FAQs

Yes, of course. The pre-med science courses offered are: Introduction Biology I & II with a lab, General Chemistry I & II with a lab, Organic Chemistry I & II with a lab, General Physics I & II with a lab, Cell Biology, Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology, and Genetics and Microbiology.

Yes. American International College of Arts and Sciences—Antigua (AICASA)* offers a number of premed and other prerequisite coursework applicable to AUA, including but not limited to: Introduction Biology I & II with lab, General Chemistry I & II with lab, Organic Chemistry I & II with lab, General Physics I & II with lab, Cell Biology, Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology, and Genetics and Microbiology. 

Further details are available in the AICASA* homepage.

*Although AUA accepts credits from AICASA under certain circumstances, the two are wholly separated educational institutions.

Yes. Upon receiving their DVM or equivalent degrees, graduates will need to pass the North American Veterinary Licensing Exam (NAVLE) and fulfill the requirements of the states in which they wish to practice. Students graduating from an international institution, if it is not AVMA accredited, will need to obtain certification by either the Educational Commission of Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG) or the Program for the Assessment of Veterinary Education Equivalence (PAVE) program in order to be eligible to sit for the NAVLE. Students graduating from Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS)-certified programs will be able to practice veterinary medicine in Europe.

AUA offers multiple tracks through which students can earn their DVM, including the only opportunity in the Caribbean for qualified students to transfer to and earn their degree from a U.S. veterinary college. All students begin their studies with the Pre-clinical Component on the safe and tranquil island of Antigua. Upon completion of pre-clinicals, students are offered the opportunity, depending on eligibility and seat availability, to potentially transfer to an affiliated institutions.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that jobs for veterinarians will increase by 35 percent by 2016. Coupled with a dramatic shortage of veterinarians in farm areas across America and the constant need for research into zoonotic diseases, there will always be a need for veterinarians.

The Pre-clinical per-semester tuition is $12,600. This is a value compared to the other Caribbean veterinary schools, whose tuition costs average approximately $14,420 per semester. The Tuition and Fees page contains a complete breakdown of costs to students.

There are currently 28 vet schools in the United States. The number of seats in U.S. veterinary programs has remained largely the same since 1983, but the number of applicants has risen significantly. According to the latest AAVMC statistics, only approximately 33% of applicants were accepted. Getting into a U.S. vet school is statistically more challenging than getting into medical school.

Through the American International College of Arts and Sciences—Antigua (AICASA), qualified students are able to fulfill premedical requirements and/or earn an Associate Degree in Health Sciences. Upon successful completion of the premed program, students will be eligible to apply to AUA College of Medicine’s MD program

KMCIC faculty remains unrivalled with many members who are accomplished researchers and notable scientists in their respective fields. They are published authors who continue to produce articles and author textbooks. They are sensitive to their students’ needs and are easily accessible.

Applicants are required to have at least 60 credits of prerequisite and elective college coursework, and have taken the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). For a complete list of application requirements, see the Admissions Requirements page.

Admissions are accepted on a rolling basis. The College of Medicine program has entry dates in February and August.

Yes. AUA meets the following specific criteria, all of which are mandatory for graduates to be eligibile to practice in the United States:

• Curriculum based on a United States medical school model.
• Listing by the International Medical Education Directory (IMED).
• Eligibility for graduates to become ECFMG Certified.
• Listing by the World Health Organization (WHO).
• Eligibility of graduates to practice in the country (not just the jurisdiction) where the school is located.
• Eligibility of graduates to participate in the National Residency Match Program (NRMP).
• Eligibility to participate in residency licensure and clinical training in New York State.
• Eligibility to participate in residency licensure and clinical training in California State*.

*Students must complete their Basic Sciences studies at the AUA Campus in Antigua or if transferring from another institution to AUA, that university must be recognized by the Medical Board of California in order to be eligible for clinical rotations, residency placements and medical licensure in the State of California.

Important note: AUA students who matriculate into the Basic Sciences studies at the Kasturba Medical College International Center (KMCIC) are eligible to participate at all other sites available to AUA students for all clinical rotations, residency placements and medical licensure EXCEPT in the State of California.

KMCIC has clinical sites in the United States at teaching hospitals and various clinical out-patient programs that are affiliated with US medical schools. Students start their clinical education by attending the Family Practice I / Internal Medicine I (formerly known as The fifth semester) taught at the clinical sites as a bridge between the basic science curriculum and the clinical science curriculum at one of AUA’s current four locations in the United States—The Physician Education Group in Atlanta, GA, Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY, Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY, or Richmond University Medical Center in Staten Island, NY. Then students sit for the USMLE Step 1 examination. Students are then required to rotate through 44 weeks of required Core disciplines and 31 weeks of elective clerkships. The Core disciplines are Internal Medicine, Surgery, Family Medicine, OB-GYN, Pediatrics and Psychiatry. All rotations are completed at ACGME-affiliated teaching hospitals in the United States.

*Students must complete their Basic Sciences studies at the AUA Campus in Antigua or if transferring from another institution to AUA, that university must be recognized by the Medical Board of California in order to be eligible for clinical rotations, residency placements and medical licensure in the State of California.

