Student Informational Thread on AUC & St. Maarten

[HonorDac]

Hope this helps, and let me know if there are any suggestions or comments.
Table of Contents, Announcements, Intro, AUC
I. Introduction, Table of Contents, AUC
II. Clubs and Organizations/Extracurricular Activities
III. Classes
IV. Shopping for Food/Necessities/Education
V. Sports, Activities, & Tournaments
VI. Other Activities around St. Maarten
VII. Religion
VIII. Restaurants
IX. All about St. Maarten
a. Part II
b. Part III
c. Part IV(Holidays)
X. FAQs
XI. Links
XII. Blogs
XIII. Learning Languages (Dutch, French, Spanish, Papiamento)

Announcements

Update

The school is expanding by constructing a new building for future classes, cafeteria, anatomy lab and I think the gym/recreational area would be there also while the current building would be mainly converted into an administrative building later on. It is supposively planned to finish within 1-2 years. From when I was there for graduation the part of the parking lot was closed and the basketball court was torn down. Other than that I'm not sure of any new updates since I don't have any contacts with newer students about any changes. So for any questions about recent activities by students please ask in the main American University of the Caribbean forum page. Hope this helps.

Edit 09/11/12

__________________________________________________ _________

Update
XII. Just checked the links and placed on the side if the blogs has been discontinued or required permission. I'll leave them up for a bit to see if there are any changes.

XIII. Checked the links of all the languages and edited, added, and deleted some links based on whether it was working or not.

Edit 9/18/10
_____________________________________________
Update:
I. XII. Blogs title added, XIII. Learning Languages (Dutch, French, Spanish, and Papiamento) title added
II. Kayak club info typo corrected. Anatomy lab TA changed to Anatomy Lab Demonstrator. Additional info added to Anatomy Lab Demonstrator. If someone could let me know if the Canadian Medical Student Association is officially part of the SGA, it would be greatly appreciated.
X. “Where can I find Music Equipment?” added to FAQ.
XII. XII. Blogs added
XIII. XIII. Learning Languages added.

9/10/10
_____________________________________________
Update: Links are checked and functional. Only exception is the paintball main website(facebook is functional). I'll leave it there for awhile to see if they start up again.
II. alpha phi omega edited/links added to sga and dive club/
IV. Indian shop edit & clarified/colors added to headings to make it clearer in ACE and Le Grande Marche/may super center & save a lot homecenter added/link activated in dental/link activated in police/info added in taxi
V. link added in basketball/Info added in soccer/edit paragraph in tennis/
VI. Link added in heading/link activated in casinos/library section edited/edited section in theater/link added in paintball/link added in watersport
VII. seventh day adventist added/heading colors changed to make it clearer/location/mass time description added in french catholic mass/
VIII. Link added in heading
X. laundry section edited/directory link corrected/removal of extra link in maps/haircut question added/events of the week info added
links. 4 links added to overview/2 links added to history/11 links added to org/institution/education. 5/19/10


Well, the 1st part of the project is finished. I hope that this will help future students coming to AUC and St. Maarten. 4/12/10

