The University of the West Indies, Mona
Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS)
Kingston, Jamaica
Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery
DURATION
5 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Aug 2026
TUITION FEES
USD 28,000 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* for international students
Key Summary
About: The MBBS at The University of the West Indies Mona Campus provides broad training in health and disease, integrating basic medical sciences and clinical disciplines. The programme runs five years and includes a twelve months supervised house officer internship. Teaching is student-centered. A UWI degree allows registration with English-speaking Caribbean medical councils for internship and later independent practice or specialist training.
Career Outcomes: Graduates enter preregistration then clinical posts, gaining experience before specialty training or independent practice. Typical careers include general practitioner, hospital doctor, specialist trainee, public health physician. Employers include hospitals, clinics, public health agencies and research centers.
The MB.BS degree program is an accredited medical undergraduate program providing a broad education for the study of health and disease. In addition to medical training, students experience university life and the beginnings of professional development in preparation for a career in medicine. The award of a UWI medical degree entitles graduates to be registered with the medical councils of the English-speaking Caribbean for internship and for later independent practice or specialist training.
The MBBS program is five years long and is followed by twelve months of supervised preregistration house officer training (internship). Graduates then become eligible for full registration but normally undertake work in clinical posts to gain experience before embarking on formal specialty training or independent practice. The curriculum has been organized to encourage integration of the basic medical sciences with the clinical disciplines and places more responsibility on you, the learner. The approach to teaching and learning is designed to be more student-centered to encourage students to become lifelong learners, even in situations in which you are not supervised.
The core curriculum is made up of two Stages and comprises a series of required courses designed in a spiral fashion with gradually increasing emphasis on clinical application of the basic medical sciences. Stage 1 is done during the first two and half years, using a system-based approach, with courses designed to encourage integration between the basic medical science subjects and the clinical disciplines. Courses covering basic health care concepts and the individual’s relationship with the environment and community are also taught in the first three years along with a basic course in research methods. These courses are followed in the fourth and fifth years by practical exposure to the delivery of health care in community settings. Students must be successful in all Stage 1 courses before moving on to Stage 2, which has a stronger clinical focus. During the final two years, students rotate through the main clinical disciplines, with emphasis on general training rather than on specialist hospital practice.
The first two years of the program are fully semester-based, while the first semester in year three is extended using a portion of the summer vacation. The curriculum is structured so as to place emphasis on clinical skills training, an important strength of the UWI medical program.