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Barbados Medical Schools

David
2 minutes
Submitted by Dr. Georgie Porgie
BARBADOS OFFSHORE MEDICAL SCHOOLS, DO WE REALLY NEED THEM?

Elombe Mottley – The Next FIFTY YEARS of PRIDE and INDUSTRY! – may be a progressive thinker to many in Barbados, but in my mind he demonstrates his ignorance as a supreme illiterate in matters of medicine, and medical schools when he suggests that there should be medical schools here…there and everywhere in Barbados.

  1. During the years I hung around offshore Medical schools, there are at least two things that I learned.

    These schools find it difficult to bring in teachers from overseas because of the COST OF PAYING FOR WORK PERMITS FOR TEACHERS FROM OVERSEAS.

  2. Producing the most excellent website, whereupon thy can spew lie upon lie to lure unwary would be students and wannabe doctors to train at these schools.

I would enjoin commenters here to go to the websites of both AUB, and WUB and notice that not only are the websites very poor (suggesting that we are dealing with very poor con artists) but that there are no medical teachers at any of the schools who are Barbadians, and ask why? This at a time where several other offshore schools are now forced to employ locals to teach.

Why is it that WUB (see faculty and staff webpage) have few well qualified teachers listed on their site but yet they list 7 chefs and 7 security guards.

Who is collecting all the money for the WORK PERMITS for these staff members, I wonder?

I would invite you to go to this webpage on the valueMD site and follow the discussion on the thread

new medical school in Barbados in trouble already.

Notice that the valueMD moderator has tried to shut up the poster. Then try to use ctrl and C to try to download anything from this website and note that they have disabled ctrl and C

Then let us start a blog entitled BARBADOS AND OFFSHORE MEDICAL SCHOOLS DO W REALLY NEED THEM? Then let us try to understand and thrash out whether our Government has really sold out our medical education for thirty pieces of silver.

Please also read this thread on valueMD.

WUB website is http://www.wubmed.org/

AUB website is http://www.aubmed.org/

315 responses to “Barbados Medical Schools”

  1. Hal Austin Avatar
    Hal Austin

    The United States believes that corruption and a lax accreditation system have made Guyana an attractive territory for foreigners wishing to set up offshore medical universities, which is often used as a front to traffic students for a fee, and to also obtain money by fraud.”(Quote)

    Accreditation = regulation. Barbados is a regulation-free zone. Have we launched an inquiry in to the Donville Inniss affair? Have we launched an inquiry in to the Washington University affair? Have we launched a proper inquiry in to Clico?
    Barbados is a failed state.

  2. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    God Controls everything the Right hand of God moved across the waters of Barbados and removed Washington University
    Karma is a bit. ch
    The people of Dominica who were grossly disadvantaged by the theft of Ross University by Mia Mottley now have reason to celebrate
    Karma is a bit..ch

  3. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    ” Two of the top officials of the Washington University of Barbados who were on remand at HMP Dodds for over a month were granted $200,000 bail each today.

    The university’s Chief Executive officer 42-year-old Rao Venkata Gopi, of No. 11 Falcon Crest, Tuscany, Oldbury and the director 33-year-old Deoraj Jaimangal Dalchand of No. 3 Jacaranda Circle, Apple Drive, Union Development, both in St Philip were also ordered to surrender their passports to the St Matthias Magistrate’s Court before they could be released. The accused are scheduled to return before Chief Magistrate Christopher Birch on January 24, 2019. In the meantime, they must report to the District ‘C’ Police Station every Monday, Wednesday and Friday before 9:30 a.m. as a condition of bail.”

    https://barbadostoday.bb/2018/11/12/bail-for-fraud-accused/

  4. Georgie Porgie Avatar
    Georgie Porgie

    http://www.nationnews.com/nationnews/news/213397/bail-fraud-accused

  5. Georgie Porgie Avatar
    Georgie Porgie

    the semester in start yet proper and the trouble start already

    Rent rage
    Article by
    Marlon Madden Published on
    December 31, 2018
    A large portion of the estimated $100 million injection into the local economy from the presence of the Ross University School of Medicine (RUSM) will go toward their housing accommodation at the sprawling Villages at Coverley. Students are to pay between US$4,040 and US$4,840 per semester or BDS$2020-$2420 each month per student.

    Each unit at Coverley is set up to accommodate three or four students, this means each student will be paying over US$1,000 in rent per month for the four months of each semester.

    This could easily translate into more than US$4 million per semester or over US$12 million per year in rent for the approximately 1,000 registered students assuming the minimum three-student occupancy and the lowest associated rent.

    And the students are expressing disappointment at the apparent ‘mandatory’ arrangement which gives them no leeway to find competitive lodging on their own.

    According to irate students, the university is requiring “all full-time students enrolled in the Medical Sciences 4- or 5-semester curriculum, to reside in RUSM on-campus housing, located at the Villages at Coverley”. This was not the case when they attended the school based in Dominica said the irate returning student, livid at the change of process.

    According to the RUSM website, there are four options for accommodation within the Coverley community, ranging from three-bedroom units and four-bedroom units, with shared or private bathrooms, with prices from US$4,040 to US$4,840 per semester, per student.

    There are also three-bedroom family units, which will be rented for US$8,640 per semester.

    According to the university, “Rent includes property management, exterior and interior maintenance, personal property insurance, deep cleaning between each semester, Wi-fi, trash pickup, monthly utility allotment (water, electric and sewer), parking and gym membership.”

    “Non-student companions approved to share a bedroom in a general student unit pay US$500/semester amenities and administration fee,” it added.

    Barbados TODAY investigations revealed that some students were either not willing to pay the price being asked or simply wanted to live elsewhere on island and had therefore applied for housing exemption but were not approved and told that “there is not an appeals process”.

    According to the RUSM Housing Exemption request form “A student may be granted an exemption to this requirement by the Associate Dean of Student Affairs or designee. All requests are processed on a case-by-case basis.”

    Barbados TODAY understands that some students had raised concerns about the pricing while a handful of them had applied for “housing exemption”, meaning they would prefer to rent accommodation elsewhere so they could have the full “island experience” while living amongst regular residents ‘like we did in Dominica’.

