The Cuban regime has declared that high school students aspiring to pursue Medical Sciences will no longer need to take entrance exams, further easing the pathway to higher education. According to an announcement from the University of Medical Sciences in Holguín, students who complete tenth grade with a 90 average and maintain the same score in the first semester of eleventh grade can finish their last year of high school at the university and directly enter the medical program.
This initiative, as stated by the regime's institution, aligns with decisions made by the Ministry of Public Health to establish collegiate programs within the Universities of Medical Sciences. Consequently, students will bypass entrance exams for higher education, receiving direct admission into the program.
In addition to being in the eleventh grade, students must be physically and mentally "fit." For those pursuing a nursing degree, an additional requirement is not being allergic to penicillin. Journalist Yosmany Mayeta highlighted this measure on social media, pointing out its aim to produce "emergency doctors for a country without medicine."
Many online critics echoed this sentiment, expressing concern over the authorities' lenient approach to a profession demanding high standards. One Cuban citizen remarked, "Many of us worked hard to prepare for rigorous entrance exams that many failed, and now they just hand out admissions. It's crazy. But the real issue is, who do we trust with our lives now? What level of knowledge will they have? We'll see more horrors."
This system was already implemented last year in Havana, with the Julio Trigo and Enrique Cabrera faculties offering university college programs for twelfth-grade students aiming to study medicine. Over the past two years, Cuba's Ministry of Higher Education has maintained a schedule for university admissions that includes those who failed or did not take entrance exams.
In 2023, when this admission approach was revealed, Cuban Minister Walter Baluja García stated, "We do not believe this opening means a decline in graduate quality." Nonetheless, criticism endures as the regime continues to push a flawed method.
Understanding Cuba's New Medical School Admission Policy
What are the new requirements for entering medical school in Cuba?
Students completing tenth grade with a 90 average and maintaining the same score in the first semester of eleventh grade can finish high school at the university and enter the medical program directly, without entrance exams.
What criticisms have been made about this new admission policy?
Critics argue that the lenient criteria undermine the rigorous standards traditionally required for medical professions, raising concerns about future doctors' knowledge and capabilities.