"Speech of the Minister of Education and Culture Mrs. O E.V.
L
14 June 2006

The situation of the Medical Schools in the Netherlands Antilles
Introduction
Throughout the years medical schools established on a great deal of
Caribbean Islands. This is also the case on the island of the
Netherlands Antilles.
The medical schools, train students to become basic doctors.
Part of this study is completed with the official American clinical
knowledge and clinical skills exam. These exams stand mainly as a
guarantee for the quality of the education. In order to continue the
study in the USA and afterwards to be authorized to practice the medical
function, the student must receive a certain amount of recognition of
his study at the medical school.
Recognition conditions for foreign universities/students
1). The situation in the USA
Medical schools outside of the USA and Canada can receive
ECFMG-certificates (Educational Commission for Foreign Medical
Graduates). Schools that have this certificate will be placed on an IMED
list (International Medical Education Directory) All Medical Schools
established in the Netherlands Antilles (six in
total) are on the IMED, which can be found on the Internet.
The certification is linked to the student. With an ECFMG certificate
the foreign student can complete his study in the USA at institutions
that are accredited by the ACGME (Accreditation Council for Graduate
Medical Education). The certificate is also necessary to register
oneself for the USMLE (United States Medical Licensing Examination),
necessary to get a license to practice a medical profession.
2). The situation in Holland
In Holland the BIG Law has been enforced. BIG means "Beroepen in de
Individuele Gezondheidszorg. (Career in Individual Health Care). This
law has replaced the absolute ban on the unauthorized practicing of
medical science. The law introduces a system of title protection for a
limited amount of career groups. In this context one must comply with a
number of requirements, of which the training is the most important.
For this purpose the so-called BIG registers have been drawn up. Only
registered persons practice those particular functions. Various studies
abroad are recognized through BIG. The proper authorities must hereby
declare that a study meets with the minimum education requirements
stated in the guidelines concerned. The proper authorities are the
Ministries of Public Health of the countries concerned.

The recognition of the Medical Schools in the Netherlands Antilles
The situation described above limits the need for the Antillean
government to be involved with the ins and outs of the medical schools.
Only a permit to establish in the Netherlands Antilles is required from
the island territory concerned.
However, reasons are presented to justify recognition by the Antillean
Government for the study.
- First, the categorization of the name of the school on the
list of the World Health Organization (WHO) is essential to attract
enough students. A few years ago this was no problem if one met with the
American recognition requirements. The local government only had to
issue a statement saying that the institute is established on one of the
islands with this government's approval. This statement was called a
charter. Apparently, some confusion existed as to what we meant with the
charter and what was internationally understood with it. At any rate for
us this is no proof of recognition in the sense that the Antillean
Government hereby formally recognizes the study at the institute.
- The WHO has made its requirements more stringent and now
requests, with regard to an offshore medical school (and all our medical
schools are offshore), a certificate stating that the government of the
country of establishment has recognized the study.
- Some US states request as a condition for recognition that
the student, who has graduated at a medical school in the Netherlands
Antilles, is authorized to practice the medical profession.
What can the Government of the Netherlands Antilles offer
We believe that recognition by our government can only occur on the
basis of an accreditation, implemented by an internationally recognized
institute. The first steps have been made to let the NVAO (Nederlands
Vlaams Accreditatie Organisatie, Dutch Flemish Accreditation
Organisation), accredit our higher education institutes.
However, it appears that the NVAO activities are restricted to public
institutes.
We could choose for the accreditation by the ACCM ( Accreditation
Commission on Colleges of Medicine) and ask the NVAO to evaluate the
ACCM.
Upon accreditation by the ACCM, the Government of the Netherlands
Antilles would be able to give a letter of accreditation by the
Netherlands Antilles.
Furthermore we could give a letter stating that the student is eligible
to work in a hospital. This would not give however a permit to work in
the Netherlands Antilles.
We present this proposal to you this evening and hope this will meet the
need of the medical schools.
In closing I want to make sure that you know that you are more than
welcome on each one of our islands."

__________________
Moderator - State Licensing Forum

Still skeptical after all these years.
This is it. There are no hidden meanings.WYSIWYG

http://www.internetmedicalschool.homestead.com

http://www.chiropractormds.homestead.com/index.html

Askeptic......the FBI...of medical schools...we love you men....keep it...

__________________
http://www.hornafrica.biz/index.html

I Guess that explains the whole CMU issue, they claimed to have a charter when in fact it was a permit to operate a school, hence they are not IMED listed.

Now this leads to some interesting points. and the ramifications and importance of such opinion:

1- The AACM , Accreditation Commission on Colleges of Medicine (ACCM)[c, an independent organization based in Ireland that accredits medical schools on behalf of several governments, including the governments of Saba and the Netherlands Antilles.

2- By proxy, the National Committee on Foreign Medical Education and Accreditation (NCFMEA)the NCFMEA does not review or accredit foreign medical schools. The NCFMEA only reviews the standards that a foreign country uses to accredit its medical schools, The Purpose of the National Committee on Foreign Medical Education and Accreditation (NCFMEA) is to review the standards used by foreign countries to accredit medical schools and determine whether those standards are comparable to standards used to accredit medical schools in the United States.

This is sometimes cofused with accreditation from the US DoE, however the U.S. Department of Education does not accredit foreign medical schools. Any accredited medical school in a country that has comparable accreditation standards as determined by the NCFMEA may apply to the Department to participate in the FFEL Program.

Last but not least, Congress closed the loophole and does not allow any Caribbean Medical school to be elegible for US Loans except for the 4 schools grandfathered, the BIG 4 as they are known today, ROSS, SABA,SGU,AUC. The reason Congress made such a move was thanks to the constant and apparently never ending proliferation of medical schools in the Caribbean Islands.

Very good letter, too bad it took 2 years to become available in the forum.

__________________
Formerly known as 'Genossa maximillian'

"Sacrifice turns to revenge and believe me
You'll see the face who'll say:I love you... I'll kill you...But I'll love you forever ..."If I die tomorrow, what will you tell me today?."

Hate to break this to you but Saba isn't grandfathered in. Only SGU, Ross and AUC.

That's ok. Thanks for the correction

__________________
Formerly known as 'Genossa maximillian'

"Sacrifice turns to revenge and believe me
You'll see the face who'll say:I love you... I'll kill you...But I'll love you forever ..."If I die tomorrow, what will you tell me today?."

Does anyone know if these recommendations were actually implemented as official policy?
I couldn't find any links for the ACCM to check from that end if N.A. schools are being examined by them.

__________________
"Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better."
Samuel Beckett, "Worstward Ho", 1983