Med school looking to reinstate scholarship program for Am Samoa medical students

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The Oceania University of Medicine (OUM) is reviving its scholarship program in the territory that was halted in 2019.

This was part of the mandate for meetings between OUM Dean for Samoa and Asia Pacific, Toleafoa Dr. Viali Lameko and ASG officials when he was in the territory recently.

Twenty years ago, OUM emerged as a trendsetter, blending interactive distance learning and traditional hands-on clinical training to bring medical education to students around the globe, helping aspiring medical practitioners overcome distance, personal, and professional barriers to achieve their dream of practicing medicine. OUM’s MD program is a full-scale, rigorous medical school curriculum, typically completed in 4 to 4.5 years.

Toleafoa told Samoa News that OUM had offered full-tuition scholarships to eight American Samoa students in the past.

 “Only 3 successfully completed our MD program to date, with one already taking a Residency Program in Family Medicine in Hawaii. Dr Ipo Haemaloto MD shall return to American Samoa to serve her OMU bond/ agreement of 5 years after her residency program.

 “The other two recent graduates are vying for the United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 and Step 2 exams.”

He said they are also planning to take up a residency program of choice in the states before returning to serve in American Samoa.

Adding that two of the last scholarship students from American Samoa had started their clinical modules at LBJ about two weeks ago, under the supervision of Chief Executive Officer Moefa’auo Bill Emmsley and the LBJ team.

 “I met with Moefaauo and his team last month at LBJ to confirm their support and also American Samoa’s support for their students.

 “This is our OUM contribution to the shortages of doctors in the territory. “I have been told that only about 10-15 % of Medical doctors at LBJ are American Samoan citizens.”

Adding that as Dean, he really wants the support of the American Samoa Government in providing scholarships for medical students.

 “After all, although OUM's headquarters is in Apia, Samoa, this is sharing of resources to help the territory with its shortage of medical doctors.”

Samoa News reached out to the LBJ CEO on their efforts to revive the scholarship program for local students and is awaiting a reply.

BACKGROUND

Toleafoa leads efforts to expand OUM’s presence in Samoa and the South Pacific region, including increasing opportunities for clinical clerkships.

According to the OUM website, Toleafoa served as OUM’s Director of Clinical Studies and most recently served as Director of the Clinical Program and Senior Lecturer for the Faculty of Medicine at the National University of Samoa (NUS).

 “Dr. Lameko has been advisor to both the Western Pacific branch of the World Health Organization and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community on a number of health-related issues prevalent in the region. He is also a participant in the Commonwealth Leadership Conference, Pacific Island Future Leadership Tour, and recipient of the Pacific Forum Greg Urwin Pacific Leadership Award.”

Toleafoa’s chiefly title is from the village of Fasito’otai and Oratory Chief Title of Manu-Falealili, from the village of Sapunaoa in the District of Falealili.

In addition to earning a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Auckland (New Zealand) in 1993, Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) from Fiji School of Medicine in 1999, and a Master of International Public Health from the University of Sydney (Australia) in 2008, and is pursuing his PhD from Walden University in the United States.

His dissertation title appropriately is “Cultural Influences on Dietary Behavior among Samoan Adults.” Dr. Lameko is committed to conducting research at OUM that improves the health of people in Samoa and other countries.