Puerto Rico is part of the Antilles Archipelago in the Caribbean. It was discovered in 1493 and in 1898, after the Spanish-American War, became a territory of the United States of America. Since 1952 we are a Commonwealth with the USA.

Ponce School of Medicine is a free standing school located in Ponce, the second largest urban center in Puerto Rico, which is located in the southern coast of the island, 100 kilometers from San Juan, which is our capital city. Ponce was founded in 1692 and was named after Juan Ponce de Leon, our first Governor.

In 1977, the Catholic University of Puerto Rico established its School of Medicine in Ponce as one of its academic programs with a charter class of 26 students. Classes of 28 and 40 students respectively, were enrolled in 1978 and 1979.

In 1979 the Catholic University of Puerto Rico decided to discontinue the Medical School. In January 1980, a group of dynamic leaders of the Ponce community established the Ponce Medical School Foundation, Inc. under the laws of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to operate the Ponce School of Medicine as a non-profit organization. The new administration successfully handled the transitions so that the Medical School maintained program continuity.

Ponce School of Medicine has added disciplines enhancing its academic strength. Doctorate in Biomedical Sciences; doctorates in Psychology; masters and doctorate in Public Health are now offered.

The School is accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), the Council on Higher Education of Puerto Rico (CHE), the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) and the American Psychological Association (APA), among others.

The Admissions Office and the Admissions’ Committee for each discipline are responsible for selecting the best candidates that apply for admission to each existing program. The Admissions Office receives the applications, arranges interviews and convenes the Admissions’ Committee of each discipline for the pertinent decisions.

Students are selected on the basis of scholastic achievement, fitness and aptitude for the study and other personal qualifications. The Admissions Committee also gives consideration to the use of language, special aptitudes, mechanical skills, stamina, perseverance, and motivation. Students are admitted on the basis of individual qualifications, regardless of handicap, sex, race, religion, age, national origin, marital status, neither sexual nor political orientation.

PSM Admissions Office and the Admissions’ Committee act in accordance with “Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990” which includes changes made by the ADA Amendments Act of 2008, which became effective on January 1, 2009. Once the candidate is accepted, if he/she needs special accommodations, he/she is responsible to contact the Academic Dean’s Office for further information. It is the student's responsibility to make his/her condition known to PSM Administrators and to seek out assistance.

Applicants with disabilities will be evaluated on a case by case basis in accordance with the technical standard guidelines as suggested by the Association of American Medical Colleges. All students must possess the physical and emotional capabilities required to independently undertake the full curriculum and to achieve the levels of competence required by the faculty.

Tuition is set by the Ponce School of Medicine Board of Trustees and is subject to change without previous notice. It is the students’ responsibility to arrange to pay their total tuition, fees and full charges in order to complete their registration if they wish to be admitted to classes. Students who may be eligible for financial assistance should consult the financial aid office as early as possible.