I graduated from Spartan Health Sciences University in December of 1984. I participated in the Match and was placed at Brown University Hospitals in Rhode Island where I completed an internship and residency in Internal Medicine and a fellowship in Hematology and Oncology in 1991. After completion of post-graduate training, I moved to Florida and was the Medical Director of a large hospice, then I had a private practice in pain management. I am boarded in Internal Medicine Hospice and Palliative Medicine and certified in Pain Medicine and Pain Management and am board eligible in Hematology and Oncology. Currently I am the Chief of Medical Services of a large hospice (average daily census >1000), End-of-Life Chairman for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Venice Florida and a medical missionary for Helping Hands Medical Missions. We returned from the Amazon the first of July. I live on a beautiful island in Florida. As a child I always wished that I had been born a boy so I could go to medical school. I thank Spartan Health Sciences University for making my dream come true.

Just to update you on my status, I have held the following position:

• Ex- Chairman- Department of Pediatrics at the Integris Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City.
• Pediatrics Residency at the University of Oklahoma
• Currently Clinical Instructor in Pediatrics at the University of Oklahoma, School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics.
• Attending Pediatric Physician at the GREAT PLAINS FAMILY MEDICINE RESIDENCY PROGRAM in Oklahoma City.
• Member of the American medical Association
• Fellow – American Academy of Pediatrics, Society of Critical Care Medicine.
• Certified by American Board of Pediatrics
• Invited as guest lecturer at Medimune Pharmaceutical, Gaithersburg, MD

Advice for students....study, study, study and do well on USMLE exams.

I came to St. Lucia as a medical student back in 1982 when Spartan Health Sciences University had just started operations in St. Lucia. We were a group of eighteen (18) students from different countries. The University was then located in a small building in the New Dock road in Vieux Fort town. We graduated in 1986 as Medical Doctors, and pursued our postgraduate studies subsequently. Basically, each and every one of us has been successful in our own field. I am right now the Director of several clinics in Guardalajara, Mexico, New Jersey and several other places. I am so proud and so thrilled that I am a graduate of this University, that my son will be starting as a medical student at Spartan in the coming trimester. I hope that all of you who have the same endeavors and the same hopes and want a wonderful education, to come to Spartan Health Sciences University, which is by all means a leading educational organization not only in the Caribbean but in the world. Seventeen hundred (1700) physicians, said so.

Thank you

A Diplomate - American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Inc. (1998-2018), Dr. Viner is licensed to practice in Utah, Arizona, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada and Connecticut. He completed his education at Spartan in 1989 and thereafter has risen to great heights in the field of Psychiatry.

He is currently the Chief of Staff, Senior Staff Psychiatrist for the State of Nevada Division of Mental Health and Developmental Services, NNAMHS, besides serving asClinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, University of Nevada.

He holds membership with the American Medical Association, American Psychiatric Association, American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology, American College of Physicians and the American Association of Suicidology. He is on the Advisory Board of Directors for American Health Care, Inc., Roseville, California. He actively contributes as a journal reviewer for the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

Dr .Viner has won the Exemplary Psychiatrist Award at National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, Nevada (2008); the Governor’s Citation, State of Maryland, 17th Annual Youth Suicide Prevention Program (2005); Exemplary Psychiatrist Award at the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, Connecticut, (1994).

Dr. Viner is a great supporter for mental health, having written the book, "Suicide," and having made many appearances both within the State of Nevada and all around the country. Still he claims that it's tough to be recognized as one who studies the most terrible act one can take, that being taking one's own life. He says mental illnesses are such a serious topic, he admits there's much work to be done on erasing the stigma.

I attended SHSU in the early 90's and graduated spring of 1996. I can't believe it's been over 13 years. So much has happened since then, yet it feels like yesterday.

Looking back I have nothing but fond memories of the Island, the people, and the university. It was a truly an amazing experience. It opened so many doors for me. Other than medicine it also taught me so many valuable life lessons. The diversity of the students and staff, their different backgrounds, cultures, ages, and unique reasons for wanting to pursue a career in medicine was extremely educational. It taught communication skills that could not be taught or acquired from a text book.

The locals were great. Some of the friendliest and kindest people I've ever met. I still remember the lamb and chicken rotis and smell of grilled food that permeated the sidewalks on weekends. The warm weather and beaches were ultra relaxing after a long study stretch or exam. Overall, it was an amazing place to study while enjoying the beauty of St. Lucia.

