The UGHE community is mourning the passing of Dr. Tomlin Paul, a thoughtful educator and academic leader whose work helped strengthen socially accountable medical education, research, and quality. Dr. Paul Tomlin passed on 9^th, March 2026 peacefully at his home. 

UGHE is deeply saddened by the passing of Dr. Tomlin Paul, a cherished colleague, educator, and leader who helped shape the university’s academic journey. Since joining UGHE in 2021, he brought care, rigor, and conviction to his work, helping strengthen educational quality, research, innovation, and the continued development of UGHE’s competency-based medical education model. 

Dr. Paul brought to UGHE a deep belief that education should serve people. While at UGHE in 2021, Dr. Paul reflected on growing up in rural Trinidad and Tobago, where he learned early that education could change the course of a life. That belief stayed with him throughout his career. He saw medical education not simply as training professionals, but as a way to respond to the health needs of communities and to make healthcare more just, relevant, and humane. 

That vision shaped the way he worked at UGHE. He supported curriculum development, helped strengthen clinical training partnerships, and championed an approach to learning that asked students to understand not only disease, but also history, society, and the lived realities of the people they serve. He was drawn to UGHE’s mission and to its setting in Butaro, a place that reminded him of the rural community that shaped his own life and values. 

UGHE stands in solidarity with his colleagues, students, and friends at the University of the West Indies, where his passing represents a profound loss to the University of the West Indies, the medical profession, and the Caribbean region, which he served with great distinction. 

Dr Tomlin was widely recognised for his contributions to medical education and public health. He was a World Organisation of National Colleges and Associations for Family Physicians five-star doctor awardee and an advocate for student engagement, continuous quality improvement, and social accountability in health professions’ education. 

We extend our heartfelt condolences to Dr. Paul’s family, friends, and all who had the privilege of working and learning alongside him. We also stand in solidarity with his colleagues across the wider academic community during this time of loss. We honor his memory by carrying forward the values he believed in so deeply: quality, equity, community, and education in service of others. 

“Medical training must be oriented to the population, the community, and the needs of society.” – Dr. Paul Tomlin served as Chair of the Education Development and Quality Center (EDQC) and Dean of Research and Innovation at UGHE.