It is predicted that by 2020 there will be a shortage of approximately 200,000 doctors to fill residency positions at U.S. and Canadian hospitals and a U.S. shortage of 1 million nurses to provide proper medical care for a growing and aging population. This decrease in available seats is the motivating factor AUA was founded upon. AUA's mission is to offer an opportunity for qualified individuals to attain the highest quality U.S. modeled healthcare education to help realize their dream of becoming a medical doctors, veterinarians or nurses in the United States and/or Canada.
AUA has New York Approval. 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.
The American University of Antigua was founded in 2004 by a group of world-class physicians and medical education professionals, subsequently joined by Manipal University, to create an educational institution on the twin island of Antigua and Barbuda, to provide a comprehensive modern learning facility for students aspiring to be physicians, veterinarians and nurses in the U.S. and Canada. This realization would have been hard to imagine in January 2004 when the school first opened its doors with 9 students. Today, AUA is a growing and vibrant university with over 1,700 students, College of Veterinary Medicine, a College of Arts and Life Sciences (which includes the pre-med and nursing program) and a brand new $60 million dollar campus; the most modern in the Caribbean.
AUA’s programs are all designed to make sure that students meet the necessary requirements of licensure in the United States. In addition, our curriculum ensures that students receive an education similar to the finest medical, veterinary, 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. 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 College of Medicine will do its utmost to prepare students to achieve passing scores on the U.S. Medical Licensing Examinations 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.
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.