    According to concerned students, who wished not to be identified, living arrangements in Dominica were different, and on-campus housing could go from US$450 to over US$650 per month per student, while off-campus rent could reach over US$800. Each student had the option of renting solo.

    The students said they simply felt “entrapped”, explaining that they were initially told that living at the Villages at Coverley was not mandatory, but this later changed.

    “After all our [proposed] hosts submitted all their very personal information that Ross asked for to house us – citizenship proof, passport information – then they denied everyone,” the students complained.

    Students seeking to get housing exemptions in Barbados for the Spring 2019 semester had to fully complete and submit a form along with supporting documents by November 25, 2018.

    However, any current or incoming students who were not granted housing exemption “will be assigned on-campus housing automatically and charged accordingly”, the form stated with the warning that “Decisions made by the Housing Exemption Committee are final.”

    Information provided on the form as reasons for exemption include: accompanying companions/dependents whose needs cannot be met by RUSM Student Housing; local national or living with local family in Barbados; medical reason and/or disability that cannot be accommodated within the RUSM on-campus housing.

    Following Hurricane Maria’s devastation of Dominica in September 2017, Adtalem Global Education, the parent company of RUSM, agreed to host the students at the Villages at Coverley come January 2019.

    Between September 2017 and December 2018, continuing students, most of whom are from the US and Canada, were being housed between Knoxville, Tennessee and St Kitts, where they were said they also had “the freedom of choice”.

    They said since raising the concern about accommodation costs and not being able to freely choose where to live, the university has been less than accommodating.

    They said the “RUSM in Knoxville” Facebook page, where they also aired their concerns, was deleted.

    “Our concerns are usually never resolved. We are always told that we are complaining too much and that we ‘should be grateful that Ross is providing’ these things for us,” said one student.

    “Not only are we not given the choice, but this also hurts the rental property owners of the area that will not benefit from students being able to use their properties to accommodate their personal lifestyle,” the student added.

    In addition to accommodation, students also pay tuition fee of more than US$23,000, US$700 in health insurance and a student services fee of US$900. There is a one-time application fee of US$250, electronic materials fee of US$400 and pet fee of US$500.

    When Barbados TODAY reached out to officials of Adtalem Global Education regarding the students’ concerns, the university did not directly answer the questions posed.

    However, in a short response, the officials said “very few” students applied for housing exemption from among the more than 1,000 registered.

    “The Ross University School of Medicine (RUSM) is a modern living-learning community. As such, RUSM students are enthused about our new Barbados instructional campus, housing and neighbourhood amenities. Because access to living-learning communities are preferred by many students, they are not unusual as a resource for the first two years of graduate medical education,” the statement said.

    “RUSM implemented an exception process for those few students with other needs. All requests for exemption are individually reviewed; there have been very few among our (more than) 1,000 students registered,” it added, without saying if any, or how many students were granted exemption.

    “I don’t think Ross can dictate where US, Barbados or other nationals can live. They kept changing the rules, got our hopes up then denied nearly 100 per cent,” one student told Barbados TODAY.

    It was during a press conference in August that Prime Minister Mia Mottley announced that the relocation of the Ross University to Barbados should result in a $100 million injection into the local economy.

    Besides rentals, the Massy Supermarket in Coverley is also in line to benefit significantly from the students’ grocery shopping.

    In addition to the over 1,000 students, some 100 faculty and 200 administrative support staff are to also find accommodation at the Coverley development.

    It is not immediately clear how much money has been spent on the development of the school itself to be located at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre.

    The school’s official opening will take place on Saturday, January 5, 2019.

  6. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    How can the university mandate where a student must live?
    This sounds like an unusual arrangement.
    What if accommodation is available across the road at half the cost of Coverley?

    This has to be a misunderstanding.

  7. David Avatar
    David

    @Bush Tea

    Let us wait for a corroborating report, Barbados Today gets it wrong sometimes.

  8. David Avatar
    David

    The word on the ground is that the sudden interest by Haitians to visit Barbados is linked to recruitment effort to staff the Ross University complex for starvation wages of course. What have we come to IF true?

  9. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    Not surprised at the turn of events
    Ross University in their handling of the Dominica govt lied to the govt in the face about remaining in. Dominica knowning full well that they were going to barbados and the Dominica govt was finiancially making plans for Ross to stay.
    As the saying like attracts like.Ross and Mia were are two peas in the same pod.
    Both know how to use lies and political tricks to get what they want

  10. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    This school will be at LESC?
    What the Hell…!!!
    Why not at Cave Hill which has been seeking higher enrolment?

    So we have now brought hundreds of students and faculty here in order to:
    1 – Provide rental income for a man who systematically raided our Treasury over the past ten years to the tune of (according to the PRESENT government members estimate when they were in opposition) $1B.

    2 – further depress wages and introduce more slum-like living conditions for its employees

    3 – Destroy the only first class facility on the island for international conferences (or even large local meetings)

    4 – Further overload our deteriorating infrastructure (roads, sewerage systems, food imports, crime, etc0

    What are the benefits?
    – More money for baloney
    – higher ‘tourism’ numbers (but weaker tourism spend)
    – a few more Bajans employed as maids and gardeners

    As John continues to ask…
    WHAT IS THE OVERALL PLAN…..?

  11. David Avatar
    David

    We have to continue to press for information. A relevant democracy requires optimal people participation. This is the time for the independents read NOT yardfowls to unleash what Barrow and his successors prepared us for. This is our time!

  12. TheOGazerts Avatar
    TheOGazerts

    A beautiful morning to all. Happy 2019.

  13. TheOGazerts Avatar
    TheOGazerts

    “What are the benefits?
    – More money for baloney
    – higher ‘tourism’ numbers (but weaker tourism spend)
    – a few more Bajans employed as maids and gardeners”

    It is amazing how we start with grand plans but as time passes these plans mature into nothing more than putting as many dollars as possible into as few pockets as possible, and the crumbs to the rest of the populace.

  14. TheOGazerts Avatar
    TheOGazerts

    So a fellow who built on or cleaned out a room with the hope of catching a few of these dollars is being eased out of the equation.
    Students will have their pockets picked before getting off campus.
    There is no real circulation of money into the general economy.

