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Sjsm Integrated
5-year Md Program

PRE-MED / 5-YEAR MD

Our institution is dedicated to the academic success of our students, and therefore, our curriculum has been specifically designed to prioritize their learning. Students in the 5 - Year MD program complete their Pre-Med classes year-round (in trimesters) before applying to the MD program.

Students can enter this program after they have completed high school / secondary school in their respective country. This course of study meets the same standards as a Premedical program in the US; thus, once transitioned into the MD program, it offers them the same chance of achieving excellent results in the USMLE Step 1, Step 2 CK, and residency. Our Pre-Medical program is 4 semesters (16 months) long and is conducted at our campus on the beautiful island of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

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5-Year Medical Degree Progression

Basic Sciences, 16 months PRE-MED BASIC SCIENCE BSRC
The Clinical Sciences, 80 weeks total Graduate with MD degree
Subject Medium of Instr. Credits Grade Level
MATHEMATICS I Online 3 PM1
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY Live 6 PM1
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND CLIMATE CHANGE. Live 6 PM1
BIOLOGY I Live 6 PM1
Subject Medium of Instr. Credits Grade Level
BIOLOGY II Live 6 PM2
MATH II Online 3 PM2
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY I Live 6 PM2
SOCIOLOGY Live 3 PM2
ETHNOBOTANY AND FOREST ECOLOGY Live 6 PM2
Subject Medium of Instr. Credits Grade Level
ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY I Live 6 PM3
PHYSICS Online 3 PM3
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY II Live 6 PM3
PSYCHOLOGY Live 3 PM3
SILVICULTURE, FOREST MANAGEMENT, AND AGROFORESTRY Live 6 PM3
Subject Medium of Instr. Credits Grade Level
ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY II Live 6 PM4
MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY Live 3 PM4
INTRODUCTION OF BIOCHEMISTRY Live 6 PM4
ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY Live 6 PM4
Subject Medium of Instr. Credits Grade Level
HISTOLOGY (11 CREDITS) Live 11 MD1
RHM I (RESEARCH IN HEALTH AND MEDICINE) (1 CREDIT) Live 1 MD1
ANATOMY & EMBRYOLOGY (20 CREDITS) Live 20 MD1
CCBS I (CLINICAL CORRELATION OF BASIC SCIENCE) (1 CREDIT) Live 1 MD1
Subject Medium of Instr. Credits Grade Level
PHYSIOLOGY (10 CREDITS) Live 10 MD2
BIOCHEMISTRY & GENETICS (14 CREDITS) Live 14 MD2
NEUROSCIENCES (6 CREDITS) Live 6 MD2
CCBS II (CLINICAL CORRELATION OF BASIC SCIENCE) (1 CREDIT) Live 1 MD2
Subject Medium of Instr. Credits Grade Level
PATHOLOGY I (11 CREDITS) Live 11 MD3
MICROBIOLOGY (10 CREDITS) Live 10 MD3
EPIDEMIOLOGY AND BIOSTATISTICS (4 CREDITS) Live 4 MD3
BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE (8 CREDITS) Live 8 MD3
CCBS III (CLINICAL CORRELATION OF BASIC SCIENCE) (1 CREDIT) Live 1 MD3
Subject Medium of Instr. Credits Grade Level
PATHOLOGY II (11 CREDITS) Live 11 MD4
PHARMACOLOGY (10 CREDITS) Live 10 MD4
PHYSICAL DIAGNOSIS & CLINICAL MEDICINE (10 CREDITS) Live 10 MD4
RHM II (RESEARCH IN HEALTH AND MEDICINE) (1 CREDIT) Live 1 MD4
CCBS IV (CLINICAL CORRELATION OF BASIC SCIENCE) (1 CREDIT) Live 1 MD4
The 5-Year MD program offers other great benefits, such as the issuance of a Bachelor's Degree in Health Sciences after completing the first eight semesters of the program
Subject Medium of Instr. Credits Grade Level
BASIC SCIENCE REVIEW COURSE (11 CREDITS) Live 30 MD5
The 5-Year MD program offers other great benefits, such as the issuance of a Bachelor's Degree in Health Sciences after completing the first eight semesters of the program

Internal Medicine (12 weeks)

The Internal Medicine Clerkship is 12 weeks long where students deal with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of the diseases in adulthood, including the management of undifferentiated and multi-system diseases. Clinical problem-solving in internal medicine is based on the integrated pathophysiological, psychosocial, epidemiological and all other “bedside” information to address urgent problems, manage chronic illness and promote health, using the best scientific evidence to patient care. The Internal Medicine Clerkship is a student’s main opportunity to improve his or her fundamental skills of data collection, clinical reasoning and understanding of the pathophysiological process in clinical settings, and to become familiar with the common acute and chronic illnesses in adults, their diagnoses and treatment as well as with screening methods and preventive medicine activities.

