Twenty-four students graduated from the Oceania University of Medicine (OUM) on Saturday, 20 July, and are eager to step into the medical field.  

OUM is an internationally accredited medical school based in Apia, Samoa and was founded in 2002 in collaboration with the Government of Samoa to aid the South Pacific island of Samoa in addressing its shortage of doctors. 

17 years ago, OUM held its first graduation, since then students from many countries such as Samoa, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and Canada have graduated and have gone to become doctors, nurses, physician assistants, and many other professions. 

OUM has produced graduates such as Dr. George Tuitama, who graduated in 2011 and is currently the Dean for Samoa, American Samoa, Aotearoa New Zealand, and the Asia Pacific, an associate professor, and the only full-time practicing psychiatrist in Samoa. 

The university teaches a distance-learning program, where students can take online classes from anywhere in the world. As of June 2024, 314 students are enrolled worldwide. 

All students have the opportunity to train in OUM’s home country, completing a required four-week elective Samoa medical rotation at Tupua Tamasese Me’aole (TTM) Hospital. 

“During our time in Samoa we were able to pick up valuable clinical skills which will continue to supplement our continued development and ultimately those are experiences we will continue to cherish,” said Dr. Walker Ikealumba, graduate representative.