American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine

• Location: Sint Maarten, Netherlands
• Year of foundation: 1978
• Language of instruction: English
• Number of students: more than 500
• Type: mixed.

The American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC) is a private international medical school.

AUC students begin their education in Sint Maarten, located in the northeastern Caribbean, where they complete the first five semesters of the program on a state-of-the-art campus using advanced educational technology in a collegial learning environment. Students will then be able to choose one institution from a network of affiliates in the U.S. and U.K. to continue their studies for another two years.

The school of medicine provides a supportive environment for learning, allowing its students to learn both the basics of medicine and more in-depth disciplines related to their interests in the field.

By attending AUC Medical School, students learn an exciting mix of Dutch, French, African and American cultures on the island of Saint Martin. With residents from over 90 different countries, art and music from around the world, cuisine from French to Vietnamese, the daily lives of students will not be monotonous.

Students have the opportunity to live on or off campus. Residential buildings are built of reinforced concrete, and the blocks are equipped with hurricane blinds that withstand the storm of the fifth category.

On the study territory prepared 80 single and double furnished apartments, as well as many places for recreation.

Features of housing on campus:

• Necessary furniture,
• Spacious, fully equipped kitchen with fridge, stove and microwave,
• Bathroom for each bedroom,
• Charging for phone, wireless internet, cable TV,
• Air conditioning
• Dining room, living room,
• Many apartments have balconies overlooking the ocean,
• Leisure facilities, including a fully equipped gym,
• From the hostel you can walk to the beach,
• Shaded recreation areas on site.

The location of the apartments allows students to quickly get to the academic buildings.

The distribution of housing on campus is carried out on a first-come, first-served basis. A deposit of $1650 will be required for check-in. The semester cost of living is:

• Single room – 5575$,
• Bedroom with double bed – 4750$.

All utilities – water, electricity and internet – are included in the price.

Employees of the institution help with the search for housing outside the AUC. About 90% of students live within walking distance of the medical school. There are several areas to choose from:

• Beacon Hill, 
• Kupekoy,
• Pelican Cay,
• Simpson Bay,
• Point Pirouette.

A free shuttle service is available to transport students. The pick-up service is valid from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Daily, from the entrance to the campus to the dormitories in Kupekoy and Maho. Students who decide to get to campus by car can apply for a Sing-Martin driver's license upon arrival on the island.

On the territory of the AUC there is a large dining room, where students can purchase full meals, snacks, drinks, pastries and other dishes. Thanks to the wide variety of restaurants on the island, students can eat out every day and rarely not dine in the same place twice. Sint Maarten features cuisines of many nationalities, including top-notch French, Italian, Texas-Mexican, Thai, Vietnamese, Indian, Japanese, Chinese, as well as local barbecue ribs and chicken.

Outside of school hours, university students can explore the terrain of the island: relax on one of the many beautiful beaches, go snorkeling or water skiing, kitesurfing, parasailing or other water sports. Also near the educational buildings there are cinemas, nightclubs, restaurants, golf courses, shopping centers. Shopping in Sint Maarten is one of the popular aspects of life, as the island is duty-free.

The institution conducts electives on global health in the Dominican Republic, India, Uganda, Vietnam, Zimbabwe.

Many clubs and associations have been established on campus to develop students' extracurricular interests. Among them:

• American Association of Medical Students,
• Assistants to the teacher of anatomy,
• Association of Black Medical Students,
• Christian Medical and Dental Association,
• Student Judiciary Committee,
• Disaster Medicine Interest Group,
• A society of honor and service.

• The cumulative USMLE pass rate over the past five years is 92.4%.
• 96% of graduates enter the further stage of education.
• Cooperation with the University of Central Lancashire, a network of hospitals in the USA and the UK.
• All programs are accredited.
• The opportunity to come to study with the family and arrange children for school.

Sint Maarten is a 37-square-mile island in the Caribbean Sea. It is located 150 miles from Puerto Rico, owned by the governments of France and the Netherlands Antilles, but the AUC campus is on the Dutch side.  In Sint Maarten, English is spoken everywhere, the accepted currency is the US dollar. Despite this, the island retains many elements of French, Dutch culture and heritage.

