Author: Benji Ho

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

Do y’all remember when Diary of a Caribbean Med Student looked like this? Yeah, it seemed so long ago for me, but only 3 months ago, this was what it looked like.. When I first started this blog, I was completely a novice at this medium of expression. I was not familiar with programming, and had to look up html… Continue reading

Coming to St. Maarten is as much of a weather shock as it is a culture shock for many Americans and Canadians coming here for the first time. So here, I'd like to answer some questions about the weather... Continue reading

About: Lucas Bay is a very shallow bay with a few islands and sandbars just barely rising out of the shallow waters. The knee-deep water makes it a great trip to wade to the different islands in the bay. Highlights: Reach the first, then the second, and then the third island. Each island is very different and interesting to explore. on the far side of the third island, there is a treat... a natural swimming pool! Continue reading

St. Martin is an island divided between two nations. They cannot be more different. The Dutch side is bustling with resorts, casinos, and clubs by the sea, whereas on the French side, there are quaint country houses, little churches with steeples, and horses by the sea. Here is our quick stop on the road while driving around the Cul-de-Sac of… Continue reading

of an AUC wikipedia article in Chinese… I’ve been speaking Mandarin Chinese all my life, and never learned how to read and write it until the end of high school. Speaking and writing are completely different, especially literary writing. The grammar, and even specific terms you use are different. I’ve always wanted to be proficient in Chinese writing composition, but… Continue reading

I guess I always assumed they were like clams, oysters, or mussels… just a piece of meat at the buffet line, ready to be dipped in cocktail sauce. Last post-block weekend, Chris, Arif, and I traveled the island to explore the northeast part of St. Martin, on the French side. At our first destination, Lucas Bay, we found a lot… Continue reading

My St. Maarten travel tips during the busy tourist season (From late November until the end of March): 1. Rent from somewhere outside the airport, like at the Windham or Empress, because chances are, you'll be competing with tourists at the airport and the booths will not rent anything less than 2 days during the busy season. 2. Call several days beforehand to make a reservation. That way you'll be more guaranteed to get what you want! Continue reading

Like me not too long ago, many prospective students are probably curious to see what the classrooms at AUC look like. So here, I have posted some pictures of the indoor places around campus. But first, some info about the facilities here at AUC: Lecture Halls In the old academic building, there are five lecture halls of different sizes: Lecture… Continue reading