St. Matthew's University

For profit Cayman Islands university

St. Matthew's University (SMU) is a private for profit offshore medical school located in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands in the Caribbean. SMU has a School of Medicine and a School of Veterinary Medicine, which confer M. D. and D. V. M. degrees, respectively. St. Matthew's University is owned by R3 Education, Inc.

SMU was founded in Belize in 1997 by Dr. Michael Harris and other medical doctors. In 2001, the board of directors changed the university's administration. In 2002, the school moved to the Cayman Islands under interim president Dr. B. D. Owens. Dr. Michael Harris was named president in 2003 and the Medical University gained full accreditation. The School of Veterinary Medicine was established in 2005 under the direction of Dr. Scott Harris, DVM The school was acquired by Greenwich, Connecticut based Equinox Capital in conjunction with Chicago based Prairie Capital in 2005.

SMU is chartered by the government of the Cayman Islands. The School of Medicine has been accredited since 2001 with accreditation extending until June 30, 2025. Since 2002 the United States Department of Education's National Committee on Foreign Medical Education and Accreditation (NCFMEA) has recognized SMU's accreditor as using standards that are comparable to the standards used to accredit medical schools in the United States. St. Matthew's University School of Medicine is approved by the New York State Education Department (NYSED) to allow students to complete more than 12 weeks of clinical clerkships in New York State. SMU is one of eight Caribbean medical schools so approved by NYSED. St. Matthew's University School of Medicine is licensed by the Florida Department of Education's Commission for Independent Education (CIE) for the purpose of providing clinical rotations in Florida. SMU is one of seven Caribbean medical schools so approved by the CIE (St. George's University School of Medicine, Ross University School of Medicine, American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, Saba University School of Medicine, American University of Antigua College of Medicine, Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE) School of Medicine, Medical University of the Americas). SMU School of Medicine students who are either American citizens or permanent residents can participate in the Federal Direct Student Loan Program.

The MD program at SMU is a ten semester course of study that consists of three semesters per calendar year. Semesters 1 5 are basic science semesters that are completed at the university's Grand Cayman (Cayman Islands) campus. Semesters 6 10 consist of 72 weeks of clinical training at rural hospitals in United States, Canada, or the United Kingdom.

In the United States, the medical board of Kansas restricts St. Matthew's University graduates from obtaining licensure. In the United Kingdom, the General Medical Council has listed St. Matthew's University as an institution whose graduates from the Belize campus (closed in 2002) are ineligible for licensure. Graduates from the current Cayman Islands campus are eligible for licensure.

The US Department of Education reports that the median student loan debt of Americans who attended the school was $247,074 in 2022. Default rate as of 2019 was reportes as N/A. The PAVE qualifying exam is written or online and intended to test the knowledge of students in foreign veterinary schools. It covers material learned in the first three (pre clinical) years of AVMA accredited veterinary schools. The PAVE program is recognized in 39 states currently, as well as Australia and New Zealand. The program contains four steps and is recognized by all 50 states to allow those that receive a certificate the ability to practice within those states. The incoming class size is limited to 35 students and the faculty to student ratio is 1:5. Members of the dual degree program receive benefits that include qualification for Title IV federal student aid (for U. S. citizens and eligible non citizens), receiving partnership tuition rates for the entire program, advancing the student's career with two degrees as a doctor of veterinary medicine and an MBA, and the ability to apply up to 15 transferable graduate credits. University of Pennsylvania, University of Minnesota, North Carolina State University, Oklahoma State University, and University of Illinois.