Pediatrics (6 weeks)

The Pediatric Clerkship is a 6-week course that addresses health care issues unique to infants, children and adolescents. It integrates biology, clinical and behavioral sciences with psychosocial, cultural, family, community and other influences on children’s health and well-being, within the framework of expected growth and development. The emphasis is placed on basic issues and commonly occurring illnesses, but other less common problems may sometimes need to be included. Students will have the opportunity to participate in the clinical activities of both general 18 19 and subspecialty pediatric services, to study the impact of the disease and treatment of the disease on growth and development, and on patient and family and community. They will also have the opportunity to participate in health supervision and recognition of common health problems, in the prevention of disease and injury and other activities relevant to pediatric issues. Those opportunities will be met by both inpatients and outpatients.

Surgery (12 weeks)

The 12-week General Surgery Clerkship is designed to be an introduction to surgery and selected surgical subspecialties at our various teaching hospitals. Students are assigned to the inpatient surgical wards and outpatient clinics. The students are taught the approach to the surgical patient and participate in pre- and postoperative care as well as perform certain invasive techniques safely. By the end of rotation, students are expected to know the indications and the contradictions and the role of ancillary services in managing surgical diseases.

Psychiatry (6 weeks)

The Psychiatry Clerkship is a 6-week course. Students will have the opportunity to participate in the studies and treatment of various common affective, behavioral, cognitive and perceptual disorders. Students will achieve the competencies in the field of psychiatry through clinical hands-on experience, directly, or as a part of consult/liaison team, through patient encounters, through clinical teaching and a structured didactic program and under the guidelines and supervision of the residents and attending physicians. The students’ clinical experience will be supplemented by the directed readings, discussions with preceptors, completion of required written reports, case presentations, attendance at grand rounds, medical conferences, team meetings, floor rounds and assignments, didactic presentations and student readings appropriate to the care of the student’s own patients. Students will get the opportunity to participate in research projects and to present clinical and scientific information, both orally and in writing, to colleagues and other health professionals.

OB-GYN (6 weeks)

Obstetrics and Gynecology is a 6-week core rotation that provides students the opportunity to participate in comprehensive health care for women from childhood through the adolescence, reproductive and menopause years, and beyond. This clerkship offers both inpatient and outpatient clinical experience, and is integrated to provide students with an understanding of routine OB/GYN care performed in the physician’s office. The primary focus is obstetrical conditions and gynecological problems commonly encountered by the physician. Students will observe and perform selected procedures necessary to provide antepartum, post-partum, and pre- and post-operative care of gynecological patients. Students will be required to take call, attend conferences, and read suggested literature under the supervision of residents and attending physicians.

Family Medicine (6 weeks)

Family Medicine is a 6-week clerkship for third-year medical students. It encompasses continuing, comprehensive care of patients of all ages, both genders, and of their families as well. Family medicine integrates biological, clinical, social and behavioral sciences with psychosocial, cultural, family, community and other influences on people’s health. Under the guidelines and the supervision of faculty/preceptors and attending physicians, students achieve the competencies in the field of family medicine primarily through ambulatory clinical experience, with the main focus on the management of chronic diseases, health maintenance, and undiagnosed new problems. During this rotation, students integrate, expand and refine their clinical skills and become familiar with the coordinated health care provided by a family practitioner. Screening and prevention are very important parts of this rotation. Students may as well participate in research activities.

