History of St. George’s University

It began on July 23, 1976, when Charles Modica, Louis Modica, Edward McGowan, and Patrick F. Adams witnessed the birth of their dream through an act of Grenada’s Parliament, establishing St. George’s University School of Medicine. It opened its doors in January 1977, welcoming a modest group of students to Grand Anse as part of its charter class. They were the first of many, with the University contributing over 23K physicians to the global physician workforce, having drawn medical school students, alumni, and faculty from over 150 countries to the island of Grenada. They have practiced in every state in the United States, as well as in more than 50 countries.

What was an opportunity for the charter class has developed into the opportunity for many. The Doctor of Medicine program at St. George’s University School of Medicine is accredited and approved by many external bodies. SGU students now have access to clinical training opportunities at over 85+ affiliated hospitals and clinical centers in the United States, Canada, Grenada, and United Kingdom. Annually, it secures highly competitive US-based residencies, serving as the number one provider of doctors into first-year positions in the US over the last 10 years, including over 940+ in 2024 alone.

St. George’s University expanded its medical program even further in 2005, this time overseas, establishing the St. George’s University School of Medicine/Northumbria University program, which allows School of Medicine students to spend their first year of basic sciences at Northumbria University in Newcastle, United Kingdom. With it, these students obtain unprecedented international experience in medicine, gaining exposure to models of medicine in three different countries by the time they graduate.

Besides basic science training, students have been able to carry out short- and long-term, multidisciplinary research and education programs with the Windward Islands Research and Education Foundation (WINDREF), which the University established in True Blue in 1994.

Beyond medicine, SGU has created a wide range of programs for students of all interests. In 1996, the newly founded School of Arts and Sciences welcomed its first student class, and in 1999, the University established the School of Veterinary Medicine, which is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and owns clinical affiliations with 30+ veterinary medical schools. More than 2,700 SGU veterinarians have entered the workforce since then. Also in 1999, the Master of Public Health program launched. It has since gained accreditation from the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), and the Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine has been distinguished as a World Health Organization Collaborating Center (WHO CC) for Environmental and Occupational Health, the first of its kind in the Caribbean. SGU has also created a School of Graduate Studies, which offers more than 30 distinct programs across a wide variety of professional fields.