Aaron Chopee was once on the path to becoming a chiropractor, studying at a college not far from his hometown of Oshawa, Ontario. Today, he is poised to graduate with a medical degree from AUC and has earned a residency position in anesthesiology at University of Toledo.
“I was drawn to my medical courses with much more interest than chiropractic, and I soon realized that my passion did not lie in the field I was pursuing,” he said. “I needed a greater challenge, and AUC immediately stood out to me. The smaller class sizes, and the exciting opportunity to live in Sint Maarten and take advantage of extracurricular activities while studying medicine appealed to me.”
The small but growing number of Canadian students at AUC helped Mr. Chopee’s transition to medical school life in the Caribbean. “My fellow Canadians were very supportive and AUC also recognized the unique situation we were in,” he recalls. “AUC is experienced with the Ontario Student Assistance Program and offered scholarships which made a significant difference throughout my program.”
Completing core rotations at affiliated hospitals in the United Kingdom was important to Mr. Chopee. “The UK, which has a similar health care system to Canada, stressed hands on clinical skills teaching for students. I gained a well-rounded perspective by doing clinical training in both the US and the UK,” he said.
Chopee credits AUC for providing the foundation for a career in medicine, saying “I was given all the resources needed to fully prepare for USMLE exams, clinicals and residency. My time at AUC was incredible.”