life to be extraordinarily enriching.

Once in Cuba, you can purchase data and reload anytime for your phone/devices to access the internet. WhatsApp is widely used. Internet access is also available from certain institutions for a small fee. Keep in mind that because of the US economic blockade imposed against Cuba, network infrastructure is more limited in Cuba.

Family and friends who are visiting students can go under the category of visiting relatives. Students can travel between home in the U.S. to Cuba between breaks while staying in communication with the program.

Travel restrictions for typical U.S. citizens to Cuba are subject to change administration to administration, but these travel categories (students and visiting family) remain stable for students and families.

Yes! — but it is important to understand the context.  As part of the US economic blockade against Cuba, restrictions have been imposed on US citizens’ travel to Cuba.  Students at the Latin American School of Medicine were initially considered exempt from these restrictions since they were “fully hosted” — with all their expenses paid by the Cuban Ministry of Health.  When President Bush tightened restrictions against Cuba in June 2004, the “fully hosted” category was eliminated. Pressure from IFCO and members of the Congressional Black and Hispanic Caucuses led the U.S. government to grant special travel authorization for all students enrolled in the Latin American School of Medicine. The Obama administration removed the need for special authorization. Therefore, it is fully legal for US ELAM students to travel to and from school.

Under the Trump administration and now the Biden administration, the US government has undone much of what the Obama administration did, making it more difficult for US citizens to travel to Cuba. So far, there have been no restrictions on student travel.

IFCO/Pastors for Peace continues to work not only for an end to the travel restrictions to Cuba but to the US Blockade against Cuba. You may agree and want to join us in doing this work.

Whether traversing the mountains in Bolivia to reach local communities or practicing as the first physicians of indigenous people in the Solomon Islands, over 30,000 plus ELAM physicians have returned to their respective countries, and many work in the hardest-to-reach communities.  Some occupy leadership roles, including directors of hospitals and health departments and ministerial or other high-level positions. ELAM physicians continue to carry out the charge of service and solidarity globally, a hallmark of Cuban medical training. Many have facilitated significant positive transformations in healthcare delivery and access for their populations. 

U.S. ELAM graduates are no different from their counterparts. Of the 245* U.S. ELAM graduates, 144 physicians are now either attending physicians or completing residency training across the U.S. Many graduates have completed fellowships and advanced medical training. Some are faculty for medical schools and residency programs. An additional 101 U.S. ELAM graduates work in research, public health, and education sectors. These physicians work in under-resourced communities, inner-city settings, and rural areas. They are often in Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs), and 89% work in Medically-Underserved Areas/Populations (MUAs). Health Professional Shortage Areas are designations that indicate healthcare provider shortages in primary care, dental, or mental health. These shortages may be geographic-, population-, or facility-based. Medically-Underserved Areas/Populations are areas or populations designated by Health Resource and Services Administration (HRSA) as having too few primary care providers, high infant mortality, high poverty, or a high elderly population. While working in over 30 states, 96% of practicing U.S. ELAM physicians form the backbone of primary care (internal medicine, pediatrics, ob-gyn, med-peds, psychiatry) and are working hard to serve under-served people throughout the country.

*Three U.S. ELAM graduates are deceased.

Yes! Family and friends who are visiting students can be listed under the visiting relatives category. They must make sure they are not staying at any hotels or other places listed by the U.S. government as illegal. If anyone is interested in visiting Cuba and possibly ELAM, please contact IFCO. We have experience in taking groups to Cuba and can assist with organizing visits by small groups.