Pre-medical Program

Applicants who do not meet the pre-medical requirements may be placed in American University’s pre-medical program until the pre-medical requirements have been completed. Upon completion of the pre-medical requirements, the student will be admitted into the medical program.

 

Required Documentation

• A complete application form.

• A $40.00 US application processing fee.

• A personal statement detailing your reasons for pursuing a career in medicine.

• Two (2) letters of recommendation, preferably from college professors of physicians.

• Official transcripts from high school and each college, university or professional school attended.

• Copy of passport.

• Four (4) color photos (passport size).

 
Medical College Admissions Test
Candidates for admission are not required to take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). Applicants who have taken this exam may choose to send their MCAT scores for evaluation to the American University Admissions Committee. This option is left at the student’s discretion. However, we encourage students to take this examination.

Letters of Recommendation
Applicants enrolled in colleges with a pre-medical advisory system should request that the Chair of the Pre-medical Advisory Committee, pre-medical advisor, coordinator, or person in charge of advising send a letter of evaluation to American University’s Admissions Office.

Advanced Standing
Students enrolled in approved medical programs may apply for advanced standing admissions. The applicant must have all transcripts sent directly from the current program to the Admissions Office. Transfer credit is accepted only from students attending schools listed by the World Health Organization and who are in good academic standing. Admission is on a competitive basis. No specific number of spaces are set aside for advanced standing candidates. American University does not grant any advanced standing credit for course work completed in related fields of Allied Health or from Chiropractic Studies. Applicants from fields such as dentistry or those who have completed the basic science courses as a graduate student are considered for admission only to the first-year medical class, regardless of the degree held.

Acceptance of Applicants
The Admissions Office will contact the applicant approximately two weeks after receiving the application package. At this time, the applicant will also be informed of any supporting documents missing from the applicant’s file. A personal interview may be requested at the discretion of American University Admissions Committee.

Within four weeks of receiving the complete application file, the applicant will be mailed a decision notification. All applicants who have been accepted into the program will receive a letter of acceptance and an acknowledgement of admission. Students must submit a signed acknowledgement of admission within two weeks of acceptance. A $40.00 US one-time matriculation fee must also be submitted along with the acknowledgement of admission. Tuition fees are due prior to the beginning of classes.

A limited number of scholarships and financial aid are given to those eligible.

COURSES DESCRIPTIONS:

 

ANESTHESIOLOGY

Students will learn and observe the procedure of how to give an anesthetic and be introduced to anesthetic equipment. They will be trained to monitor patients both during and immediately after anesthesia. In the classroom, emphasis will be placed on contraindications to anesthetics, the choice of anesthetic agent, and the decision as to which type of anesthetic should be given in which situations.

 

BIOCHEMISTRY

What for many is a dry subject is here brought to life. Students will gain a comprehensive understanding of biochemical activities within the body with special emphasis on metabolic cycles. They will learn to grasp how a small and seemingly academic disruption of biochemical function can lead to a variety of diseases. Issues of biochemistry, molecular biology and cellular structure are considered together so as to give the student a good understanding of how genetic information is transferred and how cell proliferation and differentiation is controlled.

 

BIOSTATISTICS

Students are given lectures and exercises in biostatistics and taught how to apply these statistical methods in epidemiology and in public health. Applications of these statistics in the financing and delivery of medical care are also discussed. Frequency distributions, measures of central tendency, measures of dispersion, probability, probability distributions, sampling concepts, estimating means and percentages, testing hypotheses, decisions based on one sample procedures, two sample procedures as well as analysis of variance, chi square, index numbers, time series, simple linear regression and correlation are all taught through a series of exercises.

 

CARDIOLOGY

Students are trained to evaluate, diagnose and treat common cardiovascular complications. The course is practical in orientation with emphasis being placed on teaching students how to evaluate an ECG and how to interpret blood tests for cardiac enzymes. Much practice is also given in auscultation and how to recognize and interpret the various heart sounds. In the classroom, congenital and acquired conditions, myopathies, angina, infarction, primary and secondary arrythmias will all be explored. Both surgical and medical treatment options will be discussed.

