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St Christopher Iba Mar Diop College of Medicine (SCIMD-COM) is a medical college located in Luton, England as a satellite campus of the Universite El Hadj Ibrahima Niasse (UEIN) in Dakar, Senegal. Two medical colleges exist under the umbrella of parent university UEIN: Ecole de Médecine St Christopher Iba Mar Diop (EM-SCIMD) in Dakar and SCIMD-COM in Luton. The college operated under the name St. Christopher's College of Medicine from 2000-2006. Degrees are now issued from the parent university under the name of SCIMD-COM.

Accreditation, Licensing and Visas

The college's programs award the Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree through the authority of UEIN. The Dakar, Senegal campus is currently listed in The Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER) International Medical Education Directory (IMED) database of medical schools. It is listed as such based on its recognition by the Senegalese Ministry of Education through its issuing of a charter in February 2000, and again reaffirmed in April 2006 (after a reorganization of the school). The Luton, UK college is not listed as being recognized as an independent entity in the UK. SCIMD-COM's Dakar location is also listed by the World Health Organization in the updated 7th edition of the World Directory of Medical Schools. However, the Office of Degree Authorization in Oregon listed the former name of SCIMD and stated that "No Senegalese school issuing degrees under this name exists as of March, 2006." Neither the college, nor the parent university, is listed in UNESCO's database of Universities. As such, its degrees may not be acceptable to employers or other institutions, and use of degree titles may be restricted or illegal in some jurisdictions.

United Kingdom

Degrees issued by SCIMD-COM were recognized by the General Medical Council (GMC) of the UK for graduates to gain limited registration as licensed physicians for a brief period after successfully completing the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board (PLAB) examination and the International English Language System examination. However, in November 2005, the GMC announced that it was suspending recognition of the degrees issued by SCIMD (as well as all "schools who claim that the course of study undertaken substantially or wholly in the UK leads to a Primary Medical Qualification awarded by an overseas University") due to concerns over the college's accreditation status in its parent country, as well as quality assurance arrangements. Currently, this suspension is still in force, which restricts graduates of SCIMD-COM from taking the PLAB examination, and from registration as licensed physicians. The Accreditation Service for International Colleges (ASIC), a UK-based accrediting agency, has included SCIMD-COM on their list of organisations about which ASIC suggest students undertake detailed research before embarking on a programme of study.

Visas

SCIMD-COM's Luton campus is not listed in the Register of Education and Training Providers published by the British Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Home Office will not grant anyone permission to enter or remain in the UK as a student, unless he or she plans to study at a college on the Register." "The Register does not quality assure the services offered by providers," but instead, "the purpose of the Register is to help the Home Office tackle immigration abuse in the education sector."

United States

Alabama states that SCIMD-COM is "not approved by the Board for applicants for certificates of qualification." California does not list SCIMD on their recognized or disapproved list. "If a school is not on either the recognized or disapproved list, it may be a school that has not requested recognition by the Medical Board of California." "If a medical school is not listed on the recognized school list, the medical school is either unrecognized or disapproved. The education and training received at an unrecognized or disapproved medical school does not meet California licensure requirements." Indiana has a list of approved, disapproved, and questionable foreign medical schools. SCIMD is on the list of "questionable" schools and applications for licensure would be considered on a "case by case" basis. Kansas has a list of approved and disapproved schools. SCIMD is not on either list. "If the school has not been approved by the Board, an applicant may still be eligible for a license if the school has not been disapproved and has been in operation (date instruction started) for not less than 15 years." SCIMD has been in operation for 8 years, which is less than the 15 years required for a Kansas license. Maine has added St. Christopher's College of Medicine (the former name of SCIMD-COM) to their state's list of unaccredited schools. Both New York and New Jersey require that students spend at least the first two years of their medical education studying in the location where the school is chartered. The Executive Director of the Board of Medical Examiners in New Jersey stated other states also have denied hospital residency programs or medical licenses to graduates of the school. Another official with the New Jersey's board of Medical Examiners stated graduates of the school would likely not be accepted at any three-year medical residency program at a New Jersey hospital. According to the Office of Degree Authorization in Oregon, "Great Britain ceased accepting its degrees, March, 2006. No Senegalese school issuing degrees under this name exists as of March, 2006. Price, Waterhouse has taken over the entity's records (UK/Senegal) and students who want to get information must contact PWC." In July of 2000, the Oregon Department of Justice issued a restraining order as well as a lawsuit against St Johns University School of Medicine of Montserrat, which claimed that transcripts issued by the school would be accredited through St. Christopher's College of Medicine. According to the Oregon DOJ, "St. Christopher’s College of Medicine does not appear to be licensed or accredited by anyone. Texas has similarly placed SCCM on their list of "Institutions Whose Degrees are Illegal to Use in Texas" and notes that attempting to use the degree to obtain a medical license is a Class B Misdemeanor.

