Medical students and teachers at the UWI will benefit from a partnership with the university and the Pan American Health Organization of the World Health Organization. The aim is to strengthen all aspects of the faculty in order to create world-class education to medical students.

Published Tuesday, February, 16,1971

Development of medical education

UWI, PAHO IN PACT

-Long-range expansion of medical faculty will be planned

AN AGREEMENT concerning the further development of education and training in the health professions at the undergraduate, postgraduate, and continuing education levels, for the countries served by the University of the West Indies, has been entered into between the UWI and the Pan American Health Organization of the World Health Organization.

Signatories to the agreement, signed yesterday afternoon in the office of the Vice-Chancellor of the UWI, were Dr Alfred Gerald, PAHO/WHO Chief of Zone I, Caracas, Venezuela, and the Vice-Chancellor, Dr Roy Marshall.

The UWI, in cooperation with PAHO, will develop a long-range plan for the strengthening and expansion of the functions of the Faculty of Medicine as well as educational and training activities in nursing and appropriate paramedical professions.

The objectives to be achieved include the orderly development of post-graduate and continuing education programmes in the various specialities of medicine; the careful examination of the role of the research activities of the faculty in relation to its educational programmes; the strengthening of the administrative structure of the faculty, and of the links between the faculty and the territories served; the examination of the relative roles and responsibilities of governmental and university institutions and professionals in the proposed expansion; and the continuing preparation of personnel in the various specialities to accept leadership roles in academic activities.

The agreement sets out a “plan of action” for achievement of these aims.  The plan includes some general activities, which are to be developed gradually in accordance with a detailed plan of operations, subject to administrative and budgetary provisions and procedures between the UWI and PAHO.

Activities

The general activities are set out as follows:

1. Studies will be made for the implementation of post-graduate training in the various medical specialties, in collaboration with the Post Graduate Education Committee set up following the second meeting of the Caribbean Health Ministers’ Conference.

2. A course in the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine leading to the Diploma in Public Health of the University will be initiated.

3. The present needs for development of the basic preclinical sciences departments at the University will be examined, with particular reference to the expanding demands likely to be made in the light of the foreseeable expansion of medical nursing and paramedical education in the area.

4. An investigation of the resources of the university and the region to provide needed social and behavioural science contributions to medical, nursing, and paramedical education programme will be carried out.

5. Specific emphasis will be given to the development of undergraduate teaching in the Department of Social Preventive Medicine.

6. The university will provide a post and select a faculty member for training as a professional medical educator.

7. Each year an agreed number of faculty members in the principal academic fields will be selected for preparation as future teachers in these fields.

8. Seminars and other educational meetings will be developed.

9. A programme of medical textbooks whereby selected medical textbooks are made available at reduced cost to medical students will be implemented.

10. Plans will be drawn up to define the financial implications of the long-term development plan for the Faculty of Medicine and to seek the necessary support of governments and other international agencies.

Subject to its budgetary limitations, PAHO, for its part, is to provide personnel for periodic advisory services, technical assistance, and as short-term consultants; equipment, supplies, and printed material fellowships for overseas training of UWI personnel, and for training at the UWI of nationals of the territories it serves.  Grants will also be made for carrying out specified activities and for participation in UWI seminars on selected topics.

The university also has its commitments listed in the agreement, and these will be carried out in accordance with normal UWI practice.

Others present at the signing of the agreement were Dr Alexander Robertson Chief of the Human Resources Development Programme in the Caribbean, Barbados, Dr Philippe Cavalie PAHO/WHO Representative in Jamaica; Dr S. P. W. Street, Chief Medical Officer in the Ministry of Health; Prof. Kenneth Stuart, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine; and Mr A. Z. Preston, UWI Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Finance)

First time

After the signing, Dr Gerald spoke of his organisation’s happiness in entering into “what I consider to be a very important decade with the University and the region as a whole.”

“It is the first time we have had the pleasure of signing this type of agreement with an institution as distinct from a government, but we feel it has had a good basis in that we feel we are reflecting the desire of the governments of the region.  We will do our very best to see to it that it meets its objective with the success, desired.”

“For our part.”  Dr Marshall replied, “I say that we consider this a very important occasion.  It heralds a new decade of assistance for the university in a very important field, and on the whole, it is very gratifying that this degree of confidence should have been placed in our regional institution.”

The university has the responsibility to prepare and train physicians through its Faculty of Medicine at Mona, Cave Hill, and St Augustine for the following contributing territories Antigua, Bahamas, Barbados, British Honduras, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat St Kitts-Nevis, Anguilla, St Lucia, St Vincent, Trinidad and Tobago, in addition to which a number of students are accepted annually from Guyana.

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