 

 

GENERAL PATHOLOGY

This course emphasizes the mechanisms of human disease and their various morphological characteristics. Students are taught about the mechanisms of disease, which lead to the clinical signs and symptoms. General pathology includes the study of the principles of injury and the body’s reaction – such as inflammation and repair. The course provides a good basis for the student to continue the study of pathology on a system by system basis.

 

GENERAL & SYSTEMIC PATHOLOGY

This course examines each of the organ systems in terms of the disease process and the clinical manifestations of the various pathologies in different systems. The cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine, renal, gastrointestinal, nervous and reproductive systems are all examined in considerable detail. Emphasis is placed on case histories, mechanisms of disease, causes and the morphological characteristics induced by the pathological entities.

 

GENETICS

Students are lectured on the structure of genetic material, its reproduction, and its role in health and disease. The hereditary basis of disease is also explored and students are encouraged and guided on discussions on the role of research in future treatment of the disease.

 

GERIATRIC MEDICINE

Students are encouraged to consider the increasing importance of geriatric medicine and to appreciate that by 2004, one in five Americans will be geriatric. The processes of aging, accompanying physiological changes and behavioral changes are all considered through reading, class discussion and videos. Topics of discussion include the status of the geriatric in society as well as aspects of medical care in nursing homes for the elderly. Emphasis is also placed on students being alert to how the aging process may affect the body’s reactions to various drug regimes.

 

HEMATOLOGY

All diseases of the blood are discussed and students are trained to recognize the most common hematological conditions, diagnose related conditions and treat them. Discussions will focus on red blood cell disorders, acute leukemia, disorders of coagulation and homeostasis, as well as abnormalities related to hypo-coagulation and hemophilia.

 

HISTOLOGY

Microscopic anatomy will be presented through lectures, videos and slides, allowing the student to understand the structure and function of cells, tissues and organs. Once the basic concepts of histology have been explained, the microscopic structure of specialized cells, tissues and organs will be discussed. The epithelium, connective tissue, muscle, nervous tissue, the circulatory system, lymphatic system and the skin will all be taught in detail.

 

IMMUNOLOGY

Students are provided with an extensive study of the body’s defenses and will gain a comprehensive understanding of immunology, normal immune responses as well as hypersensitive and immunological diseases. Discussions will be held on the nature of allergies and the role of the immune system in the body’s allergic reactions. Auto-immune diseases, immunization, transplantation and cancer immunology will all be considered in detail. Much of the course will be presented through case histories.

 

INFECTIOUS DISEASE

Students will learn the mechanism of infectious diseases, their nature, routes of transmission, geographic distribution, preventative measures, treatment modalities, pharmacological treatment and the increasing problem of drug resistance.

 

LEGAL MEDICINE AND ETHICS

Students are guided on the fundamental concepts of law in relation to the medical profession. Current judicial trends are discussed as are topics such as informed consent, guardianship, being a surrogate for unconscious patients, parents’ rights, privacy of medical information and the rights of the mentally and physically disabled.

 

MICROBIOLOGY

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to recognize the characteristics of infectious organisms, viruses, bacteria, fungi, ricketsia, and animal parasites. The genetics of these organisms will be discussed as will the body’s non-pathological defense systems. Emphasis is on the mechanism, diagnosis, treatment, prevention and control of disease. Much of the material will be learned through case presentations and problem solving.

 

NEUROANATOMY & NEUROSCIENCE

The anatomy and the basic function of central and peripheral nervous systems are presented with emphasis on helping the student understand the various nervous tracts. Considerable time will be spent on teaching the student how to locate lesions of the nervous system as indicated by clinical symptoms. The autonomic nervous system and neurophysiology will also be studied.

