St. James School of Medicine was launched in Anguilla on Monday this week in a brand new locally-owned building in The Quarter, with an initial 25 students, from the United States and Canada, enrolled.

Hon. Evans Rogers congratulating Director of Admissions and students

“They have come to join the people of Anguilla, take part in their community, learn about their culture and, ultimately, become physicians,” Director of Admissions and Student Affairs, Raj Mitra, told The Anguillian. “One of the benefits of having a medical school in Anguilla is that it is going to be opening up scholarships for local Anguillians to take part in this programme. If someone from Anguilla meets the criteria, that person can actually get a full scholarship to study medicine and be able to come back and help out their community.”

Mr. Mitra said the students would complete about sixteen months of their medical education in Anguilla and finish the remaining portion in the United States. The school hours will run from 8 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. with the lectures being delivered by visiting professors with the possibility of local expertise if available. He explained that there were different subjects for different levels of students. The first level class where such subjects as anatomy, histology and biology will be taught has already been filled. There are currently four professors and a fifth one is under consideration. The President of the Medical School is Dr. Kallol Guha who is due to arrive in Anguilla shortly.

The students, professors along with a number of parents were welcomed to Anguilla by the island’s Minister of Social Development and Health, Evans Rogers. “St. James Medical School, Anguilla, is real; it is official,” said the excited Minister. “I would like to take this opportunity to let you know that you will enjoy Anguilla as you seek to move forward into your professional career,” he told the students.

“For me, this has been a dream come true. It has been a long process. Dr. Guha, the Ministry and, by extension, the Government of Anguilla, have gone through peaks an valleys and today I am overwhelmed to see that we have on the ground, here in Anguilla, students as well as their parents. I can assure you that whatever assistance is needed from the Government and people of Anguilla, we will be glad to assist you as we must make this St. James Medical School a success. Thank you all for coming and, on behalf of the Government and people of Anguilla, and on my own behalf, I welcome you here and do enjoy tranquility wrapped in blue.”

The students, who earlier completed their orientation session, left shortly afterwards for a tour of the island. Classes began in full on Tuesday this week. As time progresses it is expected that the student population will substantially increase. The long term vision is to have 400 or 500 students and eventually for the Medical School to purchase land for its own premises.

Anguilla is the second campus where St. James School of Medicine has been established, the first being in Bonaire in the Netherland Antilles, where it has been successfully operating for ten years. The school is recognised by the World Health Organisation and the Education Commission for Medical Graduates in the United States and the Medical Council of Canada. Graduating students are eligible to sit exams and seek licences in most countries around the world including the United Sates, Canada, Israel and the United Kingdom.

According to its website, St. James School of Medicine aims at helping “to motivate students to realise their dream of a medical career irrespective of their ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds.” The school further stated that its “innovative teaching methods" are aimed at shaping “the minds and spirits of our students to help transform them into compassionate healers of the body and mind. Our students are trained to pursue their profession with supreme confidence, balanced with humility and commitment.”

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