  15. Talking Loud Saying Nothing Avatar
    Talking Loud Saying Nothing

    My heart goes out to the students. However, what of those innocent Bajans who purchased their house at Coverly in the knowledge that it was a residential development; only to see a change of use of the site into a virtual student campus. You simply can not make up this stuff.

    Were the residents consulted that the site was become to a student campus? Surely this must be a case for the lawyers.

  16. David Avatar
    David

    It is a trade of for the residents, before the arrival of the student it was a virtual ghost town vulnerable to crime. Lesser of the two evils for the residents you think?

  17. TheOGazerts Avatar
    TheOGazerts

    Would be an even better trade off if the residents could get a piece of the pie instead of having a financial “inland island”, just next door.

  18. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    9:20 AM

    So whose fault is it that Barbados has once again elected the same ole same ole govt that had not demonstrated in fourteen years it had a vision on how to build an economy
    Mia took upon herself to snatch Ross away from Dominica most likely aware of the scam that Ross had prepared for the students living accomadations
    It couldn’t be that govt was not aware since preplanning between Ross Govt and Colverly for student accommodationhad to be done through contractual agreements prior to Ross coming to Barbados
    The students just like the local investors are getting the end of the shi..ty sticks
    One can also bet that Mia long arm of unilateral decisions are a part of how this debacle is being played out when agreements where made between Ross and govt.which now will be costing the students more than they had bargain for

  19. TheOGazerts Avatar
    TheOGazerts

    Last comment on this…
    Better be an MM (nbom mMoney, but Mark Maloney) ‘supporter’ (MMs) than a common political agent. The MMs feed no matter who is in power, whereas the BLPites and DLPites have seasons of famine and of plenty.

  20. David Avatar
    David

    You got it, it is the Yardfowls that have to scratch for grain.

  21. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    To entice poor and guillible immigrants to come to a country under the disguise of giving them Hope through jobs at slave wages cost is unethical and immoral which no govt should become part.
    Ross has shown by its many underhanded decisions to leave Dominica that the last concern for them is morals and ethics
    However i am more lead to believe that the immigration policy of letting Haitians come here can be aligned to Ross having to find people to work at low level position at the university and govt might have belived the Haitians would be suitable employees for those position

  22. T.Inniss Avatar
    T.Inniss

    Mariposa

    What does that tell you about the slogan the BLP and the kool aid drinkers kept repeating -MIA CARES !

    YEAH RIGHT ! MIA CARES BOUT SHE POCKET AND BOUT BEING THE FIRST FEMALE PRIME MINISTER.

    Mia knows she has sent home thousands of low level public servants – many of whom are the only bread winners in the family.

    She knows the private sector have been consistently laying off workers as businesses close down or Companies downsize over the last 10 years.Consistently so.

    Mia knows there are thousands of Secondary school Leavers,University Graduates – searching for work and can’t get none;

    Mia knows there are already thousands of Jamaicans and Guyanese already here just picking fares,or working at gas stations or for low wages on the limited construction projects

    Mia knows all bout that – yet she and Commisung went at the CARICOM Heads meeting and pushed to remove all restrictions on any one from the CARICOM region – to come here and work without work permits – people like barbers,nail technicians,hairdressers,baby sitters – shyte I feel that she might have secretly agreed to the fare pickers and all being allowed to come in – requiring no work permit.

    Wunna feel we got a shortage of barbers,nail technicians,hairdressers,maids etc

    And wunna brassbowls telling me Mia Cares .

    Look get to #@ out muh face do.

  23. Hal Austin Avatar
    Hal Austin

    @ T.Inniss,

    In 2007 the BLP government published a consultative document on immigration. Whatever happened to that?

  24. T.Inniss Avatar
    T.Inniss

    Hal

    It went into file 13 I suppose.

    So much for promises.

    Or perhaps they were dealing with Thompson’s illness and then death at the time which shook the MPs to the core.

  25. Sir SimpleSimon Avatar
    Sir SimpleSimon

    @Bush Tea January 1, 2019 12:46 AM “How can the university mandate where a student must live?
    This sounds like an unusual arrangement. What if accommodation is available across the road at half the cost of Coverley?”

    Exactly.

    This mandatory thing seems very Bajan to me.

    We Bajans too love to try to compel others.

    A society born in the sin and crime of slavery. A society where compulsion became normalised.

    In my extensive experience I have know a student move to another country in September, and married one of that country’s nationals by December. A genuine marriage, still going good more than 15 years later.

    How to we prevent young people from falling in love? Is there an immunization for that?

    A sibling also married their beloved 4 weeks after meeting. They will celebrate their 50th anniversary in 2020.

    If we think that none of these Ross students will marry into the Bajan community we are so wrong.

    In the 1960’s didn’t it happen that virtually every Bajan who went to Mona came back with a Jamaican spouse?

    The heart wants what it wants.

  26. Sir SimpleSimon Avatar
    Sir SimpleSimon

    Since I turned 18 nobody has been able to tell me where to live. I change houses, I change parishes, I change regions, I change countries. i change hemispheres.

    MANDATE?

    What is that?

  27. Giggles, The Return Avatar
    Giggles, The Return

    Interesting times in Barbados. Thanks for keeping me abreast of the situation. I had a feeling Mia was as bad as any of them. GP said he was a cousin of hers? Don’t you have a direct line in?

    I’m intrigued about this Ross move. Perhaps some deeper investigative reporting can uncover the details. Agreed on Baloney Maloney- he’s got a stick up his arse and the coverley development is a scam. Saw a few of the models and felt so bad for the poor folks that had bought already a few years back. It was looking like a dying american strip mall with cookie cutter homes. Massive payout for Maloney, just massive. I wonder if Mia gets a kick back. Is Ross paying any import duties or tariffs? Are student visa fees waived? If they are bringing tens of millions of dollars of equipment ?

  28. Hal Austin Avatar
    Hal Austin

    @Giggles,

    The big question is where do the students pay their university fees, in Barbados or the US?

