Dr. Naira Chobanyan showcases AUC’s community outreach clinics at the international conference for health professions educators.

According to the most recent data (2019) provided by the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC), only 5.8% of active physicians identify as Hispanic which pales in comparison to the total U.S. Hispanic population.

Conversations on women’s health are always relevant, particularly when it comes to ovarian cancer and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). For help on these subjects — and to learn a bit more about an AUC alumna — we turned to Dr. Ingrid Paredes, an obstetrics and gynecology (OB-GYN) specialist at FemCare OB-GYN in Miami.

A long-running tradition at American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC), Community Action Day (CAD) is a semesterly occurrence led by student organizations that partner with Sint Maarten schools, non-government organizations, the Ministry of Public Health, and civic groups to make a difference in the communities where our students and colleagues live, study and work.

Under the leadership of Dr. Naira Chobanyan, oncologist and professor of clinical medicine at AUC, the Oncology Interest Group (OIG) organized a skin cancer awareness event on July 27 to inform students from Semesters 1-5 about ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sun exposure and sunbeds. Third semester student Meison Mandavi presented on the different types of UV rays, most common types of skin malignancies, signs of skin cancer and prevention.

AUC students participated in a data collection event on July 8 and 9 in collaboration with the Turning Point Foundation, a drug rehabilitation facility in Sint Maarten. The purpose of this study was to conduct a rapid appraisal of substance use on island. Outcomes will be used to provide pilot data for a larger population-based study for the future.

On July 6, Dr. Naira Chobanyan, oncologist and professor of clinical medicine at AUC, was a guest speaker at the 2nd Breast Cancer Support Group meeting organized by The Still Beautiful Foundation in collaboration with the Positive Foundation and the Elektralyets Foundation. The topic of the discussion was Coping with Breast Cancer.

David Pryluck, MD, MBA, loves being a physician. When he was appointed senior associate dean of the Sint Maarten campus for American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC) in October 2022, his career transitioned from a combination of physician and education leadership and clinical practice as an interventional radiologist to purely education administration for the betterment of its medical students in Sint Maarten – a community in which he now feels right at home.

Despite hailing from a family of doctors, Monica Arti Makhija, MD ’07, wanted to be anything but a medical professional when she grew up.

At American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC), the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer-plus (LGBTQ+) Club was established on a foundation of creating a safe place for the LGBTQ+ students, faculty, staff and allies who have a commitment to embracing diversity. As the club has grown since its founding, so too has its purpose to include fostering an educational environment dedicated to improving healthcare for marginalized communities.