Tuesday, January 7, was Orientation Day for ninety new students at Saint James Medical School in Anguilla, accompanied by their parents and other family members.
About twenty percent of the students are from Canada and the others from various parts of the United States but some of whom originally hail from several other countries.
Dean of Basic Sciences, Dr Claude Bernard Ilou, who participated in the orientation ceremony, spoke to The Anguillian about the event. “These are the new students who have just arrived in Anguilla. They are learning about what their expectations are here at the medical school; how to succeed; about Anguilla and how to interact with the population; and what their journey is going to be like as medical students. They are going to be here for sixteen months and then they will go to Chicago for the remaining two-and-a-half-years.”The students were welcomed to Anguilla and given further information by Dr Linda O M Banks, the Anguillian professor of Clinical Psychology at the medical school. She was joined by the reigning Miss Anguilla, Amethyst Davis, who gave them a special welcome and told them about various aspects of the cultural and social life of the people of Anguilla.
“The new students appreciate this and are able to find more about Anguilla,” Dr Ilou commented. He added that the latest admissions had brought the current roll at St James Medical School to 330 students.
Meanwhile the medical school held its 9th Annual White Coat Ceremony on December 14, 2013, when 69 students completed their first sixteen months of study. They are now continuing their studies in Chicago. Among them is scholarship – holder Anguillian Ms Tinika Christopher.
