Our History

Saint James School of Medicine (SJSM) was approved by the Federal Government of the Netherlands-Antilles in 1999, and became functional in 2001 as a combined project between the island government of Bonaire and a consortium of highly experienced medical educators and physicians from universities and colleges in the United States and Europe.  The basic science and clinical rotation programs are fully compatible with U.S. medical school programs with special reference to the requirements of USMLE.  

Since the inception of SJSM in 2001, the medical school has tremendously grown from a modest beginning of only 18 students to over 400, with 203 students currently in Clinical Clerkships. The number of resident faculty has increased proportionately and so have the classroom and library facilities.  Because of SJSM’s increasing student population, the campus grew from a single classroom to three buildings. The most remarkable growth has been in the area of clinical clerkships. In 2002, SJSM placed two students in a Georgia hospital clinical clerkship program.  Today clinical rotation slots have expanded to over 13 hospitals with 150 preceptors spreading across the United States.

In the future, we hope to create a loan fund for international students; form a consortium of international medical schools to put forward a collective effort in areas of curriculum; and expand accreditation acceptance by pertinent national and international agencies.