St. George’s University, Northumbria University Expand Joint Medical Education Program

Today, St. George’s University and Northumbria University announced an expansion of their joint medical training program that will allow students to complete up to two years of their pre-clinical and medical education in the United Kingdom.

“St. George’s has students and faculty from more than 140 countries around the world,” said Dr. G. Richard Olds, President of St. George’s University. “For many of our students, the United Kingdom is a more convenient location in which to pursue their studies. This relationship with Northumbria offers our students flexibility while ensuring they receive a top-notch education identical to the one we provide in Grenada.”

Under the terms of the expanded relationship, students in the St. George’s University School of Medicine of Grenada/Northumbria University five-year MD program will be able to spend up to two years at Northumbria’s campus of more than 33,000 students in the United Kingdom developing a foundation in the principles of clinical medicine. They will follow the same curriculum as their counterparts at the St. George’s campus in Grenada, in both Pre-Clinical Studies and Basic Principles of Medicine. They will also earn a Diploma in Higher Education in Medical Sciences from Northumbria.

Students then complete one year of the Principles of Clinical Medicine in Grenada before undertaking two years of clinical rotations, with up to six months of those in the United Kingdom and the remainder in the United States or Canada.

The St. George’s/Northumbria joint program was founded in 2007 to create a pathway for highly qualified international students to pursue a world-class western medical education. More than 1,700 students have since begun their physician training with St. George’s at the Northumbria campus.

Program graduates will be eligible to apply to enter the Widening Access to Specialty Training (WAST) program, a Health Education England initiative within the National Health Service that provides a pathway for U.K. registration through postgraduate training following the completion of an internship. This postgraduate training is recognized for licensure in the United Kingdom, the European Union, and Commonwealth countries.

“We strive to send our graduates where they are needed most,” Dr. Olds said. “Our graduates are well-equipped to meet the needs of communities facing shortages of qualified medical personnel in the United Kingdom and around the world.”

“We are excited to further develop our relationship with both Northumbria University and the wider NHS,” said Dr. James Coey, Assistant Dean of Basic Sciences at St. George’s University and the academic lead in Newcastle. “The relationship between St. George’s and Northumbria affords our students experience with healthcare systems in Grenada, the United Kingdom, the United States, and beyond. I am confident our graduates will not only stand out from their peers when they interview for residency positions but go on to be exceptional physicians with a truly global perspective.”

“We have a longstanding relationship with St. George’s University, and we are incredibly excited to be working with them to offer an innovative new joint medical program, which will involve educating the doctors of tomorrow,” said Professor Peter Francis, Deputy Vice Chancellor of Northumbria University.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for us to welcome even more students from around the globe to Newcastle.  Studying for longer with us, they will benefit from our world leading academic staff, research-informed teaching, outstanding facilities and the exciting city life which Newcastle offers.”