President of the American Canadian School of Medicine (ACSOM), Carey James, said the new medical school will open its doors in Picard, Portsmouth in August of this year.
He was speaking during an interview on State-Owned DBS Radio.
The school is said to be a replacement for Ross University School of Medicine (RUSM). In August 2018, RUSM announced that it would be shutting down its operation in Dominica and would be operating in Barbados from January 2019.
RUSM was located in Portsmouth and was a huge source of income for the island’s second town for about 40 years.
“We are right on schedule with our plans to open, actually, August 14 for orientation at American Canadian School of Medicine,” he said.
He continued, “We have two critical accreditation visits coming up at the end of April and the beginning of May, once we learn of those accreditation decisions we can actually start accepting students.”
According to James, the school opened its applications last week which is available on the website, www.acsom.edu.dm
“That stands for American Canadian School of Medicine which we are very proud of our curriculum and the training that we are going to be able to provide,” he stated. “It’s really a small group-centered, that’s physician-led, students are taught in teams of 10…”
Furthermore, James pointed out that the ‘edu’ in the school’s website address refers to the fact that, “we are proudly an education institution, we are actually non-profit, we can talk about how important that is in our mission.”
“We are not owned; we actually have a board of trustees that is very distinguished that you can find on our website,” he explained.
He went on to state that the ‘.dm’ in the school’s website address refers to the fact, “that we are proudly a Dominican medical school.”
“This is our home, this is our headquarters, this is where we are centered, this is our focus,” James noted.
ACSOM maintains a strong commitment to training excellent physicians through a clinically integrated curriculum, a large network of teaching hospitals, a thriving international student environment, traveling faculty from elite U.S. medical schools—such as Yale and Penn State—and integrated preparation for the U.S. and Canadian licensing exams.
While presenting the 1.3 billion dollar budget for the Fiscal Year 2022-2023 in Parliament last year, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said since the departure of Ross University, the government has received several expressions of interest to establish a medical school at that facility.
He announced that after several months of negotiations, his government entered into an agreement with CSOM Holdings Limited for the operation of a medical school at the former Ross University Campus at Picard.
The Prime Minister said the school will offer a 4-year medical degree (MD) designed for students who have already completed bachelor’s degrees and will be run by an experienced team of doctors who have held positions at major universities in the United States including a former vice president of operations of the RUSM.
“Most of the students are expected to come from Canada, the United States of America, and the Caribbean,” he said.
He urged all Dominicans to be prepared for the opportunities which will be created with the return of a medical school to Portsmouth.
“We are optimistic about the potential of this new school and its positive impact on Dominica and on the people in the North in particular,” Prime Minister Skerrit stated.
From Ross University Medical school to a Money Laundering CBI passport dealership that is owned by a Russian. We will see people dressed like medical school students but they are nothing more than CBI agents. You all realize Skerrit did away with the visitor’s arrival card and introduced an online visitors card that he said must be filled out before arrival? I have a strong feeling that this corrupt man did all this to facilitate Russians and Chinese that will be coming to pose as fake medical students. Man Chichi is gone but Chichi Junior is no different from Chichi senior
News of the scheduled opening of the American Canadian School of Medicine (ACSOM) in August 2023 at the former Ross University School of Medicine (RUSM) Picard Campus location must be received by all with great optimism.
I am very optimistic that the new school will be opened as planned, and once the school receives the required licenses and accreditations to operate in Dominica this is a clear indication that the school will be opened.
Research shows that there is a growing demand for health and medical services globally and in North America (Canada and the United States of America) in particular.
The socio economic impact on the people of Portsmouth in particular, the north and Dominica in general will be positive, and everyone should embrace this new development that is coming and disregard the negativity coming from some people out there.
Just remember the old saying ” Rome wasn’t built in day but Rome was built.”
Spoken like a true William McLawrence, who knows which side his bread is buttered.
Exactly, corruption and cheap propaganda…
If you want to use Rome to support your argument, don’t forget it fell September 4, 476 AD due to government corruption, political dispute, and power struggle.
Ross is suffering in Barbados with all that Competition from AUB. Stay in Barbados we don’t want Ross back at all.
Welcome to Dominica ACSOM.