Programs and curriculum

SCIMD-COM offers two English-language curricula at the Luton school: a four-year curriculum for students who have previously completed the necessary premedical coursework and a six-year curriculum for those that have not. There is also a five-year curriculum that is conducted in French at the Senegal campus.

Media coverage

In 2003, the BBC local news programme Look East visited the campus, noting that no private university has ever been given full accreditation in the UK, and that St. Christopher hoped to be the first. It also noted that fees were between 2/3 and 1/2 of the fees charged by US colleges, and that this attracted a significant US student body.

External links

• Official website

References

1. ^ "History of St Christopher Iba Mar Diop College of Medicine". Retrieved 2006-08-14.
2. 2006 UK CompaniesHouse registration
3. 2006 UK CompaniesHouse registration
4. ^ Foundation for the Advancement of International Education and Research. "International Medical Education Directory: St. Christopher Iba Mar Diop College of Medicine". Retrieved 2006-07-27.
5. Senegalese Charter of SCIMD from scimd.com
6. Senegalese recognition letter by Minister of Education
7. Foundation for the Advancement of International Education and Research. "International Medical Education Directory: United Kingdom". Retrieved 2007-08-09.
8. World Directory of Medical Schools Update
9. ^ Oregon Office of Degree Accreditation. "Unaccredited colleges". Retrieved 2007-05-05.
10. UNESCO list
11. Web Archive of GMC recognition letter posted on stchris.edu
12. General Medical Council. "UK based medical colleges". Retrieved 2007-08-10.
13. General Medical Council. "Acceptable primary medical qualification". Retrieved 2006-07-27.
14. Chapman, Matthew (6 November 2005). "Some medical degrees 'worthless'". BBC News. Retrieved 2006-08-10. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
15. List of organisations about which ASIC suggest students undertake detailed research before embarking on a programme of study
16. DFES Provider Register of Education and Training
17. UKVisas requirements for student visas
18. http://www.dfes.gov.uk/providersregister/faq-general.cfm#a1
19. Alabama Board of Medical Examiners. "Medical Education Requirements". Retrieved 2006-08-27.
20. Medical Board of California: International Medical Schools Disapproved by the State of California
21. Medical Board of California. "Medical Schools Recognized by the Medical Board of California". Retrieved 2006-07-27.
22. "Medical Licensing Board of Indiana" (PDF).
23. http://www.ksbha.org/medicalschoolsapprovedunapproved.html
24. Kansas Board of Healing Arts. "Statues: Chapter 65.--PUBLIC HEALTH Article 28.--HEALING ARTS". Retrieved 2006-08-18.
25. Maine Higher Education. "Unaccredited Schools" (PDF). UnaccreditedSchools-042706.pdf. p. 48. {{cite conference}}: Unknown parameter |booktitle= ignored (|book-title= suggested) (help)
26. NYS Office of the Professions. "Medicine License Requirements". Retrieved 2007-07-22.
27. Thorbourne, Ken (2004-03-30). "SPC partnership with med school hastily called off". The Jersey Journal. p. 1. Retrieved 2006-08-12.
28. Department of Justice, State of Oregon. "Media Release: Attorney General Closes Down Unlicensed Medical School". Retrieved 2006-08-18.
29. Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. "Institutions Whose Degrees are Illegal to Use in Texas". Retrieved 2007-05-05.
30. RealAudio file, BBC Look East, February 2003

• Unaccredited institutions of higher learning