7 News Belize

Finally, Columbus School of Medicine Comes Through
posted (February 28, 2018)
The Columbus Central University School of Medicine near the entrance of the PGIA in Ladyille is in the news again tonight. You may remember COLA's 2017 protest in front of the school - President Geovannie Brackett and fellow activist Raymond Rivers led that demonstration saying that the school is a fake and just a front for some shady operation. Well today, there was no protest in front of the school to disrupt it's "white coat event". It is pretty much a symbolic ceremony to welcome the students into the medical field. Students from the Washington University of Health and Science at the San Pedro campus also attended the event. We dropped by and the President told us more about the schools. Minister of Education Patrick Faber also commented on what this event says about the legitimacy of the school.

Dr. Malik Soudah, President - WUHS&CCU
"January we recruited over 50 students here in the Belize campus and we have almost the same number in San Pedro and today it is basically just the ceremony to celebrate the medical student's induction into the medical field. But the school has been here, it has been operational, we have a full staff, in full operation, classes are going on, today is just a symbolic celebration for the medical students. This campus basically caters to the South Asian community. The campus in San Pedro, we have our US and Canadian students. Once they are finished here in Belize they do their third and fourth medical years in the hospitals in the states and the UK. So, we have in total about 500 students in the consortium. And we do have three entering classes, so, we have another class coming in May, about 50 students and we have a commitment of about 200 students in September. So, you know, we have three entering classes January, May, and September and they finish the basic science here- it's the book part basically- and when it comes to the practical part we take them back to the hospitals that we contract, US, Canada and basically all over the world."

Hon. Patrick Faber- Minister of Education
"As you know there have been quite a few questions, in fact, demonstrations to say that the school is not living up to the arrangements made under the charter. As was said then, I think I made comments to the effect that the operators of this new campus here had indicated that January they were going to take an intake of students and that is happening today; they are getting their white coats. Classes had started here from January and of course the other University- Washington- is operational in San Pedro, so it proves that what we were saying all along was the case. I can assure folks that, certainly under my watch, when a medical charter is given- and I can say that in the ten years that I've been here as the Minister of Education there are only two or three charters that have been issued under my watch. In fact, even the institution that became Washington was issued during the People's United Party's administration. But we have been very careful not to issue charters to fly-by-night institutions that will only use the name of Belize to make money. This is not what I preside over, certainly not. And so, I am very happy, as I've always been, to be a part of the ceremonies of these Universities."

Dr. Soudah says the school's charter was laid down in Belize 14 years ago. Classes started in January - and these students are in the 8th week of their basic science classes. After the students complete about 2 and half years of basic science in Belize they move on to their 3rd and 4th year of clinical studies either here in Belize or in the US. Soudah says there are 500 students overall in the consortium.

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