More spots for medical students at UWI, but at full cost

The University of the West Indies (UWI), St Augustine campus has made 50 spots available for its bachelor of medicine, bachelor of surgery (MBBS) programme for January, but at full cost.

In a media release on Friday, UWI said the spaces were available because of the introduction of its new category for full fee-paying students in this area of study.

As part of its financial sustainability drive, UWI said it anticipates this new venture will allow for more capital injection into the faculty, which is in the process of revising its financial model.

Pro vice-chancellor and campus principal professor Brian Copeland said, “Full fee-paying students is not a new concept to UWI and more so the Faculty of Medical Sciences. The School of Medicine at the Mona campus currently allows for a category of full fee-paying students.”

Dean of the medical faculty professor Terence Seemungal said this does not mean that there would be a change to the entry requirements for the programme.

He said, “The existing criteria for entry into the faculty will be applied. Candidates who previously applied and currently hold a deferred offer must submit a new application for admission specific to this intake.

“Additionally, people with a deferred offer will forfeit their deferred offer if accepted for this new category of intake.”

Students venturing down this path will be responsible for their full tuition and will not qualify for the Government Assistance for Tuition Expenses Programme (GATE). That means TT students will not get the 50 per cent tuition subsidy

UWI said this new system will become payable in January and follow the semesters thereafter.

The annual tuition fees are TT$142,200 for TT students, US$25,000 nationals of other UWI contributing countries and US$27,000 for all other students.

Applications for the MMBS programme for January opens on December 18 and can be done online while full details of the new fee system have been made available at https://sta.uwi.edu/admissions/financial-info.asp.