Avalon is chartered by the Government of Curacao and listed on the World Directory of Medical Schools with an ECFMG sponsor note. Avalon is also recognized and listed with the General Medical Council (UK), Medical Council of Canada, and the Medical Council of India.

Attending an accredited medical school means that the school has taken the necessary steps to ensure their education meets the required standards for medical practice. Furthermore, and starting in 2024, residency programs in the United States will be notified of the medical school’s accreditation status, which will play a key role when students apply for residency. Accrediting bodies utilize a rigorous peer-review process that examines all aspects of a medical education program, and only certifies medical schools which are operating at the highest levels of industry standards.

By visiting the accrediting bodies’ websites. For both CAAM-HP and ACCM, they have a section on their website that lists the medical schools that are accredited by them.

Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) is an organization which offers certification to International Medical Graduates (IMGs) as the standard for evaluating the qualifications of these physicians before they enter U.S. graduate medical education (GME) residency.

Medical students from an accredited medical school can receive ECFMG certification, which is a requirement for all international medical graduates (IMG) to register for the United States Medical Licensing Examinations (USMLE) and apply for residency programs in the United States.

No, recognitions and listings are not the same as accreditation. It’s important to note any listings, recognitions, charters, or sponsor notes does not mean a medical school is properly accredited by an accrediting organization. It is important for prospective students to do their research when searching for a medical school to attend.

Avalon University School of Medicine (AUSOM) is recognized by the Ministry of Health and the Government of Curacao. The government of Curacao has granted the authority to the Accreditation Commission on Colleges of Medicine (ACCM), and the Caribbean Accreditation Authority in Medical Education and Other Health Professions (CAAM-HP) to accredit medical schools in Curacao. Avalon is the only accredited medical school in Curacao.

Avalon students and graduates are eligible to apply for residency and full medical practice in the state of California. The Medical Board of California states that the medical school must be accredited by one of the approved accrediting bodies on the ECFMG or WFME website. With Avalon having both ACCM and CAAM-HP accreditations, which are both recognized by WFME and acceptable to ECFMG, Avalon graduates are now eligible to practice medicine in the state of California.

We advise that if a student wishes to practice in any country outside of the United States or Canada, they do their own research for that country to find out all requirements. Many Avalon graduates have been eligible to practice in other countries around the world, but each country has its own government regulations and requirements, which may include specific locations on where they complete clinical rotations and residency.

Avalon requires students to complete 72 weeks of clinical rotations (48 weeks of Core rotations / 24 weeks of elective rotations). Avalon students can complete up to 12 weeks of elective rotations outside the Avalon system, upon approval by the Avalon clinical department. All Core rotations and 12 weeks of elective rotations must be completed at the Avalon affiliated clinical sites.

You can apply directly on Avalon’s website by clicking here. The other required documents are official school transcripts (we can use unofficial school transcripts during the application process), two letters of recommendation, personal statement and the $50 application fee.

Avalon offers a rolling admission, so you may apply and begin your education at any one of our three start dates (January, May, and September). We recommend citizens of the United States and Canada to apply minimally 6 weeks prior to the semester start date, and for non-U.S. and Canadian citizens to apply at least four months prior to the semester start date to allow processing time for the required travel documentation (landing permits/visa).

MCAT is only required for our Accelerated MD Program track. Our Regular program track does not require the MCAT score.

To apply for the 4-year MD Program, an applicant must have a bachelor’s degree with a science background, or a minimum of 90 credit hours of college coursework completed. A bachelor’s degree, including the premedical coursework, is preferred but not a requirement with the following required coursework:

• General Biology or Life Sciences – Two semesters or one year of study
• General/Inorganic Chemistry – Two semesters or one year of study
• Biochemistry/Organic Chemistry – Two semesters or one year of study
• Physics – Two semesters or one year of study
• English – Two semesters or one year of study
• Precalculus/Calculus – One semester
• Background in Humanities or Social Sciences – One semester

There are two tracks in our MD program, the Regular MD Program, and the Accelerated MD Program. For information on the requirements for these tracks please click here

Yes, we do. To apply as a transfer student from another medical school, we will need the official medical school transcripts of the school that was attended during our application process (We can use unofficial medical school transcripts only during the application process). For the students that have attended medical school outside of North America and the Caribbean, we will need a “credential evaluated” transcript during the application process. The most used companies for this service are WES and ECE.

