Accredited Pathway

International
Track

The SJSM MD program for students who plan to practice medicine outside the U.S. and Canada, with clinical training inside the national public health system of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Saint James School of Medicine campus in St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Introduction

Saint James School of Medicine (SJSM) is proud to introduce the International Track, a pathway within its accredited Doctor of Medicine (MD) program built for students who plan to practice medicine outside the United States and Canada. The International Track delivers the same accredited SJSM MD program, with clinical training completed within the national public health system of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and an examination pathway that does not depend on the USMLE.

Why SJSM Created the International Track

SJSM has trained physicians for nearly three decades, with a curriculum historically oriented toward graduates seeking licensure and residency placement in the United States and Canada. Over time, a growing share of prospective students have expressed interest in a different outcome: returning home, or building a medical career in the United Kingdom, India, the Caribbean, or elsewhere, where a USMLE-centered pathway does not apply.

Following a formal accreditation review and site visit, SJSM was approved to offer the International Track as a parallel pathway through the same accredited MD program. Students complete the same curriculum and earn the same degree, with clinical training delivered in collaboration with the public health system of St. Vincent and the Grenadines at accredited sites, and progression assessed through standardized comprehensive examinations rather than the USMLE.

SJSM clinical training pathway in St. Vincent and the Grenadines

What Is the
International Track?

The International Track is the SJSM MD program, delivered for students who plan to practice medicine outside the United States and Canada.

Both tracks lead to the same Doctor of Medicine degree from the same accredited program. The curriculum, the pre-clinical faculty, the academic standards, and the graduation requirements are the same. An International Track graduate holds the same SJSM MD as every other SJSM graduate.

What differs is where you train and which exams you sit. International Track students complete their clinical rotations within the national public health system of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, at accredited training sites, alongside the physicians who deliver the country’s public healthcare. In place of the USMLE Step series, students progress through a sequence of standardized comprehensive examinations that assess the same core competencies the USMLE measures.

Program Structure

Pre-Clinical Curriculum

Students in both tracks complete the same pre-clinical curriculum, covering the basic and clinical sciences that form the foundation of medical practice: anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology, pathology, microbiology, and behavioral science, among others. Coursework, instructors, learning objectives, and academic standards are identical across both tracks during this phase.

Clinical Rotations

International Track students complete their clinical rotations within the public health system of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, at the country’s principal referral hospital and its national psychiatric facility. Rotations cover the core specialties required for the MD: internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, family medicine, and psychiatry. Students train directly alongside the practicing physicians and specialists who staff the national health system.

Examinations

Where Standard Track students sit USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK, International Track students progress through a sequence of standardized comprehensive examinations, including externally developed and normed assessments. These examinations assess the same core competencies as the USMLE: basic science knowledge, clinical knowledge, and clinical reasoning. Passing them is a requirement for progression and graduation.

Clinical Training in the National Health System

International Track rotations are delivered within the public health system of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, in collaboration with the physicians and institutions that provide care to the country’s population. Because the system is public and centralized, students see the full range of what a national health service manages, from routine primary care presentations to complex referrals, within a single connected network. Both training sites below have been reviewed and approved as accredited clinical training sites.

Milton Cato Memorial Hospital

The national referral hospital, located in the capital, Kingstown. As the country’s largest hospital, it gives International Track students broad exposure to the core clinical specialties in a high-volume public healthcare setting, including internal medicine, general surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, and family medicine. Students train directly alongside practicing physicians and gain hands-on experience across a wide range of patient presentations.

Mental Health Rehabilitation Centre

The national psychiatric facility, where International Track students complete their psychiatry rotation. Students gain structured exposure to the diagnosis, treatment, and long-term management of psychiatric conditions under the supervision of practicing psychiatrists.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines coastline

Why St. Vincent and the Grenadines?

St. Vincent and the Grenadines is a stable, English-speaking country with a public health system that serves the entire population and experience hosting international medical students. Training inside a national health system gives International Track students clinical experience in the kind of environment many of them will practice in after graduation: publicly funded, resource-conscious, and responsible for a whole community rather than a self-selected patient pool. It is also home to SJSM’s campus at Golden Vale, so students remain within the same academic community from the first day of the program through graduation.

Standard Track vs.
International Track

Feature	Standard Track	International Track
Core Curriculum	Same	Same
Clinical Training Setting	U.S. teaching hospitals	National public health system of St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Rotation Sites	Affiliated U.S. hospitals	Milton Cato Memorial Hospital; Mental Health Rehabilitation Centre
Required Examinations	USMLE Step 1, Step 2 CK	Standardized comprehensive examinations (USMLE-competency aligned)
Intended Practice Location	United States / Canada	Outside the U.S. and Canada
Degree Awarded	Doctor of Medicine (MD)	Doctor of Medicine (MD)
Accreditation	Same accredited MD program	Same accredited MD program

Who Should Apply to the
International Track?

