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A currently introduced tough system of accessing students’ attitude towards attending classes and professional behavior which includes dressing codes and behavioral relationships are this year being taken on board seriously by authorities to try and curb concerns from Pacific countries which claim that some of the graduates from FSM are proving to be less serious about work, with some saying that “they tend to turn up very late for mandated duties.”

 

Dr. Joseph Flear, the coordinator of the Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) program at FSM, said that severe penalties will ultimately be their first point of referral if students fail to adhere to the rules.

 

“We’ve decided to be very serious about professionalism from this year because we want to see a change of attitude from our graduates,” Dr. Flear told the MBBS 3 students during an introductory session earlier this year.

 

The assessment, according to their professionalism assessment sheet, will focus on attributes like showing compassion for patients; demonstrating respect for patients, colleagues, lecturers and other health workers plus demonstrating responsibility and accountability; punctuality and effective time management; and an ability to communicate effectively and respectfully with patients and peers.

 

Under the scrutiny of the tutors’ eyes and hospital authorities, students showing to be performing below the bar will be counseled and may be referred to a professional counselor for professional remediation.

 

According to the assessment requirements, reassessment will be done three months later to keep tract of the remediation’s progress.

 

“Any student who fails to attend remediation or who has not improved will be issued a letter of warning by the coordinator,” states the guideline of assessments.

 

Failure to perform 3 months after the issued warning will either result in a 6 months suspension from the program or a permanent termination if it is determined that the subject is unlikely to accomplish adequate remediation.

 

For typical Solomon Islanders studying at the institution, this is sure going to be a hard knock on their doors to make way for change as many seem to be trapped in our usual get-up-and-go kind of behavior. But shedding some kind of light on the issue, this is seen by one Solomon Islander at the school as a perfect means of grooming our future health workers “to learn the basics of neatness which somehow isn’t given that needed priority in our health institutions.”

 

Whether the introduced assessments will turn the story around in the future for the concerned Pacific states is but a thing that we all can only wish for, but guesses alone will now be our point of focus as we continue to anticipate a somewhat good turn around.

 

A third year MBBS Solomon Islander at the school is hopeful yet cynical about the measures, “I believe they’ll do some kind of remodeling to everyone’s behavior towards work and all these, but I always have these belief that performance comes with passion-if you have a heart for what you’re doing, all these said requirements will just fall in place.”