‘I just need a chance’: Medical student fights to return to the classroom

KINGSTON, Jamaica — A first-year medical student whose studies were put on hold after she was unable to pay her tuition fees is appealing for public support to help her return to the classroom and continue pursuing her dream of becoming a doctor.

At 19 years old, Tavonya Lounds had already mapped out her future.

For as long as she can remember, becoming a doctor was the dream. It was the goal she repeated during school guidance sessions, the ambition she shared with family, and the path she worked toward through years of studying.

But months after entering medical school, that dream was placed on hold not because of academic failure, but because of a financial barrier she could not overcome.

“I didn’t finish semester one and if you have an outstanding balance at the university, you’re not able to start a new semester,” Lounds said.

Lounds, a first-year Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) student at the University of West Indies, Mona, from Hampton Court, St Thomas, is now seeking assistance to clear her outstanding tuition balance and return to her studies. She has launched a fund-raising campaign, hoping to raise enough support to continue her education.

The annual cost of tuition for a full-fee paying medical student is approximately $4.5 million, she said. The Student Loan Bureau (SLB) provided her with $1 million, which covered only part of her first semester’s fees, leaving a significant balance unpaid.

She said the financial strain became more difficult after her family’s circumstances changed. Her mother, who is employed overseas, had already been supporting another child pursuing studies abroad and was uncertain how much additional assistance she could provide.

That left Lounds hoping her father would contribute toward her education.

“Essentially, the responsibility was on my father to pick up the slack. Because there are lots of people who don’t pay the full fee before the year is actually finished… The university does understand to a point if you are showing initiative,” she explained.

However, Lounds said she felt abandoned when the financial support she expected did not materialise.

“I don’t think he cared enough,” she said, before adding that she did not want to assume his intentions. “There is no way your child has such big ambitions, and from the first time she says, ‘I want to go to med school and become a doctor,’ that you don’t understand how important it is.”

Lounds’ journey to medical school was not without challenges.

While completing secondary education, she faced difficult personal circumstances including the death of her grandma that affected her academic experience and mental wellbeing. Despite those struggles, she continued working toward her goal.

Her academic record reflects that determination.

She earned all grade ones in CSEC subjects, including biology, chemistry, mathematics, English language, English literature, geography, information technology with physics being her only grade two. In CAPE Unit 1, she earned all two’s in biology, chemistry, communication studies with computer science being the only grade three. In CAPE Unit 2, she achieved a grade one in biology, a two in chemistry, a three in computer science, and a two in caribbean studies.

“I had to try my best. I was trying to stay afloat as best as possible. But naturally my CAPE grades had to be good because I wouldn’t have gotten into the programme if my grades weren’t good,” she said.

The financial pressure of medical school, combined with family challenges, took a toll on Lounds’ mental health.

During her first semester, she said there were times when she struggled to leave her room because she felt judged by others.

“There was a point in time I didn’t even leave my room while I was still on campus because I felt like I was constantly being looked down on,” she said.

The stress eventually became overwhelming, and Lounds sought professional mental health support.

“I had to visit the hospital to see a psychiatrist just last month [June] because this is genuinely too much for me,” she said. “To sit back and feel like everything is passing me by.”

She said comments that she is young and has time do not lessen the frustration she feels.

“That is so unfair to me because knowing where I’m from and what I had to go through, I worked for this,” she said.

Lounds has shared her fund-raising campaign on social media platforms, including Instagram and TikTok, but said asking for help publicly has been difficult.

“It’s really hard to be a voice in a sea of people,” she said. “Everybody is talking about other things, and I’m here asking for help.”

Still, she continues sharing the campaign because she believes it could reach someone willing to assist.

“What if it works and it reaches the right people?” she said. “And I actually get a break.”

Lounds said several individuals have supported her by sharing information, offering advice, and helping her explore possible solutions.

She has also sought assistance through other avenues, including her Member of Parliament’s office and scholarship opportunities. However, she said she has faced challenges accessing certain forms of financial assistance because she is currently on a leave of absence without penalty and is not actively registered for classes.

Despite the setbacks, Lounds said she has not given up on becoming a doctor.

“I just want the opportunity to finish what I started,” Lounds said.

Those willing to assistance can donate via the GoFundme link https://gofund.me/8bac09b10  or contact her at 876 468-7941.