Hurricane forces medical school's temporary move to Knoxville

Knoxville will be a temporary home to over 1,400 students, faculty and staff members from the Ross University School of Medicine located in Dominica.

Facilities owned by Lincoln Memorial University will become a temporary home to the students, faculty and staff.

“While the island of Dominica continues to rebuild, we are pleased to have forged this arrangement with an outstanding university like LMU,” said William F. Owen, MD, dean and chancellor of RUSM. “The continuity of our students’ education and their academic programming is our highest priority, and we are pleased to work with LMU to make these extraordinary facilities available.”

Both RUSM and Adtalem Global Education began working to ensure all details are finalized.

“Lincoln Memorial University is proud to be able to assist Ross University School of Medicine under these extreme circumstances. As an institution with a strong commitment to combating health care shortages in Appalachia and beyond, there is a synergy in providing the students and faculty of RUSM a home away from home while they rebuild from this fall’s devastating hurricanes,” said LMU Chairman Autry O.V. “Pete” DeBusk.

“Our recent purchase of the spacious west Knoxville property enables us to step up to help RUSM. Over the next year, LMU will continue to develop its plans to further expand its health offerings in Knoxville. In the meantime, we’re pleased to accommodate RUSM with an excellent facility that is well-suited in size and scale to meet the needs of a medical school curriculum.”

RUSM students are currently completing their fall semester aboard a cruise ship ported off the island of St. Kitts.