Ross University School of Medicine

Ross University School of Medicine
Ross University School of Medicine logo
Motto Dedita scientiae medendi
Motto in English
 Dedicated to the science of healing
Type Private, for-profit
Established 1978 (1978)
Dean William Owen, M.D.
Students 3551+[1]
Location Bridgetown, Barbados
Nickname Ross
Website medical.rossu.edu

Ross University School of Medicine (RUSM) is a private international medical school located in Bridgetown, Barbados as of August 2018. Its main campus is now located in Barbados, and separate administrative bases are located in Iselin, New Jersey and Miramar, Florida in the United States. It is owned by Adtalem Global Education Inc., formerly DeVry Education Group, which purchased it in 2003.

History

The medical school was founded in 1978 as The University of Dominica School of Medicine by Robert Ross, an entrepreneur.[2][3] At the time, 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.[4] 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."[4] RUSM agreed to implement a number of changes recommended by the board and has since graduated over 11,000 practicing physicians.[4]

In the late 1990s, RUSM expressed interest in opening a new medical school in Casper, in the U.S. 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.[5] 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.[5] In 2003, RUSM was acquired by DeVry Education Group,[6] which has since renamed itself Adtalem Global Education.

The school was impacted by Hurricane Maria in 2017, when the Category 5 storm made landfall on the island of Dominica. The hurricane knocked out communications, effectively isolating RUSM from the outside world. The campus suffered moderate damage from the effects of Maria. Students and faculty were located through a university-initiated roll call, and then were evacuated from the campus to the U.S. mainland.[7]

In October 2017, the university announced that classes for the fall semester would resume mid-October aboard the GNV Excellent, an Italian ferry that would be docked off the coast of the island of St. Kitts. The ship was reconfigured as an educational venue. [7]

In November 2017, Ross University School of Medicine announced plans to relocate temporarily to Knoxville, Tennessee for continuation of medical school classes. Lincoln Memorial University (LMU), based in Harrogate, Tennessee and with operations in Knoxville, will provide the necessary operational capacity and the technical capabilities to support RUSM faculty, students, and staff. [8]

Ross University School of Medicine has announced that the main campus will be relocated from Dominica to Barbados for the beginning of the 2019 Spring semester. [9] [10]

Accreditation

According to the university's website, RUSM has been accredited and recognized by the following agencies:[11]

The university has also received state-specific accreditation from California, New York, New Jersey, and Florida.[11]

Campus

The Ross University School of Medicine pre-clinical campus will be located at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre at Two Mile Hill in Barbados. The campus is expected to feature a medical and anatomical imaging laboratory, a simulation center, and classrooms equipped with several plasma screens and projection equipment, similar to the previous campus in Dominica.[12] [13]

Housing

The university does not offer traditional dormitory housing options. Most students typically live in off-campus university-approved apartment buildings and complexes, selected from an internal housing database. The university also oversees a housing complex known as Ross University Housing, which features studio-style single-occupancy units.

Curriculum

The university accepts students for three different entering classes per year: September, January and May. The fall entering class is typically the largest each year.Since September 2010, the university has followed an organ systems-based curriculum for its basic sciences.[14] This is divided into two different tracks, known as "Accelerated Curriculum" and "Curriculum" as of May 2013. The accelerated curriculum track covers the basic sciences in 60 weeks of study (four semesters), while the Curriculum track covers the same material in 75 weeks (five semesters) with integrated study breaks. Both tracks share identical first semesters, allowing students more time to decide on the track they wish to pursue.

Clinical training

Unlike many American medical schools, Ross University does not own or affiliate with any particular primary teaching hospital. The university contracts with hospitals throughout the U.S. to accept and place students in clinical rotations.[15] 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.[16] Upon completion of the curriculum, similar to that of U.S. medical schools, students must pass the USMLE Step 2 CS and USMLE Step 2 CK, prior to graduation.

Internal Medicine Foundations (IMF)

Prior to starting clerkships for the third and fourth years of the MD program, students are required to complete a six-week clinical semester known as Internal Medicine Foundations (IMF) in Miramar, Florida. Successful completion of this pre-clinical program is required prior to entry into a clerkship.

