It is predicted that by 2010 there will be a shortage of at least 50,000 doctors to fill residency positions at U.S. and Canadian hospitals and in 2020, and a U.S. shortage of 1 million nurses to provide proper medical care for a growing and aging population. The decrease in number of seats available at U.S. medical and nursing schools has motivated the founders of AUA to offer an opportunity for qualified individuals to attain the highest quality healthcare education and realize their dream of becoming a doctor or nurse.
The American University of Antigua was founded in 2004 by world-class American physicians and medical education professionals, subsequently joined with Manipal University, to create an educational institution on the twin island of Antigua and Barbuda, that would provide a comprehensive modern learning facility for students who aspire to become highly skilled, compassionate physicians and nurses, who plan to practice throughout Canada, the United States and the Caribbean region. This realization would have been hard to imagine in January 2004 when the school first opened its doors with a handful of students. Today, AUA is a growing and vibrant medical school with over 1,400 students, a brand new School of Nursing, and a brand new $60 million dollar campus (under construction).
AUA’s program is designed to make sure that students meet the necessary requirements of medical and nursing licensure in the United States. In addition, our curriculum ensures that students receive an education similar to the finest medical and nursing schools in the U.S. AUA is unique because it is the only hospital-integrated medical school in the Caribbean with a medical education program based on U.S. school curriculum that incorporates hospital experience. Instead of just classroom instruction, students accompany attending physicians and nurses on rounds and have patient contact at the hospital in Antigua beginning in their first semester.
AUA will prepare its students to achieve passing scores on the U.S. Medical Licensing Examinations and NCLEX and will also provide clinical clerkship opportunities in some of the best teaching hospitals in the U.S. We have affiliations with over 20 teaching hospitals where students will complete their clinical training -- and the number is constantly growing. These hospitals are located throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
There are only a few states in the U.S. that require approval for international medical schools. Although less than 5 years old, the AUA program is proud to be one of a handful that has been approved by the State of New York, giving our students the option to complete their clinical training and residencies at NY State-approved hospitals.
While primarily dedicated to teaching medicine, the University also feels a responsibility to direct resources to continuing research in areas that will directly impact human health. In concert with the Ministry of Health of Antigua and Barbuda, faculty and students have conducted research to help the local population improve their standard of health and living conditions. During the past three years, the Center for Tropical Diseases has conducted numerous research projects that contributed to improving the health of the local citizens and the Caribbean region in general.
At AUA we continually strive to make a positive difference in the lives of the people around us. If you have the drive, the passion and the calling to heal the sick and find cures, then we invite you to join us and be a part of the solution.