Last year I applied, was accepted, and then ended up declining their offer for entrance into IUHS' DLP program. This is my take on the program for what its worth:
Here is the upside. The school itself seems to be legitimate. The school is indeed legally chartered in St. Kitts and is currently listed in the World Health Organization's Directory of Medical Schools. Those are the two main requirements (not necessarily the ONLY requirements) for graduates who wish to become ECFMG certified. I personally contacted ECFMG and was told that I would be eligible to take the exam if I was a graduate of IUHS'DLP.
As far as the DLP itself is concerned, I think it is for a select group of people, mainly, allied health professionals such as PAs and NPs. To attempt the two year didactic portion online without a strong medical background would be extremely difficult to put it mildly. Their software and delivery methods are pretty good. I reviewed it from a friend who was enrolled in the program. I'll admit, I was impressed. The Distance Learning concept, as we all know, is not totally new to the US educational system. It has received quite a bit of recognition and acceptance even on a post-graduate level. Having said that, IUHS is the first medical school that I know of who has offered it's didactic portion online. Antigua did it subsequently, I believe, but unfortunately I have not heard good things about their program. IUHS also subscribes to the PBL approach which I think is a great way to learn medicine.
OK, so that all sounds well and good. The downside, IMHO, is that graduates will most certainly run into problems obtaining state licensure in many US states. First, before they even become graduates, they have to overcome the hurdle of finding ACGME hospitals that will take them during their clerkships. Lets assume that happens. They then have to find a residency that will take them and get licensed in that state as a medical resident. That will also be a huge hurdle, but let's just say they manage to pull that off as well. The biggest problem will be permanent licensure in many, if not most, states. I personally contacted over a dozen states and reviewed the state statute regarding licensure requirements. There are many states such as MA, TX, and CA that I checked with whom specifically state that the first two years of medical school must be completed on the physical site of the campus. This was not intended to thwart distance learning but instead to prevent people from obtaining medical diplomas through "medical school diploma factories". To verify attendance, most states request that the graduate show proof of attendance by producing a passport with the appropriate dates verifying attendance.
The more I looked into IUHS' DLP, the more potential pitfalls I found that may very well have made my diploma great for one thing and one thing only, toilet paper. For me, it was just too much money, time, and energy to roll the dice with. In the future, it may be a viable option. Before that happens, however, IUHS will have to prove itself through a number of mechanisms such as publishing USMLE Step 1 scores and have graduates placed in decent US residencies with subsequent granting of permanent licensure. Until that happens, I would be very leery of enrolling in their DLP.
If going out of the country is your best shot at medical school, try St. George's, you'll get a good education without any risk.
