Ross University officials brief CELS students

Officials representing the Ross University School of Medicine and School of Veterinary Medicine visited URI April 19 to meet with members of the Department of Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Science (FAVS) and students who are interested in pursuing careers in medicine and veterinary medicine.Ross University, a 34-year-old Caribbean institution, has an enrollment of 1,100 in veterinary medicine and 3,000 in medicine. The medicine school’s student body is 92 percent from the United States and the student body in the veterinary school is 98 percent from this country.

Sean Powers national director of admissions for Ross University, briefs FAVS students on the university's features.

Sean Powers, director of admissions for Ross explained the school is attractive to students who cannot gain acceptance to the crowded U.S. mainland schools. After taking basic courses in the Caribbean, Ross students get their clinical training in one of 70 affiliated mainland U.S. hospitals and 23 affiliated animal treatment centers. They  spend just 16 months on the Caribbean campuses. The veterinary school is located on St. Kitts and the medicine school is on Dominica
Meeting for lunch at the University Club with URI personnel are Ross University officials Sean Powers and Jeanne DiPretoro (fifth and sixth from left). With them (l-r) are Dr. David Bengston, Lecturer Fred Launer, Dr Anthony Mallilo, FAVS student Sarah Souza, Kathleen D. Maher, health professions advisory committee, Brian Clifton, CELS pre-health lecturer and Dean John Kirby.

He said that Ross currently has nine students from URI in the medicine school and 12 from URI in the veterinary school which graduated 15 URI alumni in the past. URI and Ross have an official accreditation agreement, he noted.

Also representing Ross was Jeanne DiPretoro, associate director of admission for New England.

Meeting with the Ross officials at luncheon were Dean John Kirby, Dr. David Bengston, chair of FAVS; Brian Clifton, CELS pre health programs lecturer; Dr. Anthony Mallilo, FAVS; Fred Launer, FAVS lecturer and Kathleen D. Maher, chair of the health professions advisory committee. Sarah Souza, a pre-veterinary senior, also attended.