Ramaiah Announces a New International Medical Pathway in association with St George’s University

Bangalore: Ramaiah Group of Institutions in association with St George’s University, Grenada (SGU) is offering medical aspirants in India an innovative educational pathway to practice medicine in India, the US, or UK. The new pathway provides 10+2 graduates the opportunity to obtain a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree that is recognized by the Medical Council of India, through a 5-year pathway. Aspirants will spend the first year of the pathway at Ramaiah in Bengaluru, the second year either at SGU’s joint campus with Northumbria University in the UK or at SGU’s main campus in Grenada, the third year in Grenada, and the last two years of the pathway doing their clinical rotations either in the US or in the UK. Students entering this pathway will be awarded three prestigious qualifications: A Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree awarded by SGU on successfully completing the final year, a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences, from Northumbria University on successfully completing their third year, and a Certificate in Higher Education in Medical Sciences from Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences on finishing their first year.

The new pathway provides a great opportunity for aspiring physicians to enter an international medical career and start studying towards their MD degree in September 2020. Ramaiah, based in Bengaluru, will allow the candidates to start their journey towards becoming a doctor in a familiar environment, where they can build strong relationships with other students in their cohort before moving abroad together as a close-knit group in the second year. To facilitate the aspirants’ transition to studying abroad, SGU will offer a number of guest lectures at Ramaiah during the first year.

This is truly an association of two world-renowned institutions. Both institutions have medical schools that were established over 40 years ago and boast an excellent track record of educating medical aspirants. Ramaiah counts amongst the top 20 of medical colleges in India, while SGU is the largest international provider of licensed physicians in the US. In 2020, SGU placed 1,105 students in residences in the US and Canada, and its 17,000+ MD graduates work in more than 50 countries around the world. With a 96% first-time USMLE Step 1 exam pass rate and a 91% residency match rate for international students (based on 2019 data), SGU offers Indian students a real chance to practice medicine in the US, and enjoys a strong reputation for being a great place to study among international students. Over 300 of SGU’s MD graduates are from India.

Commenting on this exciting new association, Dr Richard Olds, President of SGU, said: “This pathway has been designed to support medical aspirants who are planning to study abroad and to facilitate their transition. We understand the pressures of studying medicine, and when this is combined with the need to move to a different country, the entire process can be stressful and overwhelming, which often affects the performance of first-year students. This pathway will help students to achieve their dream of practicing medicine in the US or UK at a lower cost, in lesser time, and with the option of moving abroad together with a familiar group of classmates”.

Noting the benefits of such exposure for Indian students, Dr Naresh Shetty, President of the International Program and Strategic Alliance at Ramaiah, added: “This association between Ramaiah Group of Institutions and St George’s University will open up new frontiers for Indian students, who will be exposed to both Eastern and Western cultures and benefit from a truly global education. While still retaining the opportunity to return to India with a degree that is recognized here if they choose to, the aspirants entering this program will enjoy a unique chance to study for their degree in a number of different countries and cultures – India, UK, Grenada, and US. This will give them an extraordinary set of skills and experience and will undoubtedly be a great first step towards their successful international career in medicine”.