Bridging Gaps, Empowering Dreams

The World Health Organisation (WHO) puts the global healthcare provider shortage at 4.3 million – this comprises physicians, nurses and healthcare support staff. This is as per the WHO recommended ratio of 1:1100 doctors to individuals.

That North America is a dream destination for aspiring healthcare providers is an acknowledged fact. However, it is equally well known that international students face a number of barriers and challenges in getting admission to medical schools in the United States of America and Canada. Stringent Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) requirements raise the competition bar at the entrance level and the issue of very limited seats for international students remains a perennial problem.

The Xavier University School of Medicine Aruba has conceptualized and implemented a unique intake mechanism that makes it possible for students from India to live their dreams of graduating with a North American medical degree not only at a significantly reduced cost but also with global exposure to the world’s brightest. Ravishankar Bhooplapur, President, XUSOM, says, “After extensive and intensive research into the credentials, capabilities and collaborative mindsets of medical schools in India, we identified a few institutions and after talks, finalised our partnership with KLE Academy of Higher Education, Belagavi, an established institution with impeccable education delivery credentials in order to implement our initiative”.

Dreaming different: The aim is simple - to provide Indian students the opportunity to achieve their dream at a fully accredited medical school at affordable tuition fees. Students begin their journey in India at KLE Academy of Higher Education and Research, continue their pre-clinical studies at Xavier University School of Medicine in Aruba, and then complete their clinical training in the USA at Xavier’s affiliated and accredited teaching hospitals and clinics.

Once they complete their MD programme at Xavier University, students are eligible to apply for PG training/residency in USA and Canada. With its decades of experience guiding its students into competitive residency positions, Xavier University provides XUSOM the accomplishment of its graduates matching for residency training across disciplines such as Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Family Medicine, Psychiatry, and Surgery, including plastic surgery, neurology, and other fields.

The process remains the same for those wishing to be veterinarians – after completing their DVM degree, students can appear for the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE) and immediately accept jobs without residency training.

The modern and innovative curriculum and resources such as NBME and Kaplan review programmes ensure that Xavier Students are well-prepared for the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) and North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE).

The Programming Paradigm: The intake mechanism has been designed and fine-tuned with great attention to not just compliance requirements, but recommendations as well.

Doctor of Medicine: Students will complete their first two years of pre-medical training at KLE’s campus in Belagavi. Students then automatically progress to study preclinical sciences (Basic Sciences) at Xavier University Aruba. The final two years of hands-on clinical training will be completed in USA and Canada at Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) approved hospitals.

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine: After two years of pre-med training at KLE, students will automatically progress to complete three years of the DVM programme in Aruba. This will be followed by one year of clinical experience in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and other countries.

Xavier’s veterinary programme has already applied for accreditation with CAAM-HP and other agencies.

Excellence at Xavier: XUSOM has paid due attention, performed due diligence and acquired the requisite compliances for offering medical education.

Accreditations – or valid external quality assurance conducted by recognised agencies in medical education – have been sought committedly and received by Xavier. Unwavering in its dedication to uphold the highest academic standards in medical education, XUSOM constantly seeks validation of its excellence from international accrediting bodies.

These recognitions are vital and have enabled Xavier graduates to secure exceptional residencies and become licensed physicians throughout the North America for one and a half decades now.

The New York State Education Department (NYSED) fully approves Xavier University School of Medicine. Xavier is also fully accredited by the Accreditation Commission on Colleges of Medicine (ACCM). ACCM standards are comparable with the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) standards- the accreditor of US and Canadian medical schools. ACCM is also closely aligned with the National Committee on Foreign Medical Education and Accreditation (NCFMEA). The US Department of Education empowers the NCFMEA to review written and applied accreditation standards for medical schools outside North America. ACCM is approved by NCFMEA and is recognized as having standards comparable to those utilised in the US The institute has also featured in 10 Caribbean medical school lists in 2019. The Government of Aruba granted Xavier a charter in 2004 – this permits Xavier to grant MD, DVM, and other healthcare science degrees.

On the curriculum: The MD curriculum at XUSOM is recognised as modern, innovative and providing its students a distinct edge.

