Q. I am missing some MD prerequisites. Will I still be accepted in to the MD program?

A. Each application is reviewed by the Admissions Committee on a case by case basis; if the Committee deems insufficiency in your prior education, you must fulfill those prerequisites. Students will have the option of completing these prerequisites at their current education institute or by attending Pre Med program at AAIMS.

Q. Will the school help me find housing?

A. Yes, We provide On-Campus Housing on a first-come basis. If students desire to stay off campus, AAIMS Student Services Affairs department will help you to find accommodation.

Q. Is there a preferred undergraduate degree?

A. AAIMS accepts students from a wide range of backgrounds. Although we do not require a specific major, we do require all science prerequisites, as well as community work in the medical field to be completed before acceptance.

Q. Will I qualify to practice medicine in the United States if I attend AAIMS?

A. Graduates are eligible for the NRMP Residency Placement Match program. Once students have successfully completed Step I and Step II of the USMLE and Clinical Skills Assessment Test and have received their ECFMG certification, they are eligible for residency training in the United States.

Our curriculum is based on the United States Medical School model.We work diligently with students to prepare for the United States standardized examinations required of all medical students (USMLE Step 1, Step 2 (CS) and (CK) and USMLE Step 3, by providing the proper curriculum, smaller classes, and a higher teacher/student ratio.

Q. Do I require student visa for Jamaica?

A. After acceptance to AAIMS, you will receive visa information in your admissions packet. Based on Country of Citizenship, some students are required to obtain a visa from the local Jamaican Consulate. Commonwealth Citizens will get a visa on arrival and are required to submit the visa application for processing to AAIMS prior to their arrival along with required documents. AAIMS Registrar's Office will guide every student in this process.

Greetings ALL, and welcome to AAIMS, Jamaica!!
'Here today, gone tomorrow"!

I chose this simple sentence not to just remind us of the impermanence of things but more to say that your sojourn here will expectedly be a short one, a mere two years in most cases- then most of you are off again to other lands. In this short time much can happen- indeed much is expected to happen. Essentially you are expected to study well, have a good time and graduate into your further studies!

But there are many contributing factors towards this outcome- and to help remember these I have devised two acronyms from the opening sentence- "H.E.R.E." and "G.O.N.E."!


H: you should arrive healthy and happy, remain healthy and happy and depart healthy and happy!
So make sure that you have the proper medical certification/clearance before you leave home, make sure that you do the right things to remain healthy after you get here- like having proper nutrition, rest and exercise. Make sure you avoid those situations which engender poor health e.g. "riotous living", smoking and alcohol and other drug abuse. Maintain a positive outlook.look on the bright side. "Mens sana in corpore sano"

E: you should enjoy yourselves, even while involved in the demanding endeavors of acquiring a good education. And remember that, regardless of what subjects we study, what specializations we pursue."Education has for its object the foundation of character" (Herbert Spencer).
So that the mere cramming of myriad abstruse topics and the mere passing of myriad difficult examinations are not enough to "complete" one's education. The wider world awaits you, get involved and learn about it, while of course remaining conscious of your primary goal..

R: you will need to retain responsibility for your actions while at the same time sharing the responsibility of looking after your colleagues, friends and others with whom you relate. There will be cultural and other differences with which to grapple, get acquainted, understand and accept. Sometimes you will feel "stressed out", unable to cope...It is at such times that bad decisions may be made, intemperate action taken. On such occasions it will be good to remember the words of Chinese Wisdom which state:
"One moment of patience may ward off great disaster. One moment of impatience may ruin a whole life"

E: Emulate those who are doing better, avoid following into the footsteps of those who are doing worse. Confucius enjoins us: "When you see a worthy person, endeavor to emulate him. When you see an unworthy person, then examine your inner self".
Set a good example, be effective and efficient. And encourage your fellow students and others to do likewise!