Intro

Hi everyone, at first I started out making this as a way to help students find a local catholic mass in the area, since many I encounter are surprised that one even existed after being around for several semester. This turned out later to being a larger project to help future students get a better idea about St. Maarten and AUC from a student perspective rather than through tourist information or brochures. I realize that as time goes by, things may come and go. I hope that students would keep that in mind and hopefully future students on ValueMd can contribute by adding additional information that might be helpful, remove old information that is obsolete, or just update the information if there is a change (location, times, roles, etc.) to help it be an active, organic thread.
AUC
Overview
As many of you know, AUC is one of the big 4 schools in the Caribbean since it is accredited in all 50 states. It is situated in the Island of St. Maarten/St. Martin on the dutch side (St. Maarten) in the Cupecoy area.
It is a year round school which accepts students in the September(Fall), January(winter), and May(Summer) semester and you do 5 semesters for your basic sciences. The Fall semester is the biggest class with close to 200 incoming students, then the winter with about 100-120 students and the Summer being the smallest with about 60-80 students(though the most recent class is about 100 students). From what I know, the winter and summer semesters has an advantage over the fall semester due to smaller class sizes meaning greater chances to get a clinical rotation spot and more time to study for the USMLE and still get a desired spot.
In clinical rotations, there are four major sites, the New York Area, Michigan, California and UK. In these areas you can do all your cores without going anywhere. You can only do the cores in the UK and then do the electives in the US, while the other sites you can do both cores and electives (If you want Texas Licensure you can’t do psych in the California site). Then there are other sites around the US that have some rotations, but not all rotations. That can be found in the AUC clinical rotation thread. Moreover, the cores have to be done in affiliated sites with AUC(Unless you have a specific hospital/university sign a contract with AUC, which I have only heard of one case), while electives doesn’t have to be affiliated with AUC(but still must be greenbook).
Parts of AUC
The school can be divided up to 5 parts: The main Building, the Dorms, the Gym, the gazebos, and the basketball court/green area
The Main Building
1st floor
The Rotunda:
The rotunda is the center area where everything is connected from the building itself to the students. Many meet in this area and talk and many events or meetings start in this area before going to another area of the school. Since this is the main gathering area you tend to hear other people and rumors start which is where you sometimes hear “Dr. Rotunda says” in Valuemd or in the school itself.
This will be the starting point to know where each area is located. If you are facing the direction of the statue with the bathroom doors behind you and at the center of the rotunda, you’ll find on your left: double doors leading to the outside to get to note services, farther out you’ll see the Dorms, gym going downstairs(and ICM wing), picnic tables on your right and Gazebos on your left; going to your right before note services you’ll find Lecture Hall 1(on your right down the stairs), Lecture Hall 4(going farther down on your let), the Microbiology Lab(near the note service), and Microbiology Dept(going down the hallway around the corner). You’ll find Lecture Hall 2; Lecture Hall 3 near Lecture Hall 2 entrance, the stairs, and the Registrar Office 10 o’clock in your Direction within the rotunda.
You’ll find on your right: double doors leading to the outside where you can find the Anatomy Wing on your right, Anatomy Lab on your left, the entrance of AUC where the guard Shack is and a playground. Within the rotunda on your right you’ll see the Housing Dept 1 o’ clock and immigration next to it; the multipurpose room is just past the stairs.
Note Services:
It is the place where you can purchase notes for the semester which is $150 and can purchase souvenirs and some school supplies, but is usually more expensive. They also handle books that were ordered through university books online and handle mail also. There are 2 bulletins used as a notification/reminder for new notes, mailing, and immigration papers.
Lecture Hall 1:
The Largest of all the Lecture Halls, which has 300 seats in the area and usually holds the Fall Semester class until 5th semester when the new Fall semester comes. There are multiple exits/entrances. If you’re facing the stage, behind you are 2 double doors leading to a hallway with bathrooms and going outside would lead you to the Dorms and gym straight ahead, ICM wing on your right, and stair on your left to go to the picnic and gazebos area.
Lecture Hall 2:
The Second largest, which has 200 seats. At the moment the only exit/entrance is the rotunda since the other exit to the outside is now locked.
Lecture Hall 3:
The smallest of all lecture halls, it is used as a designated study area when there is no class and there is an entrance/exit to the outside and to the rotunda.
Lecture Hall 4:
Another Lecture hall for a class found to the left of the statue facing the basketball court. It is open for studying after the classes are done.
Multipurpose Room:
It is exactly what the name means, it is used for many things from CPR classes, SGA meetings, club meetings, studying, salsa/swing dancing lessons, aerobic exercises, mixed martial arts, special events, etc.
The Registrar Office:
It is the main place where they send out the mass e-mails, handle grades, getting your student IDs student information, etc. If you’re part of a club/org that need to send out a mass e-mail it has to be sent to the registrar and I believe the dean also to have it approved. It is also the place to approve of putting up flyers on campus. And is also another place to look for lost and found
The Housing Department:
They’re the group that handles the maintenance of the university in getting supplies and fixing anything at the university. They also provide information to students on available apartments which can be given by e-mail. In addition, they handle car tags/permits, and can guide/collaborate with getting and finding materials around the island. They also tell you the format of the bill sale when selling the car to another person.
The Immigration Department:
