Well, after all the run around of rumors we finally get the truth. The Bonaire campus for Saint James School of Medicine is now closed. I called up some sources to find out why this was the case and it started years ago; it was all about money. You would think SJSM would gain more accreditation because it’s in it’s second decade and the number of students getting residencies are increasing but no. Apparently from what I found out, the Dutch government wanted a percentage of the profits from SJSM in order for the school to run in Bonaire. This happened after the Dutch started to move in, because according to them the students were causing trouble to the local Bonarians. Good riddance to the locals because the local Bonarians used to rob from the students and now they won’t have that $10+ million per year from students. When I was in Bonaire the locals treated me badly and they gave me such a hard time because I was a foreigner. They would also overcharge me in Subway multiple times and I couldn’t say much. Now those Bonarians will not have laptops to steal from students or their cars.
Anguilla Campus Extension for Bonaire Students
A source from Anguilla said that construction, and yes you read it right, construction of a new campus is currently going on for the Bonaire students who are coming in. The construction for the Bonaire students are being done on steroids; he said he has never seen something being done like this so fast by SJSM. Also, new computers and new network systems are being installed and upgraded for the big change.
The new building will only house the Bonaire students and teachers. While the Anguilla students will be in a separate building. Unfortunately, Bonaire students are loud, rowdy, and aggressive compared to the Anguilla students. So this is going to be a wacky mix.
Transfer Status
Apparently all of us Bonaire graduates in clinical clerkship have our transcripts with the Anguilla location. I spoke with someone and he said that since we are not transferring schools there would not be transfer status on the transcript. The only way to see the transfer status would be to see it on ECFMG papers, which is unlikely done by the residency program directors. So when you submit your transcript it should just say Anguilla. However, I could be wrong so take this information with a grain of salt.
Anguilla Accreditation
If you hear anything about Anguilla campus closing down in January from someone, especially from a student from another school, just take that with grain of salt also. SJSM is having a new building built for the incoming students, and building a new building on those islands costs a lot of money. On top of that, the Anguilla locals favor the students and they want the students to stay unlike the Bonaire locals, according to and Anguilla source.