New Medical School In Portsmouth Holds First White Coat Ceremony

The American Canadian School of Medicine(ACSOM) held its inaugural White Coat Ceremony on Sunday 13th August, 2023.

The ceremony saw the coating of 9 students who took the Oath to Compassionate Patient Care in front of family members and friends as well as faculty and Dominican Government Officials to name a few.

President of ACSOM Carey James explained that ACSOM is a private non profit institution with a social mission.

He added, “We are physician led and student focused. In addition to preparing and educating excellent physicians, our mission is to improve healthcare starting here in Dominica. For decades, Dominica has proven to be an exceptional location for medical education and our purpose for bringing our medical campus home here where we have it today is a testament to that… American Canadian Medical School partnership with the government amplifies our impact and bridges resources for our shared mission for advancing healthcare”.

He noted the school’s accreditation by two internationally recognized accreditation bodies, the Independent Agency for Accreditation and Rating(IAAR) for five years and the Accreditation Commission on Colleges of Medicine(ACCM) noting that the IAAR underlined many strengths of the school including its inovative curriculum, physician led faculty and the dedication and craft of same in the creation of the curriculum as well as the overwhelming support of the Dominican government and the healthcare system.

It was an exciting occasion as keynote speaker Dr. Jeff Wong, professor of Medicine at Pennsylvania State University, charged the students to remember their duty to be professional physicians. He outlined what that meant using an acronym for RESPECT: Respect, Equanimity, Sincerity, Perseverance, Excellence, Compassion and Trust.

Dr. Wong spoke of how some individuals came together to initiate a medical school In Russian which was not realized as a result of the war. It is this initiative that birthed ACSOM.

ACSOM officially begins on Monday with ten students inclusive of one Dominican, Mr. Brent Remy. The students will follow a four year program.