VI's economy expected to be boosted with opening of medical school
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According to the Vice President of PHSU, Dr Jose Daniel Pérez, MD, MSC, MPH, the university will create a “really good economic impact” on the VI.
“Other medical schools in different locations create economic impact of over ten to twenty million yearly income in the places that they are and this school will not be different,” Dr Pérez explained during a press conference at Cutlass Tower today, March 24, 2025.
The press conference, which saw Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) in attendance, was to allow Ponce Health Sciences University- BVI School of Medicine to announce plans for the opening, the structure, the vision of the school of medicine in the VI and provide updates on the student enrollment to date.
50 students to start with a goal of 300 in four years- Dr Pérez
Dr Pérez said PHSU’s first cohort in the VI will have fifty students, which will be increased to 75 for cohort two.
“At the end of the next three to four years we will have more than 300 students here,” he said.
These students, Dr Pérez continued will be new academic residents who will be eating, using transportation, and renting vehicles and houses in the VI.
“We believe they are going to be a really great contribution in every single area of this beautiful country,” he added.
So far thirty-eight students have already been accepted into the VI’s campus. Breaking down the numbers, Dr Pérez said 60% come from the United States, 35% percent from Puerto Rico, and the remaining 5% from different locations around the world.
The university currently has two applicants from the VI.
Important to train good physicians
Dr Pérez also said the Territory’s beauty adds to the requirements students need to become great people and then great physicians.
“That’s very important for our institution,” he said.
The university is also projected to have a social impact on the VI. Dr Pérez explained that two full tuition and fees scholarships are available to belongers.
“These future doctors are going to be trained here in the BVI, do the clinical rotations back in the US, get an excellent match rate also if they want to get a specialty degree and come back to serve this community…It is really important for us to train good people in order for them to come back and be great physicians,” he said.
Overcoming challenges
Meanwhile, PHSU will operate from the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC) campus in Paraquita Bay.
President of PHSU Dr Gino Natalicchio, PhD said following many meetings and consultations with the government and the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC) and setbacks by the COVID-19 pandemic, the university will finally open its doors to students.
“There have been some challenges on the road getting there but I think we’re all going in the right direction with the support of the BVI and with expertise we bring to the island,” he said.
Dr Natalicchio said the university is gearing up to be very successful and will help in providing additional health services in the VI.
“We are all working together to do [that]”.
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11 Responses to “VI's economy expected to be boosted with opening of medical school”
The hospital really need to stay on top of their supplies and i strongly agree that they need to be paid overtime when needed. The government can afford it. they should have saved that money they paid out to Vybes Kartel and others, who are already rich.