Med school ‘exceeds quality standards’

The American University of Barbados (AUB) has again secured a seal of quality assurance, as the institution was officially reaccredited by the Barbados Accreditation Council (BAC) for a full seven-year term.

The announcement was made during a brief ceremony held on Wednesday at the BAC headquarters, where executive director Lisa Gale commended AUB for meeting and exceeding national quality standards.

Gale underscored the importance of institutional accreditation, noting it serves as a robust assurance to stakeholders that the educational provider is functioning at a high level of quality across all areas of operation.

She said: “Institutional accreditation to which the AUB is being awarded, assures stakeholders that the educational provider is operating at a high level of quality in all aspects of its operations. This type of accreditation conveys to the provider, and conveys that the provider has achieved those particular quality standards that would fall within our institutional standards for accreditation.

“Institional accreditation by the authorised agency such as the BAC will give learners and the wider national community greater confidence in quality of the overall offerings of the educational provider.”

In reflecting on AUB’s track record, Gale highlighted that the university was a recipient of the BAC’s elite award during the council’s 20th anniversary celebrations in 2024. That recognition was granted to institutions that met criteria including institutional or programmatic accreditation, timely submission of documentation, and a clear commitment to continuous quality improvement.

She added: “A couple months later, we have finalised the accreditation process and I am honoured today and excited to celebrate the American University of Barbados on achieving re-accreditation for seven whole years.”

AUB became the island’s first offshore medical school in 2011 and is affiliated with Era’s Lucknow Medical College and Hospital in India. The AUB has attracted students from across the Caribbean, North America, Asia, and Africa.

Dean and chair of AUB, Dr Syed Kazmi, expressed his appreciation for the council’s continued trust and acknowledgment of AUB’s efforts to remain on the cutting edge of service and quality in its offerings.

“We are really honoured to receive this certificate from the accreditation body of the land. This shows the trust of the government on us, on the quality of the medical education that we provide to our students. American University of Barbados was the first institution to get accreditation from BAC,” he said.

Dr Kazmi added: “As you all know, BAC is the other name for quality and we at AUB also have the same thing. We are actually producing doctors, medical staff who are the best in the world. We have a diverse student body and we have excellent state-of-the-art lecture rooms, labs in our AUB, especially the research lab.”

(SB)