Government of the Virgin Islands of the U.S.
Virgin Islands Department of Health
516 Strand Street Frederiksted
St. Croix, USVI

Contact Information
Phone: 340-772-2565 (office)
340-772-1992 (hospital)
Email:
Fax: 340-772-5895 Website:
Supervisor: Director of Community Health for St. Thomas, St. John, St. Croix
Main Contact: Mrs. Toddman
340-772-2199
Best way to contact: Phone

Setting

Type of institution: Hospital Affliated Clinic
Setting of main facility: Ambulatory, Urgent Care Setting
Comments on setting:

Duration of elective (min.) 2 months

Local Costs
Tuition or Fees: None
Housing Costs: Variable $500-1500
Housing Availability:
Comments on Housing: Local Realtor:
Local Travel Costs:
Other Costs: Food is very expensive.

Miscellaneous
Primary Language: English
Secondary Language: Spanish
Level of Proficiency:
Institution Partner(s): Hospital

Additional Comments:
The activities can be divided into two segments: outpatient clinics and home health visits.

Student's Comments:
Noaman Siddiqi, Tulane Class of 2000, said the following about his rotation in St. Croix:
The two-month community medicine elective rotation at St. Croix was a truly enriching experience. Essentially the program is run by Dr. Low-A-Chee and Dr. Lido of the urgent care center as Dr. Carr is currently recovering from some health problems. Basically what students can expect is a very unique medical experience covering a vast degree of different medical problems in an absolutely beautiful setting. To get the most out of the program, I would suggest beginning your work in the urgent care. Here both the physicians allow you to see patients completely on your own and allow you to make orders as you see fit. Whereas they still have to sign off on your work, there is tremendous independence here. By starting off the block here, it is a great way to quickly immerse yourself in the various illnesses and diseases that affect this small island. With the aid of Dr. Low-A-Chee's guidance, it is then very easy to get set up for one week blocks in many other sites, including the local ER which does have its fair share of trauma. In truth, besides learning a new array of medical illnesses and sharpening our medical skills, this rotation also provides a great chance to learn the culture of the native Cruzan people. Their way of life and thinking is far removed from the states and really puts an interesting twist on how to practice and convey good medicine. I highly recommend this block to anyone.