BVI’s medical school to open first semester in 4 months
Ponce Health Sciences University (PHSU) will begin its first semester in the British Virgin Islands in four months.
Speaking at the university’s inauguration ceremony on Monday, Premier Dr. Natalio Wheatley described the occasion as a milestone in the territory’s development.
“Today, we celebrate the inauguration of the Ponce Health Sciences University (PHSU) School of Medicine BVI, which will commence its first semester on Monday, 28 July 2025,” Premier Wheatley said at the event. “For the first time, students will be able to study medicine at an internationally accredited medical school located right here in the BVI—at the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College in Paraquita Bay.”
As part of the medical programme, students will complete their first two years at the BVI campus, while clinical rotations in the third and fourth years will take place at major hospital systems in Puerto Rico and the United States.
On successful completion of their studies, graduates of the BVI-based PHSU School of Medicine will be awarded medical degrees, Dr. Wheatley explained.
“These degrees are backed by proper accreditation, as are PHSU’s medical programmes at its three other campuses. The BVI School of Medicine has provisional accreditation from the Accreditation Commission on Colleges of Medicine (ACCM) and a provisional license from the Higher Education Licensing Board under the Ministry of Education of the Virgin Islands,” he said.
He added: “The school was also accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. PHSU’s programs are accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), the American Psychological Association (APA), the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) for residency training, and the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME). So, the quality of the degrees that will be awarded is more than assured.”
Dr. Wheatley noted that the introduction of this institution not only makes medical studies more accessible and affordable for Virgin Islanders pursuing careers in medicine but also strengthens the BVI’s healthcare sector and supports economic diversification through edu-tourism.
“The convenience and lower costs that I mentioned also extend to students and potential students from the United States and nearby countries,” he said.
Fifty students will make up the first cohort at PHSU’s BVI campus.
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Love this. Young people, please take full advantage of this. Government, please find some money for scholarships. We know things are tight, but we know it can be done.
We need doctors, nurses and other medically trainded individuals in this country. You go to the hospital now and the need for staff is obvious.
Come on young people. We old people should go home and lay down whether we’re sick or tired or not, so let’s see the motion. Big motion and aggressive movements to educate yourself to help your country. Let’s get it.