News

For Immediate Release: 12 February 2010

OUM Launches Five-Year Undergraduate MBBS Program

With the launch of the five- year undergraduate MBBS program (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) on February 12, 2010, the Oceania University of Medicine (OUM) is taking a further step towards its goal of serving the national and regional interests in terms of health workforce needs, said OUM’s Vice Chancellor Surindar Cheema.

“This is an historic event and a milestone for the University with 16 local students and one Samoan overseas born student having been accepted into the program. OUM is keeping true to its Mission Statement of helping the underserved communities of the South Pacific by offering scholarships, equating to over SAT$3.6 million [US$1.4 million], to the Samoan students,” said Professor Cheema. In doing so, the severe doctor shortage in this country is being addressed head on and will make a significant difference to the healthcare of Samoa in 2015 when the graduates begin working as doctors in the Tupua Tamasese Meaole Hospital (TTM).

The Deputy Dean of OUM, Associate Professor Dr. Monalisa Punivalu explained that the current four-year MD/MBBS program is a graduate-entry one in which an applicant needs to have a Bachelors degree as the academic requirement. “The new five-Year MBBS program that is about to be launched is an undergraduate entry one whereby the academic entry requirement is the NUS Foundation Science certificate or its equivalents in other Pacific island countries. Both programs will be running concurrently,” said Dr Punivalu.

“The five-year MBBS course therefore can attract a larger intake of Samoan students each year to do medicine as compared to the four-year program. As OUM grows and in the near future we hope to soon have an annual intake of at least 30 to 50 new students from Samoa, other Pacific island nation states and also other overseas countries,” Dr. Punivalu continued.

The inaugural class of 17 – an equitable ratio of eight females and nine males – has passed the stringent entry requirements which included assessment of National University of Samoa (NUS) Foundation Year scores, an admissions test and a one-hour interview. It has been calculated that in five years, these students will increase Samoa's physician workforce by close to 10 percent.

The successful applicants are Mareko Amitai, Rosanna Amosa, Raymond Laulu, Alison Mataia, Nelson Meleisea, Tricia Neemia, Unmil Pathak, Kamara Pouono, Junior Posini, Esjae Sesega, Valerie Sinei, Lillian Taulapapa, Tomasi Tofa, Chandler Tuilagi, Sopolemalama Tuitama, Corleone Va’ai and Sirene Vagana.

Of particular significance, is the specially-named ‘Dr. Faleniu Asaua Scholarship’ awarded to Nelson Meleisea. This scholarship is a tribute to the late Va’asilifiti Dr. Faleniu Asaua who was born in Apolima and overcame adversity in the form of poverty, a lack of education and general hardship. Furthermore, after completing his medical training, he became the first Samoan to achieve New Zealand qualifications in pathology. Dr. Asaua continued to serve the community in Samoa in a number of roles through the years but always with the dedication and determination he exhibited as a young adult. Dr. Asaua was a Consultant Pathologist and Head of the Central Laboratory and Pathology Division at the TTM hospital for several years. He was still in active service when he passed away.

“This is an exciting day for Samoa as we welcome the future doctors of this great nation,” said the Director of the MBBS program, Dr. Greg Raymond. “There is a diverse mix of characters among the scholarship group ranging from excellent musicians and singers, rugby and volleyball players to elite athletes. Most students have been active in community-based activities and groups which was also considered important criteria for admission.”

Academically, the curriculum for the medical course is benchmarked to international standards.

“Students will be provided the latest in international medical teaching practices and will be exposed early to clinical aspects of medicine which current teaching trends support,” said Dr. Raymond.

“Medical research is also a priority for the medical school and students will take part in research ventures directed by the University Research Committee. Training students in medical research and how to write medical journal papers is a skill that is necessary to complete higher clinical training in their careers such as Master’s and postgraduate studies.”

Meanwhile, OUM achieved a major milestone in its short history in December 2009 with the award of ‘Candidate Status’ by the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU) which takes it closer to international accreditation. Over the next six months OUM will address the recommendations and re-invite PAASCU for a final visit in October with the anticipation that accreditation will be a reality by year’s end.

Locally and internationally, OUM is continually improving its collaborations and partnerships through links with the National University of Samoa and research links with other groups. The Visiting Specialist programme and web-based live lecture programmes are being expanded. The live lecture programmes feature a global network of clinical specialists delivering live lectures using the latest in Internet teaching technology.

Community Medicine is an important clinical focus for OUM and students will interact and engage patients in the Community in rural clinics, local doctor clinics, outpatient clinics, mobile clinics, and through the Public Health division of the Ministry of Health, said Dr. Raymond.

“The University is involved in a collaborative community-based health screening project with the Rotary Club, TTM hospital, the Ministry of Health, the Samoa Kidney Dialysis Centre, and the Samoa Cancer Society. Students will play an important role in public health and prevention programmes for patients located in rural and remote villages through this project,” he added.

The planned TTM teaching hospital will be a tremendous addition to the clinical program and these students will benefit from this teaching facility when they undertake clinical training in three years time.

“Through its partnership with Oceania University of Medicine, the new teaching hospital will attract and retain some of the best doctors in Samoa. It is not unrealistic to expect that some of the best Samoan doctors will choose to stay and some of those who have left, will return to Samoa,” said Professor Surindar Cheema.

The launch of the five-year undergraduate MBBS program, a standard in British Commonwealth countries, will begin at midday on Friday, February 12, at the Oceania University of Medicine with special addresses by the Prime Minister, Honourable Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi, the OUM Council Chairman, Taffy Gould (via Elluminate Live) and the OUM Vice Chancellor, Professor Surindar Cheema.