Medical school is challenging but it shouldn’t be impossible. Students usually have lower GPAs in the first two semesters because many pre-medical programs do not adequately prepare their students for the rigors of medical school. Despite providing these students with the scientific knowledge needed for medical training, they do not simulate a medical school experience. The Bridge to MD program is a pre-medical program that comprehensively prepares students for all aspects of medical school.

Bridge to MD, offered by Manipal Education Americas, is an intensive pre-medical program that mirrors a typical medical school curriculum. The entire program lasts 17-weeks and covers three courses: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Functional Neuroanatomy, and Physiology and Biophysics. Travel to Miami, FL is required for orientation and the first lecture for each course (week 1) and again for review sessions and the final exam (week 17).  For the weeks in-between, courses are completed online.

Courses require only 12 hours per week (or 2 hours per subject), which includes lectures and discussions, and are flexible to your schedule: they are recorded and available throughout the semester. Weekly exams are administered at Prometric Test Centers and are based on the material covered that week.

Although the program is non-traditional, the material and faculty are straight from medical school. Reading assignments and textbooks (available online) are currently in use by medical students.  The professors have taught at U.S. medical schools and their research has appeared in dozens of peer-reviewed journals. For example, Prof. George Lotocki has taught students at the University of Miami School of Medicine and Prof. Anthony Smith has taught undergraduate microbiology/immunology and biochemistry courses at the University of Minnesota. All professors are available to answer your questions via email or, if you schedule an appointment, via phone or Skype.

This accelerated program has proven to increase student GPAs and USMLE scores. The few Caribbean medical schools with similar programs have had students score in the top percentile for the USMLE Step 1 and 2, but that’s not the only benefit.  Qualified students who complete the Bridge to MD program will be guaranteed admission into American University of Antigua (AUA) College of Medicine. AUA College of Medicine is approved by the New York State Education Department, recognized by the Medical Board of California, and provisionally accredited by the Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education in Medicine and other Health Professions. The American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin has approved AUA as the leader in international medical education.

Because students will develop their study skills and participate in a rigorous science curriculum, the Bridge to MD program provides an excellent opportunity for students to not only strengthen their chances of being accepted to medical school, but also prepares them to succeed.