This department handles getting your documents ready by your 2nd semester so that you become a temporary resident of St. Maarten while you’re studying on the island. Moreover, this department also has the seal needed to make the bill of sale official when selling your car to another person(Instead of going to Philipsburg to get it).
Anatomy Wing:
It is the place where there are professors from different departments such as anatomy and ICM.
Anatomy Lab:
Consist of the dry lab and wet lab. The wet lab is where you get to dissect and learn the human body. In the dry lab you get to see the radiographs, simulated CT scans of the body and bone structures to learn about the human body.
Microbiology Lab:
Not sure too much about this. It is used for the research done at AUC, and back when I started at the beginning of the semester was also the place to get your books ordered online.
Microbiology Wing:
Where the immunology/microbiology professors are at. It is tucked away near end of the picnic tables area.
ICM Wing
Found outside downstairs near the Lecture Hall 1 and the Gym. There are professors who have office hours in the area, and rooms that have classes for ICM. When there isn’t class, it is also used as a study area for students to use.
2nd floor
Starting in the same place at the Rotunda with the back facing the bathrooms and facing the statue outside you’ll see in front 2 doors which have 2 offices each. The door on the left have the offices of the Associate Dean of Student Affairs and the Associate Dean of Basic Sciences. The door on the right has the office of the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs. On your left you’ll have the stairs to the 1st floor of the rotunda and 3 double doors; one leads to the library(only used by staff), the other to the dean’s office, and the other leads to the outside where you would find the professor’s offices, the cafeteria and stairs to the first floor. On your right you have the stairs leading to the 1st floor of the rotunda, the library and double doors to the outside which have the research rooms, IT department, stairs leading to the 1st floor, professor’s offices, The Director of Community Affair’s office, Chertok hall and the business office all the way at the end of the hallway.
Dean and Associate Dean
Both the dean and the Associate Deans are willing to help and are open to student concerns, they’re willing to listen and give advice to students and try their best to put them in the right direction.
Room where the Assoc. Dean of Student Affairs and Assoc. dean of Basic Sciences
There is a phone available for students who need to resolve any problem regarding tuition, financial aid, etc. It can be used to call anywhere around the United States free of charge. The Associate deans do allow students to call their families/love ones also.
The Cafeteria
Now open till 4pm. It is also used as a study area and group study since you can talk there. There is also a television with cable many different channels. You have to go on the table to change channels manually(see FAQ/misc for channel list).
The Library
The library has 5 rooms. In one room, it contains the books for all the subjects, articles, magazines, and leisure books, and also has tables for students to study in the area. In another room is the computer lab where you can browse around the internet, use it for studying, listening to heart, lung sounds, use sylvius (neuroanatomy atlas), view and listen to Kaplan videos, using the Up to date directory, etc. They also have OVID online directory for students to connect to it from around the world. Making print outs is 10 cents per page. You can also bring or request headphones from the person overseeing the computer lab. The next room is the ICM room which is used for ICM classes, CPR classes, and the area for Dengue Research. The 4th room is a reading room with cushioned chairs. And the last room is only table and chairs throughout the area. In addition, the library is the place to make copies, staple, punch holes, and also a place to look for lost and found.
IT Department
They help you with your needs in the computer lab in the library, any of the lecture halls, and also your personal computer.
Office of Director of Community Affairs
The person is helpful in getting contacts with organizations around the island to collaborate with events and community service. It is best to talk to her at that that moment since she’s busy going around the island helping out the community.
Chertok Hall
Another classroom that have a semester class there. Not sure how much it holds, but in the back of the room is the Harvey Lab that ICM students go to. It is also used as a designated study room when class is not in session.
Business Department
It is the place that handles the financial part of the school and the tuition of the students. This is the place where you get your checks during your first few days of the semester.
Dorms
Not sure about the price of the Dorms. But the advantage with living in the Dorms is that you don’t have to worry about power outages or water outages that occur around the island. Unfortunately, the 1st and 5th semesters get the priority, and in between you can maybe stay by the luck of a draw. Another way to be in the Dorm is to be a Resident Advisor. There are 5 floors in the Dorms and the rooms can either be single or double with single usually being more costly. There is internet but there are restrictions on the certain sites, and online gaming, etc. Moreover, there are ICM rooms that can be used for studying when there is no class going on and you can also enjoy the scenery at day and night on the rooftop of the Dorms.
The Gym
A small gym but has the necessary equipments from free weights, bench press, treadmills, elliptical, leg presses, fl y machines etc. There is also a water fountain and bathrooms near the gym also. There are 2 tvs that can has cable for anyone who wants to watch tv. You have to have it on Channel 3 and you can change the cable tv by remote or manually by using a stool to reach the buttons (See FAQ/Misc for channel list).
The Gazebos
It is an area where event occur such as the 1st semester sale and the 5th semester sale. It can be use for other things such as gatherings and studying. It has outlets in the area also.
The Basketball court/green area
It is the area that is used for students that want to play basketball and indoor soccer. (More info on sports under activities)
List of Contacts
http://www.aucmed.edu/current/contacts.html
http://www.aucmed.edu/prospective/basic-medical-sciences-faculty.html