  29. Giggles, The Return Avatar
    Giggles, The Return

    I think we can bet adtellem/ devry is finding a way to ensure they pay no taxes on any portion of tuition recognized received in Barbados./ I’d bet none is collected locally. Payoffs result in differential treatment. Massive payroll tax reductions for faculty as well I KNOW. This means the higher wage workers don’t cost Devry much more than the salary. Thats supposed to be a key contributor

  30. Article to share Avatar
    Article to share

    (Atlanta, Ga.)— DeVry Education Group, parent of Dominica based medical school Ross
    University and St. Maarten based American University of the Caribbean (AUC), presently finds
    itself in the cross hairs of an ethical practices investigation once again.
    International Educational Management Resources, LLC, parent company of St. Maarten
    based American University of Integrative Sciences has solicited authorities in three countries to
    investigate the practices of Ross, AUC and parent DeVry under the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices
    Act of 1977, (FCPA).
    The FCPA is a body of U.S. federal law that provides oversight and prosecution of the
    unlawful bribing of foreign government officials. Specifically, making it unlawful for certain
    classes of persons and entities to make payments to foreign government officials to assist in
    obtaining or retaining business. The act also has language that prohibits the collusion with other
    foreign entities.
    The complaint alleges that DeVry, through its subsidiary entities Ross and AUC has
    unlawfully used political influence with foreign officials in Dominica and St. Maarten to willfully
    disrupt and effectively interfere with the business operations of its smaller on island competitors.
    “We are disappointed by the wholesale corruption evident in our understanding of what
    has taken place here in St. Maarten with AUC and persons in government positions of public trust,”
    said Milo Pinckney, CEO of IEMR. “The damage done to our business is overshadowed by the
    damage done to more than 500 AUIS students who are adversely impacted by these actions. The
    good people of St. Maarten are denied the associated revenue in favor of some personal gains,
    realized by a small group of ethically-compromised public servants.”
    The one and a half year-long investigation and resulting complaint alleges participation in
    the scheme and promises to name St. Maarten Ministers, MP’s, Department of Education
    employees, Tax office, and Immigration personnel in addition to members of AUC and DeVry
    leadership.
    The AUIS president provided her reaction to this investigation.
    “It’s been very hard to accept that fellow educators could behave like this,” said Dr Renu
    Agnihotri. “What we have come to learn is that these, and other equally deplorable practices, are
    common to this group. “We have been told that All Saint’s University, who has a shared presence
    with DeVry educations Ross University on Dominica, experienced similar disruptive practices
    while co-existing on Dominica.”
    Excerpted from a lecture on The International Entrepreneur, delivered by Pinckney, “As
    an American business person and guest in a foreign land, we represent not only our entity, but that
    of a symbol of American global enterprise. As such we have to assume the position of
    responsibility to present an elevated ethical standard of business practices.”
    When asked about that speech Pinckney responded, “It would appear that no DeVry
    personal were in attendance when I delivered that speech”
    He went on to say that DeVry has a history of questionable practices. “All you have to do
    is google their name and you will find a litany of moral and ethical infractions that define them as
    an entity.”
    Following Pinckney’s claim the following articles were found — which begs the question
    of what screening or vetting processes are being implemented to protect the names and reputations
    of the host island of these Caribbean medical schools:
    A January 27, 2016 article headline in the Huffington Post, “Fed’s Sue DeVry University,
    Alleging For-Profit College Misled Students. The article says the US Federal Trade Commission
    sued, claiming that DeVry knowingly gave false career and earnings numbers to prospective
    students as an inducement to enroll in DeVry programs.
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/feds-sue-devry-university_us_56a904c7e4b0f7179928af63
    Excerpted from http://www.ed.gov website article Oct. 13, 2016 The U.S. Department of
    Education announced a settlement agreement with DeVry University, a subsidiary of DeVry
    Education Group Inc., resolving the Department’s charge that the institution used
    unsubstantiated job placement claims in recruitment and advertising materials.
    This settlement further enhances the Department’s oversight of DeVry and builds upon the
    Obama Administration’s commitment to protecting students, safeguarding taxpayer dollars and
    increasing accountability among postsecondary institutions.
    “Students deserve accurate information about where to invest their time and money, and
    the law is simple and clear: recruitment claims must be backed up by hard data,” said U.S.
    Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-departmenteducation-reaches-settlement-devry-university-over-job-placement-claims
    An article on Yahoo finance indicated that the FTC accused DeVry of including businessadministration graduates who found retail jobs like waiting tables or selling cars as having found
    work in their field.
    Officials say those tactics helped fuel a surge in for-profit school enrollment in the past
    two decades — particularly among poor and vulnerable Americans. That surge helped drive up
    student debt that many are struggling to pay back, officials say. The DeVry lawsuit is part of an
    effort by federal and state officials to root out what they characterize as willful, deliberately
    aggressive and deceptive recruiting strategies by for-profit colleges such as DeVry.
    These articles, and others like them, chronical a history of questionable professional ethics,
    according to one source.
    “Misleading advertising, fraudulent graduate earnings claims and alike seem to be a
    standard operating procedures of for profit education companies like DeVry,” said Pinckney. “The
    practices of these companies demonstrate a cavalier contempt for their clients, their competitors,
    the very host islands that grant them guest privileges, preferred tax concession and the ability to
    operate; as well as the many different groups of people who are directly and indirectly damaged
    by their greed motivated behavioral practices.”
    Students interviewed at AUC and Ross said that their schools have systems where they
    systematically encourage students to transfer to other schools, fail out, or deliberately delay a large
    number of students through course requirement schemes that result in students repeating course
    work — not because of the student’s academic performance, but because the schools don’t have
    sufficient numbers of clinical clerkship spots for the corresponding number of students about to
    matriculate into the clinical phase of their education.
    Another scheme uncovered centers around Ross and AUC student US Medical Licensing
    Examination qualifying examination statistics. Students report that their school has
    misrepresented their students’ performance on the USMLE in an effort to stimulate enrollment.
    Students who fail to pass the qualifying examination the first time are encouraged to transfer to
    other schools, enabling the DeVry schools to publish more elevated first time passing rates.
    A February 2016 article indicated that “America’s for-profit colleges produce a
    disproportionately high number of graduates who end up with student debt they can’t repay.”
    In that article, it named DeVry and Apollo Education Group, another large U.S. for-profit
