Our History | St. George’s University
Source: https://www.sgu.edu/about-sgu/history
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:27
Our History | St. George’s University
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About SGU
History of St. George’s University
A handful of dreamers set out to change the status quo in medical education in the 1970s and founded an international University that has educated 31,000+ people worldwide and impacted the world by the many thousands more who have benefitted from their knowledge and care. Their vision of what international education should be attracted progressive education leaders with prestigious credential to shape the future of the young school. The result of their shared dream was St. George’s University.
The Beginning
It began on July 23, 1976, when Charles Modica, Louis Modica, Edward McGowan, and Patrick F. Adams witnessed the birth of their dream through an act of Grenada’s Parliament, establishing
St. George’s University School of Medicine
. It opened its doors in January 1977, welcoming a modest group of students to Grand Anse as part of its charter class. They were the first of many, with the University contributing over 23K physicians to the global physician workforce, having drawn medical school students, alumni, and faculty from over 150 countries to the island of Grenada. They have practiced in every state in the United States, as well as in more than 50 countries.
Medical School
What was an opportunity for the charter class has developed into the opportunity for many. The Doctor of Medicine program at St. George’s University School of Medicine is
accredited and approved
by many external bodies. SGU students now have access to
clinical training opportunities at over
85+ affiliated hospitals and clinical centers in the United States, Canada, Grenada, and United Kingdom.
Annually, it secures highly competitive US-based residencies,
serving as the number one provider of doctors into first-year positions in the US
over the last 10 years, including over 940+ in 2024 alone.
Growth in Research and International Presence
St. George’s University expanded its medical program even further in 2005, this time overseas, establishing
the St. George’s University School of Medicine/Northumbria University program,
which allows School of Medicine students to spend their first year of basic sciences at Northumbria University in Newcastle, United Kingdom. With it, these students obtain unprecedented international experience in medicine, gaining exposure to models of medicine in three different countries by the time they graduate.
Besides basic science training, students have been able to carry out short- and long-term, multidisciplinary research and education programs with the
Windward Islands Research and Education Foundation (WINDREF)
, which the University established in True Blue in 1994.
Medicine and Beyond
Beyond medicine, SGU has created a wide range of programs for students of all interests. In 1996, the newly
founded School of Arts and Sciences
welcomed its first student class, and in 1999, the University established
the School of Veterinary Medicine, which is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)
and owns clinical affiliations with 30+ veterinary medical schools. More than 2,700 SGU veterinarians have entered the workforce since then. Also in 1999, the
Master of Public Health program launched. It has since gained accreditation from the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH),
and the Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine has been distinguished as a
World Health Organization Collaborating Center (WHO CC) for Environmental and Occupational Health,
the first of its kind in the Caribbean.
SGU has also created a School of Graduate Studies
, which offers more than 30 distinct programs across a wide variety of professional fields.
University Milestones
Grenadian Parliament Signs St. George’s University Charter – 1976
1976
School of Medicine First Class Arrives
1977
US Medical Clinical Affiliations Established
1979
UK Medical Clinical Affiliations Established
1980
School of Medicine Charter Class Graduation
SGU Receives Approval by the New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners
1981
US Military Intervention in Grenada
1983
US President Ronald Reagan Visits Campus Memorial
SGU Receives Approval by the Medicine Board of California
1984
SGU Receives Approval by the New York State Education Department
1987
$250 Million USD Campus Expansion
1991
First White Coat Ceremony Featuring Ben Carson as Speaker
1992
Major Campus Building Program Completed
1993
WINDREF Research Institute Founded
School of Graduate Studies Founded
MD/MSc Program First Offered
1994
School of Arts and Sciences Founded
There was an immediate and overwhelming response from the Grenadian people, as well as people in the Caribbean region, who were anxious to take advantage of this opportunity for tertiary education. The School began offering night courses in the Fall of 1996, and baccalaureate degree programs in January 1997.
Dr. Swaminathan Visited Campus – Time Magazine's Top 3 Indian Docs of Century
“We badly need on our planet education centers like St. George’s University which can help to highlight the value of diversity and pluralism in human societies.”
