American University of Integrative Sciences
The American University of Integrative Sciences, School of Medicine (AUIS, formerly the University of Sint Eustatius School of Medicine), founded in 1999, is a private, medical school with campuses located in Barbados. The University also has an administrative office located in Tucker, Georgia, of the United States. AUIS follows a US medical curriculum and confers upon its graduates the Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree. Classes are taught in English.
Former name | University of Sint Eustatius School of Medicine |
|---|---|
| Motto | Healing the World, One Student at a Time, One Dream at a Time |
| Type | Private, medical school |
| Established | 1999 |
| Provost | Don Penney |
| Dean | Alexey Podcheko |
Academic staff | 15+ |
Administrative staff | 25+ |
| Students | 300+ |
| Location | 18.034668°N 63.085218°W |
| Campus | Barbados |
| Website | www |
History
Island of Sint Eustatius
The American University of Integrative Sciences School of Medicine (formerly the University of Sint Eustatius School of Medicine (USESOM)) [1] was founded in 1999 on the island of Sint Eustatius by a group of medical school educators and administrators, and began instruction on September 1, 1999.[2] The founders obtained the support for a medical school from the people and government of the island of Sint Eustatius (commonly referred to as 'Statia'). Subsequently, the University was awarded a Charter, which was signed by the Minister of Education, the Minister of Health, and the Governor of Sint Eustatius on April 21, 1999, and Statia began to share another commonality with its neighboring and regional islands that of hosting a Caribbean medical school.
New ownership and administration, move to Barbados
The school under the new ownership and management of Atlanta-based, International Educational Management Resources LLC, led by CEO Milo Pinckney and University president Dr. Renu Agnihotri, set up new administration and operations on the Caribbean island of Sint Maarten in September 2013, and obtained a charter from Sint Maarten in January 2014. It soon received its business license from the Sint Maarten government. In September 2014 the university secured authorization from the Sint Maarten Ministry of Education to change its name to "American University of Integrated Sciences, Sint Maarten School of Medicine" and began operating under its new name [3] better reflecting its incorporation of the teaching of alternative medicine practices into its existing US-curriculum-based programs. This initiated the final phase of the new ownership and transfer of the university charter to Sint Maarten. In May 2016 the University began negotiations with country of Barbados as a possible location for a new campus. The administration was welcomed due to its international recognition in several areas including education, real estate and technology. In November 2016 the university was awarded a charter by the Ministry of Education, and opened its campus in May 2017.
Curriculum
Premedical program
AUIS as of October 2018 has a Bachelors Of Medical Sciences program (BMsc) which will enable students to complete their first 90 prerequisite credit hours with the university before moving into their Basic Sciences program. This degree is awarded upon successful completion of 142 course credits.
Doctor of Medicine program
The MD program at AUIS is divided into eleven total semesters, consisting of three semesters per year. Semesters 1-4(16 months) are basic sciences semesters that are completed at the university's Barbados campus and semester 5 is a professor led USMLE Step 1 review course (fundamental of clinical medicine) that is completed at the university campus in Atlanta, Georgia. Our curriculum incorporates (Introduction to Clinical Medicine coursework) throughout all 5 semesters. The remaining six semesters (24 months) are clinical rotations, composed of core and elective rotations that primarily take place in hospitals in the United States.[4] AUIS, focuses on a curriculum which includes traditional Western Medicine and a subcurriculum in evidence-based Integrative Medicine. Students learn allopathic medicine (MD) and additional strategies for promoting disease prevention and health.
Residency placements and training appointments
Graduates from the American University of Integrated Sciences have successfully secured residency placements in the United States as well as Canada.[5] Graduates from 2020 matched into family Medicine, internal medicine, psychiatry, and surgery.[5]
Student life and services
Student Government Association (SGA), Alumni Association, American Medical Student Association (AMSA), Asian Students’ Association (ASA), Canadian Medical Student Association, Emergency Medical Club, Christian Club, Muslim Students™ Association (MSA), Mentorship Program, Medical Research Group.
Accreditations and licensure
AUIS was chartered in and recognized by the government of the Netherlands Antilles (now known as the Caribbean Netherlands) on April 21, 1999. The same applies for the island of Barbados in 2017.
On May 27, 1999, the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) confirmed the eligibility of graduates from the American University of Integrative Sciences to register for the United States Medical Licensing Examinations (USMLE). Successful students are eligible to sit for the USMLE Step 1, Step 2 CK/CS, and Step 3.
AUIS graduates are able to enter a residency or fellowship program in the United States that is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).
Graduates of AUIS also qualify to sit for the Medical Council of Canada Evaluating and Qualifying Exams (MCCEE and MCCQE Part I and II) and graduates who wish to practice medicine in the United Kingdom can sit for the General Medical Council's Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board test.
References
- "Our History". auis.edu. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
- "I Want To".
- "The University of Sint Eustatius Changes its Name to American University of Integrative Sciences, Sint Maarten School of Medicine (AUIS)". www.businesswire.com. 12 September 2014.
- "I Want To".
- "Residency Placements". American University of Integrative Sciences.
