UWI medical alumni group to support students at Cave Hill

A revived Barbados chapter of the University of the West Indies Medical Alumni Association has agreed to help fund improvements to student facilities and mentor medical students at Cave Hill.

Under an agreement with the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the UWI Cave Hill campus, the Barbados chapter – recently revived after about 15 years of dormancy – is working to improve some of the physical conditions under which students work.

“As partners, I negotiated with Dr Peter Adams, who is the president of the local chapter, that our accommodation and our hospitality could be reciprocated with them providing some assistance to our students,” Dean Dr Damian Cohall told Barbados TODAY.

“They are making a contribution towards the renovation of the student lounge for the students of the Faculty of Medical Sciences… in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. They have also offered their time as mentors to our clinical students. So, we are certainly appreciative of their efforts.”

Looking ahead, UWIMAA Barbados chapter president Professor Peter Adams said his main goal was to increase membership, which would translate into a greater ability to assist medical students.

The retired dean of the medical faculty said: “I would like to increase our membership and to make sure that our reunion events and meet and mingle are well sustained. Once we achieve that – because, remember, we are resuscitating – once we can keep this going, then we will be able to interact with the medical school – which we are doing – on a consistent basis, so we might be able to help refurbish some of the things they need, do mentoring and working.

“We will keep a link between the graduates, the medical school and medical students to strengthen those bonds. The alumni can help the medical school by providing career guidance for students and mentorship for students, which is always important. So, we are working on those two things. We can enhance the reputation of the medical school, just through a network of successful graduates.”  

Professor Adams also suggested the initiatives could boost the medical school’s visibility and raise awareness among primary and secondary schoolchildren about opportunities to pursue medicine.

“By interacting with the medical school, we might be able to shape some of the things the medical school does, by providing alumni perspective.”

Also on the revived chapter’s executive are Professor Margaret Anne St. John, vice-president; Dr Sonita Alexander, secretary; Dr Donna Markle, assistant secretary; Dr Tania Whitby-Best, treasurer; and Drs Lynn-Marie Lovell and Joanne Paul-Charles, floor members.

(EJ)