AUA president defends school’s bona fides
March 9, 2011 Observer News
President and co-founder of American University of Antigua (AUA) College of Medicine **** ***** said his school has been unfairly caught, and possibly tarnished, in a state agency muddle and recent article.
In putting distance between the school and revelations from the Antigua & Barbuda National Accreditation Board (ABNAB) of its inertia, ***** said, categorically, that the institution is accredited by virtue of a charter it has with government.
“There is no question of that fact that our graduates go on to licensure,” ***** told OBSERVER yesterday.
“We’ve had over – we’re a relatively new school (so) the ballpark estimate is over 200 students who have been licensed in the United States and Canada,” ***** said.
Responding to a query, he said no local graduates have applied for licenses here.
He detailed the charter AUA has with government, in which it is recognised that the New York State Board is the authorised accrediting body that accredits AUA.
His statements echo those issued by the government last week in a press release, which said AUA “is operating with the full confidence and support of the government, and graduates of the College of Medicine continue to be eligible for licensure in Antigua & Barbuda.”
***** also noted that the Educational Commission on Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) has approved the arrangement by virtue of the fact AUA graduates have been licensed. (how come ECFMG approved a medical school that was not accredited
Late last week, a member of ABNAB said AUA was not accredited by the agency. It has been revealed, in the damage control, that Accreditation Board has been sluggish to the task and not even local institutions have been accredited. In the while, the AUA-government charter stands.
Government subsequently said the board is currently developing its criteria and registering institutions.
This has not been done yet though the Antigua & Barbuda Accreditation Act, 2006 was enacted in July 2006 and made operational in November 2008.
“There has to be a process put in place … all of that takes time, and we welcome that. We want to go through that process, but that has nothing to do with our accreditation now, today. It’s in a charter that has been approved by the Cabinet that has been recognised since we started,” ***** said.