    education company, as having a disproportionate amount of U.S. tax payer education funding
    dollars routed to for profit educators, often to the detriment of the students, according to a 2015
    Brookings report.”
    Between 2000 and 2014, the number of student loan borrowers doubled to 42 million and
    their total debt quadrupled to over $1 trillion, according to the report. Meanwhile, the debt owed
    by graduates of for-profit colleges grew from $39 billion in 2000 to $229 billion in 2014 —
    largely due to increases in rates of borrowing, the report found. DeVry University students
    accumulated more than $8 billion in outstanding federal student debt through last year — the
    fourth-biggest sum among U.S. colleges and universities, according to the report.
    The September 16, 2013 headline on Bloomberg Markets reads “DeVry Lures Medical
    School Rejects as Taxpayers Fund Debt”.
    According to one AUIS official, the depiction of a medical school reject is truly unfair.
    “A more accurate depiction would read more like greed, graft and corruption tanks the
    future of the unsuspecting future doctors,” said Pinckney
    The story follows AUC student David Adams, a 31 year old father of two who packed up
    his family and moved to Dutch St. Maarten to pursue his dream of becoming a physician. Adams,
    after financing his first two semesters with $67,000 in U.S. government-backed loans, expected to
    leave medical school with as much as $400,000 in debt — and about a 20 percent chance of never
    practicing as a physician in the U.S.
    The article discusses DeVry, which has two for-profit medical schools in the Caribbean,
    Ross & AUC who are accepting hundreds of students who were rejected by U.S. medical colleges.
    These students amass more debt than their U.S. counterparts — a median of $253,072 in June 2012
    at AUC versus $170,000 for 2012 graduates of U.S. medical schools.
    And, that gap is even greater because the U.S. figure, compiled by the Association of
    American Medical Colleges, includes student debt incurred for undergraduate or other degrees,
    while the DeVry number is only federal medical school loans.
    The average attrition rate at U.S. medical schools was less than four percent, according to
    a 2007 Analysis In Brief report by the Association of American Medical Colleges. DeVry says its
    rate ranges from 20 to 27 percent, which indicates many DeVry students quit, taking their debt
    with them.
    Of those who remained, 66 percent of AUC students and 52 percent of students at DeVry’s
    other Caribbean medical school, Ross University School of Medicine, finished their program —
    typically two years of sciences followed by two years of clinical rotations — on time in the
    academic year ended on June 30, 2012.
    The details of David’s story can be found at,
    https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2013-09-10/devry-lures-medical-school-rejects-astaxpayers-fund-debt
    DeVry maintains a solid relationship with controversy, it seem, as a history of
    consistently questionable behavior dates back to the 90’s. “The most recent claims appear to
    warrant further investigation”, an AUIS administrative official said.
    • In 1995, DeVry was suspended from Ontario’s student loan program OSAP after a
    large number of its students misreported their income. DeVry was reinstated after paying fines of
    approximately $1.7 million and putting up a bond of an estimated $2 million.
    • In November 2000, Afshin Zarinebaf, Ali Mousavi, and another graduate of one of
    DeVry University’s Chicago-area campuses filed a class-action lawsuit accusing DeVry of
    widespread deception, unlawful business practices, and false advertising and alleging that students
    were not being prepared for high-tech jobs.
    • In 2001, DeVry became the first for-profit school to obtain permission from the
    Alberta government to grant degrees, on recommendation by the Private Colleges Accreditation
    Board. This decision was opposed by the Alberta New Democratic Party (sitting in opposition),
    the Canadian Federation of Students, and the Canadian Association of University Teachers. The
    NDP claimed conflict of interest as an executive at DeVry served as both the president of DeVry’s
    Calgary campus and as a member of the Premier of Alberta’s special advisory council on
    postsecondary education.
    • In April 2007, the State of New York settled with three schools that were
    participating in questionable student-loan practices. DeVry, Career Education Corporation, and
    Washington University in St. Louis were involved with the settlement. DeVry agreed to refund
    $88,122 to students.
    • In January 2013, a lawsuit filed by a former manager at DeVry alleged that the
    college bribed students for positive performance reviews and worked around federal regulations
    on for-profit colleges.
    • In April 2013, the attorneys general of Illinois and Massachusetts issued subpoenas
    to DeVry to investigate for violations of federal law and filing false information about loans,
    grants, and guarantees.
    • In July 2014, DeVry stated that the New York state attorney general’s office was
    investigating if the company’s marketing violated laws against false advertising.
    • 2016 Two state attorneys general, Illinois and Massachusetts, are investigating
    DeVry.
    • On January 27, 2016, the Federal Trade Commission filed suit against DeVry,
    alleging that DeVry’s advertisements deceived consumers about the likelihood that students would
    find jobs in their fields of study, and would earn more than those graduating with bachelor’s
    degrees from other colleges or universities.
    • In 2016, Devry was also reprimanded by the Veterans administration over
    allegations about deceptive marketing.
    “Why is this happening, would be the obvious question,” Pinckney said. “The answer is
    painfully clear. Greed!”
    For-profit institutions such as DeVry operate as business machines, churning revenue in
    search of profits, said Pinckney. They are beholding to shareholder’s equity, and governed by a
    corporate organizational structure, that sells education as a traded product. With profit being the
    only incentive, DeVry and schools like it must find ways to attract students to enroll, spending
    large amounts of their total revenue on sales and marketing; regardless of whether or not accuracy
    is a component of their claims.
    DeVry is in fact one of the largest advertisers on google, spending more than $19 million,
    according to http://www.wordstream.com/articles/google-earnings.
    Acceptance rates are un-naturally high and tuition is about twice the cost as that of a similar
    non-profit institutions, with only about 31.5 percent of students graduating versus 57 percent of
    students at non-profit institutions.
    Within the past year, DeVry University has been under investigation by the Attorney
    General in both Illinois and Massachusetts. They’ve been named in numerous lawsuits in
    California, and they’ve been heavily regulated by the presidential education administration. One
    lawsuit claimed the campus leadership would bribe admissions counselors who exceed enrollment
    quotas, which in turn would lead to instances of “over-promising and under-delivering” to current
    and potential students.
    Many students that attend for-profit institutions such as DeVry get training, but often fail
    to realize employment. Many of these student accumulate a significant student loan obligation they
    can’t ever hope to afford to repay. And, because DeVry is a publicly traded corporation, the
    pressure is on for them to make a profit and return an ROI to their shareholders, which is another
    reason tuition is so costly.
    Adding to that cost is the salary for the leaders in the company. DeVry University President
    Daniel Hamburger earned $6.4 million in 2012. In contrast, the president at Harvard University
    earned about $900,000 –she is one of only four presidents at public universities to earn such a high
    salary.

