The British Virgin Islands will welcome its first-ever School of Medicine in August 2025, as Ponce Health Sciences University (PHSU) expands its Caribbean presence with a new campus in Tortola.
The inaugural class will consist of 50 students, with an additional 75 students set to enrol in Fall 2026.
This major development marks the opening of PHSU’s fourth campus, which will be housed at H. Lavity Stoutt Community College. The new school will offer a medical degree and aims to provide a much-needed pathway for aspiring physicians in the BVI, the wider Caribbean, and beyond. PHSU will also grant two full scholarships annually to qualifying students from the BVI.
Dr. Gino Natalicchio, President of PHSU, emphasized the significance of this expansion for the region, saying, “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.” He further highlighted the growing global demand for physicians and how the new school will connect students with opportunities to fulfil that need.
The establishment of the School of Medicine in the BVI is seen as a milestone for both education and healthcare in the territory. Premier Natalio Wheatley expressed excitement about the school’s potential impact on the BVI, noting the anticipated benefits to the local economy as well as healthcare standards.
“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,” said Premier Wheatley.
PHSU, which has over 45 years of experience in providing health sciences education, currently operates campuses with nearly 2,140 students and more than 1,000 faculty members. The university offers a wide range of degrees, including clinical psychology, biomedical sciences, public health, and nursing. The BVI campus will offer the same world-class education that has led PHSU to achieve a 96% match rate in medical residency programs at its Puerto Rico location.
The PHSU School of Medicine in the BVI has already received provisional accreditation from the Accreditation Commission on Colleges of Medicine (ACCM) and a provisional license from the Virgin Islands’ Higher Education Licensing Board.
This new chapter for PHSU and the British Virgin Islands represents an exciting step forward for aspiring medical professionals in the region and promises to have lasting benefits for both education and healthcare in the territory.