MANHATTAN, N.Y. - May 6, 2020 - American University of Antigua (AUA) College of Medicine has partnered with Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University (FAMU), a leading historically black university (HBCU) in Tallahassee, FL, to create an admissions pathway for qualified students to attend AUA and earn their Doctor of Medicine (MD) degrees.

"We're honored that Florida A&M University has chosen to partner with AUA on this initiative," said Neal Simon, AUA president. "AUA and FAMU share common goals: providing men and women of color with an opportunity to pursue a medical education, thereby increasing diversity in the number of medical school students as well as in the physician population. In addition, providing a pathway to a medical education to populations that are under-represented in the practice of medicine, will mitigate the AAMC-predicted physician shortages."

Under the terms of a newly inked memorandum of understanding (MOU), qualified FAMU graduates gain automatic acceptance to AUA as medical school students. Students with a 3.0 grade point average (GPA) who otherwise meet AUA's admissions requirements would qualify.

In addition, five participating FAMU graduates will be awarded a $5,000 College Partner Grant. Students may also be eligible to receive AUA's Physician Diversification Initiative Scholarship (a $50,000 award) or other grants and scholarships.

Enrolling a diverse medical school cohort is central to AUA's mission. According to the Association for American Medical Colleges, there were 21,869 medical school matriculants in 2019-2020. Out of that total, students who identified as African Americans and/or black, Hispanic/Latino, and other historically under-represented groups made up just 14 percent of the incoming student body, combined.

At AUA, however, more than 40 percent of students for AUA's February 2020 class self-identified as black and/or African-American, Hispanic, or as being from other historically under-represented groups.

About American University of Antigua College of Medicine

AUA College of Medicine is a fully accredited Caribbean medical school dedicated to providing an academic experience of the highest quality. Via a holistic admissions approach, AUA selects students with the potential for medical school success and provides them with the resources they need to obtain highly competitive residencies and move on to successful careers in medicine.

Founded in 2004, AUA awards the Doctor of Medicine degree after students complete a two-year preclinical sciences curriculum on the island of Antigua in the Caribbean, followed by clinical rotations in the United States, Canada, India, or the United Kingdom at affiliated teaching hospitals. AUA is accredited by the Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education in Medicine and other Health Professions (CAAM-HP).

AUA is approved by the U.S. Department of Education to participate in federal student aid programs, approved by the New York State Education Department (NYSED), licensed by the Florida Department of Education (DOE), and recognized by the Medical Board of California (MBC).

Visit https://www.auamed.org for more information.