Good day! My name is Romarie W. Bartley, the former Head boy of St. George’s College, a Christian, a Jamaican, and a future Cardiothoracic surgeon. I applied to study medicine in Cuba under the agency Cuba Heal where I would pay my tuition in November 2021 and begin my studies in January 2022, however, due to financial restraints, I was forced to defer in hopes of garnering the full tuition to study in January 2023. I chose Cuba because after doing some research, I found the tuition to be significantly lower than most medical schools and Cuba has a reputation of producing incredible medical professionals. The first-year tuition is $13,590.00 USD, which includes housing and the subsequent years cost less every two years with a small increase for the last. Getting scholarships for this has been an unfruitful effort as most scholarships are not extended to students who wish to study in Cuba and the bilateral scholarship offered by the embassy in partnership with the Jamaican Ministry of Finance & Public Service has not been available since 2020.

I live with one of my maternal aunts, her two children, her husband and one of my brothers. My aunt was an auxiliary worker at my primary school however, due to the global pandemic, her earnings have been very limited. Normally she and her daughter would help to keep the family afloat but due to how the pandemic has affected my aunt, I had to apply for a job as well where I am saving a portion of my pay towards school and the rest primarily helps my family.

While at St. George’s College, I was a hard-working student who, despite life’s challenges, found a way to ensure he was in the group of students at the top, being involved in a number of clubs and having executive positions in them. I have 10 CSEC subjects and 10 CAPE subjects. Outside of school, I am active in my church, and I am the President of the National Council of the Anglican Youth Fellowship of the Diocese of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.

Should I receive the required assistance to complete medical school and ultimately become the surgeon I believe God has destined me to be, I plan to contribute to the quality of medical services in Jamaica and to help other students who may be in a similar position.

Thank you in advance for both your time and for anything you can do in order to help me obtain some financial assistance. You may contact me via my email address (romariebartley@gmail.com) or my telephone number (876) 471-4363. I pray that God continues to bless you.

https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/former-st-george-s-head-boy-seeks-support-to-study-medicine-in-cuba_236152