Saba University School of Medicine (SUSOM) is the only medical school in the former Netherlands Antilles to have received accreditation from the Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO), allowing it to remain on the islands following their dissolution in 2006. The accreditation was prompted by a request from the health ministers of both the Netherlands and the Netherlands Antilles to assess the quality of medical schools within the region. Founded in 1992, SUSOM offers a four-year Doctor of Medicine (MD) program and has, as of 2024, graduated over 3,500 students. The school’s curriculum is structured into two phases: a five-semester Basic Science component conducted on the island of Saba, and five subsequent semesters of clinical rotations completed at affiliated teaching hospitals, clinics, and medical centers primarily in the United States, with some elective rotations available in Canada. According to data released by the university, SUSOM students achieved a 198% first-time pass rate on the USMLE Step 1 exam and a 298% first-time pass rate on the USMLE Step 2 CK exam in 2024. The school also reports a 97% three-year residency placement rate for its MD program graduates. SUSOM is owned by Global University Systems, which also owns the Medical University of the Americas, and St. Matthew’s University. The curricula of Saba University School of Medicine and the Medical University of the Americas are shared. The NVAO, SUSOM’s accreditor, is recognized by the World Federation of Medical Education, and the U.S. Department of Education’s National Committee on Foreign Medical Education and Accreditation has deemed its standards comparable to those used for accrediting medical schools in the United States. The university is currently led by President Cyndi McLeod and Dean Rachel Robson.
University Student Discomfort: Pelvic Pressure & Pain
