Saint James School of Medicine was originally established in Bonaire in 1999 and began instruction in 2000. In 2010, Saint James opened a second campus in Anguilla. In 2014, the School opened a third Caribbean medical school campus in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and began merging the Bonaire campus into the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines campus on the main island of Saint Vincent. At the conclusion of the Fall 2015 semester, Saint James Bonaire transferred its IMED listing and moved operations, students, and faculty to the St. Vincent and the Grenadines campus.
Curriculum
The MD program at Saint James is a 10 semester course of study that consists of three semesters per calendar year, each semester lasting four months. Semesters 1-5 are basic sciences completed at one of the school's two Caribbean campuses. Semester 5 was completed at Jackson Park Hospital in Chicago, Illinois, but the location of completion of this semester has since been changed. Starting in September 2017, semester 5 will be completed in one of the two school campuses in either Saint Vincent or Anguilla. After completion, students are expected to complete the United States Medical Licensing Exam Step 1, for which the school offers a pass guarantee In addition, the school has begun offering extended programs for students in the Basic Science program, offering the normal 5 semester Basic Science program, as well as a 6 and 7 semester Basic Science program. The Clinical Science portion consists of semesters 6-10 that involve 96 weeks of clinical study that are completed at affiliated hospitals and clinical facilities in the United States. The website lists the following hospitals that it is affiliated with:
Both of Saint James School of Medicine's campuses are listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools. Graduates of Saint James are eligible for the United States Medical Licensing Examination and ECFMG Certification, as well as the Canadian Medical Licensing Exams. In September 2009, the Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education in Medicine and other Health Professions granted Saint James' Anguilla campus initial accreditation as a developing school. In July 2015, CAAM-HP extended Saint James' Anguilla campus' initial provisional accreditation with probation for one year, until 2016. The Anguilla campus' CAAM-HP initial provisional accreditation with probation was extended for one year in July 2016. In August 2018, CAAM-HP extended Saint James' initial provisional accreditation again for one year. As of May 24, 2019, the Accreditation Commission of Colleges of Medicine granted Saint James School of Medicine conditional accreditation for three years, until May 21, 2022. The St. Vincent campus is registered with the National Accreditation Board of the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. And is operating under a provisional accreditation from CAAM-HP. The campus was recently assessed for certification and is waiting on results.
Financial Aid
Saint James School of Medicine has entered into an arrangement with Delta Financial Solutions, Inc. to provide qualified students with a private student loan program.
Student life
Students have clubs that they can join, including an AMSA chapter, a Phi Chi chapter, as well as other clubs. The student body also volunteers to operate health screenings for the local community.
