New medical school for St. Kitts

St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas (l) 
and Dr. Nagy Milik signing the Agreement

Friday, December 19, 2003

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts: St. Kitts and Nevis is to get another medical school early next year.

Prime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas and Dr. Nagy Milik of Medical International Learning Institute signed the agreement Wednesday evening following the Budget Debate in the National Assembly, in establishing a medical institution after the medical school obtained accreditation from the Accreditation Board.

Medical International Learning Institute is expected to have a medical teaching campus for the purpose of teaching medicine and conferring degrees of Doctor of Medicine to students who have successfully completed the required course of study.

In an interview with the Communications Unit of the Prime Minister's Office, Dr. Milik said he plans to begin operations in January, using temporary facilities at the Fort Thomas Hotel.

The school will provide medical education to students from the United States and other parts of the world including students of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis. Two scholarships will be awarded to local students annually.

"We intend to start small with a small number of students. If you love to do something so much and if you are good doing what you would love to do, start small and you would grow," said Dr. Milik, who said the faculty will come from previous contacts with colleagues.

"Some 40 faculty are willing to come anytime. There will be plenty of faculty, initially few will be full time, but plenty visitors," said Dr. Milik, who has been a physician for over 30 years.

A practicing orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Milik has been teaching medicine at several medical schools in the Caribbean for the past 10 years.

He said plans are to construct a specialty hospital to help those who are going overseas for very costly treatment that can be provided here; to help those who are in need for these medical treatment, especially surgical treatment and especially in orthopedic," said Milik, who is also a practicing orthopedic surgeon and a lecturer in medicine in the Caribbean for over 10 years.

Medical International Learning Institute will expand the scope of its medical education facility to include a pre medical division and faculties of dentistry, Para medical studies, pharmacology and other faculties and departments concerned with the teaching of medicine.

The institute is to develop a curriculum which merits the approval of the St. Christopher and Nevis Accreditation Board and conform with accepted international standards in fields recognised by international medical institutions and in particular universities in the United States and the Caribbean.

It will take steps to become registered with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and become internationally recognised including having a curriculum that would prepare students to write the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE).

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