About:
The Universidad Central del Caribe (UCC) in 1976 as the first private medical school in Puerto Rico. In its more than forty-five-year history, the UCC has evolved into a health-sciences university with fully accredited academic programs conducive to a medical doctor degree and Doctor of Chiropractic degree, as well as academic offerings in Medical Images Technology, Substance Abuse Counseling, and Biomedical Sciences including two doctoral degrees, in cellular and molecular biology and one in neurosciences. What distinguishes the UCC from other institutions in Puerto Rico is its continuing commitment to preparing high-quality health professionals and biomedical scientists who can support and collaborate in the provision of preventive care, promote healthy lifestyles, and provide excellent services while maintaining a sense of humanism, compassion, and the highest ethical values. Particular characteristics of the institution are its intensive and extensive programs of practical experiences in clinical settings in the community and a long-standing record of public and private partnerships and service-linked education.
Rankings, awards, and/or accreditations: The UCC has embraced new trends and challenges in education by introducing the tools necessary to remain current and innovative. Moreover, the UCC has met the requirements for licensing by the Puerto Rico Board of Post-secondary Institutions and achieved or exceeded all the accreditation standards of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). In 2020 the MSCHE authorized the institution to include the delivery method of distance education within the scope of its accreditation. The educational program conducive to the medical doctor degree holds full accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME, since 1979) and the Doctor of Chiropractic program was granted initial accreditation from the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE, since 2021). Since 1978, the school of medicine sponsors a residency program in Internal Medicine with categorical and preliminary positions accredited by the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). The school of medicine also sponsors, since 2019, the first Multidisciplinary Fellowship in Addiction Medicine for primary care physicians on the island.
Please visit our website at www.uccaribe.edu and our social media Facebook page for videos, interviews and testimonials.
Location:
Puerto Rico
Number and place of your institution campuses, if applies * /* Principal campus at Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Academic Programs:
Programs that can be started and/or completed online from anywhere in the US or LATAM and the contact information: In 2020 the MSCHE authorized the institution to include the delivery method of distance education within the scope of its accreditation. The Post-Associate Degree Certificate in Mammography may be completed as Online education. For more information, please contact our Medical Images Technology Program at (787) 798-3001 x.2331 info.ptim@uccaribe.edu
Pathways your Institution offers to bachelor’s and/or graduate programs in areas where Hispanics are underrepresented: In 2023 the UCC established the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Social Justice to affirm its commitment with the diversity mission. Information regarding initiatives in support of underrepresented minorities and our diversity categories may be available through Dr. Alvaro Perez Arcila at alvaro.perez@uccaribe.edu.
Student Mobility:
Internships, student trips, and/or cultural experiences that expose students to a bilingual environment or immersion in Spanish at your Institution: Classes at the School of Medicine and the School of Chiropractic are delivered in some cases in a bilingual environment for our students.
Study abroad programs with the contact information: None at this time.
Financial Aid:
The Financial Aid Office is located in the Deanship of Admissions and Student Affairs. Its main goal is to provide access to the different sources of financial aid available to the student body in compliance with the United State Department of Education regulations. The following is a list of the scholarships and loan opportunities available at UCC. Latino College Dollars Sallie Mae Scholarships Key Bank USA Funds Scholarships Money for College Education Planner Student Aids on the Web Hispanic College Funds UCC Scholarship Program US Department of Veterans FAFSA on the Web National Student Loan Data System Selective Service Registration Please, contact our Financial Aid Director at (787) 798-3001 Exts. 2408, 2409
Work & study programs opportunities and the contact information: See information above.
Services or offices available at your institution to assist students interested in bilateral agreements with their respective institutions and the contact information: Information may be available through the office of the Dean of Academic Affairs. Please contact Dr. Nereida D. Diaz Rodriguez at ndiaz@uccaribe.edu
Interested in creating experiences for visiting students to attend your institution for a summer or short-term course and contact information: Information may be available through the office of the Dean of Academic Affairs. Please contact Dr. Nereida D. Diaz Rodriguez at ndiaz@uccaribe.edu
Initiative or activity that promotes student mobility at your institution, if any: Information may be available through the office of the Dean of Academic Affairs. Please contact Dr. Nereida D. Diaz Rodriguez at ndiaz@uccaribe.edu
Student Support Services
Housing facilities are not available within the Universidad Central del Caribe premises. Students who may need housing facilities are encouraged to visit the vicinity adjacent to the UCC where numerous apartments are available for rent. A food-stand concessionaire service is located at the UCC backyard. There are fast food restaurants in the vicinity.