The Four Pillars and Two Guideposts of Education for the Healing Professions™

The University of Sint Eustatius School of Medicine is committed to providing a quality medical education paralleling the United States model that leads to a Doctor of Medicine degree

In these Four Pillars, as contemplated by The Wisneski Institute, and the Two Guideposts on resolving global medical issues, the University seeks to develop our students in other meaningfully differentiated ways beyond its commitment to established fundamentals.

The Four Pillars are,

1. Integrative Medicine: Knowledge of and potential uses for complementary modalities in wellness and treatment through a fully integrated view of the patient as a whole person.


2. Educational Technology Innovation: The demonstration and application of developing technologies and their potential to improve educational experience and clinical efficacy.


3. Multi Cultural Competence: Knowledge of cultural, ethnic and faith based traditions and their implications for clinical protocol, lifestyle assessment, treatment regimen and compliance.


4. Clinical Sensitivity: The ability to deliver patient-centered care with compassion and value added insight gained from relating to each patient as a unique individual.

Further detailed explanation of The Four Pillars may be found here.

Additionally, the Two Guideposts are as follows:

1. Serving the Underserved: There is a broad recognition of the global shortage of health care professionals.  The United Nations in 2006 stated that there was an immediate need for 500,000 trained medical personnel around the world.  The greatest need is for trained physicians.


2. Decreasing the Brain Drain of Health Care Professionals: Much is written in the medical literature regarding the “Brain Drain in Medicine.”  Doctors from African, Far and Middle Eastern countries immigrate to North America or Europe, leaving their homelands with fewer and fewer trained health care professionals.  According to the United Nations, many African countries for instance have fewer than 10 doctors per 100,000 citizens.  This compares to over 540 doctors per 100,000 in the United States and 329 per 100,000 in the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

   It is important to emphasize throughout the educational experience the importance and the opportunity of providing medical care in communities and countries where there are shortages of trained medical personnel. 

In conjunction with the Four Pillars, the Two Guideposts set the stage for a much needed revitalization and compass correction to medical education.