An In-Depth Review of the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine

It's amazing how a simple 5-digit number can essentially pin-point your location on the globe within a few miles.  Zip codes are used to help postal workers determine where in the World a letter is supposed to be sent based on the arrangements of seemingly random codes.  It is a magnificent feat considering a parcel is able to be sent from Europe to North America within 3 days regardless of what remote stretch of the planet one may reside on.  The Postal World is not the only sector that utilizes digits and codes to facilitate the ease of exchanging information.  

Extracurricular activities do have some influence on an Admissions Board's decision but the most significant factor that can help determine where in the World you are going to end up is based on your two scores.  Much like area codes are reserved for specific territories, certain scores on MCATs and GPAs will determine what locations a medical school candidate will be able to apply to.  If your scores are not competitive in the US market, candidates usually turn to the Caribbean medical schools in order to find there medical degrees and one school that is a top destination is the American University of Caribbean School of Medicine.  I will explore some of the pros and cons of enrolling at AUC and help those on the fence to determine if it is a good choice for them.  

The Positives of Enrolling at AUC 

The most obvious benefit of enrolling at AUC is the fact that a medical candidate will be able to continue his pursuit of a medical degree.  Based on the fact that U.S. schools generally require MCAT scores of at least 31 and science GPA's above 3.60, any missed opportunities in undergraduate studies do not mean a student has to wake up from his dream of becoming a doctor.  On a discussion thread, students should feel confident in enrolling with a GPA around 3.20 and a MCAT around 26.   The school also utilizing a rolling admissions platform and there are start dates in January, May and September 

Another obvious benefit is the potential for clinical electives in the United States.  The best way to Match in the US is to do clinical electives in the US as an IMG.  International schools have different rubrics for grades, they may learn Medicine with different focuses, but the great equalizer is how a student is able to adapt and transfer from a foreign medical school into the US system to get letters of recommendation before their ERAS applications are sent out.  AUC has established partnerships with a number of hospitals in Florida and New York and students are given opportunities to rotate through these clinics.  They often have preference over other IMG candidates and is represents a great way to get your foot into the door and impress a doctor on the Admissions Board during the rotation.  In 2015, AUC reported having a 93% USMLE STEP 1 passing rate and 220 graduates attaining residency positions so that is a respectable number on the surface. 

Why to Avoid American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC) 

The Negatives about enrolling at AUC 

This, like many other Caribbean schools, is a school that is more focused on making money than making good doctors.  During my rotations, I met several students from AUC and they told me some of the working of the University and also painted quite a negative picture of the medical educational institutions in the Caribbean.  Some of my colleagues stated that during the interview process, the Skype calls designed to determine how qualified they were were either constantly pushed back or carried out by members of the administration that were not the individuals that had scheduled the interviews.  This can start sending up the red flags already and sets a bad tone right out of the gate.  

These students also revealed that the University has no issue with allowing 700 students into the University during one trimester.  That is roughly 2,100 kids during the first few years of studying; all paying a sizable sum of money to go there.  I was told that there was an extensive "weeding-out" process where those who fail exams can be expelled from the school instantaneously but considering most US-based schools are fewer than 100 students, there is definitely a disparity between the two.  Even if 200 students were able to Match, that also does not mean they were enrolled in US-based schooled considering a Match could also be acceptance in the UK Foundation's Programme.  That also is about 10% of the students that could have started out so consider that a big warning sign for those interested in this institution.  

The prevalence of cheating

Another allegory that I was told by some of the AUC students was the prevalence of cheating at a lot of these Caribbean medical schools, notably AUC.  She told me about how the school would typically do NBME examinations to determine your final grade in a class-- on the surface, exactly what my medical school had done and a fair assessment to determine your understanding of Pathology or Microbiology to name a few.  At this school, however, she told me that it was commonplace for students to take examinations at the Prometric Centers (the ones also used for MCATs in the US) but manipulate the system to have multiple people assessing one login ID to check the test.  

Students would be able to leave to go to the bathroom during the testing period and another student would substitute for the examination candidate, make notes about the test questions, and then find the answers to the questions before the next attempt for the test.  The security at these centers was unconcerned with the authenticity of the test so they would turn the other cheek during such practices.  This colleague revealed that the averages for the NBMEs would often been in the high 90th percentile and force the institution to invalidate the results of the exam.  She told me the examinations were attempted 3 different times with the same result so the school ultimately had to throw out the computerized system option and revert to the traditional method of pen and paper examinations with proctors.  

Students have no real opportunity to have contact with patients

The final point worth mentioning is the fact that the students are only taught to do well on USMLE STEP examinations without any real opportunity to have contact with patients while on the island.  Some of the peers during my rotation described the AUC curriculum as an extension of under-graduate degree studies.  A large number of students would have fun between exams, go to the beach, go out, go on vacations, and only cram for exams a week prior to the test date.  If they failed and required a retake, the next failure would result in their expulsion from the institution.  

This may not represent the entire student body and I must say that some of them were quite strong in theoretical knowledge.  They were recall diseases that I had never even heard of before but where they truly lacked was interacting with patients.  They would be uncomfortable and not exude confident when in an examination room.  

Patients expect doctors to be experts on their disease and help them when they are in a state of worry about their condition and many seemed more worried after the students left the examination room. Their histories would often be incomplete and they required guidance during the first few weeks of a rotation in order to competently complete tasks. 

Enrolling at AUC does present a lot negatives but the fact that students do have a chance to become medical doctors can be a risk that evidently a lot are willing to take.  Just be aware that if you decide to enroll at this institution, after you graduate, if you do not Match back into the United States, the other opportunities for you are very limited in Medicine.  

Europe may be an option to consider because even if you are unable to Match back in the US, you still have a license to practice all over Europe (pending a language exam, of course) but not all the doors will be locked for your career in Medicine.