The School of Medicine under the Faculty of Health Science at the National University of Samoa has started preparations of a Foundation in Medicine.

This was confirmed by the Vice Chancellor of the NUS, Professor Fui Asofou So’o in an interview with the Samoa Observer at the Campus yesterday.  

“A major change with the university will be in our School of medicine, we started conversations last year on the need to have a foundation of medicine programme, and we are planning to launch it next year." 

“The programme is a pre-requisite into the School of Medicine programme and it will prepare students that will be entering the medical programme."

“We were thinking of putting together some courses for that programme so that we can continue the programme next year,” he said.

Professor Fui told this newspaper that there was also the need to have the best qualified lecturers in various courses.

“Last year, I visited Auckland University and Otago University, requesting them if it was possible for them to assist us in teaching through the internet."

“In other words, we are looking at the possibility of having courses taught directly online."

“We are also marketing our programme nationally, last year we had a few students from neighbouring island states but we have not looked at the new fees,” he said.

He added that they will try and change in order to accommodate resources required.

“The base of this new programme will be at Motootua together with the Faculty of Medicine. 

 “As for the 2019 enrollment for at the NUS, it will commence during the last week of January whereas classes start on the second week of February.”

At the moment the School of Medicine offers the MBBS (Bachelor in Medicine and Bachelor in Surgery) and Master of Surgery in Orthopedics. The entry requirement for students at the School of Medicine MBBS program are that the students complete the foundation certificate in science.   

The Faculty of Health Science is focused on the provision of high quality education and involvement in research in nursing and medicine with the goal of building an equipped health sector workforce to meet the needs of the country.