Agreement reached on opening off-shore medical school
THE government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the United States-based International Medical Educators Associates (IMEA), clearing the way for the opening of Guyana's first off-shore medical school. A press release yesterday said the signatories were Health Minister, Dr Henry Jeffrey and IMEA Board of Trustee member and Dean of Academic Affairs, Dr Ovid Issacs. The school, American International School of Medicine (AISM) is expected to be open in January. According to the release, 24 students from the United States, Canada, Pakistan and two Guyanese scholarship recipients are to start classes at AISM's temporary campus at 301 Church Street, Georgetown. Long-term accommodation has been arranged for overseas students and faculty. Under the memorandum signed, AISM is obligated to provide 10 scholarships annually to qualified Guyanese. Five of the scholarships will cover full tuition with the others providing a rebate of 80 per cent. The government will appoint an evaluation committee to monitor the school's operations. Also, the government has agreed to share facilities such as hospitals and community health centres at an agreed cost to aid clinical programmes, the release said.
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