  31. Gabriel Avatar
    Gabriel

    On every thread the foolish Dems criticizing Mia and Mia dissing all ‘o dem all the time.I’m sure Mia busy running the country making Barbados safe and solvent again.#30luvinwunnatail.

  32. pieceuhderockyeahright Avatar
    pieceuhderockyeahright

    @ Gabriel

    And on every thread, pooch lickers like you continue to obscurate the issue at point with this Stoopid retort about 30 love in wunna backside WHILE MUGABE DEPLOYS THE CLASSIC DESPOT MANOEUVRE AND DEPLOYS HER BROWN SHIRT PEOPLES AND MAKE HER POL POT MOVES BY CHANGING THE LAWS AND THE CONSTITUTION

    WHILE PEOPLE LIKE YOU ENCOURAGE THE POPULATION TO SAY “baaaaaa…”

    ALL HAIL MUGABE!!!

  33. T.Inniss Avatar
    T.Inniss

    THANK YOU,THANK YOU,THANK YOU – BLOGGER – ‘ARTICLE TO SHARE’

    That info is soooooooo helpful.

    First of all it helps us to understand the backraising done by Mia and Ross University with the Dominica Government.

    Secondly I want to refresh the memory of thinking Barbadians about the construction of the Dodds Prison scandal – and the Corrupt Company – VECO – who had no experience in building prisons – and who almost all of the principals in that Company were sent to jail in America for giving bribes to politicians as a reward for getting contracts.

    I want to also remind you of the Company 3 S – under a different name I think – whose Brazalian Company directors were found guilty of bribing politicians of foreign governments – in the award of contracts – and who were allowed to start construction of the Highway Extension Project here in Barbados without a written contract being in place.

    Who was the government in place – Owen Arthur administration of which Mia Mottley was a senior cabinet minister – and Gline Clarke was the line minister.

    These are just 3 quick examples of corrupt Companies and the Barbados Labour party – of which Mia Mottley figures prominently in 2 of them.

    Do you know a Dog that like to suck eggs could always sniff out where the eggs are hidden ?

    So you see why these overseas Companies always re-surface when the BLP is in power.

    Do you now understand why it will not be reasonable to only go back to the last 10 years looking for corruption – but you have to go back from 1994 when the previous BLP Adminstration come in.

    That is why when Mia and dale holding press conferences and piss parading with a heap of files chanting – corruption,corruption,corruption – they sound hollow as brassbowl.

    Who more corrupt than them ? Steupse

    There were some corrupt ministers in the last Dems administration – no doubt about it – but there were far fewer cabinet members in the last government who were involved in graft – than there were in the last BLP Administration 1994 -2008

    And some who are still there in this new BLP administration.

    So who will bell the cat huh – answer that for me please.

  34. T.Inniss Avatar
    T.Inniss

    Waru muh Girl

    No wonder Enuff wanted to shut you up with your bombshells – on the questionable practices of Ross University with its parent Company DeVry.

    That is until Bush Tea had to let him know – that you were on the right trail.

  35. Talking Loud Saying Nothing Avatar
    Talking Loud Saying Nothing

    30 ministers in cabinet and not a single one was able to carry out the work of Article to share.

  36. Georgie Porgie Avatar
    Georgie Porgie

    re T.Inniss January 3, 2019 7:53 AM

    THANK YOU,THANK YOU,THANK YOU – BLOGGER – ‘ARTICLE TO SHARE’

    That info is soooooooo helpful.

    First of all it helps us to understand the backraising done by Mia and Ross University with the Dominica Government.

    PLEASE KINDLY EXPLAIN HOW DOES THE ARTICLE POSTED BY PICKNEY EXPLAIN ANYTHING?

    PICKNEY IS COMPLAINING THAT HIS ASSOCIATES BOUGHT ST EUSTATIUS MED SCHOOL, RENAMED IT AND REMOVED IT ST MAARTEN WHERE HE EXPERIENCED SEVERE COMPETITION IN PROBABLE UNETHICAL WAYS BY THE DEVRY OWNED AUC- WELL ESTABLISHED IN ST MAARTEN FOR YEARS

    PICKNEY IS FURTHER COMPLAINING THAT NOW, HAVING MOVED HIS MEDICAL SCHOOL TO BARBADOS THE DEVRY OWNED ROSS IS AGAIN SET TO SQUEEZE HIS BALLS JUST AS THEY DID TO ALL SAINTS IN DOMINICA

    THAT IS HIS PRIMARY MOTIVE FOR POSTING THIS ARTICLE

    HOWEVER, IT IS VERY APPARENT THAT THEIR IS MORE IN THE MORTAR THAN THE PESSLE. I WILL LEAVE YOU ALL TO WORK IT OUT, BUT IT SEEMS VERY CLEAR TO ME THAT AS SET UP ONLY A FEW “HIGH UPS” WILL BE BENEFITTING AND HAVE ALL READY BENEFITTED FROM THIS MOVE OF ROSS TO BIM.

    THERE IS A LOT OF CORRUPTION GOING ON…MUCH MORE THAN TO BE EXPECTED

  37. T.Inniss Avatar
    T.Inniss

    GP

    I don’t care squat about the pickney motive of who will eat the pie.

    My relief was in the information which was inadvertently or deliberately exposed – which confirmed some of the things others on this blog were hinting at;

    And they type of Company like DeVry or Ross University – which helps to clarify for those who needed help – the type if business that Mottley has a pattern getting in bed with – which speaks to the lack of a moral compass – and comes frontally to the essential principle of ‘Ethical Leadership’.

    That’s all.

  38. T.Inniss Avatar
    T.Inniss

    GP

    Not sure if I wished you blessings in 2019 to you and your family.

  39. David Avatar
    David


    Grenville Phillips
    8 hrs ·

    Ross University – Hip Hip Hooray.

    Barbados is fortunate to have Ross University relocating here, and our Prime Minister deserves credit for facilitating the move. This was a win for everyone: the University, which would have a wonderful location in the true land-of-the-free; the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre (LESC), which would be able to pay its bills and not be a drain on tax payers; but most importantly, ordinary households.

