Bridging Knowledge with Patient Care
The Clinical Sciences program comprises 72 weeks of intensive, physician-supervised clinical training. This includes 48 weeks of Core Rotations and 24 weeks of Elective Rotations at our teaching affiliate hospitals and specialised clinical facilities in USA and other countries. Students receive direct supervision and mentorship from clinical faculty, enabling the progressive development of clinical skills, diagnostic reasoning, and professional competencies. We encourage students to take the NBME examination after every core rotation, which in turn prepares them for the USMLE Step 2.
6 semesters - 2 years
Program Objectives
By the end of the Clinical Sciences phase, students will be able to:
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Demonstrate competence in patient assessment, diagnosis, and management across multiple medical specialties.
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Apply medical knowledge to real-world clinical scenarios with professionalism and ethical conduct.
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Integrate scientific principles with clinical reasoning to deliver safe and effective patient care.
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Develop communication, teamwork, and leadership skills essential for healthcare delivery.
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Demonstrate readiness for the USMLE Step 2 licensing examination and postgraduate residency training.
Why Choose AUB Clinical Sciences?
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Structured core and elective rotations across major specialties
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Direct mentorship from practicing clinicians
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Integrated USMLE preparation during rotations
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Exposure to diverse healthcare systems
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Focus on professionalism, ethics, and patient care
Core Clinical Rotations
Internal Medicine (12 Weeks)
The Internal Medicine clerkship develops students' skills in the assessment and management of acutely ill hospitalised patients, including care coordination and discharge planning. Students apply a problem-oriented approach to patient evaluation, formulating differential diagnoses based on clinical history, physical examination, laboratory findings, and clinical judgment.
Surgery (12 Weeks)
The surgical clerkship is an integrated, clinical experience designed to introduce the student to the foundational principles of surgical practice. Students develop familiarity with the pathophysiology of surgical disease, the indications for surgical intervention, and the management of pre- and post-operative complications. Students also develop an understanding of professional conduct, surgical ethics, and the responsibilities of the surgeon within the healthcare team.
Pediatrics (6 Weeks)
Pediatric ambulatory and inpatient rotations expose students to serious medical and surgical conditions beyond the newborn period, teaching history-taking, physical examination, and the fundamentals of paediatric management under resident guidance, with learning reinforced through lectures, seminars, and conferences. In the delivery room and nursery, students learn newborn management, examination, initiation of feeding, and neonatal physiological changes. Outpatient clinics cover growth and development milestones, nutrition, and preventive paediatrics, including immunisation and common minor ailments, while speciality clinics expose students to chronic and complex illness. Emergency rotations place students among first responders managing acute presentations such as asthma exacerbations and otitis media.
Obstetrics & Gynaecology (6 Weeks)
The Obstetrics and Gynaecology clerkship provides supervised clinical experience across both obstetric and gynaecological practice. Students participate in antenatal care, labour and delivery, postpartum management, and gynaecological outpatient and operative settings. The rotation develops competency in taking obstetric and gynaecological histories, performing relevant examinations, and understanding the management of common conditions encountered in both specialties. Instruction is delivered within an academic medical environment, involving residents, attending physicians, and faculty.
Family Medicine (6 Weeks)
The Family Medicine rotation provides exposure and experience regarding the normal and abnormal conditions encountered by Family Physicians. Attention is devoted to the recognition and management of common problems typically seen by primary care physicians as well as conditions that may be less common. Students evaluate patients in the inpatient and outpatient settings. Students may conduct comprehensive evaluations, document clinical findings in the medical record, and assist with routine outpatient procedures. Students develop competency in the diagnosis and management of a defined set of conditions characteristic of family medicine practice, with an emphasis on continuity of care, health promotion, and the doctor-patient relationship.
Psychiatry (6 Weeks)
The Psychiatry clerkship familiarises students with the psychological dimensions of human behaviour in health and disease, and with the diagnosis and management of psychiatric conditions. Students observe clinical interviews and conduct psychiatric examinations under direct supervision. During the clinical rotations, students spend allotted time on an inpatient psychiatric service where they apply the training received under the supervision of house staff and clinical faculty. In most instances, students also gain experience in outpatient psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, and substance rehabilitation programmes.
Elective Rotations (24 Weeks)
This may be in any of the various sub-specialities depending on the student’s future goal and may be undertaken at AUB's affiliated teaching hospitals and clinical facilities in the USA and other countries. Each elective rotation spans 4–8 weeks, subject to availability.
| Anesthesia | Cardiology | Intensive Care Unit/Critical Care |
| Emergency Medicine | Geriatrics | Pain Management |
| Trauma | Rural Family Medicine | Surgery Trauma |
| Pediatric Intensive Care | Reproductive Medicine | Neonatology |
| Hematology/Oncology | Neurology | Maternal Fetal Medicine |
| Orthopedic Surgery | Gastroenterology | Adolescent Medicine |
| Urology | Pathology | Endocrinology |
| Nephrology | Pulmonology | Rheumatology |
| Radiology | Pediatrics Emergency Medicine | Infectious Diseases |
| Immunology and Allergy | Urgent Care (Family Medicine) | Dermatology |
| Ophthalmology | Otolaryngology | Plastic Surgery |
| Colorectal Surgery |
Independent Clinical Research Elective
This elective allows the student to participate in a structured research project at the American University of Barbados. The students may participate in ongoing research projects with 1:1 faculty supervision or may propose their own project. The students are required to prepare a written report as well as an oral presentation.
Transition to Postgraduate Opportunities
Transition to Postgraduate Opportunities Graduates of the Clinical Sciences phase are well prepared for residency and postgraduate training programmes, subject to licensing requirements. They are also equipped for clinical practice across diverse healthcare systems and leadership roles in medicine, research, and public health.
AUB ensures that students complete Phase 2 with clinical competence, confidence, and professional readiness.
Admission Enquiry
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