From Caribbean storms to clinical clerkships: the evolution of Ross University

Countries & Cities · Published 15 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In 1985, regulators warned that this medical school had nearly no admissions standards and was simply in the business of selling degrees. Today, it is a major pipeline for American physicians, having navigated hurricanes, relocation, and rigorous state approvals to graduate thousands of doctors.

To tackle a lack of American doctors, Robert Ross established The University of Dominica School of Medicine during 1978. It has since evolved into a private, for-profit entity owned by Covista Inc. While it primarily serves students from the U.S. and Canada, its path to legitimacy was marked by significant scrutiny. In 1984, the New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners barred its students from local hospitals due to educational weaknesses, and California officials later reported that the school lacked basic admissions standards.

The university underwent a period of rigorous reform following these investigations, eventually obtaining recognition from the Medical Board of California in 1990. It now holds state-specific approvals from Florida, California, New Jersey, Indiana, and New York. Its curriculum mirrors the American model, utilizing an organ systems-based approach for the first two years before students return to the U.S. to complete clinical clerkships—ranging from 48 weeks of core rotations to 42 weeks of electives—at various hospital sites.

Environmental and logistical challenges have also shaped its history. In September 2017, Hurricane Maria devastated its Dominica campus, forcing a temporary relocation to an Italian ferry and later to Knoxville, Tennessee. The school permanently moved its pre-clinical campus to Barbados in early 2019. Despite its for-profit status, the university reports graduating over 15,000 students who practice in the U.S. and Canada, with a significant focus on primary care, including over 2,611 family medicine doctors.

The school maintains a distinct profile regarding student debt and outcomes. For the class of 2012-13, median student loan debt was $318,071, slightly lower than the 2019 U.S. Department of Education report for all Americans who attended ($349,973). In 2021-22, Ross claimed a first-time residency attainment rate of 96% for its graduates.

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