The case for a medical school is compelling – it would strengthen healthcare and create skill jobs
First published in the Jersey Evening Post 2025-07-21
In his insightful JEP article of 25 June, Peter Body posed a compelling question: could Jersey develop its own university as a foundation for a knowledge-based economy? Drawing on examples from other small jurisdictions, he made a powerful case for an institution rooted in disciplines that reflect island strengths – marine science, sustainability, digital innovation. I agree wholeheartedly with that vision. But I also believe there is an important dimension still to be explored: the potential for Jersey to train its own doctors.
This is not a criticism of Peter’s thoughtful contribution, but a reflection of how rich the seam is that we need to mine. If we are serious about building a diversified, resilient economy for the future, medical education and healthcare education more broadly must be a cornerstone just as they are in Malta, Iceland and other relatively small sized jurisdictions that already host medical schools.
At first glance, training doctors on-Island may seem ambitious. We are a small community, with limited infrastructure and no degree-awarding university – at least not yet. But we should not confuse small scale with small potential. Jersey’s size, integration, and strong sense of community could be its greatest educational strengths.
Let’s start with the economic context. Jersey’s prosperity over the past half-century has been built on financial services, and rightly so. It has brought high-value employment, international recognition, and a revenue base that underpins our public services. But it would be naïve to assume this model is permanently secure. Global pressures are mounting: competition from lower-cost jurisdictions, increased regulation, and the disruptive potential of artificial intelligence are converging on the finance sector with real force.
That doesn’t mean finance will disappear – far from it. But it does mean we need to broaden our economic base, reduce strategic risk, and invest in sectors less exposed to these vulnerabilities. Health and care is one such sector. It is local, increasingly knowledge-intensive, and forecast to grow across all developed economies. We will always need doctors, nurses and allied health professionals – and those we train ourselves are more likely to stay, to understand the Island, and to contribute meaningfully to its future.
At present, Jersey relies almost entirely on off-Island training routes for its doctors. Young Islanders leave, often for the UK, to pursue medical education. Some return, many do not. Each year, we compete on an open international market for clinical staff – often at great cost and with limited long-term success in recruitment and retention.
What if we took a different approach? What if we invested in training our own medical workforce, on-Island, through partnership with an established UK medical school and, in time, as part of a University of Jersey?
This is not uncharted territory. Other islands have done it. The University of Malta, population 542,000, trains its own doctors and attracts international students. The University of Iceland, population 389, 000, has a respected medical faculty. Closer to home, the University of the Highlands and Islands supports clinical education across rural and remote campuses – proof that distributed models can work and work well.
Here in Jersey, we already have key ingredients: a general hospital with a good range of services, a strong primary care network, committed clinicians, and a health system that’s increasingly integrated. These are ideal conditions for a particular model of medical education gaining ground internationally – one that fits Jersey not just practically, but philosophically.
Known as the Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship, or LIC, this model replaces traditional short hospital rotations with longer placements based in a single community. Students follow patients over time, across services, and under the joint guidance of GPs and hospital-based specialists. It offers continuity, depth, and a real-world understanding of how care works. In places like rural Scotland, parts of Australia, and several US regions, LICs are helping to train doctors who are more connected to the communities they serve – and more likely to remain in those communities after qualifying.
Jersey could become a leader in this model. The structure of our health system – close-knit, collaborative, and community-based – makes it uniquely well suited. A medical student embedded in a Jersey practice could follow a patient from GP to hospital and back, learning from that experience as part of a joined-up team. They would not just study medicine – they would live it in the way our clinicians already do.
The benefits extend beyond healthcare. Training our own doctors would stimulate academic collaboration, attract research investment, and require teaching infrastructure especially enhanced by telemedicine that could be shared across disciplines. It would also enhance our international reputation – as a place that educates its own professionals, develops its own capacity, and takes its long-term sustainability seriously.
This is not a short-term fix, and it’s not inexpensive. But it’s achievable – especially if we begin with a partnership model, working alongside a UK medical school already running LIC placements. Over time, this could evolve into a distinctive medical programme under a Jersey university – not defined by size or mimicry of others, but by its fit for our Island’s needs and values.
Of course, there are challenges. We’ll need to ensure quality, secure accreditation, recruit and support educators, and develop a viable business model. But none of these are insurmountable – and the alternative is to continue relying on external systems that are themselves under strain.
The debate Peter Body helped open deserves to continue – and to widen. Medical education should be part of that conversation, not as an afterthought, but as a core pillar of what a knowledge economy could mean for Jersey.
It is time to ask bold questions: not just what we can afford, but what we can build. Not just how we train doctors, but where, and for whom. But for now, I offer this simple idea: if we are serious about transition, resilience, and self-determination, then training our own doctors is not a luxury. It is a strategic necessity.