Choosing the right medical school can be a daunting task. With the amount of time and financial resources that med school requires, you want to ensure that the program you select will give you the best possible experience. Every individual’s needs are different, but learning about an institution’s reputation and what makes it stand out can help you narrow your selection.
When researching medical schools prospective students often look up reviews, statistics and opportunities various medicals have. Many are curious to know is American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC) a good medical school? What do AUC reviews and AUC medical school statistics tell us? Let’s go through the top five reasons you should consider AUC for medical school.
1. ACCREDITATION
Accreditation might not be the first thing you think of when determining where to go to med school, but it should be a key factor in selecting a program. Medical school accreditation helps determine if an institution meets or exceeds minimum quality standards. Employers often require that job candidates have received a degree from an accredited university, so you want to be sure your school is accredited.
Since 1995, AUC has been accredited by the Accreditation Commission on Colleges of Medicine (ACCM)*, the governing body for St. Maarten. ACCM has been recognized by the US Department of Education as having standards comparable to those used for US school accreditation. This medical school accreditation lets potential employers know that you have received a quality education and should be strongly considered for any position in your field.
2. USMLE SUCCESS RATE
One of the biggest hurdles in medical school is getting through the United States Medical Licensing Examination® (USMLE®), a series of examinations that all med students must pass in order to become independent, licensed physicians. According to AUC medical school reviews and statistics, students have a highly successful examination rate for each phase of the USMLE exam.
Step 1 is arguably the most important of the USMLE exams, with your score significantly affecting how competitive you are in the residency match. The medical sciences portion of AUC's curriculum, taught during students' first five semesters, includes USMLE preparation for Step 1. AUC students’ five-year cumulative first-time pass rate for the USMLE Step 1 exam is 93%. In 2019, the Step 1 pass rate for AUC students was 94%.
3. 97% FIRST-TIME RESIDENCY ATTAINMENT RATE
When reading AUC medical school reviews another important statistic to consider is the number of students who are placed in a residency position after applying for the first time. Since 2019, AUC’s first-time residency attainment rate for graduates has been above 90%. AUC’s 2022-23 graduating class achieved a 97% first-time eligible residency attainment rate in 24 different specialties*.
In 2022, graduates earned positions in 39 U.S. states/territories and Canada. Graduates also earned positions in anesthesiology, emergency medicine, general surgery, OB/Gyn, physical medicine, rehabilitation, and radiology.
4. SMALL CLASS SIZES, INDIVIDUALIZED ATTENTION
Many medical school environments are sink or swim, with students receiving no individualized attention from faculty or staff. At AUC, students can achieve their best in a supportive learning environment, enabling them to learn the foundations of medicine according to the U.S. medical school curriculum model.
AUC students benefit from a close-knit community characterized by small incoming class sizes, attentive and accessible faculty, along with the comforts of home that allow students to focus on their studies. “The close-knit campus environment took me by surprise,” says AUC alum Hamna Rashid. “I went to a really large undergrad school and I didn’t experience that there.” Current students really thrive in this environment as reflected in their AUC med school reviews.
5. GLOBAL CLINICAL NETWORK
At AUC, putting your degree into practice means thinking on a global level. Graduates of AUC represent an international network of medical workers, with 7,500 alumni.
AUC offers a vast array of clinical training opportunities while rotating at one of our affiliated hospital sites, including those in the United States and the United Kingdom. All of AUC’s clinical rotations are provided at Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-approved hospitals. Students can also complete global health electives in the Dominican Republic, India, Uganda, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe. This allows students to experience a diverse mix of patients across a variety of clinical settings and gain a better understanding of global health care. As stated in their AUC School of Medicine reviews, many graduates have gained countless valuable experiences that they most likely have not gotten at another medical school.
Choosing to go to medical school and becoming a doctor is a big decision to make. There is a lot of planning and research that goes into finding a medical school that is a perfect fit for you. Now that you have an overview about AUC School of Medicine reviews and statistics, are you ready to learn more and finalize your decision? Start here!
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*Percent of students attaining a 2023-24 residency position out of all graduates or expected graduates in 2022-23 who were active applicants in the 2023 NRMP match or who attained a residency position outside the NRMP match
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