Welcome to the website of the Faculty of Medical Sciences, Cave Hill Campus, The University of the West Indies.
The University of the West Indies (UWI), the region’s premier tertiary educational institution, traces its origin back to 1948 when the University College of the West Indies was established in Mona, Jamaica as a college of the University of London. This college became The University of the West Indies in 1962. Only 33 undergraduate students were admitted in 1948 - all medical students. The UWI today has campuses in Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad and a total enrolment of over 40,000 students registered in a wide range of programmes in several faculties.
In 1967 medical teaching expanded from Mona to Cave Hill campus. Students completed their final clinical year at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, and later with the establishment of the School of the Clinical Medicine and Research (SCMR), both clinical years. In 2008 with a track record of 41 years of clinical teaching, established professional postgraduate programmes and internationally recognised research, the SCMR was upgraded to the Faculty of Medical Sciences (FMS).
The FMS offers the full 5-year MB BS undergraduate degree. Medical students come from a number of Caribbean islands - in particular the Bahamas, Barbados and Trinidad. Students spend most of the first 3 years on campus. Teaching facilities include the purpose built FMS Laboratory and Teaching Complex. In addition, Cave Hill boasts of high quality sporting facilities. For the final 2 years, training is conducted at the Queen Elizabeth hospital and the Polyclinics, supplemented by classes in the Errol Walrond Building of the UWI Clinical Skills Complex. With an intake of about 70 students a year, Cave Hill’s FMS is neither too large and impersonal, nor too small to be able to provide adequate facilities.
Medical students attending the Cave Hill campus can be assured of a quality education. The MB BS 5-year programme is fully accredited by the Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Medicine and other Health Professions (CAAM-HP), the regional accreditation board. The majority of doctors practising in Barbados have studied at the UWI, in particular Cave Hill Campus. Graduates have distinguished themselves as lecturers, researchers, specialists, family physicians, and public health practitioners. With the establishment of the FMS, modern teaching facilities have been provided for both preclinical and clinical teaching.
Located near the Queen Elizabeth Hospital is the George Alleyne Chronic Disease Research Centre. This is the research arm of the Faculty, and staff members contribute to the undergraduate and postgraduate teaching programmes.
Many postgraduate programmes have been established, some over 30 years ago. There are strong programmes in the clinical specialities leading to the DM in hospital-based specialities and Family Medicine, and the Master’s and Doctorate in Public Health. In addition, a number of PhD programmes are offered.
For those joining us this year, I welcome you as you embark on an exciting journey. For prospective students looking at this website, be assured that the FMS, Cave Hill Campus, while new, has a long history and the quality of its graduates and research output gives it a proven track record.
O. Peter Adams BSc (Lond), MB BS, MSc, DM Family Medicine (UWI)
Dean, Faculty of Medical Sciences