BELIZE CITY, Wed. Nov. 10, 2021 — Through a partnership between the Belmopan City Council and the American Northwest University in Belmopan, a total of 36 Belizean students have received the opportunity to pursue a 6-year medical degree. The partnership, a brainchild of Belmopan mayor, Sheran Palacio, whose daughter, Mystery Furtado, is the CEO of ANU, will provide full scholarships for 10 students and 90% coverage for the other students.
ANU is located in Belize at 2 Dry Creek Street, in the City of Belmopan. The school offers 6 and 4-year medical degree programs with clinical rotations in Chicago at its own medical centers, says the university’s website.
The students received their scholarships after submitting their academic records and accomplishments for consideration. With the shortage of medical professionals in Belize, the awarding of these scholarships to these 36 potential medical professionals is timely and well- received. The scholarship offer was extended to students from all over the country.
According to the university’s CEO, Ms. Furtado, the goal is to begin to train Belizeans in the medical profession in-country. She said that coursework during the first four years of the program will be carried out in Belize on the ANU campus in Belmopan and the last two years of the internship will take place abroad.
Unconfirmed reports are that the scholarships to the 36 students for the 6-year period are worth 6 million dollars in total.