NEW YORK (PRWEB)
August 08, 2023

The University of Medicine and Health Sciences, (UMHS), a small, mission-driven medical school with a commitment to student support and a legacy of successful residency placements in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico, has published the recording of a recent panel discussion, “Pathways to Practicing Medicine in Puerto Rico.” The event was hosted by Earl Mainer, UMHS senior associate director of admissions for the Southeastern United States and Puerto Rico, and featured a diverse panel of students, alumni, and practicing physicians to share their experiences, including: Andy Adler, a current UMHS student from Puerto Rico; Dr. Carlos Villanueva Soto, a recent graduate who placed into a highly competitive internal medicine residency at the University of Puerto Rico; Dr. Anelyn Martinez Rodriguez, a 2019 UMHS graduate and current psychiatry resident at San Juan VA Medical Center: and Dr. Eric Adler, a UMHS parent and an esteemed doctor in private practice in Puerto Rico. The panelists addressed common questions from prospective students and their families when evaluating an international medical school – including what it was like to move to St. Kitts, advice for matching into top residency programs, and what it’s like to practice medicine in Puerto Rico. A recording of the event has been posted to the UMHS YouTube Live Events & Webinars page.

“It is extremely challenging to get accepted to medical school in Puerto Rico because there are only four medical schools, so you may need to look beyond Puerto Rico to discover a pathway to achieving your dreams,” said Mainer. “UMHS has been gaining momentum in Puerto Rico as students and their families look for the best options for earning an MD. UMHS was founded by pioneers in medical education to help people get the best training and become medical doctors.”

The discussion began with an introduction to the panelists and a description of their journey to medical school. As a nontraditional student, Andy Adler described how UMHS fostered his academic success through its Accelerated Review Program (ARP), a one-semester preparatory program designed to prepare students for the academic rigors of medical school. Andy credited the ARP program with helping to sharpen his study skills and improving his academic performance in his Basic Science classes.

When asked about why he chose UMHS over other medical schools, Dr. Carlos Villanueva Soto said, “What attracted me to UMHS was the Match list. When you’re looking at medical schools you need to look at results. So I compared the UMHS Match results to other international medical schools and chose to apply because it was clear that UMHS prepares students to Match into competitive specialty programs – including all of the hospitals in Puerto Rico and prestigious hospitals in the US like the Mayo Clinic.”

Offering a unique perspective as the father of a UMHS student and a renowned plastic surgeon who offers medical students elective training at his Adler Medical Plaza, Dr. Adler shared his experience of working with UMHS students.

“I’ve worked with students from Mt. Sinai in New York, from UPR and Ponce in Puerto Rico, and it is very clear that UMHS cares about the students learning the material,” said Dr. Adler. “I can tell you that the UMHS students that have worked in my clinic have demonstrated solid foundational knowledge and have presented themselves to the patients in a very mature way, which really impressed me.”

The discussion also addressed questions about moving to St. Kitts for medical school. Dr. Anelyn Martinez Rodriguez talked about the adjustment of going to an English-speaking school as someone whose primary language is Spanish. She described how UMHS provides a very supportive, family-like atmosphere and made her feel at home.

The talk was the latest in a series of livestream events featuring UMHS students, faculty, and alumni sharing their expertise on topics targeted toward current and prospective medical students and healthcare professionals. Past events include:

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  “Medical Speciality Spotlight: What is an Anesthesiologist?”

“Alzheimer’s Disease & Exploring Research in Medical School”

“Rural Medicine: Making a Difference in Underserved Areas”

“Non-Traditional Medical Student Livestream: A Student’s Perspective”

“UMHS Women in Medicine: A Conversation About the First Year of Residency,”

“Cardiology: A Discussion About Cardiac Care & Careers in Cardiology,”

“Black Women in Medicine: A Conversation About the Black Experience”

Links to view all past discussions may be found by visiting the UMHS live events and webinars page.

About UMHS

The University of Medicine and Health Sciences (UMHS), is a small, mission-driven medical school with a commitment to student support and a legacy of successful residency placements in the United States and Canada. UMHS was founded in 2007 by medical education pioneers Warren and Robert Ross to deliver a highly personalized school experience. Graduates of UMHS earn a Doctor of Medicine degree (MD) and qualify to practice medicine throughout the United States and Canada. Students begin their Basic Science studies in St. Kitts, West Indies, and complete their clinical training in the United States. With an unprecedented 96% student retention rate, the vast majority of students that begin their medical studies at UMHS go on to obtain residencies.

For more information, visit https://www.umhs-sk.org/.

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