G: Good governance. AAIMS is set up to provide good governance at all levels- academically, administratively, socially and otherwise. Program design, teaching facilities, staff selection, examination and evaluation methods, counseling and other support are well thought out and supported by relevant policies and committee structure and function. Appropriate reviews of all aspects of operations will ensure that problems are detected early and solutions applied. Of course, students are also a part of the general organization and proper running of the institution.

O: Order. If all goes according to what is outlined above there will be good order and organizational efficiency. Each cog is recognized as integral to the proper functioning of the big wheel. Rules and regulations should be adhered to, not out of "blind faith" or coercion but out of recognition that societal values and norms can only be maintained when everyone is conscious and considerate of others. And operating within the bounds of ethical and professional behavior will play a key part in the maintenance of this order. An optimistic outlook will surely be the consequence of such interaction and conduct.

N: No Nonsense! My alma mater had as part of its motto: "When you play, play hard; when you work don't play at all!".
I found this very instructive and helpful, like avoidance of mixing oil and water. For if a task is to be successfully completed then there is no gain from wasting time in unrelated matters. Focus and concentration are required to run a hundred meters; focus and concentration are required to play a good game of scrabble and to work out some quadratic equation. But one cannot easily work out a quadratic equation while playing scrabble or running a hundred meters! So I enjoin you to dedicate yourselves to the several tasks at hand with single purpose; when each task is successfully completed then you may tackle something else- whether academic or recreational. A quotation form the Wishes of the Brahmans reminds us: "LUCK may sometimes help; WORK always helps".

E: Excellence. This is always the best to aim for; mediocrity or less is eminently more readily achievable but less satisfying in the long run. The study of Medicine is not an easy pursuit, any more than running a marathon race is. There are many who will flounder and even drop out, many will make it to the finish line, few will make it in reasonable time and very few will make it in record time! And these latter are the ones who will be remembered, the ones who will in future strive for even greater achievements!!
In which group do you wish to be?
The choice is essentially yours ...but AAIMS wishes to help you reach the pinnacle.
I exhort you to consider our Mission which is to:
"coordinate resources necessary to deliver excellent medical education leading to generating physicians that will serve the community and to form lifelong learners committed to excellence, faith, leadership and service".

As I welcome you heartily to AAIMS, Black River, St Elizabeth, Jamaica, I ask that you keep this foremost in your minds, not only during the next two or so years that you spend here but even beyond that time as you venture into the wider world, proud graduates of an institution of which you can be proud, dedicated to serve mankind the best way you can..

With very best wishes for a successful period of life and learning and a very bright future.

Sincerely
Owen B.O'L. James O.D. MB. (Edin)
Dean, AAIMS.

AAIMS Campus is located in the town of Black River, the capital of the parish of St Elizabeth, Jamaica. Established close to the banks of the river after which it is named, the town is one of the oldest in the island. A bustling port in the 19th century, Black River was, at that time, one of Jamaica's grandest and most modern towns. It was the first to receive electricity and to have motor cars and one of the first to have telephones. The campus is the site of historic Invercauld Great House, situated on 5 acres of immaculately landscaped grounds, overlooking the Caribbean Sea.

Today, the town is a quaint, serene place where Community tourism is highly promoted. As a result, the parish has a very hospitable culture for hosting visitors. Students and their regular guests will find the community ready to provide accommodation, cultural activities, socialization, shopping and entertainment.

Students will find a safe, secure and cost effective environment in which to study, while the south coast of the island provides an interesting variety of stimulating leisure activities.

Safety and Security The safety and security of our students are taken very seriously. All buildings have electronic access control swipe card systems and are well-equipped with the necessary fire detection equipment and alarms. In addition, the school has dedicated 24/7 security team guarding campus as well as onsite cameras connected to the observatory room with electronic security systems. All staff and students are provided with a private ID and access control swipe card to be used on entering and exiting the premises.

