The AUA Admissions Committee evaluates applicants holistically. All the pieces of the application package matter. The Admissions Committee will determine if you have the academic ability and motivation to pursue a rigorous medical school education. In making the final decision on an application, the Committee looks beyond GPAs and test scores in order to see if the candidate will ultimately succeed at our University and as a physician.
4-Year MD Degree Program
6-Year AS/BHHS-to-MD Degree Program
Examination Requirements
Foreign Documents
Application Checklist
Transfer Applicants
4-YEAR MD DEGREE PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
AUA requires at least 90 credits of college courses, but strongly recommends that applicants earn a degree from an accredited undergraduate institution. The following prerequisite courses are required:
- One Year (8 hours) of Inorganic or General Chemistry (with labs)
- One Year (8 hours) of Organic Chemistry (with labs)
- One Year (8 hours) of General Biology or Zoology (with labs)
- One Semester (4 hours) of Physics (with labs)
- One Semester (3 hours) of English
- One Semester (3 hours) of Calculus or Statistics
It is strongly advised that applicants complete advanced science courses in Biochemistry, Anatomy/Physiology, Genetics, Microbiology, etc. in order to be adequately prepared for the curriculum at our University.
Currently, AUA does not accept IB/AP credits for students unless those credits are part of a student’s BS/BA transcript, and were certified by the degree-granting institution. Contact the Admissions department if you have any questions about your application or need a preliminary evaluation of your credentials.
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6-YEAR AS/BHHS-TO-MD DEGREE PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
High School & Non-Traditional Students
Successful candidates must have a high school diploma with a minimum GPA of 3.0, and a combined score of 1100 on the SAT (Verbal and Math) or a 24 on the ACT. Applicants must have completed at least 3 years of Science, English and Mathematics courses.
CARICOM Country Students:
Successful candidates must have a high school diploma, 5th Form diploma, or its equivalent with a minimum GPA of 3.0.General or Technical CXC scores of 1 or 2 in English, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology will enhance your application. SAT or ACT scores from CARICOM and other foreign graduates are not required but recommended.
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EXAMINATION REQUIREMENTS
International Applicants who have completed less than sixty credits at an English language college or university must provide the official score reports from ONE of the following exams:
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The minimum acceptable score is 550 on the paper-based test or 213 on the computer-based test.
OR
International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The minimum acceptable score is 5.5.
Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)
The MCAT is not required. Applicants who have taken the MCAT examination are highly encouraged to submit their scores to us. While it will not detract from your application if you do not submit your scores to us, it may help qualify you for acceptance.
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FOREIGN DOCUMENTS
Applicants who have completed their undergraduate studies in countries having an educational system different from that of the United States will be evaluated on their merits and will be expected to have completed a pre-medical curriculum comparable to that described above. All required documents, if originally in a foreign language, must be accompanied by a notarized English translation. All transcripts documenting post-secondary course work completed in institutions outside the United States must also be evaluated by an approved international credential evaluation service such as World Education Services or National Association of Credential Evaluations Services (NACES).
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APPLICATION CHECKLIST
A complete application contains the following documents:
- Non-refundable application fee of $75.00 USD.
- Two official letters of recommendation (LOR):
- The LOR must be on official letterhead stationery and signed by the recommender.
- At least one LOR must be from a college professor unless the applicant is in the workforce and has no recent academic history. This recommendation should be from a pre-medical professor acquainted with the applicant's academic ability.
- A Pre-Health Committee recommendation package from your college or university will satisfy this requirement.
- You may also want to have letters sent on your behalf from employers, medical colleagues and other advisors; all letters must be sent directly to the Admissions Office through the mail.
- A Dean's letter is required only in cases where an applicant has been dismissed from another medical school for non-academic reasons.
- Official transcript(s) from each undergraduate, graduate, medical, and/ or professional school attended. These must be mailed directly to AUA’s New York office in a sealed envelope.
- Official report of scores on the TOEFL or IELTS (for applicants whose academic background has been substantially in languages other than English).
- Personal Statement:
- This must be typed in 11-point Arial font with 1.5 line spacing.
- It should be no less than one page and no more than two pages in length.
- You should use this essay to explain your reasons for considering a career in medicine, what makes you a potential asset to AUA and any significant accomplishments or additional information that you feel would be useful to the Admissions Committee in evaluating your application.
- Plagiarism is an academic offense and will disqualify you from consideration.
- Current resume or CV.
- Passport-size photo.
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TRANSFER APPLICANTS
AUA will only accept transfers at the Basic Sciences level. We no longer accept transfer students into the 5th or clinical semesters. Please contact an Admissions Representative for further information.
TRANSFER POLICY INTO AUA:
The Admissions Committee accepts credits for transfer from:
- All mainland US LCME accredited medical schools and DO schools
- St. George’s University School of Medicine (Grenada)
- Ross University SOM (Dominica)
- American University of the Caribbean (St. Maarten)
- Saba University SOM (Saba)
- Medical University of the Americas (Nevis)
- St. Matthews University SOM (Grand Cayman)
The Admissions Committee does not accept credits for transfer from:
- Windsor University (St. Kitts)
- St. Christopher Ibu Mar Diop (Luton, UK)
- Spartan (St. Lucia)
- University of Health Sciences (Antigua)
- St. Eustatius University SOM (St. Eustatius)
- Medical University of the Americas (Belize)
- Universidad Iboamericana (Dominican Republic)
- St. James (Bonaire)
- Xavier (Bonaire)
- All Saints (Aruba and Dominica)
- Milik University SOM (St. Kitts)
- International American University SOM (St. Lucia)
- American Global University (Belize)
- Trinity University (St. Vincent)
- University of Medical and Health Sciences (St. Kitts)
Transfer credits will not be accepted from any school not listed on either of these lists until evidence justifies otherwise.
Students from any school will be considered if their extraordinary academic performance and USMLE scores warrant such consideration. These will only be forwarded to the committee with the approval of the VP for Enrollment Management, and the University President.
Prospective transfer students enrolled, or previously enrolled, in an approved medical school may apply for admission with advanced standing. Applicants must arrange with the medical school they are currently attending for an official transcript of their academic record to be sent to AUA. Applicants who have taken the USMLE Step I or Step II, successfully or not, must also provide copies of their test results. Transfer applicants must meet all of AUA’s admission requirements and will be placed in the appropriate semester depending on how many credits are accepted.