Clerkships

The university requires students to enter into "track" programs for clerkships, which would have most students complete core rotations at a single teaching hospital affiliate. The clerkship component of the program is currently composed of 48 weeks of required core rotations and 30 weeks of electives.[17] Students have to option to enter clerkships in the United States, Canada or the United Kingdom.

Academic outcomes

In 2013, the attrition rate at Ross University was reported to be approximately 20-27%, which was significantly higher than that of U.S. medical schools (3%).[18] According to the university's Gainful Employment data, 77% of students completed the program in four years in 2014-2015.[19] According to the US Department of Education, 70% of students completed the program on time in 2016 with a mean combined loan debt of $268,134.00 for U.S. borrowers.[20] In 2016, the university reported a residency match rate of 86% among first-time eligible applicants.[21] In 2016, the university reported first-time pass rates for the USMLE Step 1, USMLE Step 2 CK, and USMLE Step 2 CS were 93%, 87%, and 94%, respectively.[22]

Alumni

Since opening in 1978, over 13,000 students have graduated from the university.[23]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Student Consumer Information". rossu.edu. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  2. ↑ Beall, Pat (21 March 2011). "Entrepreneur, part-time Palm Beacher Robert Ross dies at age 92". The Palm Beach Post.
  3. ↑ Martin, Douglas (21 March 2011). "Robert Ross, Global Deal Maker, Dies at 92". The New York Times.
  4. 1 2 3 Jacobs, Paul (13 September 1985). "State Dubious, Will Monitor Caribbean Medical Schools". The Los Angeles Times.
  5. 1 2 Wright, Elizabeth (June 27, 1999). "U.S. Resists For-Profit Medical School". Los Angeles Times.
  6. ↑ Roach, Ronald (8 May 2003). "DeVry to Purchase Caribbean Medical School". Diverse Education. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  7. 1 2 "Ross University Blog". Ross University. 26 September 2017. Archived from the original on 20 September 2017. Retrieved 26 September 2017.
  8. ↑ Schencker, Lisa. "Displaced medical school will relocate from Caribbean cruise ship to Tennessee". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  9. ↑ "Medical school relocates to Barbados after hurricane". washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  10. ↑ "Adtalem Global Education Announces Barbados as New Location for Ross University School of Medicine". Adtalem Global Education. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  11. 1 2 "Accreditation and Approvals". medical.rossu.edu. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  12. ↑ "Ross University Opens New Student Center". Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica. May 19, 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  13. ↑ "Blog - Ross University School of Medicine - CAMPUS EXPANSION: Officials Tour New Student Center Site". Ross University School of Medicine. Archived from the original on 2016-04-24.
  14. ↑ "Ross University School of Medicine - Caribbean Medical Schools". Archived from the original on 15 January 2016. Retrieved 3 February 2017.
  15. ↑ Hundley, Kris (25 December 2009). "Investigators want to know if the quality of offshore medical schools justifies the cost". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
  16. ↑ Schmitt, Kellie (29 May 2002). "Supervisors approve $35 million deal with Caribbean medical school". Retrieved 9 October 2014.
  17. ↑ "Ross University School of Medicine - Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine". Archived from the original on 2 April 2016. Retrieved 3 February 2017.
  18. ↑ Lorin, Janet (11 September 2013). "DeVry Lures Medical School Rejects as Taxpayers Fund Debt". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2015-05-21.
  19. ↑ "ED Gainful Employment Disclosure Template". Retrieved 3 February 2017.
  20. ↑ https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/sites/default/files/ross-university-school-medicine.pdf
  21. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 19 October 2017. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
  22. ↑ "FAQ". medical.rossu.edu. Retrieved 2018-03-20.
  23. ↑ "Facts and figures". Ross University School of Medicine. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  24. ↑ Foderaro, Lisa (2017-07-01). "For Gunman at Bronx Hospital, Fleeting Success and Persistent Strife". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2017-07-02. Retrieved 2017-07-02.
  25. ↑ "Michael Williams Officially Named President of UNT Health Science Center". Market Watch. 12 July 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2014.

Coordinates: 15°33′25″N 61°27′30″W / 15.556995°N 61.458431°W / 15.556995; -61.458431

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