St George’s University: Top medical university highlights a fifth of students hail from Commonwealth countries

ST GEORGE’S, Grenada

As it celebrates its 40^th anniversary year, St George’s University (SGU) in Grenada has highlighted the significant contribution it has made to training medical professionals from Commonwealth countries.

Newly released figures show that more than a fifth – 21 per cent (2,712) – of the university’s 13,132 medical graduates are from 41 countries of the Commonwealth.

Furthermore SGU highlighted that many hail from developing nations including Trinidad and Tobago, India, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, Kenya and Botswana.

The University is a top centre of international education which trains physicians, veterinarians, scientists, and public health and business professionals, drawing students from across the globe to the Caribbean.

Dr G. Richard Olds, President and Chief Executive Officer of SGU, said: “We are extremely proud of these figures – they highlight the significant number of medical professionals we have trained across scores of Commonwealth countries and our commitment to education in the developing world.”

“We face a number of challenges in global medicine today and a shortage of physicians is just one of these. One such way SGU wants to help address this is by attracting students from developing countries and encouraging them to return to their home countries as qualified medical practitioners.”

Rodney Croft, SGU’s Dean of Clinical Studies UK, added: “Confirmation that 21 per cent of our medical graduates are from 41 of the 53 countries in the Commonwealth truly is an outstanding achievement. It represents our continued contribution to improved provision of healthcare in these countries.

“As UK Dean I am also particularly proud that a great many of these students have, over the last 37 years, received clinical training at SGU’s UK NHS affiliated hospitals which is a huge tribute to UK Clinical Faculty both past and present.”

SGU has a longstanding commitment to encouraging students from Commonwealth countries to study at the University, and testament to this is the Commonwealth Jubilee Scholarship Programme established in 2012.

The scholarship program provides opportunities to academically gifted students with limited resources, helping them reach their potential through the provision of scholarships across five programmes (Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Master of Public Health, Master of Business Administration and School of Arts and Sciences).

For more information on SGU visit www.sgu.edu/

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Founded as an independent School of Medicine in 1976, St. George’s University has evolved into a top center of international education, drawing students and faculty from 140 countries to the island of Grenada, in the West Indies. Students attending St. George’s enjoy the benefits of a thriving multicultural environment on the True Blue campus, offering all the amenities and technologically-advanced facilities of a world-class institution.

The University’s over 15,000 graduates include physicians, veterinarians, scientists, and public health and business professionals across the world. The University offers medical, and veterinary degrees in the schools of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, and independent and dual graduate degrees in the sciences, public health, and business. Undergraduate degree programs are also available through its School of Arts and Sciences. The University programs are accredited and approved by many governing authorities. St. George’s is affiliated with educational institutions worldwide, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Ireland.

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