RETURN TO CAMPUS

The semester starts on August 30, 2021. A full academic calendar is available here.

AUC medical sciences students and faculty returned to Sint Maarten for the January and May 2021 semesters, using a hybrid approach to our academics. This community’s collective diligence in adhering to COVID-19 safety protocols has been essential to our successful return to campus and will continue to be important as we move forward.  

We are still on track to expand in-person learning activities next semester, which is supported by our new policy policy requiring students to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Mandatory mask-wearing on campus will continue, regardless of vaccination status, and our random surveillance testing program will now test vaccinated individuals as well. These measures will help AUC do its part to mitigate the spread of the virus. 

We are closely monitoring the prevalence of COVID-19 in Sint Maarten and our AUC community, and we will continue to evaluate our plans to ensure we are in alignment with government policies and CDC and WHO guidance. Your faculty and I are looking forward to the resumption of more in-person learning activities, but we are ready to adapt and will do so if needed.  Again, our ability to offer in-person learning experiences is dependent on our community’s continued adherence to health and safety guidelines.

Hybrid approach means that some courses will be delivered online while others will either be in-person or have in-person components. 

AUC’s medical sciences curriculum will be delivered primarily in person for the September 2021 semester. While some lectures will continue to be delivered online via the flipped classroom approach that you have become accustomed to, our plan is to offer many live in-classroom lectures, along with in-person clinical skills training, Anatomy Lab, and other small group sessions and activities.  

We know that public campus spaces including the gym, cafeteria, testing center, and study rooms are an important part of your medical school experience—and important to your academic preparation and wellbeing. These spaces will be open but may operate with safety procedures, reduced occupancies, and potentially different hours to enable physical distancing and more stringent cleaning protocols. Exams and office hours will be conducted in person, and campus facilities including the gym, cafeteria, and library will be open for use.

Most businesses and public spaces in Sint Maarten are open, including grocery stores, restaurants, businesses, parks, beaches, etc. Please monitor the Sint Maarten government website for the latest news in businesses and  other establishments' current schedules.

Yes. We are continuing to expand in-person opportunities for student organizations and clubs, under safety protocols.

AUC understands the COVID-19 pandemic has created increased anxiety and uncertainty that affects our entire community. There is currently no definitive end in sight to the pandemic, and it is likely to continue for the foreseeable future. Please note that clinical students are currently working in hospitals, and as future medical professionals you will soon be expected to join your colleagues in clinical settings. Each of us as individuals, and together as a society, will need to come to our own terms with COVID-19.

If you would like to discuss your concerns about traveling or returning to Sint Maarten, please contact Dr. Scott Rinker, Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, at studentaffairs@aucmed.edu to arrange a meeting and discuss your situation.

If you have previously studied on Sint Maarten, please bring your residency documents. If you had received a residency permit but misplaced it, please email SEllis-Singh@aucmed.edu for an electronic copy. 

If you have not yet been to Sint Maarten and do not have a resident permit, make sure you have proof of a return flight (e.g., roundtrip ticket), have submitted all relevant documents to Admissions (admissions@aucmed.edu) and have a copy of your AUC acceptance letter. Please email Admissions if you need an electronic copy of your letter. 
 
If you received a resident permit but misplaced it, please email SEllis-Singh@aucmed.edu for an electronic copy.

All travelers to Sint Maarten are required to complete a health authorization application via the Electronic Health Authorization System (EHAS). Please continue to regularly monitor the government website at https://stmaartenehas.com/travel-requirements/.and familiarize yourself with the forms you will need to fill out, the types of COVID-19 tests accepted, and the information required when uploading. We urge you to pay close and regular attention to the entry requirements as they may continue to change.  

The CDC provides a comprehensive list of travel guidelines with best practices and recommendations.

Please reach out to Dr.  Scott Rinker, Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, at srinker@aucmed.edu to discuss how AUC can best troubleshoot your situation. 

The 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19), commonly known as a coronavirus, is a virus identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China. For additional information visit the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) website. 

According to the World Health Organization, common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death. The CDC believes that symptoms may appear in as few as two days or up to 14 days after exposure. 

Students who are immunosuppressed or have a pre-existing medical condition should contact Dr. Scott Rinker, Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, at studentaffairs@aucmed.edu.

Precautions can be taken to minimize your risk and prevent exposure and spread of the disease. 

Personal Hygiene 

It is important that we work together to take common sense precautions that can reduce the risk of catching or spreading COVID-19.  

