Author: Benji Ho

Last Friday, the largest class in AUC history, the Entering Class of September 2010, held its White Coat Ceremony. Having attended the last three, I have to say that I enjoyed this semester’s White Coat Ceremony the most. Every semester, it’s always a privilege seeing the new faces on campus being donned the white coat, into the world of medicine,… Continue reading

About: There are a lot of scenic spots in St. Maarten, and the island shows a different kind of beauty at night when the lights turn on and the moon and stars are out. Highlights: Fort Louis in Marigot, International Viewpoint on "The Hill" between Cole Bay and Philipsburg, Courthouse in Philipsburg, Fifth floor of the dorms at AUC. Continue reading

After our second night staying on campus, we woke up from the patient examination tables we were sleeping on and found everyone else in the other ICM rooms gone. It was 9am and the hurricane alert has ended. We walked outside to a sunny blue sky and nice breezy weather. Yet, all around us laid the evidence of the storm… Continue reading

As the center of the storm approached us, Hurricane Earl’s fury heightened, bringing gushing wind and rain across St. Maarten. As Earl decided to slow down and grow in strength, the school decided to open the campus one more night as a shelter. Here is some video footage of Hurricane Earl that I took when it came through AUC.… Continue reading

As I counted the islands below me — Andros, Grand Turk, Anegada — I couldn’t imagine that in less than 20 hours, this vast blue ocean and clear sky I see out of my airplane window will soon be engulfed by an encroaching storm. I was flying into Hurricane Earl. I had spent a wonderful nine days with Irene in… Continue reading

So this break, I am staying in Miami with Irene. She had just moved down here last week to start her Physician Assistant master’s degree program at Barry University (which by the way is the same university that our current Dean of Basic Sciences at AUC, Dr. Testa, came from). She’s very excited to start and I’m very excited for… Continue reading

**Updated 5/1/2014** Medical school is an expensive investment especially in the United States as well as the top Caribbean medical schools, and like all schools, tuition is subject to change every year. This is definitely true at AUC where tuition increases every September. When I started Basic Sciences in 2009, the tuition was as follows:

Semesters 1-5: $16,000/semester –> $16,000

… Continue reading

Grades are out, and I’m happy to say that I have passed all my classes and I am officially finished with third semester and on my way to my fourth semester of med school! I cannot say this enough times… TIME GOES BY FAST IN MED SCHOOL! I can’t believe I’m a fourth semester already…. it just seems too fast.… Continue reading

Last Tuesday after the fourth block exams, the anatomy TA program held our end-of-the-semester TA dinner, a final celebratory get-together for everyone who have made the Anatomy TA program possible. This semester, we made certificates of recognitions for the 24 TAs who have completed their 2-semester voluntary commitments to the program, and organized the dinner at Bonita’s Cantina in Simpson… Continue reading

This past Tuesday I received a message from the Van Wormer Student Judiciary Committee informing me that I had been selected as the Summer 2010 recipient of the Dr. Karl Stockhausen Student of the Semester Award. I am definitely speechless after hearing the news as it caught me off-guard, and I feel very honored (and humbled) to receive this award… Continue reading

I remember when I was a first semester student, I had always marveled at the TAs and Head TAs. They all seemed so senior to me and I looked up to them so much. Now, just half a year later, I have become one of them, and I still can’t believe it. Today, we held the last mock exam of… Continue reading

1. I haven’t worked out in over a month. Before med school, I used to work out five times a week.
2. Pathology, med micro, and physio are major topics of discussion when I talk to Irene every night.
3. I think it’s fun when Irene quizzes me over my class notes.
4. I have trouble sleeping at night because I feel like I

… Continue reading

One thing that’s really nice about AUC is that there are so many opportunities to get involved at school and get leadership roles. Not only is it fun and personally enriching to get involved, leadership positions will also look great on your MSPE letter sent to residency directors. Here, I will attempt to estimate the number of leadership opportunities available… Continue reading

Rainy Season has dawned upon us in St. Maarten, and today it has been raining most of the day. Nevertheless, we students continue to do what we have to do…  Phi Chi continued to have their “A Day in the Park Event” but held it in the Rotunda and Cafeteria rather than on the field, and I continued to study… Continue reading

It’s the first weekend of the fourth block, and the last true weekend before the end of the semester where we can have fun without worrying as much about exams. Everyone knows this, and so that is why it is not too surprising that there are seven student-run events going on this weekend, squeezing in the last bit of fundraising… Continue reading

Yesterday was quite a busy day for me. I sat through classes from 8-11:30pm. With the hour and a half before I had to go into the anatomy lab to fulfill my TA duties, I quickly ate lunch at the cafeteria and completed my notes for the day. From 2-5 I had TA duty in the anatomy lab. We continued… Continue reading

Hello friends, family, and future colleagues! I made a video tour of the apartment I live in currently in St. Maarten to let you see more of what my life is like here. I’ve been living in Aventura Inn since second semester, and I like it so far. It’s about 8 minutes walking from school and 8 minutes walking from… Continue reading

On forums, blogs (including this one), and word of mouth, we keep hearing that things in St. Maarten are pricier than in the states… but what exactly does “pricier” mean? Isn’t it subjective? The only way to truly answer the question is through objective means. I normally throw away my receipts after I come back home from grocery shopping, but… Continue reading