American International School of Medicine

The American International School of Medicine (AISM) is a private medical school with its main campus in Georgetown, Guyana and campuses in Atlanta Georgia, United Kingdom, and Nigeria.[1] Graduates obtain a Medical Doctorate upon completion of the four year medical program.

American International School of Medicine
TypeMedical School
Established1999
PresidentDColin A Wilkinson
Location
89 Sandy Babb Street Georgetown Georgetown, Guyana
Websitewww.aism.edu

The school's is chartered in and is recognized by the government of Guyana.[2] AISM is registered with the National Accreditation Council of Guyana.[3] The university is listed in the AVICENNA directory of medicine[4] and the FAIMER International Medical Education Directory (IMED) and World Health Organization.[5]

History

AISM was established in 1999 by International Medical Educators Associates, Inc. (IMEA) in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, headed by Dr. Colin A. Wilkinson. The establishment of AISM in Guyana was approved by the Cabinet of the Government of Guyana on October 19, 1999. The first batch of students was admitted in January 2000. Since then, AISM has graduated over 350 physicians who are working in Guyana, U.K., USA, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Trinidad, Pakistan, Tanzania and other countries.[1]

A report by the International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2003 named AISM as having "Significant deficiencies" related to the lack of agency in Caribbean countries for sufficient accreditation, and "registration is merely a bureaucratic, and revenue-generating process". Additionally, governments may request the WHO to have the institution listed in its directory, however "such listing carries absolutely no implication of quality".[6]

In 2012, AISM collaborated with the Civil Defence Commission and the Cheddi Jagan International Airport trained 18 airport staff members to be certified as first responders.[7]

In 2016, the General Medical Council released a list of non-recognized foreign schools, which included AISM's UK satellite campus. Although students may be able to take classes, they will not be not eligible to take the Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board test.[8] AISM opened a branch Coimbatore, India as well, in which students attend video lectures from lecturers in Georgia. MCI postgraduate committee chairman Dr Bhagwan Siwach said that courses are not recognized by the Medical Council of India, calling the courses "illegal".[9]

In 2017, AISM, along with other off-shore schools doing business in Guyana, were under investigation by the Guyana Guardian and Times of India for defrauding international students with "the blessing" of Guyana’s National Accreditation Council.[10]

Medical Program

AISM has a four-year Medical Doctorate (MD) Program. It consists of 5 semesters of basic sciences and 6 semesters of clinical sciences. The basic sciences program is taught at the Georgetown, Guyana campus and the clinical sciences program is completed in Guyana, the US, or the UK.[11]

After completing the basic sciences program, students take the USMLE Step 1 examination. Upon completion of the program, students take the USMLE step 2 examination and/or the PLAB.[12]

Tuition

The tuition cost for the MD program as of January 2017 was:[13]

  • Basic Sciences per semester: US$7,500
  • Clinical Sciences per semester: US$8,500

References
  1. "About Us".
  2. "New medical council president wants to improve the competence of local doctors". Stabroek News. 2012-12-02. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-11-13. Retrieved 2014-12-23.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-11-11. Retrieved 2012-03-05.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. https://imed.faimer.org/details.asp?country=438&school=&currpage=1&cname=GUYANA&city=&region=&rname=&mcode=438020&psize=25
  6. Brandon, Edwin. "New External Providers of Tertiary Education in the Caribbean". IESALC: 37–38.
  7. "18 airport staff members certified as first responders". Stabroek News. 2012-08-03. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  8. Kreidler, Marc (2005-04-17). "General Medical Council Lists Questionable UK-Based Foreign Medical Colleges | Quackwatch". Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  9. Oct 18, TNN /; 2016; Ist, 02:12. "Fake medical college in Coimbatore sells international degrees | Coimbatore News - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 2021-01-15.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. "Another Guyana offshore university accused of defrauding students". The Caribbean Radio. 2016-12-27. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  11. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-03-26. Retrieved 2012-03-05.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  12. "Acceptable overseas qualifications - GMC".
  13. Author, AISM, 2012, http://www.aism.edu/index/content/122 Archived 2012-03-25 at the Wayback Machine, 2 March 2012
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