Governor Deborah Barnes-Jones

According to Tulp, since 2003 USAT received a license to operate from the Government of Montserrat. In addition to this license, USAT is also included in the registry for International Medical Information Directory (IMID), which enables its students to sit for the same exams as US medical students.

Shortly after receiving his license to operate in Montserrat, Tulp says that he submitted an application to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) for a World Health Organization (WHO) listing.

In early 2004, Tulp again contacted the FCO regarding the status of his already delayed application. He was informed that the FCO was waiting for a letter of recommendation from the Governor of Montserrat, currently Deborah Barnes-Jones.

Upon receiving this information, Tulp says he contacted Governor Barnes-Jones on May 30, 2004. During this meeting in her office, the Governor informed him that she would submit the letter of recommendation to the FCO as soon as the following day.

A month later while attending to business in the UK, USAT’s Tulp followed-up with the FCO, who then informed him that there was still no letter of recommendation on file for his application.

Upon his return to Montserrat, Tulp says that he had another meeting with the Governor, who assured him that this letter of recommendation had indeed been sent to the FCO. In spite of this assurance, USAT’s September 2005 registration process was dramatically hindered by the still absent, yet promised, WHO listing.

When Mr. Tulp contacted the FCO, shortly thereafter, he was again informed that there was no letter of recommendation on file, which is what is still required to finalize USAT’s application for a WHO listing.

In early 2006, Chief Minister John Osborne announced the launch of a new initiative to establish a new institute of higher learning from Dubai in Montserrat. At which time, Mr Tulp voiced frustrations regarding his own university, during an interview with ZJB’s, Winston ‘Kafu’ Cabey.

Currently, Tulp says, “Governor Barnes-Jones is unable to meet with him any further.”

When questioned about USAT’s application for a WHO listing, Richard Aspin of the Governor’s Office said, “Currently, Mr Tulp’s application is being considered by the Governor. However, this procedure is standard for all overseas dependent territories. Mr Tulp’s application for accreditation was submitted among a group of regional applicants. During this process, policies were revisited and restructured. As a result, a new procedure has been implemented that requires institutions of higher learning, like Mr Tulp’s, to submit to the Caribbean Authority for Education in Medicines and Other Health Professions (CAAM) as a prerequisite for submittal of an application to the British Government for a WHO listing.”

Aspin further stated that, “within a twelve month period, Montserrat’s Government received at least four interested institutions of higher learning. Understandably, there are certain policies and procedures that must be followed to ensure that established standards are maintained in an effort to protect the quality of education offered in Montserrat.”

Tulp says he intends to apply to CAAM. Although he was unable to establish communication with the organization, he was able to get a copy of the application form from another source.

In defense of his university, Tulp emphasizes that, “his university is a recognized and accredited university. In addition, medical schools worldwide do not require accreditation. They only require a WHO listing for Europe and the US, the latter also requires an IMID listing.”

Tulp further stated, “BBC Radio Live online, November 6, 2005, did an investigation and revealed that several schools in the UK did not have a license to operate. However, USAT was the only institute operating with a license.”

When questioned as to whether the frustration being experienced to acquire his WHO listing will result in him closing the campus in Montserrat, Tulp said that although frustrating, Montserrat remains an ideal location for his university, and like the people of Montserrat, he has no intentions of quitting and every intention of expanding.