“I am edified by the success of our students who achieved a 100 percent first-time pass rate on the USLME for the six-month period ending June 30,” said Ronald J Testa, PhD, dean of the medical sciences campus in St. Maarten. “I’m also humbled by the highly motivated and engaged faculty and staff who work together to bring out the very best in one another which made this unprecedented accomplishment possible.
Strong performance on the national board examinations is one of the most important factors contributing to success in obtaining a residency appointment. Upon passing Step 1, AUC physicians-in-training continue on to the clinical portion of their medical education, completing core and elective rotations in AUC’s network of affiliated teaching hospitals in the United States and United Kingdom.
Graduates of international medical schools must take and pass the USMLE if they want to practice in the United States. This is a critical requirement for the more than 90 percent of AUC students who are U.S. residents. The Step 1 exam is designed to assess medical students’ knowledge of the basic science foundation of clinical practice. According to institutional reporting, AUC posted a 96 percent pass rate in 2012, on par with the pass rate achieved by students at US medical schools.