Month: March 2010

Hello everyone! Thanks so much for reading Diary of a Caribbean Med Student. Ever since I started this blog nine months ago, the site has expanded and the design has changed drastically. The number of visitors are ever increasing, and come from all over the world. According to Google Analytics, most of you come from the United States, followed by… Continue reading

This semester, I’ve really enjoyed being a TA in anatomy lab, assisting students in the learning process and at the same time reviewing the material myself and getting more opportunities in working with the cadavers. I’ve spent 28 extra hours so far in the lab this semester, and I’ve learned from the head TA’s how to do a craniotomy, expose… Continue reading

One thing I love about AUC is how involved the students are in giving back to the community. We are all here as guests on this island, and the least we can do is give back to the people who host us. There are numerous community outreach opportunities here, all organized and run by students. Yesterday morning, I participated in… Continue reading

Most new students coming to AUC are traveling thousands of miles away from home to study in a foreign country that they probably have never been to. For some, this may even be their first time stepping outside their country and their culture. What will it be like there? Will I be used to life as a med student? Would… Continue reading

I’ve been meaning to write a post about last Friday’s AUC’s Got Talent but had been so busy this week (and mesmerized by Thế and Carlina’s voices) that I hadn’t had the chance. This is the second year that the Diversity council has held the show, as the culminating event to AUC Culture Week. The talent show helped raise $2700… Continue reading

Everyday at AUC, there is always something selling in the Rotunda, whether it is ear plugs by the Diversity Council, Chips and Drinks by BGLAM, Shwarmas by SNMA, fruit smoothies by CMDA, or Sunday bake sales by the AUC Spouses Organization. Three weeks ago, my class, the second semester, adopted Wrap Wednesdays as our fund-raising plan, used by the current… Continue reading

About: St. Barths is a French island just 40 minutes away from St. Maarten on the high-speed ferry. It is the only place in the Americas that was once a Swedish colony, and many Swedish elements still remain on the island. The island and its villages are beautiful, clean, and have lots of character. Beware though.. the island is very expensive, more so than St. Maarten. Highlights: Relaxing on the St. Barth's most famous beach: St. Jean Beach, Exploring the island by car or moped, Submerge yourself in shells at Shell Beach, Explore some of the old forts, like Fort Carl, admiring the vernacular Swedish and French architecture of Gustavia. If you're rich enough, hang out and have lunch at Nikki Beach, located on St. Jean Beach. Continue reading

When I was a premed student, I had always pictured med school as an environment where students walk around in white coats, going to seminars and listening to guest speakers presenting their research and case studies. Ever since coming to AUC, although there hasn’t been many people walking around in white coats all the time, there has been many presentations,… Continue reading

Today we start learning how to act like doctors. After nearly two semesters of seeing nothing but the academic side of medicine, we are finally moving into the social aspect of the practice and art of medicine. Here in Introduction to Clinical Medicine class, we’re going to start learning how to talk to patients, how to get information from patient… Continue reading

It’s Culture Week at AUC! Block 3 is over and it’s not another four weeks until the next set of exams. This week will be very fun. AUC’s Diversity Council every year around this time puts up an “AUC Culture Week” in which the student organizations on campus host events that celebrates cultural diversity and medicine. Here are some cultural… Continue reading

Although St. Maarten will be elevated to a higher political status, it is a common misunderstanding among many foreigners outside the bubble of St. Maarten news and politics to assume that gaining Country Status in St. Maarten means gaining Independence from the Kingdom of the Netherlands... Continue reading

Every semester, the American Medical Students Association (AMSA) at our school trains and provides opportunities for many AUC student to go volunteer with the Diabetes Foundation of St. Maarten every weekend to offer free diabetes screening to the community. Like many other industrialized nations, St. Maarten has a growing incidence of diabetes and high blood pressure. This past Saturday, three… Continue reading

“I count 14 today! How many do you see?” As my friend and I looked out across the water from campus, we counted how many sailboats we saw piercing the horizon. Since last week, more and more boats started showing up on the waters around St. Maarten. Every year during this time, St. Maarten holds the Heineken Regatta, one of… Continue reading

Before starting their first med school classes, many incoming students are faced with a question: "Should I start studying now before I start med school?" The two most common answers you will hear people give are... Continue reading

Bringing a pet down to St. Maarten is easy. There are only two documents you need in order to bring Fido or Fluffy into paradise: First, go to your vet and get a... Continue reading