Ross University School of Medicine

Ross University School of Medicine
Established	1978 (1978)
Type	Private , for-profit
Dean	Joseph Flaherty, M.D.
Location	Picard, Dominica
Nickname	Ross
Website	www.rossu.edu/medical-school/

Ross University School of Medicine (RUSM) is a private, for-profit Caribbean medical school, owned and operated by DeVry Education Group.^[1] The medical school was founded in 1978 and is located on the island nation of Dominica. 98 percent of RUSM students are from the United States and Canada.^[2] The 2013 graduating class included approximately 1,100 students.^[3]

DeVry Education Group, the parent organization that owns RUSM, is a publicly traded company that also owns American University of the Caribbean (AUC), another medical school in the Caribbean.

History

The medical school was founded in 1978 as The University of Dominica School of Medicine by Robert Ross, an entrepreneur.^[4][5] At the time, it was the first American (US) medical school located outside of the United States. It was housed in leased facilities at The Castaways Hotel, with an inaugural class of 11 students. In 1982, the University Of Dominica School of Medicine formally changed its name to Ross University School of Medicine, at the request of the government of Dominica.

In 1985 California state medical licensing officials (the Board of Medical Quality Assurance), began investigating RUSM, along with other medical schools located in the Caribbean.^[6] The officials released a report stating that RUSM at that time had nearly no admissions standards, and that the school was in the business of providing medical degrees to "everyone that wants one."^[6] However, RUSM agreed to implement a number of change recommended by the board.^[6]

In the late 1990s, RUSM expressed interest in opening a new medical school in Casper, in the US state of Wyoming, but accreditation was denied by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, the organization that accredits MD-granting medical schools in the United States.^[7] Some local individuals welcomed the economic impact of a new medical school on the town, but critics questioned the quality of education at a for-profit institution.^[7]

In 2003, RUSM was purchased by DeVry Education Group.^[8]

The medical school is listed by the World Health Organization Directory of Medical Schools and the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates.^[9]

School of Medicine Program

Curriculum

The medical program consists of four years. Students begin on the pre-clinical campus in Dominica, where they complete the basic sciences curriculum. The campus features a medical and anatomical imaging laboratory, a simulation center, and classrooms equipped with plasma screens. After completion of the basic sciences curriculum, students then continue on in core and elective rotations at hospitals in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Clinical Training

Unlike many American medical schools, Ross University does not own or affiliate with a primary teaching hospital. Ross University Medical School pays and contracts with hospitals in the U.S. to accept and place students in clinical rotations.^[10] The Bakersfield Californian reported that Ross and Kern County in California agreed to a $35 million deal to enable Ross students to complete clinical rotations at Kern Medical Center.^[11] Upon completion of the curriculum, similar to that of US medical schools, students must pass the USMLE Step 2 CS and USMLE Step 2 CK, prior to graduation.

The practice of paying hospitals for clinical rotation slots has generated controversy because of competition for a limited number of slots. Some United States based medical schools (which do not pay hospitals for providing clinical rotations) and the American Medical Association have called for laws prohibiting the practice.^[12]

Faculty

Each member of the Ross University School of Medicine faculty holds an M.D., a Ph.D. degree, or both. Many are Board Certified in their specialties in the U.S., or are members of the Royal Colleges of the U.K.^[13]

Academic Outcomes

Like many other Caribbean medical schools, the Ross University School of Medicine recruits many students who were unable to gain admission to medical schools in the United States but who nonetheless seek a medical education.^[14] According to the New York Times,"Ross is one of a handful of Caribbean medical schools that "have qualified for federal financial aid programs by demonstrating that their standards are comparable to those in the United States". Attrition rates (20-27%) are higher than in U.S. medical schools (3%).^[15] Additionally, 63% of graduates do so in the designed 50 month program completion period.^[16]

According to the National Resident Match Program, 595 international medical graduates from Dominica, where there are two medical schools, out of a total of 1100 students who applied for 2013 matched to a residency program, a match rate of 55%.^[17] The vast majority of these applicants were Ross University students. Ross reported that in 2014 more than 800 graduates earned a residency position.^[18] In 2014, 770 students reported obtaining Post Graduate-Year 1 Residency positions.^[19][20] In 2015, 812 students reported obtaining Post Graduate-Year 1 Residency positions ^[21]

Concern has been raised regarding the financial impact of medical school debt on the 27% of Ross students who fail to complete the program. Illinois Democratic Senator Richard Durban has introduced legislation that would require medical schools to maintain a 75% pass rate on the U.S. Medical Licensing Exam in order for their students to be eligible for federally guaranteed student loans. The effect of this requirement on the Ross University School of Medicine is unclear, as it has historically maintained pass rates above this level, in part by requiring students to pass an internal exam before allowing them to take the Medical Licensing Exams.^[22]

Accreditation

RUSM is recognized and accredited by the Dominica Medical Board.^[23]

Ross is also accredited by the Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education in Medicine and other Health Professions (CAAM-HP).^[24]

Devry Education Group

DeVry Education Group (formerly known as DeVry Inc.)^[25] is the publicly traded company that owns RUSM, as well as other private universities including the American University of the Caribbean (AUC), another for-profit medical school in the Caribbean, Chamberlain College of Nursing, and Keller Graduate School of Management. The company has received subpeonas from the offices of the Illinois Attorney General and the Massachusetts Attorney General regarding its use of student loans, its compensation practices, and possible accounting malpractice.^[26]

In the late 1990s, RUSM expressed interest in opening a new medical school in Casper, in the US state of Wyoming, but accreditation was denied by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, the organization that accredits MD-granting medical schools in the United States.^[7] Some local individuals welcomed the economic impact of a new medical school on the town, but critics questioned the quality of education at a for-profit institution.^[7]

Notable Graduates

Michael R. Williams was named president of the University of North Texas Health Science Center in 2013. Williams earned an MD from Ross.^[27]

Dr. Amy Rezak was featured in the ABC show Boston Med while a trauma surgeon at Brigham and Women's Hospital, one of the oldest Harvard Medical School affiliated hospitals.^[28]

See also

• International medical graduate
• List of medical schools in the Caribbean

References

External links

• Ross University School of Medicine official site