 

NUTRITION

This course is designed to familiarize students with nutrition and its relationship to human health and disease. The course includes the roles of proteins, carbohydrate and fats in growth and energy production, absorption of nutrients, management of diabetes mellitus, hypertension anemias, ostheosclerosis and renal disease. Nutritional issues related to anorexia, osteoporosis, severe trauma and obesity are also covered.

 

OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY

The obstetrics and gynecology course will provide students with a sound understanding of the theory of labor and the pharmacology and pain management of labor and premature labors. Guidance will be given as to when a mother should attempt a vaginal delivery and when a C-section should be advised. Students will learn all aspects of prenatal and postnatal care ranging from good nutrition to which tests to employ for the various possible fetal anomalies. The microbiology relating to gynecological infections will be reviewed and their management and prevention explained.

 

ONCOLOGY

Students will be able to recognize and diagnose oncological conditions and become familiar with the treatment modalities available. This course includes a study of tumor growth, cancer staging and treatment modalities for gynecologic malignancies, sarcomas, melanomas, carcinomas of the lung, leukemia, bladder, prostate and testicular cancers, as well as cancers of the head and neck and Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Paraneoplastic syndromes and care of the terminally ill cancer patient are considered.

 

ORTHOPEDICS

Students will gain a comprehensive understanding of orthopedic concepts and become familiar with the latest technological advances in treatment. Information is provided through a series of lectures, seminars and visual presentations as well as clinical observations. Skeletal malformation, diseases affecting bones, fractures, foot anomalies and their treatment modalities are all covered.

 

ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY

The student is introduced to orthopedic surgical techniques and theories; the methods used to repair fractures, joint complications, special procedures; treatment of displaced joints; and orthoscopic surgical techniques. The course is conducted through lectures, demonstrations, patient case histories and X-rays. The recovery process after surgery, including physical therapy is reviewed.

 

PEDIATRICS

This class is conducted through a series of lectures, case presentations and visual aids. The topics covered will include child health supervision, injuries, poisoning, developmental disabilities, behavioral disorders, neo-natology, critical care, birth defects and genetic disorders. Cardiovascular, pulmonary, renal, hematological, endocrine, metabolic and neurological diseases will all be discussed as they manifest themselves in pediatric patients.

 

PHARMACOLOGY

Lectures and discussions are held on the principles of drug metabolism, toxicology, pharmokinetics and pharmocodynamics. The structure of drugs and how this is related to the activity of drugs is explained. Antibiotics, autonomic, renal and cardiac drugs are all taught in considerable detail as well as drugs used in chemotherapy and anesthesia. Mood altering drugs, medications for gastrointestinal disorders and drugs that may cross the placenta into the fetus are also considered. Emphasis is placed on helping the student understand the mechanism of action of each drug group, their side effects and drug resistance.

 

PHYSIOLOGY

Physiology texts are brought to life by models, lectures, classroom discussions and exercises. Initially the studies will focus on the physiology of the separate systems with emphasis on how physiologic disorders may manifest themselves in the clinical setting. As the course progresses, students will learn to make the connections between the physiologies of the body’s different systems and how they impact on each other.

 

 RADIOLOGY

The course is entirely practical with the student being guided through a series of examples and taught how to distinguish abnormal from normal findings on X-rays, CT scans and angiograms. The correlation between gross anatomy and radiological findings is explained and students are encouraged to interpret what they see in the light of the patient’s clinical condition.

 

RESPIRATORY MEDICINE

The physiology, function, pathology and mechanical representations of the lungs are studied as an integrated whole to give the student an overall picture of lung dysfunction. Emphasis is placed on how to recognize clinical symptoms of various lung dysfunctions, their treatment and causes.

 

UROLOGY

Students will review normal function and will be taught how to diagnose pathological conditions of the urogenital system. Topics presented will include renal disease and complications due to diseases or malformations of the urethras, bladder and prostrate. Testing procedures will include blood and urine analysis and culture and sensitivity procedures will be discussed as aids to diagnosis. Pharmacological and surgical treatment modalities will be discussed.