The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) has received 41 eligible applications for 30 internship positions which are available there.
Corporate Communications Specialist, Dale Forde, said that all of the posts would be filled by Barbadian medical students with preference being given to top applicants from the University of the West Indies. The successful applicants will take up their posts from Monday, July 1.
Ms. Forde explained in a statement that there were a total of 36 internship posts at the hospital. However, six positions were currently occupied by Barbadian doctors who started their internship in January and who are expected to finish by December, this year.
“This means that seven applicants – six Barbadian students who studied at Cave Hill and one Barbadian student who studied at the St. Augustine campus in Trinidad, have not been placed,” she disclosed.
Internship Coordinator, Dr. Clyde Cave indicated that all of the 30 students recommended have demonstrated a very high level of performance.?? Within the group, there are three honours degrees, 10 honours in surgery and two honours and one distinction in obstetrics and gynaecology. ??Twenty-four of the applicants are female and six are male.
Dr. Cave said the current number of positions was adequate to fulfill the patient care needs at the hospital. He further noted that all of the applicants were considered.
“No one was forgotten and the most successful were the ones recommended. We intend to acquire the best skilled of all the Barbadian graduates,” he stated.
The QEH’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Dexter James, said the hospital had an objective criteria for selection and a limited number of internship posts. And, as such, it was unable to accept any increases in interns or supervise numbers in excess of the threshold.
Ms. Forde pointed out that while recommendations had been made by the QEH Internship Selection Committee, no offers for internship had been made to applicants yet. She added that in the event that an offer was declined the “next ranked applicant” would be offered the post.