TOTAL 48 weeks
  • Emergency Medicine *
  • Allergy and Immunology
  • Cardiology
  • Critical Care Medicine
  • Dermatology
  • Emergency Medicine
  • Endocrinology
  • Family Practice
  • Gastroenterology
  • General Medicine
  • Hematology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Nephrology
  • Neurology
  • Occupational Medicine
  • Oncology
  • Ophthalmology
  • Orthopedics
  • Psychiatry
  • Pulmonology
  • Radiology
  • Rehabilitation Medicine
  • Rheumatology
  • Surgical subspecialties
  • Urology
TOTAL 32 weeks

This is a partial list of possible elective rotations.
* Mandatory Elective

Basic Sciences

Upon completing the four semesters of Pre-Medical coursework, students will transition into the Basic Science portion of the MD program. The first five semesters of Saint James School of Medicine’s MD Program will help you build a strong foundation for your medical career.

Our Basic Sciences curriculum consists of lectures, research, and lab-based teaching at our Caribbean medical school campus. All courses are designed in the USMLE format, and study is supplemented with hands-on clinical training at the local hospital whenever possible.

Small class sizes offer you one-on-one attention from our experienced, enthusiastic professors. Tutoring, mentoring, and one-on-one guidance are all available. Our supportive student community offers plenty of opportunities for peer-led learning groups.

More about Basic Sciences

Clinical Sciences

The Clinical Sciences component of our top-quality MD Program is completed over five semesters (80 weeks) at affiliated hospitals and clinical facilities in the United States.

Clinical training at Saint James School of Medicine is divided into 48 weeks of core clerkships and 32 weeks of elective clinical rotations.

Our students do USMLE prep and the clinical rotations alongside students from some of America’s best medical schools at a fraction of the cost. Saint James School of Medicine has a strong, established network of U.S. hospitals and clinical institutions, and we continuously invest in growing this list.

More about Clinical Sciences

Bachelor’s Degree

In addition to a first class medical education, the 5-Year MD program offers other great benefits, such as the issuance of a Bachelor's Degree in Health Sciences after completing the first eight semesters of the program (4 Pre-Med semesters, plus 4 Basic Sciences semester).

This is the only Premed program in the Caribbean that leads to a Bachelors degree, so if students decide that medicine is not the right option for them, they can branch out into other fields and pursue a Masters if so desired.

Undp Collaboration

Saint James School of Medicine has partnered with the United Nations Development Program’s Reef-to-Ridge Project to develop a Bachelor’s level program that would benefit the SJSM students and the local community. Our Bachelor’s Degree in Health Sciences program has been approved by the Ministry of Education of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and is meant to educate students on the modern issues surrounding communal health and safety. Students who enroll in our 5-Year MD program will automatically earn credits toward the Bachelor’s Degree. Upon completing the first three years of the 5-year program, students will receive their Bachelor’s Degree in Health Sciences.

Where Can I Practice?

Upon completion of the 5-year MD program from Saint James School of Medicine, students will be able to obtain residency and licensure in the United States and Canada, as well as the Caribbean, UK, Africa, and other countries. Saint James School of Medicine is proud to have hundreds of graduates thus far, most of them currently practicing medicine in the United States and Canada.

Why Study Medicine
In The Caribbean

Studying medicine in the Caribbean can offer several benefits to aspiring medical students. Firstly, the cost of tuition and living expenses is often significantly lower compared to studying in developed countries. Secondly, the region has a rich cultural heritage and provides a unique experience for students to immerse themselves in a new environment.

The medical schools in the Caribbean are well-equipped with modern facilities and resources and provide a strong education in the field of medicine. Additionally, Caribbean medical schools have a reputation for producing highly skilled and competent healthcare professionals who are well-equipped to work in a variety of clinical settings.

Geographically, the Caribbean is conveniently located near the United States, Central and South America. Additionally, students from Africa, Europe, and Asia can easily reach the Caribbean using several airline hubs such as Barbados or St. Martin. The island where the school is located is English-speaking, making the cultural transition easy to adjust to. Overall, studying medicine in the Caribbean can be a great opportunity for those who are looking to pursue a career in medicine while also gaining valuable international experience.

Accreditation & Recognition

Saint James School of Medicine is a fully recognized and accredited medical school. Our program is designed to follow the standards of the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) as well as the standards of LCME from United States.

Our Accreditation

Tuition & Fees

Saint James School of Medicine prides itself on being one of the most affordable accredited schools in the region. We strive to ensure that our tuition is accessible to any aspiring physician. Our Pre-Med program starts at U.S. $6,500 per semester, while our MD program tuition starts at $9,150 per semester. In comparison to other Caribbean and North American schools, SJSM continues to provide the best value.

Tuition and Fees
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