Six years ago, in 2004, the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the University of the West Indies introduced the option of doing medicine by payment of the full cost.

According to professor Archibald McDonald, dean of the Faculty of Medical Sciences, this was done, as the number of students who qualify for the undergraduate degree in medicine is around 1,000 annually, while the number subsidised by the Government of Jamaica is only 55 - spaces which are awarded to those with the highest grades.

So, the offer was made for those interested in doing medicine, but who have not been accepted under the Government-subsidised programme, to pay the full economic cost of US$25,000 ($2.225 million).

Under the Government programme, the undergraduate cost is J$589,000 per annum.

Subsidised fees are quoted in Jamaican dollars; unsubsidised fees in US dollars.

In 2004, Mona accepted 25 students to the programme under the full-cost initiative, but subsequently, this number was significantly reduced because Jamaicans were either unwilling or unable to pay their way.

eight students accepted

In 2008-2009, only eight such students were accepted, and for the coming year, it appears as if only three will be accepted. Noting that there are more than 1,000 qualified applicants to the faculty of medicine this year, Professor Mc-Donald said that any applicant who wants to enter the programme as a full-paying student will have to demonstrate the ability to pay.

The full-paid programme in the upcoming academic year will accept 30 students from Botswana. It is mostly international students, McDonald said, who seem able to take advantage of the arrangement.

According to Professor McDonald, some 90 students are admitted each year with subsidies, paying only 20 per cent of the full programme cost, but only 55 of them are Government-subsidised.

In the 2009-2010 school year, 45 will be subsidised by Mona.

avia.collinder@gleanerjm.com