It's a place were serious, hard working, determined individuals go to, to pursue a dream. I'd do it all over again if I could. Viva SHSU!

I graduated from SHSU in 1995, the education I received from Spartan helped me to pass my boards right away. I became a Chief Resident of my residency program at Nassau University Medical Center, East Meadow NY. After completing my residency I joined the United States Air force as a Captain and became Medical Director, soon promoted to be Major and Chief of C&L services. I served during the Afghanistan and Iraq conflict; after completing my active duty tour in 2005, I joined Laurel Regional Hospital, Maryland as Medical Director. Now I am a Chief Psychiatrist at Baltimore City Correction Center and responsible to manage part of 11.5 million budget through MHM, inc. All this is due to the excellent education and training I received through Spartan.

Thanks.

I am Dr. Nasha Laurine Charles a proud graduate of Spartan Medical University of the 2000 class. I first heard of Spartan from a very dear friend whose brother was attending the school at the time and after thorough research, together with blessing of my parents I decided to enroll. From day one I was treated with an attitude that I was now part of a family by the faculty who were very warm and engaging. I loved my class which were mostly American but had a fair mix of different cultures. A celebration of the different cultures was done every four months at an event called ‘Taste of Spartan’ which was a time all students looked forward to. The dedication exhibited by the professors including free lessons to anyone anytime as long as you requested was a testament of their passion to have everyone succeed.

The school itself had an ambience that although it was a place of learning, it never felt intimidating. I can even recall fondly one of my classmates being an extremely talented painter and the school allowing her to display her art on the walls. That’s how much they cared for the students in entirety .Resources were readily available whether technical or any other, eg. Buses to take you home if you decide to stay in the library till midnight. All this was at no extra cost. I was one of two of my year who did not do the routine continuation of clinical years in the USA, but instead continued in the United Kingdom at Whipps Cross University Hospital, a move that was facilitated by the school.

I remember fondly being at the top of my year during my rotations and excelling even among Cambridge and Oxford medical students. Because of this I was actually awarded a small scholarship by the hospital (one of five international students was chosen). My first rotations were actually free. I felt very proud that Spartan had provided me with such a strong base that I could excel to the point of getting all those wonderful benefits. I did experience some difficulties getting into an internship program in the UK. This was due to the fact that I was not a British citizen, and also because the UK had just joined the European Union which had forbidden acceptance of international graduates for employment in the union. As a result, I decided to come back home.

When I came back to St. Lucia, the medical director of Victoria Hospital at that time was concerned by the fact that among the group that started their internship at Victoria Hospital, everyone was doing a second internship program, and that I was the only first timer. However, I felt very confident and went through the internship program without the consultants ever realizing that I had never done this before. I must thank my immediate and extended family including my godparents for their support. I thank my country for receiving me well, all the staff and consultants of Victoria Hospital who themselves provided me with a strong base in my medical education and most of all thank you SPARTAN for assisting me fulfill my dream.

I am presently a Family Practitioner in St. Lucia Island.

Dr. Prima Foster has joined The Bardley Center as a hospitalist, enabling The Bradley Center to treat the medical conditions of inpatients while also caring for their behavioral health needs.

Previously, patients with medical conditions were treated at a medical hospital not specializing in behavioral issues.Dr. Foster will care for all inpatients at The Bradley Center, including children, adolescents, adults, senior adults and militry personnel.

After receiving her bachelor’s degree from Emporia State University in Emporia, Kan., Dr. Foster later earned her medical degree at Spartan Health Sceince University in the West Indies.

She then completed a family practice residency at the University of Texas, medical branch.

Dr. Foster practiced emergency medicine part-time in St. Francis’ Emergency Department-Fast Track prior to joining The Bradley Center.

A neurologist at Wilford Hall Medical Center is working to provide relief for patients suffering from movement disorders, such as Parkinson's disease and essential tremor.

Maj. (Dr.) Maria Alvarez is the only movement disorders fellowship-trained physician in the Department of Defense who actively works to improve the quality of life for adults who have been diagnosed with movement disorders. She is a Spartan Graduate of 2001 and went on to do her fellowship at Mayo Clinic, Arizona.

Parkinson's disease, or PD, is a neurodegenerative disorder of the central nervous system that often impairs the sufferer's motor skills, speech, gait, stiffness, and other functions. Essential tremor, or ET, is a progressive neurological disease whose most recognizable feature is a tremor of the arms that is apparent during voluntary movements, such as eating and writing.

