Medical students at the National University of Samoa (N.U.S.), Faculty of Medicine will benefit from the experience of being taught and trained by experts from Otago University Medical School.   

The delegation of ten members headed by Professor Peter Crampton, the Pro Vice Chancellor (P.V.C) of Health at Otago University and Samoa’s very own Faumuina Associate Professor, Faafetai Sopoaga, Associate Dean Pacific for the Division of Health Sciences, together with Senior Medical staff who are academics/clinical lecturers in specialty areas of oncology, respiratory, rheumatology, pathology, and epidemiology, are visiting the National University of Samoa Faculty of Medicine, to help in curriculum development as well as building staff capabilities.

Faumuina along with her team of public health/epidemiology specialists are in Samoa for two weeks teaching and sharing knowledge and experience on public/population health and evidenced based medicine with the local medical students at the N.U.S. Faculty of Medicine, Moto’otua Campus.  

The sharing of knowledge is part of staff exchange programme covered by the M.O.U between the two institutions, where in some of the senior staff from Otago University has been teaching and conducting tutorials among the local students.  

On the other hand, a staff member of the N.U.S. Faculty of Medicine has also been appointed as a staff of Otago University Medical School to teach and lecture to their medical students at least twice a year.

 “This visit focuses on sustainable medical report development for Samoa with aspect of more regional role in the future,” said Professor Peter Crampton.

He added that the team is focused on identifying areas where University of Otago can provide more support to the N.U.S Medical School especially in terms of curriculum development, staff exchange, student exchange and opportunities for collaborative research between the two institutions.

Le Mamea Dr. Limbo Fiu, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, N.U.S. has expressed his appreciation for the existing memorandum of understanding between the two institutions which brings many benefits not only for the local medical students, but to the health sector as well. 

One common goal of the two institutions is to ensure that they can provide robust medical programmes in the areas of health sciences and medicine to address the needs of the health sector not only in Samoa but eventually in the Pacific.    

“The Memorandum of Understanding between the two institutions is a long term relationship.  This is exactly what our faculty needs, a trusted and dependable partnership,” said Le Mamea.

The delegation was officially welcomed by the Vice Chancellor and President of the N.U.S, Professor Fui Le’apai Asofou in a traditional Ava Ceremony.  The   

V.C said that the partnership is more of a family relationship where two institutions come together to share ideas for their mutual benefit. 

The Ava Ceremony was also attended by the Chief Executive Officer of National Health Services, Leausa Dr. Tate Naseri.   

The team will be in Samoa for another week.  They will also visit Tuasivi hospital and district hospitals in the big island of Savai’i.