2. Partnership with AUC

FranU Partnership with the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine

Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University and American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC), an Adtalem Global Education institution, has established a partnership to increase access to a medical education program for qualified FranU students through Adtalem’s Medical Education Readiness Program (MERP).

Through this partnership, FranU students who successfully complete the 15-week MERP preparatory course and meet AUC’s minimum admissions requirements will receive an interview and conditional acceptance into the next AUC medical school class.

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About AUC

AUC is committed to training tomorrow’s physicians, whose service to their communities and patients are enhanced by international learning experiences, a diverse learning community, and an emphasis on social accountability and engagement.

  • AUC achieved a 98% first-time residency attainment rate for 2023-2024, which includes graduates from the Sint Maarten campus and UK track. *
  • AUC participated in four cleanups from 2022-2023, during which trained scuba divers and volunteers (including students, faculty, and others) collected more than 2,750 pieces of debris totaling more than 1,440 pounds from the Simpson Bay coastline in Sint Maarten.
  • ​Collectively, AUC students engaged in more than 5,000 service hours in Sint Maarten in 2022.
  • AUC offers a Global Health elective to clinical students in partnership with Nuvance Health. The program has clinical affiliations in six different countries, including the Dominican Republic, India, Uganda, Vietnam, Zimbabwe and Thailand, with each site offering the unique ability to access different medical systems, environments, patient populations, diseases and health practices.

Highlights

  • MERP will teach students how to study in medical school, which is foundational to handling the rigorous demands of the curriculum.
  • All MERP instructors hold either an MD, PhD, or equivalent degree, and have established experience in teaching medical and undergraduate or graduate-level students.
  • The program provides instruction on the four basic science courses of similar content and depth to those taught in the early semesters of a medical school curriculum.
  • Qualified students who enroll in MERP will have the opportunity to simultaneously enroll in select FranU didactic courses that closely match the MERP courses.
  • To receive credit for the FranU coursework, students will only be required to take a cumulative final exam.
  • Students who successfully complete MERP and matriculate into AUC may also be eligible for the MERP scholarship for which they qualify.
“The healthcare industry is facing significant workforce shortages, which are only expected to grow over the next decade. By partnering with FranU to offer students a pathway to earn a Doctor of Medicine degree from AUC, we are increasing access to education, teaching students the essential skills to boost their knowledge in foundational principles, and providing them with a support system to help them succeed throughout their educational journey into medical school and beyond.”
Dr. Gannady Raskin, executive director, MERP.
“We are honored to partner with an institution whose mission and values align with our own to provide our students prime opportunities to pursue their vocations in the medical field,”
Dr. Natalie Lenard, Chair of Sciences – Biology, and Biology program director and partnership manager.


Partnership Manager


Assistant Dean, School of Arts and Sciences
Chair of Sciences - Biology
Dr. Natalie R. Lenard
natalie.lenard@franu.edu
Tel: (225) 526-1660
Fax: (225) 526-1775