1996
Anthony S. Fauci, MD, is the Geoffrey H. Bourne speaker
1996
School of Veterinary Medicine Founded
Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine Established
1999
Department of Educational Services Begins Offering Let’s Talk Teaching Seminars
2000
Number of Grads Surpasses 5,000
2003
Master of Public Health Offered Through School of Veterinary Medicine
2005
St. George’s Partners with Northumbria
2006
Keith B. Taylor Global Scholars Program Launched in Northumbria
2007
Master of Public Health Degree Accreditation by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)
MBA Program Established
SGU Grads Tops US/Canadian Student Scores on USMLE
2010
DVM Program Accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education (AVMA COE)
Graduates Surpass 10,000
Partnership Established with Grenada Hospital
2011
St. George’s Receives Equity Investment from a Group Led by Altas Partners
2014
Dr. G. Richard Olds Appointed as First University President and Chief Executive Officer
2015
St. George’s University Small Animal Clinic Receives American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) Accreditation
2016
From
Dr.
eam
To Doctor
Learn more about our MD program and tracks
Every aspect of our MD program and tracks are intentionally designed to support you on your path to becoming a physician.
Flexible Start Dates:
Choose from multiple entry terms in
August, January, or April
to begin your medical education at your convenience.
Average of 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 residency placement rates. Residency placement rate is defined as the total number of students/ graduates who obtained a US residency divided by the total number of students / graduates who applied to a US residency program in a given year as of October 2024.
Program and Track Highlights
Global Recognition:
SGU’s School of Medicine has been continuously accredited for decades, enabling our students to be eligible to practice in the US.
Clinical Training:
85+ hospitals and health systems
in the
United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom offer clinical and ambulatory training and support
Legacy of Excellence:
Join the network of over 25,000 graduates* who have impacted healthcare worldwide.
*Based on the number of students who have completed the Doctor of Medicine program from 1981-2025.
Connect With Us.
Learn more about our MD program and tracks
Receive priority invitations to our prospective student events
We will be in touch soon, but if you have questions now, email us at
admissions@sgu.edu
Apply
Request Info
Events
Apply
Request Info
Search our site
Skip to main content
Skip to footer
About SGU
History of St. George’s University
A handful of dreamers set out to change the status quo in medical education in the 1970s and founded an international University that has educated 31,000+ people worldwide and impacted the world by the many thousands more who have benefitted from their knowledge and care. Their vision of what international education should be attracted progressive education leaders with prestigious credential to shape the future of the young school. The result of their shared dream was St. George’s University.
The Beginning
It began on July 23, 1976, when Charles Modica, Louis Modica, Edward McGowan, and Patrick F. Adams witnessed the birth of their dream through an act of Grenada’s Parliament, establishing
St. George’s University School of Medicine
. It opened its doors in January 1977, welcoming a modest group of students to Grand Anse as part of its charter class. They were the first of many, with the University contributing over 23K physicians to the global physician workforce, having drawn medical school students, alumni, and faculty from over 150 countries to the island of Grenada. They have practiced in every state in the United States, as well as in more than 50 countries.
Medical School
What was an opportunity for the charter class has developed into the opportunity for many. The Doctor of Medicine program at St. George’s University School of Medicine is
accredited and approved
by many external bodies. SGU students now have access to
clinical training opportunities at over
85+ affiliated hospitals and clinical centers in the United States, Canada, Grenada, and United Kingdom.
Annually, it secures highly competitive US-based residencies,
serving as the number one provider of doctors into first-year positions in the US
over the last 10 years, including over 940+ in 2024 alone.
Growth in Research and International Presence
St. George’s University expanded its medical program even further in 2005, this time overseas, establishing
the St. George’s University School of Medicine/Northumbria University program,
which allows School of Medicine students to spend their first year of basic sciences at Northumbria University in Newcastle, United Kingdom. With it, these students obtain unprecedented international experience in medicine, gaining exposure to models of medicine in three different countries by the time they graduate.
Besides basic science training, students have been able to carry out short- and long-term, multidisciplinary research and education programs with the
Windward Islands Research and Education Foundation (WINDREF)
, which the University established in True Blue in 1994.
