West Indies - University of the West Indies, School of Veterinary Medicine, Trinidad and Tobago
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The University of the West Indies, School of Veterinary Medicine (UWISVM) of the St. Augustine Campus is located at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mount Hope. Founded in 1948 as one of the colleges of the University of London and together with the Schools of Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy and Advanced Training in Nursing Science, the Faculty of Medicine promotes a "One Medicine" concept. This concept reflects on the connection between human and animal medicine. UWISVM is the only Veterinary School in the Caribbean that offers a complete programme, both clinical and non clinical at a single site. A system-based approach to learning especially during clinical years and Problem-Based learning in non-clinical and clinical years is utilized. We are an experienced multinational faculty, producing world class veterinarians and researchers. Although UWISVM follows the Global Veterinary Curriculum, but has a special interest in tropical veterinary medicine, with clinical exposure to exotic diseases.
About Us
The Faculty of Medical Sciences began teaching in the undergraduate programme in October 1989, in three Schools: Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Medicine and the first batch of students graduated in 1994. The four-year Pharmacy Programme commenced in 1995, producing its first graduates in 1999. Ten years later an accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing was started and saw its first graduates in 2006. The Faculty now has a five-component Medical Education Programme. A Bachelor of Medicine, obtained after the first three of five years of medical school was later introduced, and the first graduation of this particular programme was in 2008.
Education
UWISVM offers undergraduate, postgraduate as well as a professional development programme.
There are three entry levels to the undergraduate programme where upon successful completion, candidates are awarded with the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree. The pre-clinical phase spans two years and in the first semester of study medical, dental and veterinary students together analyse integrated system-based problems. During the clinical phase, students are expected to do clinical rotations and are usually assigned to Clinical Clerkships at the Veterinary Hospital of the School of Veterinary Medicine.
There is the six years programme: it comprises of a one year pre-veterinary curriculum which lasts for three semesters. There is five year programme which the most popular entry level and the four year programme where students with a first degree in the field of biology, chemistry or related fields are accepted.
For more info: Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
The research and postgraduate programme offered at the SVM include M.Phil. & Ph.D. degrees in the following fields:
- Basic science research
- Applied science research
- Clinical research
For more info: Research
Also offered are professional development courses, such as emergency medicine.
Current Research
Along with postgraduate ongoing research, undergraduates also participate in research in the form of simple projects, which begins at level three and lasts for five (5) semesters. It provides the students with the basic skills and knowledge required in the complete execution of a scientific investigation under the supervision of a member of the academic staff. There are several areas of ongoing research including:
- Anatomy
- Physiology
- Public Health
- Pathology
- Parasitology
- Clinical Medicine
Clinical Services
There are current several services provided at the UWI, School of Veterinary Medicine. They include:
- Aquaculture & Aquatic Animal Health.
- Plastination
- Diagnostic Laboratory Services
- Hospital Services
- Food Safety
- Equine