St. Theresa's Medical University was a
medical school
A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, or part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS, M ...
located in
Basseterre
Basseterre (; Saint Kitts Creole: ''Basterre'') is the capital and largest city of Saint Kitts and Nevis with an estimated population of 14,000 in 2018. Geographically, the Basseterre port is located at , on the south western coast of Saint Kitt ...
,
St. Kitts
Saint Kitts, officially the Saint Christopher Island, is an island in the West Indies. The west side of the island borders the Caribbean Sea, and the eastern coast faces the Atlantic Ocean. Saint Kitts and the neighbouring island of Nevis cons ...
prior to its closure in 2009.
History
St. Theresa's Medical University was opened in August 2005 and closed in August 2009.
[Acton, Robin, "Failed medical school spoils students' dreams" ''Pittsburgh Tribume Review" (January 3, 2010)]
The medical school was founded by its chancellor and executive dean, Thomas M. Uhrin, of
Latrobe, Pennsylvania
Latrobe is a city in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, in the United States and part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area.
The city population was 8,338 as of the 2010 census (9,265 in 1990). It is located near Pennsylvania's scenic Chestnut Rid ...
, where it also had offices. In St. Kitts Uhrin represented himself as holding an M.D. degree, but he had been terminated in 2004 by the International University of the Health Sciences in St. Kitts for misrepresenting his academic credentials. In 1999 he had resigned as Medical Director of a clinic in
Greensburg, Pennsylvania
Greensburg is a city in and the county seat of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States, and a part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. The city lies within the Laurel Highlands and the ecoregion of the Western Allegheny Plateau (ecoregion), W ...
, after admitting that he had not completed medical training and was not licensed as a medical doctor. Uhrin's credentials became the subject of investigations by government ministries.
Of the initial class of 17 students, 15 withdrew amid allegations of verbal abuse, unsafe learning conditions, and improper treatment of cadavers. As of the fall term ending December 2006, STMU had approximately one dozen students. In early 2007, the school claimed to have approximately 30 students enrolled.
[ At the time of its closure, it had eight or ten students.][
]
Academic partnerships
STMU was in an academic partnership with Warnborough College
The name Warnborough is associated with several related institutions of higher education existing from 1973 to the present, including Warnborough College Oxford, Warnborough College UK, Warnborough College Ireland and Warnborough University, s ...
for automatic admission of holders of Warnborough College (UK) Pre-Medical diplomas and issuance of dual degrees with Warnborough College (IE). The Oregon Office of Degree Authorization states that Warnborough and STMU were operated jointly.
In May 2009, the Institute of Technological Studies announced that it had formed a partnership to open a branch campus of STMU in Colombo, Sri Lanka
Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo met ...
, beginning in June 2009, with approximately 75 students, for which STMU claimed to have government approval. The closure of STMU ended these plans and other plans for expansion into Italy.[ "Health Education Associates Unlimited, Inc.", the investment firm promoted by Uhrin and STMU President and CEO Jeffrey T. Irwin to finance the Sri Lanka and Italy expansions, folded in 2009, leaving investors unpaid. A former US Attorney who examined the firm's agreements characterized it as fitting the characteristics of a ]Ponzi scheme
A Ponzi scheme (, ) is a form of fraud that lures investors and pays profits to earlier investors with funds from more recent investors. Named after Italian businessman Charles Ponzi, the scheme leads victims to believe that profits are comin ...
; in December 2009, Uhrin denied that it was a plan to defraud investors. Both Uhrin and Irwin later pleaded guilty in Federal Court to willful failure to file US tax returns, not reporting income from the operations of STMU and Health Education Associates.
Accreditation issues
The school was accredited in 2005 by the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis
Saint Kitts and Nevis (), officially the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis, is an island country and microstate consisting of the two islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis, both located in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands chain of ...
to grant Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...
, Master of Medicine, Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated M.D., from the Latin language, Latin ''Medicinae Doctor'') is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the M.D. denotes a profes ...
, Doctor of Pharmacology
Pharmacology is a branch of medicine, biology and pharmaceutical sciences concerned with drug or medication action, where a drug may be defined as any artificial, natural, or endogenous (from within the body) molecule which exerts a biochemica ...
and Doctor of Philosophy
A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common Academic degree, degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields ...
degrees. In 2006, the Ministry of Education's Accreditation Board commenced an investigation of STMU in light of unspecified complaints about STMU. The Ministry of Health commenced a separate investigation about the extent of Mr. Uhrin's medical training, the validity of his professional credentials and possible fraud in the accreditation application process. Yet another investigation by the Ministry of Health concerned the importation and handling of cadavers by the school.[Thacker, Paul D., "Examining an island medical school", ''Inside Higher Ed'' (January 5, 2007)]
/ref> The ministries did not disclose the results of their investigations, but stated that the school had lost its accreditation prior to it closing.[
]
Status in US and UK
The US Department of Education's National Committee on Foreign Medical Education and Accreditation (NCFMEA) does not recognize the accreditation standards used by the government of St. Kitts and Nevis as being comparable to those used to accredit medical schools in the United States. Accordingly, STMU students were ineligible to participate in the Federal Family Educational Loan (FFEL) program.
STMU graduates are eligible to apply for certification by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG)for entry into residency or fellowship programs in the US. This does not assure that certification will be granted, or that once granted, a STMU graduate will be eligible for a residency or fellowship program or for medical licensing in a particular state.
* Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...
The Arkansas State Medical Board banned STMU graduates from medical licensing in that state, and STMU graduates are ineligible for residency or fellowships at the University of Arkansas College of Medicine.
* California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
STMU graduates are not eligible for licensure in the State of California, because it is not listed as a recognized medical school by the Medical Board of California.
* Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
A former STMU student was advised in November 2009 by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy
The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy''. The NABP membership is composed of 54 active members and 12 associate members. Active member boards include all 50 United States, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands ...
that he was ineligible to be certified as a foreign pharmacy school graduate and could not sit for the Florida licensing examination due to STMU's lack of accreditation and other issues.[
* ]Maine
Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...
The State of Maine lists STMU as non-accredited, which precludes use of a STMU degree to obtain employment, promotion or higher compensation, admission to an institution of higher education, or in connection with any business, trade, profession or occupation.
* Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
The State of Michigan lists STMU as unaccredited, precluding use of a STMU degree to satisfy educational requirements of the Michigan Civil Service Commission.
* Oregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
The State of Oregon Office of Degree Authorization The Oregon Office of Degree Authorization (ODA) is a unit of the Office of Student Access and Completion, with responsibilities related to maintaining high standards in private higher education institutions in Oregon. ODA administers laws and prov ...
lists STMU as unaccredited.
STMU graduates are considered on a case-by-case basis for eligibility to register with the General Medical Council
The General Medical Council (GMC) is a public body that maintains the official register of medical practitioners within the United Kingdom. Its chief responsibility is to "protect, promote and maintain the health and safety of the public" by c ...
to practice medicine in the UK.Acceptable Primary Medical Qualification - General Medical Council
References
External links
St. Theresa's Medical University former Official Site at Internet Archive
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Theresa's Medical University, Saint Kitts
Unaccredited institutions of higher learning
Educational institutions established in 2005
Educational institutions disestablished in 2009
Medical schools in Saint Kitts and Nevis
2005 establishments in Saint Kitts and Nevis
2009 disestablishments in Saint Kitts and Nevis
Former for-profit universities and colleges
Basseterre