Ponce Health Sciences University (PHSU) held a White Coat Ceremony to welcome its inaugural cohort of students at the new international School of Medicine in the British Virgin Islands (BVI).
In the ceremony, 32 students out of a projected class of 40 students, received their white coats. They swore the Hippocratic Oath, which was held at the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College auditorium in Tortola.
“This White Coat Ceremony not only welcomes our inaugural MD class in Tortola but also underscores the quality and rigor of our four-year Doctor of Medicine curriculum, which has earned preliminary accreditation from the Accreditation Commission on Colleges of Medicine,” noted Dr. Gino Natalicchio, president of PHSU. “It also highlights PHSU’s commitment to uphold the high standards of the program while expanding access to excellence in medical education.”
The Ceremony was attended by notable representatives of the government of the Virgin Islands including Dr. the Honorable Natalio D. Wheatley, premier, Honorable Vincent O. Wheatley, minister of health, Honorable Sharie B. de Castro, minister of education, representatives of the PHSU School of Medicine including Dr. Gino Natalicchio, president, Dr. Anne Peterson, founding dean, and Dr. J. Daniel Perez, vice president of operations, Dr. David Lenihan, Tiber Health CEO, parents and relatives of the students, among other participants.
“Inaugurating this school of medicine is very significant because it is a long-desired opportunity to have graduate medical education in the BVI. Students will have the opportunity to learn in our beautiful territory and gain valuable skills that they can use in their own communities,” said BVI Premier Dr. the Hon. Natalio D. Wheatley. “We are very excited to welcome the PHSU BVI School of Medicine’s first class of students, and we have no doubt they will enjoy their time in the BVI.”
“The PHSU BVI School of Medicine reaffirms our commitment to supporting local communities by creating pathways for aspiring physicians to serve and uplift the region,” said Dr. E. Anne Peterson, founding dean of the PHSU BVI School of Medicine. “Through high-quality medical education, we aim to help address healthcare needs and improve access to care across the islands.”
The BVI School of Medicine is PHSU’s first international site and will award graduate degrees in medicine. The Ponce main campus also awards degrees in clinical psychology, dental medicine, biomedical sciences, medical sciences, public health, and nursing. Overall, the PHSU locations currently have an enrollment of 2,140 active students served by a faculty of 625 highly regarded faculty members. The university’s research efforts have led to the publication of 735 research papers to date, with 50 peer-reviewed articles published annually. PHSU students have achieved remarkable outcomes, including a 93% board pass rate and a 96% residency match rate for the March 2025 cohort.
The BVI School of Medicine obtained provisional accreditation from the Accreditation
Commission on Colleges of Medicine (ACCM), and in 2025, the Middle States Commission
on Higher Education accredited this additional location. The Higher Education Licensing
Board under the Ministry of Education of the Virgin Islands granted a provisional
license and a trade license to operate in the territory. Classes begin for the newly
minted MD students on July 28.
The full ceremony can be viewed on our You Tube page here.