The windows of the educational buildings overlook the beautiful Simpson Bay Lagoon. The campus is next to a golf course and the eponymous Mullett Bay beach: the location allows students to access wild beaches, diving and sailing sites, countless markets and community centers.

The campus is equipped with:

• Modern lecture halls with audio and video technologies, including lecture recording systems,
• Clinical examination rooms for patients,
• Extensive medical library, online portal with access to free electronic resources and journals,
• Student Computer Test Center,
• Simulation Laboratory, Harvey Simulator,
• Fully equipped laboratory of anatomical autopsies with medical imaging,
• Laboratory of Applied Research,
• Residential buildings,
• Fitness center,
• Cafeteria, dining room,
• Student lounges,
• Classes for self-study.

The territory is prepared for the training of persons with disabilities. Round-the-clock video surveillance is conducted in all buildings, and there is a security system in the courtyards.

There are three semesters in the academic year:

• Spring: January-April,
• Summer: May-August,
• Autumn: September-December.

Classes are held from Monday to Friday, extracurricular activities - after classes or on weekends.

Additional costs vary depending on the program chosen. Common ones are:

• Fee for participation in the Association of Student Self-Government - from $ 35,
• Health insurance, including administrative fees – from 359 to 1026 $ per semester,
• Accommodation in a hostel - from 4750 $,
• Educational resources – 263-269$,
• Administrative fee (if not included in the insurance) – 5086$,
• Medical malpractice insurance – $319 per semester,
• Reservation of a place for enrollment – 1000$,
• Security deposit for housing – 1650$,
• The fee for a residence permit is $ 280.

To enter the AUC , you must go through several stages:

• Filling out an online application or questionnaire (when visiting campus or online),
• Visiting an introductory tour or communicating with AUC representatives online,
• Provision of required documents, payment of the registration fee,
• Passing entrance tests, interview,
• Reservation of accommodation on campus,
• Waiting for official enrollment.

Graduates of the institution are eligible to obtain a medical license in all 50 U.S. states, Canada, and Puerto Rico.

On average, about 96% of graduates enter the selected institutions to continue their studies in residency or practice. 

The alumni community includes more than 7500 successful medical professionals practicing in the United States, Canada and abroad. Most of them received residency degrees before graduation as part of the National Resident Selection Program in leading hospitals and medical centers in the United States.

The university operates in a continuous admission format: this means that applicants can enroll in training at the beginning of each semester - in September, January and May.

For admission you need:

• Bachelor's degree with a strong scientific bias,
• Two semesters (8 credit hours), including laboratory work in each of the following subjects: general biology, chemistry, organic chemistry or biochemistry,
• One semester of study in general physics, calculus or statistics,
• MCAT Entrance Test or its equivalent,
• IELTS (from 6.0) or TOEFL (from 75) test results,
• Chronology of education, work and volunteer experience, starting from high school,
• Personal resume, statement of no more than 750 words,
• Letters of recommendation from a teacher-academician, an active physician,
• Official transcripts of all schools attended.

The list of scholarships provided at the AUC is quite extensive. Basically, academically successful students are encouraged, but financial assistance is also received by those students who are recognized as financially vulnerable.

Scholarship programs:

• International scholarship – $ 80,000 to citizens living outside the United States and Canada,
• Scholarship for future students,
• Promotion of academic merit,
• Dean's Academic Scholarship,
• Academic Excellence Trustee Scholarship,
• First generation scholarship for medical school – $ 50,000 for those who already have a medical professional in the family,
• MERP Success Scholarship – $18,500 to $55,000 for lifelong completions of the MERP program,
• Award for community service – up to $30,000 ,
• Graduate Heritage Scholarship – covers the full cost of tuition,
• Mississippi College Scholarship – $10,000 to qualified masters of biology enrolled from the college,
• Medical scholarship for citizens of Australia and New Zealand, Canada – 80 000$,
• Thompson Rivers University Partner Scholarship – $7500 to graduates within the last five years,
• AUC Partnership Scholarship for Sint Maarten Citizens,
• Award for social responsibility for those who have contributed to the life of the island,
• Student Engagement Award for students active in campus life.

• Guardianship services during the studies
• Student supervision