Located on the beautiful tropical island of Grenada, St. George’s University School of Veterinary Medicine (SGU-SVM) provides high-quality, student-centered, hands-on veterinary education through strong instructional programs, rich community services, and unique research opportunities. SGU-SVM is guided by the principles of One Health–One Medicine, evidence-based primary care, supporting and embracing diversity, and building the foundation for lifelong learning with strong student support. The student experience is steeped in the international context of Grenada, the proximity to the School of Medicine and Public Health, and community outreach. The SGU-SVM is accredited by the AVMA Council on Education (AVMA-COE) and Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.
SGU-SVM admits students twice each academic year (August and January). Currently, an average of 170 students are admitted for each entry cycle. Students spend the first 3 years in preclinical study in Grenada, gaining international experience, cultural fluency, and life skills, after which they complete their clinical year at an affiliated AVMA-COE–accredited school (32 worldwide). During the preclinical years, student educational experiences include the following: lectures, laboratories, small group discussions, case-based learning, simulation laboratories, surgical laboratories, clinical rotations, and research opportunities. Clinical and professional skills are honed every semester, starting with simulation models and simulated client communication laboratories and progressing to live animal handling, examinations, and procedures.
During their third year, students participate in clinical rotations in parallel with continuing preclinical coursework. The Small Animal Clinic and the Large Animal Resource Facility’s ambulatory service provide primary care for companion and farm animals around Grenada. Rotations include small animal medicine, surgery, emergency and community practice, ambulatory service, diagnostic imaging, and necropsy services.
One Health–One Medicine and community outreach are pillars of an SGU-SVM education. All students participate in the junior surgery laboratory, providing spay and neuter services to the community at no cost. Student-run, faculty-supervised clubs provide further services to the community. The Ambulatory Service provides community outreach and farmer education clinics. Veterinary and medical students collaborate at the One Health–One Medicine clinics, providing preventive care for both the bipedal and quadrupedal members of the community.
Aerial view of St. George’s University campus, Grenada, West Indies.
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 261, 1; 10.2460/javma.22.09.0417
SGU-SVM prides itself on strong student support, along with supplemental peer learning groups, one-on-one sessions with learning strategists, and the Psychological Services Center, which provides free counseling to all SGU-SVM students, staff, and faculty. SGU-SVM believes in continued growth of its faculty and continued development of its curriculum. Faculty development is offered to all faculty members through multiple avenues, including teacher training courses and certificates offered by SGU’s Department of Educational Services. SGU-SVM faculty emulate lifelong learning and continued growth through a current endeavor to redesign the curriculum to a systems-based curriculum. With a faculty dedicated to providing students with a first-class veterinary education, a close-knit veterinary community, and recreational opportunities that come with living on a tropical island, SGU-SVM is a place where veterinary students can truly thrive and reach their full potential.
