UWI Medical Alumni Association Offers 16 Scholarships for Student Doctors in 2024

The University of the West Indies Medical Alumni Association (UWIMAA) is proud to announce a significant increase in its scholarship offerings for 2024, demonstrating its unwavering commitment to supporting the next generation of medical professionals. This year, UWIMAA has raised enough funds to award an impressive 16 scholarships.

In honour of esteemed individuals, the scholarships have been named to reflect their contributions and legacies. The Farley Cleghorn Scholarship will be awarded across all training programmes. In programmes where two or more scholarships are awarded, the Doyle Slifer Memorial Scholarship will go to the student with the second highest GPA. Additionally, at the Mona campus, a third scholarship will be awarded in honour of The Class of 1973.

The UWIMAA has seen a remarkable growth in its scholarship programme over the past few years. In 2022, four scholarships were given and in 2023, eleven scholarships were awarded, across the four medical training programs: Mona, St. Augustine, Cave Hill, and Nassau. This year’s expansion to 16 scholarships underscores the increasing interest and contributions to the UWIMAA Endowment, which is now valued at over $2 million USD. Managed by the Office of Finance at the UWI Regional HQ in Jamaica and audited by PWC, the Endowment’s interest is dedicated to providing scholarships annually.

The criteria for these scholarships are stringent, ensuring that the most deserving and needful students are selected by the Deans of the Faculties of Medical Sciences (FMS). The distribution for 2024 is as follows:

• The Dr. Farley Cleghorn Scholarships: 4 scholarships across all campuses – Mona, St. Augustine, Cave Hill, and Nassau.
• The Dr. Doyle Slifer Memorial Scholarships: 4 scholarships in campus programmes where 2 or more scholarships are awarded.
• The Class of 73 Scholarship: 1 scholarship at the Mona campus.

The UWIMAA extends its heartfelt gratitude to all alumni and donors for their continued support. Their contributions have been instrumental in building the capital base of the Endowment Fund, enabling the association to increase the number and value of scholarships. Alumni are also encouraged to continue their annual support, whether through financial contributions, as well as by actively engaging with current students as guest speakers, mentors, and through SLSS talks via the IAD – Alumni Relations.

The UWIMAA invites all medical graduates to join the association and contribute to the vibrant community of professionals dedicated to medical excellence. Since its inception in 1988 during the University’s 40th anniversary celebrations, UWIMAA has grown to include thousands of medical alumni. The association originated from several chapters established in the early 1980s: Barbados Chapter (1984), Canadian Chapter (1985), United States Chapter (1986), and Jamaica Chapter (1987).

The University of the West Indies Medical Alumni Association remains steadfast in its mission to support the Faculties of Medicine and their alumni in achieving clinical, medical, and practice excellence. Through fundraising, training, equipment acquisition, and research support, UWIMAA is committed to the betterment of medical care for the people of the Caribbean.