    The severe austerity is impacting those with home mortgages, and to have the reported 1,000 students plus 200 staff paying perhaps $1,000 per month for a room in someone’s house, may save the house from foreclosure. If the mortgage has already been paid, then the money can be used to invest in the education of their children.

    The immediate beneficiaries would likely have been those in close proximity to the LESC, who would have likely benefitted slimily as those near the University of the West Indies. However, given the LESC’s favourable location and Barbados’ radial road network, anyone living near Highways 4, 5 and 6 would have an advantage since it would be one bus ride to and from LESC.

    Many homes are already prepared to host the students and staff, having upgraded their houses to accommodate visitors for the Cricket World Cup. The level of interaction should be beneficial to the families since these are post-graduate students, and the exchange of ideas can only benefit both parties. Well done Barbados!

    Yesterday, to my dismay, I read that all Barbadian households were disqualified from offering their houses as accommodation to the students and staff. I learnt that only those small houses in the Coverley residential development, which are located far away from LESC, were approved for Ross University students and staff. I felt sick reading that even if students wanted to have accommodation at a Barbadian household, that they could not.

    Something did not seem right. Certainly Ross University would correct this offensive news report, but it remained unchallenged. Hence, this article.

    Why is this offensive behaviour being tolerated in Barbados? Everyone in a free country has the right to seek accommodation that they can afford. Even in countries that limit personal freedoms, like Cuba, Russia, China and North Korea, people can still choose to select affordable accommodations.

    In Barbados, the only persons who do not have the choice of accommodations are inmates detained at Her Majesty’s Prisons (HMP) Dodds, the Psychiatric Hospital, and those who choose a military type regimen like the Youth Service and the Defence Force. Everyone else has a constitutional right to personal liberty where they can seek affordable accommodations.

    Is there no lawyer in Barbados who can request a judicial review of this offensive contract? Is there no person at the Fair Trading Commission who can make a determination of the fairness of this contract? Why are we tolerating having Barbados’ reputation being damaged in this manner?

    It actually gets worse, as if that were even possible. These approximately 1,000 sq ft area houses are reportedly being rented to accommodate 4 persons, who must each pay approximately US$1,000 per month in rent. What???

    This rent is so ridiculously high that those 4 students can pool their rent money for 3 years and easily purchase the house that they are renting. They can then sell it, share it as a vacation home, or rent it to other students after they graduate? Clearly they would not even need to consider something so extreme if the rent was reasonable, but to not consider this investment opportunity would be financially irresponsible of them.

    It is a well-known maxim that to understand what is really going on, one should follow the money. It has been reported that the houses at Coverley were not selling as expected. It seems that only a few favoured people are supposed to benefit from the relocation of Ross University.

    While homeowners and others may mourn the loss of this economic opportunity, the real victims are the unsuspecting students – who are to be incarcerated at HMP Coverly.

    Grenville Phillips II is a Chartered Structural Engineer and President of Solutions Barbados. He can be reached at NextParty246@gmail.com

  40. Sir SimpleSimon Avatar
    Sir SimpleSimon

    If there are American students, since the company is an American Company they should complain to their Embassy.

    According to the Embassy’s website “The mission of the United States Embassy is to advance the interests of the United States, and to serve and protect U.S. citizens in Barbados.”

    For routine inquiries, call 1-246-227-4193 between the hours of 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday (excluding U.S. and Barbados holidays). You may also send us an email at BridgetownACS@state.gov or reach us by fax at 1-246-431-0179.

    Mail:

    U.S. Embassy Barbados
    American Citizen Services
    Wildey Business Park
    Wildey, St. Michael
    Barbados

  41. hants1 Avatar
    hants1

    Grenville Phillips wrote ” 4 persons, who must each pay approximately US$1,000 per month in rent. What???”

    That is $8000 Barbados dollars per month.

    I will leave it to others because if I wrote what I think I could get extradited from Canada.

  42. Sir SimpleSimon Avatar
    Sir SimpleSimon

    I am here looking at what students pay for housing in the United States. In Hyde park New York, 1 3/4 hours from Manhattan student housing can be had for as little as $650 USD per month
    https://www.places4students.com/Places/PropertyListings?SchoolID=DFiWX3qYyow%3d

    And near to Northwestern University at Evaston/Chicago, Illinois as low as $550 USD
    https://www.places4students.com/Places/PropertyListings?SchoolID=NVsZANgxV9E%3d

    I’ve used this site to help a few youngsters going north find a place to live. In each case adult friends living nearby scouted the place in person. The youngsters all found decent places to live for less than $1,000 BDS per month

  43. TheOGazerts Avatar
    TheOGazerts

    You must remember, they are not only students…. they are tourists..
    Wuhloss
    Murdah
    Alice in wonderlad

  44. Sir SimpleSimon Avatar
    Sir SimpleSimon

    I know a place right now. 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, large yard, solar water heating, screened, refurbished in 2018. Can comfortably house 3. One bus to LESC, less than $1,000 BDS per month.

  45. What Now? Avatar
    What Now?

    Whats going on down there now? I heard that school at the old codrington college seminary opened up? Any word on students? And Ross, they are open now what are changes on island?

  46. Georgie Porgie Avatar
    Georgie Porgie

    The American International School of Medicine (AISM) – A Lucrative International Scam
    I’m not sure where you’re from or how Dr. Wilkinson’s lying sweet tongue located you, but AISM has ruined the lives of many current and prospective medical students from Massachusetts to Mumbai. It’s an international scam. The school, and it’s owner, is a fraud. Plain and simple. The deceiver-in-chief — Dr Colin Wilkinson — is a skilled people person…like all exceptional con men I’ve ever heard of and read about. He has documents, names, examples, anecdotes, board exams statistics, and everything a desperate student needs to hear to feel enticed.

    He’s actually brilliant. He conceives methods of making people feel at home and has an answer for every question you’re likely to have. I believe this skill was honed from his many years of scamming students and their families from all over the world. Every good thing you read or hear about him is probably true. Every negative thing you read or hear about him is probably mild compared to his true nature. That’s been my experience. Additionally, he always asks for tuition upfront. He even offers a payment plan for those who are unable to fork over the entire sum upfront. To make the scam more potent he drops the tuition total and makes it seem as though he’s heaven’s best gift to humanity. Sorry, he isn’t.

