- This will be the first medical school in the territory with a first class of 50 students.
TORTOLA, BVI – Ponce Health Sciences School (PHSU) is expanding its footprint in the Caribbean with the opening of a School of Medicine in Tortola, British Virgin Islands (BVI). This will be PHSU’s fourth location overall and the first school of medicine in the territory. In addition, the university plans to grant two full scholarships to qualifying BVI students annually. PHSU’s School of Medicine in the British Virgin Islands will award a medical degree.
“Opening this location in Tortola will make a major difference to students in BVI, Puerto Rico, the Caribbean region, and worldwide because it gives them a truly viable and accessible option to complete their studies in medicine,” said Dr Gino Natalicchio, President of Ponce Health Sciences University. “Currently, there is a growing need for physicians worldwide. The PHSU School of Medicine provides a good solution by connecting health sciences students to opportunities and experiences to help them accomplish their goals.”
“We are truly excited to welcome the new PHSU School of Medicine in the British Virgin Islands because of the benefits it will bring not just to health standards in our territory but also to our economy,” said the Honorable Natalio Wheatley, Premier of the British Virgin Islands. “The school will bring a recurring influx of students who will live in the BVI, buy goods, and spend in our businesses. I am optimistic that Virgin Islanders will welcome them and develop services for this new kind of resident.”
The PSHU School of Medicine at BVI will be based at H. Lavity Stoutt Community College in Tortola in August 2025, with a first class of 50 students and 75 more for the Fall 2026 session.
Ponce Health Sciences University boasts over 45 years of experience in providing world-class education to highly qualified students in health sciences. PHSU awards degrees in clinical psychology, biomedical sciences, medical sciences, public health, and nursing. Overall, all PHSU locations currently have an enrollment of almost 2,140 active students, served by over 1,000 professional faculty.
The BVI School of Medicine graduate degree in medicine has received provisional accreditation from the Accreditation Commission on Colleges of Medicine (ACCM). It also has a provisional license from the higher education licensing board under the ministry of education of the Virgin Islands.
The PHSU researchers have contributed an average of 50 articles annually in highly regarded peer-reviewed publications. PHSU achieved 100 percent graduation rates in its public health master’s and doctoral degree programs and increased medical residency program match rates to 96 percent at the Ponce, Puerto Rico location.
