The acting dean of Fiji's School of Medicine admits the political climate there has made it tougher for students, but it hasn't affected student numbers.
Dr Apenisa Ratu says the state of the economy and high cost of living has had an impact on the 1,000 students at the school, but he encourages applicants from the Pacific to continue to enrol in their programmes.
The Fiji school may soon be in competition with the Samoa-based Oceania University of Medicine, if that institution wins the accreditation it is pushing for.
Dr Ratu says that will be a challenge but he is not too fazed.
"We have been the popular choice or if not the premium health care professional training institution in the Pacific. We have got students from all over the Pacific. In fact 16 island countries in the Pacific region. As far as being welcome to study in Fiji, we haven't had any problems at all."
Dr Apenisa Ratu of Fiji's School of Medicine.