    Then come the promises, but first the main requirement for your admission. Basic sciences are to be completed in Georgetown, Guyana. It took me a while to realise that this is a requirement because he can’t get away with this scam in the US. After the basic sciences, clinical rotations are to be completed in your choice of either the Caribbean, the USA, the UK, or Canada. I mean, who wouldn’t want that!? That’s where he hooks you real good. Next comes the visa assistance. You actually don’t need it. A Guyana visa is one of the easiest in the world to acquire, and it’s very cheap compared to those of many other countries.

    After you’re hooked, you arrive Guyana and are stunned at the meagre accommodation that’s the entire school. It’s one residential one-storey building, with just a handful of rooms transformed for use as classrooms and a library. The address? The intersection of 89 Sandy Babb and Middleton Streets, in Kitty, Georgetown, the capital of Guyana. They explain that they’ve already acquired land and will begin building soon. He shows you the plans and land deeds as proof. Your initial misgivings and reservations begin to melt away. Then, lectures begin and you’re all in again.

    A couple of the teachers were phenomenal when I was there. The now-deceased Dr Ovid Isaacs was one such physician/lecturer. Anyone who took pharmacology and genetics from him will attest to his genius. He was practically the only pre-clinical lecturer who undoubtedly knew his stuff and knew a lot about the USMLE. Everyone else was an imposter or had no USMLE experience at all. USMLE prep consisted of Dr Wilkinson apparently sending a bunch of past questions from a q-bank no doubt, which were printed out and disseminated to all the students.

    Then, the clinical rotations come along and you’re trying to prepare for the USMLE Step I that’ll never happen because the school has no proper access to clinical rotation sites. You begin to ask questions and realise that no answers are forthcoming. Dr Wilkinson and his mercenaries become scarce. No emails are returned, neither are any phone calls. Frustration sets in and dreams begin to be derailed. You begin to postpone the board exams and begin to seek clinical rotation alternatives. I searched everywhere. No luck.

    At this point, more promises might come as they did for me and my colleagues. As a result of my multiple US visa applications being declined and a ban from entering the US in place due to my overstay in the US prior to my move to Guyana caused by AISM and their lies, my colleagues and I who were in the exact same situation were offered rotation spots at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Jamaica by none other than Dr Wilkinson. He told us they’d signed an MoU. All that was required was for us to apply for our Jamaica visas and move there for our clinical rotations. Mind you, this is a reputable institution that was widely regarded as the best regional university in the Caribbean. We were ecstatic. After the promises were made and Dr Wilkinson slithered back to his US base, I called UWI and spoke to the person in charge of setting up rotations. She had never heard of him nor had she heard of AISM. We were devastated yet again.

    We were stranded: no visas, no clinical rotations, no tuition reimbursement, no phone calls or emails answered, etc. We had to find our way out. It was easy. Nobody cared. After years of leaving Guyana and returning home, there’s been no phone call, no email or any form of communication from AISM inquiring about my whereabouts. More importantly, no apology. Thankfully, I didn’t pay the entire tuition. I couldn’t afford to at the time, anyway. He plays the long con game. He’s patient. He’s accommodating. He’s a brilliant motivator. Dr Colin Wilkinson is a charmer.

    Years later, I’ve received emails threatening to send my unpaid tuition to a collections agency if I don’t pony up the remainder, over USD50K apparently. I’ve ignored them totally. I’m sure I’ll still receive them again in the future when next they’re strapped for cash. I’ll still ignore them. There’s no mention of how Dr Wilkinson and AISM ruined my life and those of dozens of my colleagues on their website and on these other forums. For every single student who makes it through AISM, there’s a dozen who were scammed out of tens of thousands of dollars…maybe more.

    Anyone looking for a school like AISM is looking for the wrong school. I’m sure AISM isn’t the only fraudulent excuse of an institution out there. So, what to do!? Run! Run as fast and as far as your legs can carry you and then some more. Dr Wilkinson was cheating on his wife in Guyana with at least one person I knew. They fell out and she went to tattle tell on him and his illegal operation at the US Embassy in Guyana, which is in part why we never got our visas. But he’s a US citizen and it wasn’t in the interest (apparently) of the US Embassy to pursue any disciplinary action against him, so it didn’t affect him. We discovered this much later. Just a few months ago, a lady from India emailed me for the third time in about five years. Dr Wilkinson apparently attended a student recruitment conference there. When he got there he apparently convinced them that he’d left his wallet at home. He promised to send in his hotel room and conference participation payments and fees as soon as he returned to the US. He never did. They’ve been trying to recoup thousands of dollars he incurred in expenses during that trip. This is the Dr Wilkinson I’ve come to know over the years.

    All my former classmates and I ended up leaving medicine entirely. That’s a lot of dreams squashed by the treachery and greed of one man. If I were suicidal, I would’ve killed myself at AISM. Thank God I didn’t. He wouldn’t have cared anyway and life would still go on. I’m only glad that I was able to quietly encourage some young people who were about to waste their futures there to leave. There was a guy who did the same more openly and Dr Wilkinson manipulated this caucasian lady into calling the students’ parents halfway around the world to accuse him of being a rapist. The guy almost went crazy. He left AISM a few months later. He told me a few months ago that he’s had no contact with AISM since he left in 2013 except for their tuition payment threats. He told me he threatened to get the FBI involved and never heard back from AISM. So, AISM and Dr Wilkinson are dangerous to your medical aspirations. Go at your own risk. You’ve been warned. Cheers!

  47. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    Sure sounds familiar! Now who does this remind me of…. hmmmm….con man…… hmmmm

    https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/trump-university-scam/

    Oh yeah! That’s who!

  48. Max Sedanka Avatar
    Max Sedanka

    Dr. Shuba Balan is a graduate from IUHS’ program. I believe she attended the online program? She is currently licensed and practicing in Georgia at Morehouse. I have seen others.

  49. GP Avatar
    GP

    I DID NOT POST THE ABOVE DAVID

  50. Hal Austin Avatar
    Hal Austin

    @ GP

    Be careful. There are people on BU who just talk rubbish, but one or two are outright criminals. Be careful with your personal details.
    I can give one example off a fraudster, but I do not want to give others ideas.

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