I was a part of one of the pioneer classes of the school when it initially started in 2006. Although going to Dominica seemed a little frightening initially, it was a conscious and a calculated decision for me. Whatever doubts I had were squashed soon after getting to Dominica, helped by the carefree, inviting and fun-loving attitude of Dominicans along with the assurance from the school. The quality of education, a small professor to student ratio along with North American board examination preparation ensured that we were fit enough to be able to do clinical rotations in the US. The extracurricular activities related to medicine such as local blood pressure drives and AMSA chapters eased the heavy burden of medical education with more ease than typical classroom setting. Living on the island was an amazing experience, with its natural beauty and environment suited to a Caribbean island. The clinical rotations in the US helped us ease into the main stream medical education with American medical students. Although it required a lot of hard work and studying, I was able to clear the board exams comfortably. Getting into residency is considered the pinnacle of medical education, which was possible only with the constant support and help from the administration of the medical school. To this day, while I am continuing my post-graduate education and soon to start fellowship training, the school administration continues to support at every step of the way to help us succeed, the fact that I am very grateful for.
M.A. Gangat, M.D.
University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine, IM
