New medical school in Dominica to undergo accreditation by end of April
Following the shutdown of Dominica’s premiere medical school, Ross University School of Medicine (RUSM), a new educational institution is set to begin operations in the island by August this year.
The new school, American Canadian School of Medicine(ACSOM), is opening in Picard, Portsmouth—the same city where RUSM operated for 40 years.
But before it opens on August 14, ACSOM will have to undergo critical accreditations by end of April and beginning of May.
“Once we learn of those accreditation decisions we can actually start accepting students,” Carey James, ACSOM president, said during an interview on State-Owned DBS Radio.
According to Dominica’s prime minister Roosevelt Skerrit at last year’s budget hearing, the American Canadian School of Medicine will offer four-year degrees in medicine and will be run by “an experienced team comprising doctors who have held positions at major universities in the United States.” This roster also includes a former vice president of operations at the RUSM.
“We are very proud of our curriculum and the training that we are going to be able to provide,” Carey continued. “It’s really a small group-centered, that’s physician-led, students are taught in teams of 10.”
“We (ACSOM) are not owned; we actually have a board of trustees that is very distinguished that you can find on our website,” he added.
ACSOM opened its applications last week on the website, www.acsom.edu.dm, and is expected to accommodate students from Canada, US, and the Caribbean.
Dominica is building more state-of-the-art healthcare institutions in line with its goal of becoming the world’s first climate-resilient nation.
The Dominica China Friendship Hospital is operating, and the construction of the new Reginald Armour Hospital, which will also be in Portsmouth, will commence soon.
The New Marigot Hospital is now complete, with medical equipment and furnishings already in place.
MMC Development Ltd., a Dubai-based firm that has been instrumental to the housing initiative of the government of Dominica, led the development of the New Marigot Hospital.
The developing company also spearheaded the construction of twelve other health and wellness centres across the island. The centres are “comprised of two floors, and fitted with an emergency area, out-patient clinics, treatment room, as well as accommodation for medical staff,” according to MMC CEO Anthony Haiden.