Per CDC guidelines 

• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol, if soap and water are not available. 
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick, even inside your home.
• Practice social distancing with people outside of your home. Stay at least 6 feet from other people.
• Wear a cloth face covering when around others.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. 
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. 
• Clean and frequently disinfect common work surfaces. 
• If you or a family member develops a fever and symptoms of respiratory illness, such as a cough or shortness of breath, or are experiencing cold- or flu-like symptoms, work with to alert appropriate contacts and practice social distancing.   

Please visit http://www.sintmaartengov.org/government/VSA/Health-Updates/NOVELCORONAVIRUS/Pages/Current-Situation.aspx for more information.

AUC’s plans continue to be guided by two principles: protecting the health and safety of our community and supporting students' goals to become globally minded and socially accountable physicians. We have a shared responsibility to each other and ourselves to minimize the risk of COVID-19 in the communities where we live and work, especially as Sint Maarten is experiencing a rise in COVID-19 cases. 

In addition to our policy requiring students to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by August 28, 2021, we will continue to require all campus community members to follow COVID-19 mitigation procedures, regardless of vaccination status: 

• Regularly monitor your health and any onset of symptoms 

• Remain home if you feel unwell 

• Wearing a facemask and social distancing when on campus  

AUC also began including vaccinated individuals in our random surveillance testing program as of Monday, August 9. With the Delta variant on the rise, these protective measures are increasingly important to help prevent an outbreak. 

Yes, both surgical and cloth masks will be available for students and faculty; although be aware you will need masks for travel to and from Sint Maarten and should have your own available.

All AUC students sign a code of conduct agreeing to abide by our policies and as future medical professionals are expected to adhere to them. Individuals found to be non-compliant will have a meeting with Dr. Rinker, Dean of Student Affairs. Each situation is different/unique and will be handled individually on a case by case basis.

We all share the responsibility of keeping our campus community safe. If you see something, please say something. We encourage you to kindly remind your peers and fellow campus community members of the safety protocols if you see that they are not being followed. If you continue to see concerning incidents, please use this form to report violations of the community standards for COVID-19-related health and safety protocols to the Office of Student Affairs. Situations may be addressed using the existing AUC’s Professional Conduct Policy. Particularly egregious, willfully dangerous, or repeated incidents may be deemed misconduct and handled through the administrative review process per the Student Handbook. 

If you experience any flu-like or COVID-19 symptoms, call the Sint Maarten Ministry of Public Health’s COVID-19 hotline at 914 or +1721-542-1570 and do not come onto campus. We also ask that you inform AUC by contacting Dr. Scott Rinker, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, at studentaffairs@aucmed.edu and AUC’s Office of Safety & Security at security@aucmed.edu, and also email COVIDMitigation@aucmed.edu.

Prior to being on campus: Please contact Dr. Scott Rinker, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, at studentaffairs@aucmed.edu. 

While on Sint Maarten: Please call the Sint Maarten Ministry of Public Health’s COVID-19 hotline at 914 or +1721-542-1570 and do not come onto campus. Please contact Dr. Scott Rinker, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, at studentaffairs@aucmed.edu and AUC’s Office of Safety & Security at security@aucmed.edu, and COVIDMitigation@aucmed.edu.

Each situation will be considered on an individual basis through conversation with Dr. Scott Rinker, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs. In order to be approved a Leave of Absence (LOA), students will need to provide documentation of their illness from their healthcare provider to the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs at studentsaffairs@aucmed.edu. Once approved for a LOA related to illness, AUC will work with you and your faculty to determine a makeup date for any mandatory activities that you may have missed.  

Students are responsible for any costs associated with COVID-19 testing that is part of a government requirement for entry to Sint Maarten. We encourage you to work with your insurance provider to see what coverage they offer for COVID-19 testing.  

Costs for campus-administrated COVID-19 testing will be managed by AUC. 

AUC’s medical sciences curriculum will be delivered primarily in person for the September 2021 semester. While some lectures will continue to be delivered online via the flipped classroom approach that you have become accustomed to, our plan is to offer many live in-classroom lectures, along with in-person clinical skills training, Anatomy Lab, and other small group sessions and activities.  

Exams and office hours will be conducted in person, and campus facilities including the gym, cafeteria, and library will be open for use. We are also planning to resume campus events, including the White Coat Ceremony and Celebration of Academic Excellence, under a modified in-person approach with limited capacity, and continuing to expand in-person opportunities for student organizations and clubs.