The MD curriculum in the Basic Science Programme is an integrated organ-based curriculum with both vertical and horizontal integration. Students are exposed to clinical skills training and hospital postings from the first semester in Aruba. Courses such as medical humanities, professionalism, ethics, and behavioural sciences are integrated with the core biomedical preclinical sciences. The final examination for all the courses includes questions from the National Board of Medical Examination (NBME)- the body that conducts the USMLE. Students get exposed to NBME examinations for all the basic science courses, thus enhancing their preparation for USMLE Step 1. During the last semester of the basic sciences (MD6), students are offered Kaplan Live USMLE preparation with access to multiple question banks and resources in conjunction with a faculty-run comprehensive review of basic sciences. All students must pass USMLE Step 1 before proceeding to the clinical training (Years 3 and 4) in the USA.

The Clinical Sciences curriculum, designed by the Xavier faculty, focuses on USMLE step 2 requirements and standards set by various national associations in respective clinical courses. Clinical training is conducted at ACGME-approved teaching hospitals and includes a total of 84 weeks of training (core rotations and elective rotations). NBME shelf examinations are required to complete each rotation. Students are provided with multiple library resources, support, and guidance to perform well in USMLE Step 2 CK.

Guiding the way: Students at XUSOM are assured of all guidance in making choices. Especially in the crucial 4th year, medical students are supported through the residency application. Clinical deans hold multiple orientation sessions and provide students with MSPE (Medical Student Performance Evaluation) letters.

Xavier Clinical Chairs and Deans individually mentor students interested in applying for residency in their respective specialties. Xavier registrars and clinical coordinators guide the students with the residency match cycle, deadline dates, and the application process. Xavier regularly invites residency programme directors and hospital executives to guide students through the match process.

The Dean and Assistant Deans of the Students Affairs and department personnel offer a structured support system for international students to facilitate a smooth transition into the MD programme. Each student is paired with a faculty mentor to monitor their academic progress.

Small class sizes allow individualized mentorship from highly-qualified faculty from the first day. No wonder that Xavier has had a more than 95 per cent first-time pass rate for the USMLE every year for many years.

Student organisations play an important role in routinely conducting social activities and engaging with new students to help them acclimatise to the new environment. Xavier Immigration staff provide counseling and extensive support to the students on the Visa process to enter Aruba and USA. Xavier students are eligible for H1/J1 visa programme.

The campus quotient: XUSOM’s all-inclusive campus is a space that enables and empowers students to achieve their full potential and more. Beautiful outdoor spaces, sporting amenities, an outdoor gym, and other conveniences make this a haven of serenity. Though crime is practically non-existent on Aruba, all measures have been taken to secure the safety of students.

With the $70 million campus transformation underway, students are assured of a safe yet exciting and dynamic space to call their own. This new academic campus will include a theater-style auditorium, state-of-the-art classrooms, labs, research facilities, seminar rooms, a new library, study areas for individuals and small and large groups, student lounges, and a walk-in clinic.

Diversity at work: Xavier University’s student body is represented by more than 20 countries worldwide. Students from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds learn from each other and learn with each other. This is extremely significant as it provides the cultural foundation, awareness and sensitivity required by future physicians to care for the healthcare needs of increasingly culturally diverse populations in most developed countries.

Cost cutting: Xavier’s partnerships in India have agreed to offer the MD/ DVM training at a very affordable cost without compromising on the quality and opportunities for the training of Indian students. This enables a larger percentage of the talent pool to aspire to learn and practice medicine globally.

Aiding the scholar: Xavier University has designed multiple opportunities to financially support its students as they embark on their medical school journey. Several scholarships – Shaping Xavier Scholarship, Presidential Excellence Scholarship, Chancellor’s Scholarship, Congressman John Lewis Memorial Scholarship, Pramukh Swami Maharaj Scholarship, MCAT and Medical Field Experience Scholarships are awarded to deserving students every year. The Guru Nanak Scholarship was set up to commemorate Guru Nanak’s 600th birthday. Not just that, all students who join the September 2023 cohort are entitled to a $55,000 tuition scholarship over the course of the entire programme.

Advantage Aruba: Aruba is a beautiful island in the Dutch Caribbean, constantly ranked as one of the safest islands by tourists. Aruba is also one of the most developed islands in the Caribbean. It is the only island with highest connections to the USA, Europe, and Central America with multiple daily flights.

The X factor: From a unique intake system, to world-class education delivery, a beautiful space to live and grow in, and the full support of a committed system and stakeholders all at high cost-benefit ratio, XUSOM has everything that the today’s medical student may aspire to.

Disclaimer:

The above is a sponsored post, the views expressed are those of the sponsor/author and do not represent the stand and views of Outlook Editorial.