The semester starts on August 29, 2022. A full academic calendar is available here.

Yes, campus facilities including the gym, cafeteria, testing center, and study rooms are open and operating under our COVID-19 safety protocols.

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. 

Sint Maarten’s borders are currently open to international travelers and many airline carriers are operating flights to Princess Juliana Airport. At this time, the government no longer requires travelers to be tested prior to travel if they are fully vaccinated* or to quarantine on arrival but has instituted several safety protocols to help protect the island and other travelers from COVID-19. 

All required travel forms and paperwork are managed through the country’s EHAS portal (short for Electronic Health Authorization System). Your application must be submitted and approved prior to boarding a flight so please bookmark and closely monitor the EHAS portal as you prepare for travel. The portal will also notify you of a change to any current entry protocols (see below). 

Entry Requirements as of April 1, 2022: 

• Fully vaccinated* travelers: Pre-authorized Electronic Health Authorization System (EHAS) application form (printed copy or QR code) and proof of vaccination. 
• Partially vaccinated or unvaccinated travelers: Pre-authorized EHAS application form (printed copy or QR code) and a negative COVID-19 test: rt-PCR within 48 hours or antigen test within 24 hours before departure. 
• Travelers who tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 9 months: Pre-authorized EHAS application form (printed copy or QR code) and proof of recovery. One of the following will be accepted:
• A government/public health authority-issued proof of recovery (Digital COVID Recovery Certificate or letter)
• A lab-issued positive COVID-19 PCR test result also indicating a Ct value of 35 or higher.
• A signed and stamped COVID-19 recovery letter from a physician accompanied by the positive COVID-19 PCR test result.
• All non-fully vaccinated and those with a past COVID-19 infection older than 9 months: Required to have a negative COVID-19 test in accordance with the required type of test. 

*Fully vaccinated means you have completed the full regimen of a WHO-approved vaccine at least 14 days prior to travel.

Please reach out to AUC's Office of Student Affairs at studentaffairs@aucmed.edu to discuss your individual situation.

If your arrival to St. Maarten has been delayed and you will not be able to complete campus check-in by the end of the first day of classes, please fill out an Excused Absence from Medical Sciences Not to Exceed 15 Days Request form and submit it to the link on the form.  To request a late fee waiver, please complete the Late Fee Waiver Form and upload it here. Late fee waiver forms will be accepted for consideration until the end of week 2 (Friday, May 13). Any forms submitted after that date will not be reviewed for a waiver. 

All students are expected to physically check in on campus by the end of the first day of classes. For the September 2022 term, this is Monday, August 29 at 4:00 pm AST, to be considered on time. This is a required activity separate from class registration/enrollment that you’ll need to complete every semester.

Students who are immunosuppressed or have a pre-existing medical condition should contact AUC’s Office of Student Affairs at studentaffairs@aucmed.edu to discuss support options.

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. In addition to our policy requiring students to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, we continue to evaluate and modify COVID-19 safety protocols as needed while keeping your health and safety our priority.

The following changes to AUC’s Sint Maarten campus COVID-19 protocols will go into effect on Tuesday, March 15:

• Face masks will become optional on campus. While optional, we fully support and respect the choice of any student or colleague who feels more comfortable continuing to wear a mask. Masks remain an important tool against respiratory illnesses of all kinds.
  • Please be aware that masks are currently still required in many academic and clinical settings that you’ll encounter in your clinical years, including Prometric exam centers and hospitals. You may want to consider wearing a mask as practice during academic activities that are designed to prepare you for these settings, such as exams and clinical skills training.
• Campus community members will no longer be required to complete the health screening on the AUC Safe App before entering campus. In addition, temperature checks will no longer be conducted at the entrance to campus.
• Social distancing restrictions will be lifted.
• Random surveillance testing will no longer be conducted.

Please note that our standard procedures remain in effect for campus community members who feel unwell and/or test positive for COVID-19:

If you are experiencing symptoms consistent with COVID-19, do not come onto campus. Call the Sint Maarten Ministry of Health's COVID-19 hotline at 914 or +1-721-542-1570 and notify AUC via the contacts below: 

• Student Affairs: StudentAffairs@aucmed.edu
• COVID-19 Mitigation Team: CovidMitigation@aucmed.edu
• Safety and Security: Security@aucmed.edu or 721-588-4018 (WhatsApp enabled)

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; AUC’s Office of Safety & Security at security@aucmed.edu, and AUC’s COVID-19 Mitigation Team at 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; AUC’s Office of Safety & Security at security@aucmed.edu; and AUC’s COVID-19 Mitigation Team at 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.  

To access confidential wellness counseling services, please reach out to the following contacts:

• Sint Maarten medical sciences and clinical sciences students: sxmwellness@aucmed.edu

If you have an urgent crisis after-hours, please call 721-587-6661. If you need more immediate assistance, please call 721-588-4018 for the On-Duty Security Supervisor.

The semester starts on 29, August  2022. A full academic calendar is available here. 

AUC plans to deliver our medical sciences curriculum primarily in person for the September 2022 semester at our Preston, UK program site. While some academic content may be delivered online, our plan is to continue offering many live in-classroom lectures, along with in-person clinical skills training, small group sessions, and activities. Campus events including the White Coat Ceremony and Celebration of Academic Excellence are taking place in person, and we look forward to offering continued in-person learning and engagement activities.

Yes, UCLan is open and operating seven days a week.

Given the changing nature of COVID-19 and each government’s response, travelers should regularly monitor the UK government website and the UCLan FAQ webpage, which contains helpful information about entry requirements. We also ask that you monitor your local government’s travel restrictions and any impact they may have on your ability to return to Preston for the September 2022 semester.

Please reach out to Dr. Andy Ginty, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs – UK Track, at aginty@aucmed.edu to discuss your situation. 

As always, your safety and security remain our top priority. AUC and UCLan are taking precautions to lower the risk of exposure and do our part to curb the spread of the virus. For more details on UCLan safety procedures, visit UCLan’s  Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).  

Students who are immunosuppressed or have a pre-existing medical condition may contact Dr. Andy Ginty, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs – UK Track, at aginty@aucmed.edu to discuss their situation.  

Any student who tests positive for COVID-19 should take the following actions:  

• Inform the course administrative team by emailing crankin@uclan.ac.uk  
• Review additional NHS guidance and UK government guidance on receiving a positive test result 

If you need support from Student Services, please either email wellbeing@uclan.ac.uk or call 01772 893020. If you need urgent support, please contact Security on 01772 892068 or via the SafeZone app. 

If you experience symptoms consistent with COVID-19, please inform the course administrative team by emailing Catherine Rankin at crankin@uclan.ac.uk. Please refer to UK government guidance by visiting their website at https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus.