MONTEGO BAY, St James — Nearly two years after it was scheduled to start accepting students, the fledgling Bioprist Institute of Medical Sciences School of Medicine and Health Professionals (BIMS) now has four students on campus.

Among them is Raheem Smith, a pastor, who is convinced he made the right choice when he became the first to enter the medical programme being offered from a $14-million renovated complex in Ironshore on the outskirts of Montego Bay. BIMS is part of Bioprist’s plans to design, build, operate and promote a health-care and wellness-focused special economic zone (SEZ) project called The Grand Ridge Med City.

“From I started the first semester I became convinced that I had made the right choice for several reasons,” Smith told the Jamaica Observer during a recent visit to the school.

“One of them is the low lecturer-to-student ratio… I can’t hide so I know I have to study and prepare properly for every class; but also you get more attention, which is a benefit.”

That will change as more students enrol but he has also been impressed by other factors that are not expected to change. These include how technology is used to boost the learning environment. Smith is particlularly taken with his ability to view cadavers using 3D technology provided by a tool called Anatomage.

“We are basically able to see the whole body as it is and peel away the different layers, from the skin to the muscles; you see all the blood vessels, the nerves, everything, and then put it all back together,” Smith explained.

He also spoke about the benefits of online access to the United States’ medical library that the school has provided to enhance learning and research.

Smith said his decision to enrol was influenced by the school’s ability to offer him “an international education” without leaving Jamaica.

“It’s an MD programme, a four-year programme according to the US style of medical education, instead of the regular MBBS programme we are used to, based on the British style,” he said.

Smith, who has an associate degree in biology as well as a degree in theological studies from Northern Caribbean Institute (NCU), got a partial scholarship of US$70,000 that made it possible for him to enrol at BIMS. The bursary is available to all med students who successfully get into the programme offered in a 50,000-square foot former warehouse.

“With the partial scholarship it is comparable to what it would have been at other institutions paying for a full programme,” Smith explained.

“It’s worth every penny,” he declared.

The four students seen when the Sunday Observer visited is a far cry from the 400 BIMS can hold at full capacity. The plan was to start accepting students in 2023 with the completion of the facility but accreditation and other issues caused several delays. Bioprist Group President and CEO Dr Guna Muppuri said a vital piece of the puzzle fell into place a few weeks ago.

“We are approved by the Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education in Medicine and Other Health Professions. It occurred in 2024 but they gave us a letter to go full steam ahead on February 7th,” he told the Sunday Observer.

“They came to see how far we reached, how good we are, before we can do a major blast for the fall term 2025. We already started the classes with a small cohort with about five students in total — humble beginnings,” Dr Muppuri added.

In terms of local bodies he said BIMS has also received stamps of approval from the Ministry of Education, Jamaica Tertiary Commission and the University Council of Jamaica.

“It’s also a Jamaica Economic Zone-approved facility,” he added.

It is expected that in May, Pastor Smith — the first and currently only student in the institution’s full medical programme — will be joined by at least two other students who are now part of a six-month pre-med programme needed to gain entry into the medical programme.

Lauren Lloyd is one of them and, like Smith, she is happy with her decision to enrol.

“I did one year of biochemistry at The UWI (The University of the West Indies) but I wanted to be a doctor and I saw this as the opportunity,” she told the Sunday Observer.

“When I heard that there was a new school coming, it was very intriguing to know that I had an opportunity to make history, in a sense,” Lloyd added.

The Mandeville native believes she has made the right choice despite the school being a new venture.

“I have wanted to be a doctor since I was very small. I planned to become either a neurosurgeon or a surgeon of some sort and this basically puts me on that path,” she said.

“It has been very exciting, especially this semester because we are getting a touch of how medicine is actually supposed to be. I appreciate the fact that they allowed us to do pre-med and get a proper idea of what to expect rather than just throwing us into medicine itself,” she said.

Raghu Duggirala, who is from Virginia, USA, is also in the pre-med programme. For him, medicine is an entirely different career direction. He has a history degree and had planned to become a lawyer.

“I kinda decided that I wanted to switch to medicine as I found it more interesting. But doing that switch in the United States would mean I would have to completely do a different degree and go through the whole process again. So I found this, which would have me do it a lot faster and saving time and money,” Duggirala declared.

“I jumped on the opportunity and now I am here. I’m taking full advantage of the fact that it seems we [now] have private tutors which I think will be helpful in the long run,” he added.

He had no hesitation in encouraging other Americans to enrol.

“This is an accredited school that gives you your MD after four years are completed. It allows you to apply for residency, it offers all the resources you need for board exams that you need to get accredited in the US and the price is very competitive — which I know is a huge draw for a lot of people because the [fees for] US medical schools can be really hefty,” Duggirala said.

BIMS Assistant Vice-President of General Administration and Operations Prasad Dasaryi is encouraging prospective students to take advantage of the scholarships available.

“We have an inaugural scholarship of US$70,000 for the four-year MD programme. But for pre-med programme [students] who have been coming for 16 months or 12 months, we have an additional of US$11,000,” he said.

A recent high school graduate is among those enrolled in the 16-month pre-med programme.

BIMS is seen as a game-changer for Jamaica’s health-care system. For years medical professionals have been lured away by jobs abroad and there have been suggestions that Jamaica should formalise training medical staff for export and also to fill gaps within the local system. In the past, Dr Muppuri has pointed to BIMS’ potential to boost Jamaica’s global standing as a location for medical education and medical tourism.

BIMS will benefit from The UWI, Mona’s extensive expertise in medical education, honed since it established a medical school in 1948. Jampro is also supporting the project’s implementation.

Students in class at Bioprist Institute of Medical Sciences School of Medicine and Health Professionals, a new facility in Ironshore, St James. From left: American Raghu Duggirala, Pastor Raheem Smith and Mandeville native Lauren Lloyd.