When you spit in the sky it will fall back in your eyes. In October 2021 the double doctorate dude promised that he would quickly find a replacement for RUSM which in 2018 announced it was leaving Dominca, and among other things the replacement would be owned jointly by Dominca and the entity. What do we have here? An unproven upstart operation with Dominca as it’s HQ and no track record. RUSM contributed 40% Dominica’s GDP, so you can imagine the much greater percentage to the Portsmouth economy. If this new kid on the block does well, then Dominca on a whole will benefit but I’m not holding my breath on this. My gut feeling is it will join the long list of unfulfilled promises made by the one man government of Skerritt. There is much more information about this operation and I hope Skerritt will come clean with the Dominican public. Promises made to the citizens should be kept. Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice? Ain’t happening.
Sorry…..but you and skerrit don’t have what it takes to have or run an institution comparable to Ross University.
You can never be able to contribute to 40 percent of de Dominican economy
Not even 100 Years from now
dissident oh what a foul mouth thou have!
Out of the mouth comes life and death!
At the least can you not say something positive!
When will you think and act positive?
That is for you too the one who speaks about the kidnapped parrots
When will you guys take a bold step forward.
Focusing on the past, inhibits your future.
Same thing – bitterness all the time.
Note when you are bitter, you only hurt you.
You talk utter rubbish. Our country can’t move forward or prosper under this CM. NO country with corrupt leaders ever prospered in the long run. Let’s remove that cancer that slowly kills our beloved country.
Till the next Hurricane and students are stranded.
I hope that this new medical institution will be launched sooner than later and become successful. However, I have my misgivings.
It is brand-new and untested; it doesn’t have any sort of accreditation; it just might be a box ticking exercise for a promise made by Roosevelt; it cannot match RUSM in size, contribution nor reputation. It will also have to use the Princess Margaret Hospital which is substandard.
By the way, when will the hospital in Margot be operationalised? Is it just a white elephant? DNO please get the information and enlighten the populace.
Hope you are not always that pessimistic and negative.
I agree, realism always beats pessimism and negativity. Based on historic government performance Ibo is merely merely being realistic. It is up to mr. Skerrit to prove him, and the rest of us wrong.
“Realistic,” you say? Ok. If you can, list a promise made by this DLP government that has not been kept or that is not in progress. I await.
I’m not pessimistic but rather realistic. Don’t conflate the two. Anything that is done by this kleptocratic regime must be viewed with strong suspicion.
Scrutinise these:
Apartment buildings – strictly a voting catching exercise
Mr. Dennis Byron’s electoral report – to pacify the electors
The long, incomplete geothermal energy project – to bamboozle the people
The never ending airport saga – to tick a box
Take off your crimson red coloured glasses.
He actually is, you know! This is why he is and will be relegated to the dustbin of our history.
DNO you say?????? Don’t hold your breath on this one.
Empty vessels make the most noise. You sound like a bag of air.
What is it you all actually want? Tell me. What can we do better than Skerrit? Tell me. I am tired and sick of all this ror ro everyday. Thomas Fontaine and ugly Lenny are not going to make any difference. What is it going to take to make you all happy? Tell me. You all sound like bum bum flies.
Good on you Boss Man ,Dr Pm Skerrit, you and your administrations are the best in living memory for Dominica
” No one does it better ” one door closed another will surely open just like that, Pm you know how to pull a rabbit out of the hat tell them blue monkeys you are not a Fool 😂
Let’s get it right here, Dog Agitator. Not Dr. PM Skerrit, there is no such person in Dominica. His official title is Bogus Ornamental Dr² Dumbbell.
Every man to his/her opinions at the end of the day is who can suck better eggs 🥚
Just like yours, Ibo France – that is bogus That is not a name of a human being. That is a ceramic name. Incidentally, he is no more Dr. Skerrit but the Supreme Leader of Dominica.
On reflection I think you are right, ds. Roosevelt is a supreme leader. He is supreme in incompetence, ignorance, corruption, thievery, ultra-selfishness, vindictiveness, dishonesty, notoriety, greed, crudity, ……
I need someone else to continue where I have left off .
Let’s wait and see. August will be here soon. Are we gonna find the liar out again??!
Janet, you missing the point Dr. Skerrit, is not an incompetent lazy useless UWP blue monkey, Skerrit, is a man of his words my only question is why he is not taking legal action against ugly Lenny, and his friends for spreading lies about him on Q95 Radio and all over place come on Pm Dr. Skerrit, it’s time to burn their dirty backsides.
