On 5 January 2019, the ultra-modern Ross University School of Medicine was officially opened at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre (LESC) in Barbados. The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Mia Mottley, the Minister of Education, the President of parent company Adtalem Global Education, and various stakeholders, university officials, and members of Parliament.

Local economy receives a welcome boost

The opening of RUSM in Barbados is expected to provide the local economy with a much-needed boost of between US$55 and 65 million. The construction on the medical university has also provided as many as 1,000 Barbadians with work so that up to 150 new permanent positions will be created during the course of the year. In addition to the academic facilities at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, construction for a brand-new living community for students has also been completed at The Villages at Coverley.

State-of-the-art facilities await medical students

The Barbados campus of RUSM, which has become the new home of 1,500 students and faculty members, is one of just 5 recognized simulation facilities that will be established outside of the United States.

Other amenities include a digital library, 14 classrooms, a faculty lounge, meeting room, and work space for the faculty.

Nurses receive welcome news

During the official opening of RUSM  it was also disclosed that Chamberlain University, which is also a subsidiary of Adtalem Global Education, also has a newly-established presence on the island. Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley stressed the significance of partnership between the Barbados Community College and the Chamberlain School of Medicine that will result in the Caribbean producing a large number of qualified nurses. The Barbadian leader further pointed out that many young girls no longer see nursing as a viable career choice and that the partnership will aim to change this viewpoint. Nursing has always been a noble profession and although students may require support to commence their studies, local and international job placements will see them earn a respectable salary that will enable them to pay off any student loans in a timely fashion.

It is a great honor for Barbados to have been chosen as the new home of RUSM. Dignitaries and members of the general public are both of the belief that the campus will be of immense benefit to both local and international students pursuing a career in medicine.