UVI sophomores Shanedelle Norford and Malori Callender have been selected to enter the University of the Virgin Islands' Boston University Early Medical School Selection Program. Norford and Callender will each attend Boston University this summer and will return to UVI in the fall. Currently, there are eight UVI students at various stages of the program.

UVI students selected to the Early Medical School Selection Program at the end of their sophomore year spend two summers and their senior year at Boston University fulfilling the requirements for a bachelor of science degree in biology from UVI, while taking first-year medical school courses. Upon the successful completion of the requirements, with a grade point average of 3.0, the students receive their bachelor's degrees from UVI and enter the medical school at Boston University, having completed about half of the first-year requirements.

1999 UVI graduate Sionne George, of St. Thomas, participated in the Boston University Early Medical School Selection program and will receive her medical degree from Boston University this month.

UVI is one of only 10 undergraduate colleges selected by the Boston University Medical School to participate in the program, which admits academically talented undergraduate science majors to the medical school early. Participating colleges are selected based on the strengths of their science programs and faculty.

This year, Carissa Webster Lake of St. Thomas received a bachelor of science degree from UVI. She will enter the medical school at Boston University in the fall.

In 2005, Early Medical School Selection Program participants Timothy Del Sol and Wissam Mustafa received their bachelor's degrees from UVI. They have completed their first full year of medical school at Boston University.

In 2002, four University of the Virgin Islands students -- Jinne Richards, DeNita Lima, Vicki-Ann Samuel and Nicole Hanley -- were accepted into the early medical school selection program.

In 2001, Sharyn Niles was selected to participate. Sharyn is in her third year of medical school at Boston University.

UVI graduates who have received their medical degrees through the UVI-Boston University Early Medical School Selection Program include: Drs. Richard Brown, Tarsha Brown, Dorette Noorhasan, Marisela Noorhasan, Monique Walcott and Lisa Burroughs of St. Croix and Drs. Lauren Nandlal Brown, CheriseWard, Glenville Morton, Brian C. Martin, Pearl C. Christie, Kirsten Shuck and Joanne Murren of St. Thomas.

For further information about the Boston University Early Medical School Selection Program at UVI please contact Dr. Sandra Romano at (340) 693-1389.