You will get a link via PayPal at the end of the application where you may pay by credit/debit card. If you are unable to pay via credit/debit card, you may contact our U.S. Admissions office for assistance

No! English is one of the predominant languages on the island. Languages also spoken in Curaçao are Dutch, Spanish, and the native language Papiamento, which is a mixture of Portuguese, Dutch, and Spanish.

During the basic sciences, students will learn and build a foundation of the medical level courses which is essential and vital in their preparation for the USMLE Step 1. More importantly, the final semester of basic sciences is the “board preparatory” semester called the 5th semester, in which students will solely study for the USMLE Step 1. The 5th semester is 15 weeks in length. Avalon has a partnership with Kaplan, and in a structured setting on our campus, students will prepare for the USMLE Step 1 with the help of Kaplan live lectures and our 5th semester faculty member.

To apply for the 6-year BS/MD Program, an applicant is required to have a high school diploma. If you have not completed high school, you should be within six months of graduating from your high school/secondary school before beginning the application. Students that are accepted into this program will gain automatic admission into our MD program upon successful completion of the BS program.

YES! Avalon has representatives in India and Canada. You can reach out to them at the following:
India Representative:
Mr. Venkat Reddy
Whatsapp: +91 917 773 4565
Email: cmd@edplus.in

Canada Representative:
Mr. Mohsin Khimji
Phone/ Whatsapp: +1 416 452 6704
Email: mkhimji@rogers.com

We have established hospital affiliations with ACGME-approved teaching hospitals across the United States located in Beckley, WV, Chicago, IL, and Phoenix, AZ. While core and elective clinical rotations must be completed at our partnered sites, students may be eligible to complete up to 12 weeks of their elective rotations at an outside hospital if the necessary requirements are met.

Students must complete their core and elective rotations at Avalon’s partnered sites per the standards from our accrediting bodies. Students may be eligible to complete up to 12 weeks of their elective rotations at an outside hospital if the necessary requirements are met.

You have a choice! Avalon students work directly with a Clinical Coordinator who will assist them in selecting their desired location for rotations.

This is up to you! You can complete all clinical rotations at one location, or you can choose to move between locations to broaden your clinical experience.

This policy states that medical students who are applying for their ECFMG Certification must be currently enrolled or graduated from a properly accredited medical university. For schools to be eligible for ECFMG Certification, they must be accredited by an agency that is recognized by the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME), or the National Committee on Foreign Medical Education and Accreditation (NCFMEA), such as CAAM-HP and ACCM, by the year 2024.

Avalon offers on-campus dormitory housing for all our students. Our on-campus dormitory is conveniently located across a parking lot from the school building.

Students who are new to Avalon are required to live on-campus for their first two semesters. After two semesters, students may seek off-campus housing arrangements if they would like.

The opportunity to live on-campus for two semesters provides students with a nearby support system as they get acclimated to Curaçao and settle into their class schedule and daily life with Avalon University.

Housing exemptions applications are permitted and are evaluated on a case-by-case basis by our Housing Committee.

All individual rooms have their own private bathroom.

As an independent country, Curaçao asks that all Avalon students go through an immigration process so the students can remain on the island for the duration of their studies with Avalon University.

North American Students (United States of America & Canada)
Curaçao Immigration allows students from North America to arrive on the island as a temporary visitor for an initial 90 days. After 90 days, these students should have completed the immigration process to secure their Landing Permit*
International Students (Outside of North America)
Some international students are permitted on the island for an initial 90 days. After 90 days, these students should have completed the immigration process to secure their Landing Permit*.*If your country of citizenship is on this list you do NOT need a visa
Some international students are not permitted on the island until they have completed the process for their landing permit and obtained an additional visa.

YES! Avalon University aids students through the immigration process.

NO! All required immigration documents are determined by the government of Curacao.