[vick2025]

WOW!!

Excellent work HonorDac, keep the updates coming...the info is priceless to prospective and current students..thanks!

[mofogx]

This was great info, thank you for providing it.
I still have a couple questions:

1. Where/How do most students bank? I am from the US and am hearing mixed reviews about banking and using ATM cards down there. Are there any current students with Bank of America that use Nova Scotia bank to make withdrawls, if so are there any further charges?

2. Does anyone have a sample calendar for class meetings and holidays etc? The calendar on the website only has the final and orientation dates, I am not even 100% sure when classes begin for the Fall b/c I have heard Sep 1, but online it says Aug. 31...this makes planning flights a bit difficult, so if anyone has a more specific calendar I would greatly appreciate your sharing it with me.

Thanks everyone :-)

There are two ATMs about a 3-5min walk from campus. If you have a BoA account, you can withdraw from ScotiaBank for no charge. It's pretty straightforward... when it works. It's the only ScotiaBank ATM in the area, and it gets used a LOT, especially around the time the rent is due for off-campus apartments, and it runs out of money pretty fast, and they are pretty slow to fix it. There is another ATM across the parking lot of the casino, but it is from Windward Islands Bank, and they charge $3.00 for a transaction made with a card that was not issued in the Netherlands Antilles or Europe. This one is less likely to be out of order, as it gets used much less often. Both dispense USD, as almost everyone on the dutch side trade in US dollars. The ScotiaBank ATM allows a max withdrawal of $600/day, while the WIB ATM only allows $300.

However, before using your bank cards on the island, tell BoA that you will be using your card outside of the US, so that they don't deactivate it, thinking that it was stolen.

As far as banking, I'm not too sure about it. I've heard of students using a local bank, but I've seen students FedEx their refund checks to their bank at home to deposit in their accounts, and just withdraw from the ATMs.

As far as a calandar, I'm not too sure. I didn't even know what the calendar was like until after I got on the island. I think MEAS has an answer for that, but I can definitely ask around on campus.

[HonorDac]

Hi sassysher,

It's true that class starts on Sept 1st, for 1st semesters, but you can register 2 days earlier (so that would be August 29th). The other semesters will start class on August 31st, while 1st semesters would be going through orientation that day to get to know the school and St. Maarten.