The International Track is best suited for students who:

Plan to return to and practice medicine in their home country after graduation
Intend to pursue medical licensure in a country other than the United States or Canada, such as the United Kingdom, India, or another Caribbean nation
Do not need USMLE or ECFMG certification for their intended career path

Students who are unsure which track fits their long-term goals should speak with the SJSM Office of Admissions before selecting a track.

Accreditation and Academic Standards

The International Track has been formally approved by the Accreditation Commission on Colleges of Medicine (ACCM), the accrediting body responsible for oversight of Saint James School of Medicine, following a site review of the clinical training sites within the national health system. International Track students are part of the same accredited MD program as all other SJSM students and are held to the same academic standards throughout their pre-clinical and clinical training.

Saint James School of Medicine ACCM-accredited campus in St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Frequently Asked Questions
About the International Track

What is the Saint James School of Medicine International Track?

The International Track is an ACCM-approved pathway at Saint James School of Medicine (SJSM) for students who do not plan to practice medicine in the United States or Canada after graduation. Students follow the same core MD curriculum as the Standard Track but complete their clinical rotations in St. Vincent and the Grenadines instead of the United States, and sit for standardized examinations instead of the USMLE Step exams.

Where do International Track students complete their clinical rotations?

International Track students complete their clinical rotations at Milton Cato Memorial Hospital and the Mental Health Rehabilitation Centre, both located in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Do International Track students need to take the USMLE?

No. Students in the International Track are not required to sit for the USMLE Step examinations. Instead, they complete and pass a series of standardized examinations administered by SJSM that assess the same core competencies.

Who should apply to the International Track?

The International Track is for students who plan to practice medicine outside the United States and Canada: students returning to their home country after graduation, or pursuing licensure in the United Kingdom, India, the Caribbean, or elsewhere, where USMLE and ECFMG certification are not part of the pathway.

Students who intend to practice in the United States or Canada, or who want to keep that option open, should not consider the International Track. The Standard Track, with US clinical rotations and the USMLE sequence, is the pathway for US and Canadian residency. Students who are unsure should choose the Standard Track and speak with the Office of Academic Affairs before the end of MD2.

Is the curriculum different in the International Track?

No. The International Track is the same SJSM MD program. Students complete the same curriculum, coursework, and pre-clinical training as Standard Track students, are taught by the same faculty to the same academic standards, and earn the same MD degree. Clinical rotations cover the same core specialties and are assessed against the same clinical competencies, so an International Track graduate finishes with the same knowledge, clinical skills, and professional competencies as any other SJSM graduate. What changes is where those rotations take place, within the national public health system of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and which examinations students pass to progress and graduate.

Is the International Track accredited?

Yes. The International Track was reviewed and approved by the Accreditation Commission on Colleges of Medicine (ACCM), the accrediting body for Saint James School of Medicine, following a site visit to the clinical training sites in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. ACCM is recognized by the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME), and the International Track was evaluated against the same WFME-aligned standards that apply to the rest of the SJSM MD program. International Track students are enrolled in the same accredited MD program as all other SJSM students and are held to the same academic standards.

Can a student switch between the Standard Track and the International Track?

Students who want to pursue the International Track must notify the Office of Academic Affairs no later than the end of MD2. Because both tracks share the same pre-clinical curriculum, nothing is lost by taking the first two semesters to decide, and students are encouraged to use that time to speak with the Office of Academic Affairs about their long-term licensure and practice goals.

Once a student has elected the International Track, the decision is final. Clinical rotation planning, examination scheduling, and progression requirements differ between the tracks from that point on, so SJSM does not permit a return to the Standard Track after the MD2 deadline. Students should treat the election as a commitment to the country and licensure pathway in which they intend to practice.

When will the International Track begin accepting students?

Saint James School of Medicine will share admissions timelines, application deadlines, and start dates for the International Track in the near future. Prospective students are encouraged to contact the Office of Admissions for the latest information.

Does the International Track cost the same as the standard MD program?

Tuition and fee details for the International Track will be published separately by SJSM’s Office of Admissions. Prospective students should reach out directly for current program costs.

Does the International Track conform to the requirements in India?

Yes. The National Medical Council (NMC) of India requires the entire degree program to be delivered in the same geographical location, which makes the SJSM International Track compliant with NMC regulations.

Ready to Explore the International Track?

Prospective students interested in the International Track can contact the Saint James School of Medicine Office of Admissions to learn more about eligibility, application deadlines, tuition, and program start dates. Additional details, including a full admissions timeline, will be published on this page as they become available.

Apply Now

International Track