Important note: AUA students who matriculate into the Basic Sciences studies at the Kasturba Medical College International Center (KMCIC) are eligible to participate at all other sites available to AUA students for all clinical rotations, residency placements and medical licensure EXCEPT in the State of California.

AUA is now accepting transfer students into the Clinical semesters. 

The Basic Sciences (pre-clinical) component , taught on Antigua, encompasses the first two academic years of medical studies.

The AUA 4-Year MD Program begins with Basic Sciences, the pre-clinical portion of the curriculum. This component generally requires two academic years to complete, with courses being held on the main campus in Antigua. It is followed by Fifth Semester (18 weeks), which acts as a bridge to segue students into the Clinical Sciences component and helps prepare them to take the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1. Students then participate in 75 weeks of Clinical Sciences rotations, conducted at teaching hospitals in the United States. Near the conclusion of Clinical Sciences, students must sit for both parts of the USMLE Step 2. Upon passing both exams, students are eligible to secure a residency position. Students then complete their final clinical rotations, and become eligible for graduation.

AUA is committed to maintaining a low student-faculty ratio. Lecture breakout sessions, problem-based learning and classroom-integrated teaching technology allow for a personalized learning experience. Students will not be just another number.

Rotations are conducted at AUA-affiliated teaching hospitals and clinical outpatient programs  in the United States. AUA is continually expanding and improving this network.

AUA’s curriculum is integrated and flexible, going beyond examinations and preparing the students to face the challenges that await them in clinical training and practice. AUA is one of only two international medical schools to utilize a U.S. modeled two-semester program based on emerging paradigms in medical education, featuring a clinically integrated course of study in which students accompany attending doctors and interact with patients beginning in students’ first semester. The courses employ a variety of teaching methods other than large group didactics, such as small group sessions, clinical case discussions, simulations and hands-on laboratory experience. This curriculum promotes the skill and art of medicine, critical thinking and lifetime learning.

Yes. AUA’s Student Financial Services (SFS) office will assist students in identifying and obtaining financing solutions. Qualified students can take advantage of a private student loan program, as well as a number of scholarship programs. Other grant sources may be available to cover the cost of attendance for students who meet certain academic, educational and credit score criteria. The SFS staff will provide assistance with the loan application process, help students budget and offer guidance to manage overall debt and credit report concerns prior to submitting an application.

AUA is located on the Caribbean island of Antigua, the larger island in the nation of Antigua and Barbuda . Antigua sits approximately 325 miles east of Puerto Rico, at the northern end of the Leeward Island chain. The island is one of the safest and most modern in the area, and is accessible by direct flights from major airports in the United States and Canada.

The Basic Sciences component comprises four semesters of classroom curriculum and the application of basic sciences to clinical medicine. The courses employ a variety of teaching methods other than large group didactics, such as small group sessions, clinical case discussions, simulations and hands-on laboratory and patient experience. As part of our hospital-integrated program, first and fourth semester students attend teaching rounds at the general hospital conducted by our faculty. Students are exposed to patients of all age groups. In addition, students practice history taking and physical examinations with patients in our ICM laboratory. Further practice with simulated patients is provided in the Patient Simulation Lab. Third and fourth semester students also attend autopsies at the hospital as part of their pathology course.

The Basic Sciences courses instill the foundational skills students will need to succeed as practicing physicians, and provide students with the necessary knowledge to sit for and pass the USMLE Step I Exam.  Integrated Review of the Basic Science Review (IRBS) distills these studies into a comprehensive curriculum. Students prepare by taking a series of Comp Shelf Examinations, and must achieve a passing score in order to be promoted from Basic Sciences into clinical rotations.

At the moment, no one clinical site includes all of the Core and Elective clerkships necessary to complete the Clinical Sciences semesters. AUA is constantly working to add new affiliations, however, and hopes to offer such a site in the future.

You will be assigned a Clinical Coordinator who will support you and appoint your clinical rotations. You are responsible for contacting your coordinator to begin scheduling.

The newly built Mount St. John’s Medical Centre , located in St. John’s, Antigua, is one of the most modern health facilities in the Caribbean. AUA students begin interacting with patients in this hospital setting during their first semester. In addition, AUA Clinical Skills Lab ensures the student is fully versed in clinical procedures and protocols. This greatly facilitates student transition into the Clinical Sciences rotations at U.S. hospitals.

The final component of your medical education consists of approximately two years of Clinical Sciences.   Conducted at affiliated teaching hospitals throughout the U.S., Clinical Sciences rotations provide in-depth training and introduction to medical specializations. Under the supervision of AUA faculty and affiliated hospital personnel, students learn how to apply their Basic Sciences knowledge to hands-on treatment of patients.

While some of our affiliated hospitals offer all of the Core services and several elective opportunities we do not currently have agreements with any facility that encompasses all Core clerkships in one location. Also, many specialty hospitals do not provide all of the needed Core clerkships in one geographic location. We are, however, continuing to build new relationships that will allow for such arrangements.

You will be assigned a Clinical Coordinator who will support you and appoint your clinical rotations, however, you are responsible for contacting your coordinator to begin scheduling.

KMCIC is unique because it is the only US-modeled curriculum where clinical training begins in the very first semester. Clinical rotations are done in U.S. affiliated hospitals.

The Basic Science courses are designed to provide students with the necessary knowledge to sit for and then pass the USMLE Step I Exam.