All American Institute of Medical Sciences (AAIMS) has been certified by all major international medical school accrediting bodies and authorities. Students can rest assured that their qualifications will be accepted internationally.

AAIMS is accredited/ listed by following authorities:

The Ministry of Education, Jamaica - CHARTER

AAIMS received Charter to establish and operate school of medical sciences from the Government of Jamaica in May 2009. Graduates of AAIMS are eligible to apply for practice medicine in Jamaica upon successfully registering with the Medical Council of Jamaica.

The Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education in Medicine and other Health Professions (CAAM-HP)
AAIMS has been granted initial provisional accreditation status by the Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education in Medicine and Other Health Professions, the accrediting body for M.D. degree programs in the Caribbean Community.

Accreditation standards require AAIMS to address five specific areas in the development phase: Institutional Setting, Educational program, students, faculty and resources. The accreditation process involves several steps, the last of which is completed in the fourth year of enrollment of the inaugural class. Full accreditation of the medical school at AAIMS is expected in 2014.

For more information regarding accreditation, please visit the CAAM-HP website

FAIMER/ International Medical Education Directory (IMED) AAIMS is listed in International Medical Education Directory (IMED). Students and graduates of AAIMS are eligible to sit for USMLE, in fulfillment of the ECFMG Certification requirements for applying into the USA residency programs.

IMED is maintained by Foundation for the Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER) with information made available by Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG), USA. ECFMG Certification is a requirement for international medical graduates seeking unrestricted license to practice medicine in the USA. To be certified by ECFMG, international medical graduates (IMGs) must, among other requirements, meet certain medical education credential requirements. All IMGs must have been awarded credit for at least four credit years (academic years for which credit has been given toward completion of the medical curriculum) by a medical school that is listed in the IMED.

For more information regarding listing, please visit the FAIMER Website

World Health Organization (WHO)/AVICENNA Directories AAIMS is listed in World Health Organization/AVICENNA Global Directories of Education Institutions for Health Professions. The AVICENNA Directories is a publicly accessible database of schools, colleges, and universities for education of academic professions in health. For medical educational institutions, this replaces the World Directory of Medical Schools published by WHO since 1953.

For more information regarding listing, please visit the AVICENNA Directories

Medical Council of Canada (MCC) AAIMS IMED listing is recognized by the Medical Council of Canada (MCC) for certification and eligibility for medical licensure in Canada. Graduates of AAIMS are eligible to sit for Medical Council of Canada Evaluating Examination (MCCEE) and Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examinations (MCCQE).

For more information, please visit MCC website

AAIMS is looking for competent and motivated persons with a strong belief in its purpose and mandate, who are willing to dedicate themselves to a rewarding career, by providing the highest quality of education and service to our students.

AAIMS is committed to upholding its mandate, including integrity, professionalism, efficiency and respect for diversity. We strive to recruit the best women and men from all over the world, and make arrangements in the workplace to meet the needs of persons with disabilities. Staff are diverse in many respects, including gender, nationality, race, culture, education and experience.

We are committed to supporting staff in balancing their work and life needs. It is the goal of the Institute to ensure that staff and their families are provided the resources and tools to enable them to become productive members of AAIMS.

We offer extensive health and clinical support services. Health promotion, personal & work stress programs, as well as other health related facilities and services are available.

Due to the rapid expansion of AAIMS, we're recruiting to increase our quality faculty and staff.If you are interested in a rewarding and fulfilling career in the Caribbean, please send your CV / R�sum� to hr@aaims.edu.jm or contact our office.

Welcome to the AAIMS web site - the premier Medical School in the Caribbean, providing Medical Education Par Excellence!

The constitution and governance of the AAIMS are regulated by its Charter, Statutes and Ordinances. The governance and management are carried out through a structure of committees and officers. The School operates under a bi-cameral system of governance comprising a governing body - the Council and an academic arm - the Academic Assembly, reporting to the Board of Trustees, through the President.