There is no cure for either disease and they tend to get worse over time.

"Patients with PD and ET receive medications to improve their symptoms, but the drugs become less effective over time," said Dr. Alvarez. "As the disease progresses, a higher dosage of medication is required and at higher dosages medications have their own potential side effects."

Deep Brain Stimulation, or DBS, is an alternative to taking medication when medications can no longer control the symptoms and/or the adverse effects become less tolerable.

DBS is a surgical treatment involving the implantation of a medical device, or brain stimulator, which sends electrical impulses to specific parts of the brain. "The electrode is turned on about a month after the surgery and I adjust the settings in my office here at Wilford Hall," said Dr. Alvarez. "I can see the effects of the stimulation immediately and make needed adjustments. It's quite amazing."

Since her arrival at Wilford Hall in October 2007, Dr. Alvarez has seen five patients who received DBS. One had ET and four had PD.

Dr. Alvarez is also president of the San Antonio chapter of the American Parkinson's Disease Association. She gives talks to patients and their families and oversees support groups in the community.

In addition to DBS, Dr. Alvarez also offers an innovative treatment for patients who have spasticity or rigidity due to other neurological diseases, such as Multiple sclerosis, stroke, brain and/or spinal cord injury.

"It is so gratifying to see my patients improve after undergoing DBS implantation or ITB placement," said Dr. Alvarez. "Sometimes they seem like a totally different person. I just want to spread the word that these treatments are available so we can help as many people as possible."

Dr. Wilson was born in Brunswick, Georgia, and attended undergraduate college at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia. In 2002, he graduated from the Spartan Health Sciences University in Vieux Fort, St Lucia with a medical degree. Dr. Wilson completed his internship in General Surgery at the University of Kentucky and in June, 2008, completed his Residency in Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Kentucky, Chandler Medical Center, Department Of Orthopedic Surgery, Lexington, Kentucky.

Dr. Wilson has completed research in several areas including a poster for the American Society for Surgery of the Hand in 2006, titled “Distal Radioulnar Joint Arthroscopy” and co-authored research titled “Pelvic Fixation in Neuromuscular Spine”. He was a Research Fellow with the University of Kentucky Department of Orthopedics in 2003 on “Biomechanic Lab Study the Effect of alterations in Bone Turnover Rate on the Mechanical Competence of Bone”. Dr. Wilson was the recipient of the Best Resident Research Presentation from the Kentucky Orthopedic Society in September, 2006.

Dr. Wilson is an orthopedic surgeon trained in techniques which will bring relief to a generation of active adults who find their movements limited by wear and tear, as well as by arthritis. He utilizes two leading edge procedures called the Birmingham Hip Resurfacing System and the journey Deuce Partial Knee Replacement. In both cases, he is able to repair certain knee and hip injuries using partial implants. He also treats the full range of orthopedic problems, including shoulder, ankle and sports medicine.

Florida State University, B.A., History, Psychology

The George Washington University, B.S., Biological Sciences

M.D., Spartan Health Sciences University (2004)

Atlanta Medical Center Medical Research Program

Fellow: (Internal Medicine) Atlanta PMI Research Group.

Member of the Atlanta Board of Medicine.

Medical Director, 1MedicalKnowledge.

Graduating from Spartan Health Sciences University with my medical doctorate degree enabled me to be involved with medical research with several bio-pharmaceutical global corporations. With my medical degree and scientific background I was involved with the clinical trials, phase I-IV, with Novartis, Takeda, Boehringeer Ingelheim, Pfizer, and Merk. I most recently presented the findings of the clinical studies for the new protocols sponsored by Boeringer Ingelheim. The protocols just completed phase IV were for the treatments of Parkinson's Disease and Restless Leg Syndrome.

In 2005 I created a network of physicians worldwide who would be able to communicate with each other and their patients. This start-up company known as, 1MedicalKnowledge.com allowed the physician to "virtually" see many more patients and thus treat more patients in a given work day. The software would also allow the patients to "see" their doctors from the convenience of their home at a time suitable for the patient. Currently, 785 physicians from around the world are involved with the network treating over 5000 patients a day. 1MedicalKnowledge.com is now one of the fastest growing companies on the Internet today. Without my medical degree and training from Spartan Health Sciences University none of this would have been possible. Spartan enabled me to bring my ambitions and goals to reality.