US medical students in Cuba may be forced to leave

doi:10.1136/bmj.329.7456.14-c

BMJ 2004;329:14 (3 July), doi:10.1136/bmj.329.7456.14-c

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US medical students in Cuba may be forced to leave

New York Jeanne Lenzer

Eighty underprivileged US medical students studying at Cuba�s Latin American School of Medical Sciences may not be able to finish their courses because of a new ruling by President Bush.

As part of Bush�s plan to "hasten Cuba�s transition" to a "post-Castro, democratic existence" US citizens will no longer be allowed to enjoy "fully hosted" stays in Cuba—in other words, where the Cuban government funds their living and tuition costs.

Molly Millerwise, spokeswoman for the US Treasury Department, said that the ruling is part of "another round of crackdowns of Cuba related sanctions."

The students, recruited from poor areas of the United States, were selected to receive full scholarships to the Cuban medical school. The students get free housing, books, tuition, and medical care. The idea for the programme arose when members of the US Congressional Black Caucus visited Cuba in 1999. The law makers complained . . . [Full text of this article]

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