So easiest way to look at it on the academic calendar:

Current Students | American University of the Caribbean

"Welcome, Orientation and Formal Instruction" is the 1st day of class for semesters 2-5. The next day is 1st semester's first day of class. Registration for 1st semester can be done a day or 2 before that day, while semester 2-5 can only do it the day before. So I would recommend to come early to settle in and be able to give yourself time to explore the school and island.

"Final Exam Period" This one has been tricky for me. The first day is usually the exam day for semester 1,3, and 4. 2nd semesters have exams on the first 2 days of the exam period. 5th semesters have their exams a week before(but can be anywhere from M-F since taking the Kaplan Test depends on the luck of the draw done near the beginning of the semester, and trading that happens afterward, so you may want to wait a bit to be sure when you're taking the final if you want to schedule your flight after your exam"

The tricky part is if there is a holiday. Recently Kingdom Day Holiday has been made on Dec 15th which is Tuesday(2nd day of exams) in between monday and wednesday so exams for 2nd semester was done on Monday and Wednesday while Semesters 1,3,4 were done on wednesday. Looking at the calendar, the same thing will most likely happen again(unless they switched it). I don't remember any other semester having a holiday affecting how the exams are done.

Students can find out the schedule at the Registrar, but usually they don't have the schedule done until mid semester from my experience. Hope this helps in scheduling your flight!

This was great info, thank you for providing it.
I still have a couple questions:

1. Where/How do most students bank? I am from the US and am hearing mixed reviews about banking and using ATM cards down there. Are there any current students with Bank of America that use Nova Scotia bank to make withdrawls, if so are there any further charges?

2. Does anyone have a sample calendar for class meetings and holidays etc? The calendar on the website only has the final and orientation dates, I am not even 100% sure when classes begin for the Fall b/c I have heard Sep 1, but online it says Aug. 31...this makes planning flights a bit difficult, so if anyone has a more specific calendar I would greatly appreciate your sharing it with me.

Thanks everyone :-)

[sassysher]

Thanks mofogx and Honordac, I appreciate your help :-)

[HonorDac]

Just made some additional updates by adding the blogs listed (credit to B. H.) and adding learning languages section. I hope it'll be helpful. I still have few slots left which I could use if I decide to expand more languages in it, use for post island info & clinical rotations, or differences in process between Canadian and US students if there is any.

If you guys have any additional info/ideas that you feel would be helpful (or any links not working or outdated info) and would like to add/contribute don't hesitate to respond.

Right now I'm going to start clinical rotation in England soon, so we'll see how things go as time goes by and if there is any info I could add later on.

Updates below and I'll be checking the links for the blogs and the learning language section later on to make sure all is functional.

______________________________________________

Update:
I. XII. Blogs title added, XIII. Learning Languages (Dutch, French, Spanish, and Papiamento) title added
II. Kayak club info typo corrected. Anatomy lab TA changed to Anatomy Lab Demonstrator. Additional info added to Anatomy Lab Demonstrator. If someone could let me know if the Canadian Medical Student Association is officially part of the SGA, it would be greatly appreciated.
X. “Where can I find Music Equipment?” added to FAQ.
XII. XII. Blogs added
XIII. XIII. Learning Languages added.

9/10/10

[valuemd lurker]

thanks a lot for this very thorough information

[HonorDac]

you're welcome valuemd lurker, glad to hear that it is helpful for you.

XII. Just checked the links and placed on the side if the blogs has been discontinued or required permission. I'll leave them up for a bit to see if there are any changes.

XIII. Checked the links of all the languages and edited, added, and deleted some links based on whether it was working or not.

Edit 9/18/10

[FSUkid]

This is GREAT stuff! Thanks a lot HonorDac for taking the time to write this very detailed and precious information for prospective students like myself!

[mnhockeyfan]

I too appreciate the info as a prospective student.

[tattedMD]

Thanks for this. Superb job