“— since the departure of Ross University, the government has received several expressions of interest to establish a medical school at that facility.” OK, don’t forget to do due diligence to ensure that everything is legit and an operating international airport would be a big boost for this operation. Additionally, have a mechanism in place to address those who would seek to exploit the students.
Good luck but it makes one wonder why Skerrit did not try to keep Ross, an American school in the first place. Obviously it is none of my business.
PS. How are these students going to travel here in the absence of adequate air connections and why you opening this school before you have received accreditation’s. Sounds like the airport being built before the necessary test are completed and approvals obtained.
Common sense and basic instincts are preventing me from popping the champagne and lauching the balloon in celebration for this one.
Sadly and disappointly, I found this presser severely lacking in important critical details. Instead, I have been left with more questions than answers regarding this medical school which is scheduled to launch within a mere four months.
Aspiring medical school students will be left groping for important details and substance from this initial anemic press release. Where is the meat and potatoes on this supposed game changing business and medical venture?
I can find no publicly available online info on ACSOM outside of a reference to an Irish or Celtic social organization. How does this medical school plan to inform and attract a talented student body and qualified administration staff? My humble suggestion is that the stakeholders “wheel and come again”!
Gason look lies. Since last year Skerrit said this :“We are optimistic about the potential of this new school and its positive impact on Dominica and on the people in the North in particular,” Prime Minister Skerrit stated. He further encouraged all Dominicans to be prepared for the opportunities. Today we are getting this depressing news from the so called president:
. “It’s really a small group-centered, that’s physician-led, students are taught in teams of 10…”
So in teams of 10. Does that 10 refer to ten students per semester or 10 per class room? Whatever the case it’s clear that it’s not going to be anything more than 50 people altogether and I don’t see much opportunities.
I wish the one that interview the president had asked him about his background because Skerrit told us a former Ross Vice President is on staff.
I met and spoke to one of the guys and he told me he is the owner of that new school and he is Russian with a U.S. passport and also told me he has a school in…
Everytime i hear of Ross University, it brings into sharp focus the level of incompetence, wickedness and evilness of this Skerrit led cabal. Ross was well established for 40 years, and was a pivotal and integral part of the Dominican economy in so many ways. Now you all talk of replacement?
No university can replace Ross. I think its departure should be investigated in the future, together with myriad of other vices of this regime.
I shall never forget the quote from Lisa Wardell of Ross University, who lamented that the Skerrit cabal does not have a bias for education and healthcare in Dominica. Skerrit was extremely busy trying to get the Pond Case rabbit gun speaka to cross the floor at the time, and had dialogues with Ross on the back burner. Remember that same speaka as an employee of CREED, promised to plant
1000 000 trees in our forest over one year period? Not one tree was planted.
Eh heah! Oh yes..thanks for the reminder. Where are those trees planted? Judas has betrayed the Dcan people again but they still loveeeee their PM. Thats is why I say sell Wesley and every damn thing in and on it. Wesley folks too damn hypocrite and greedy. When Vaughn and teacher Glo finish they need to change the name to Vaughnglo Estate.
Bwa, I suggest “vainglorious” might be more fitting and memorable.
“RUSM was located in Portsmouth and was a huge source of income for the island’s second town for about 40 years”.
RUSM was a major source of income for the entire country! A significant loss for us, as reflected in the balance sheet of DOMLEC for example.
A lot was said but nothing was said. Confusing right? Because everything he said was to confuse us.
Let me quote the first verse of Bob Marley’s song, Could you be loved…
Don’t let them fool ya
Or even try to school ya, oh, no
We’ve got a mind of our own
So go to Hell if what you’re thinking is not right
Love would never leave us alone
A-in the darkness ya must come out to light
People of Dominica, we have studied that Laundromat owner aka Roosevelt Skerrit for 23 yrs now and everything he’s said or done is aimed at washing dirty clothes.
This so called school that carries the name of US and Canada yet owned by Dominica according to Carey James is nothing more than a gimmick or a laundromat/ CBI washing machine that’s been in operation for a while but under different names.
Who is Carey James? Where is he from? Is this his real name or his laundromat name? Where are the students coming from? Russia and the Middle East? Is Roosevelt Skerrit a part owner? If not what is…