Medicine and Beyond
Beyond medicine, SGU has created a wide range of programs for students of all interests. In 1996, the newly
founded School of Arts and Sciences
welcomed its first student class, and in 1999, the University established
the School of Veterinary Medicine, which is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)
and owns clinical affiliations with 30+ veterinary medical schools. More than 2,700 SGU veterinarians have entered the workforce since then. Also in 1999, the
Master of Public Health program launched. It has since gained accreditation from the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH),
and the Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine has been distinguished as a
World Health Organization Collaborating Center (WHO CC) for Environmental and Occupational Health,
the first of its kind in the Caribbean.
SGU has also created a School of Graduate Studies
, which offers more than 30 distinct programs across a wide variety of professional fields.
University Milestones
Grenadian Parliament Signs St. George’s University Charter – 1976
1976
School of Medicine First Class Arrives
1977
US Medical Clinical Affiliations Established
1979
UK Medical Clinical Affiliations Established
1980
School of Medicine Charter Class Graduation
SGU Receives Approval by the New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners
1981
US Military Intervention in Grenada
1983
US President Ronald Reagan Visits Campus Memorial
SGU Receives Approval by the Medicine Board of California
1984
SGU Receives Approval by the New York State Education Department
1987
$250 Million USD Campus Expansion
1991
First White Coat Ceremony Featuring Ben Carson as Speaker
1992
Major Campus Building Program Completed
1993
WINDREF Research Institute Founded
School of Graduate Studies Founded
MD/MSc Program First Offered
1994
School of Arts and Sciences Founded
There was an immediate and overwhelming response from the Grenadian people, as well as people in the Caribbean region, who were anxious to take advantage of this opportunity for tertiary education. The School began offering night courses in the Fall of 1996, and baccalaureate degree programs in January 1997.
Dr. Swaminathan Visited Campus – Time Magazine's Top 3 Indian Docs of Century
“We badly need on our planet education centers like St. George’s University which can help to highlight the value of diversity and pluralism in human societies.”
1996
Anthony S. Fauci, MD, is the Geoffrey H. Bourne speaker
1996
School of Veterinary Medicine Founded
Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine Established
1999
Department of Educational Services Begins Offering Let’s Talk Teaching Seminars
2000
Number of Grads Surpasses 5,000
2003
Master of Public Health Offered Through School of Veterinary Medicine
2005
St. George’s Partners with Northumbria
2006
Keith B. Taylor Global Scholars Program Launched in Northumbria
2007
Master of Public Health Degree Accreditation by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)
MBA Program Established
SGU Grads Tops US/Canadian Student Scores on USMLE
2010
DVM Program Accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education (AVMA COE)
Graduates Surpass 10,000
Partnership Established with Grenada Hospital
2011
St. George’s Receives Equity Investment from a Group Led by Altas Partners
2014
Dr. G. Richard Olds Appointed as First University President and Chief Executive Officer
2015
St. George’s University Small Animal Clinic Receives American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) Accreditation
2016
From
Dr.
eam
To Doctor
Learn more about our MD program and tracks
Every aspect of our MD program and tracks are intentionally designed to support you on your path to becoming a physician.
Flexible Start Dates:
Choose from multiple entry terms in
August, January, or April
to begin your medical education at your convenience.
Average of 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 residency placement rates. Residency placement rate is defined as the total number of students/ graduates who obtained a US residency divided by the total number of students / graduates who applied to a US residency program in a given year as of October 2024.
Program and Track Highlights
Global Recognition:
SGU’s School of Medicine has been continuously accredited for decades, enabling our students to be eligible to practice in the US.
Clinical Training:
85+ hospitals and health systems
in the
United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom offer clinical and ambulatory training and support
Legacy of Excellence:
Join the network of over 25,000 graduates* who have impacted healthcare worldwide.
*Based on the number of students who have completed the Doctor of Medicine program from 1981-2025.
Connect With Us.
Learn more about our MD program and tracks
Receive priority invitations to our prospective student events
We will be in touch soon, but if you have questions now, email us at
admissions@sgu.edu
Apply
Request Info
Events
Apply
Request Info
Search our site