With Nearly Forty Years of Experience As An Obstetrician-Gynecologist, Dr. Gurmit Chilana Aims To Make A Greater Difference by Promoting His Mission and Vision through Education
As Aureus University School of Medicine celebrates its graduating class of 2015, this year also marks its 10th year as one of Aruba’s finest medical schools, Dr. Gurmit Chilana, the founder of the institute, shares the journey of passion that led to the conception of the school.
Born in a small village in Punjab, India, Dr. Gurmit Chilana dreamed of becoming a physician from an early age. Working relentlessly to reach this goal, he received a medical degree from the Government Medical College Patiala. He later moved to Paterson, New Jersey, where he practiced as an obstetrician-gynecologist for 30 years. According to him, being an obstetrician in one of the United States’ most densely populated cities was a rude awakening. He primarily dealt with underage new mothers, single mothers, babies with prenatal drug exposure, and immigrants who didn’t speak English.
Serving such a community changed the way he practiced medicine, Dr. Chilana elaborates, “Many mothers were scared. They were having children that were unplanned, and some unfortunately unwanted. They came to me alone sometimes because they didn’t have a family of their own and looked to me for advice. I’ve had patients ask me if they should give up their children for adoption. It was very tough.”
He asserts that a sense of humanity was not something medical school prepared him for. However, his experiences made him realize that it is something that is in fact necessary in today’s environment. It was at this point that he decided the best way to give back was sharing the wisdom he gained. With this, he launched All Saints University in 2007, which eventually became Aureus University School of Medicine.
The vision for Aureus is to give aspiring medical students a high quality education that is practical, hands-on, and affordable. The quality is maintained through small class sizes to give students the one-on-one attention they need for optimal learning. US Medical Schools only have a 10% acceptance rate, and yet the need for doctors is growing. Aureus follows the same curriculum taught at most US schools, but has a much lower tuition fee.
Highlighting the distinguishing features of Aureus, Dr. Chilana explained that the institute promotes a more compassionate approach to medicine. “Today’s young doctors may be the brightest people in their circle and the smartest kids in their class, even the most successful people in their families. But they will be working in all types of communities with people of various backgrounds and needs – people on public assistance, immigrants, elderly people who don’t speak English. It is these people that we hope our students can make a real difference for,” he added.
The Aureus student body is truly multicultural with individuals coming from the US, Canada, UK, India, Nigeria, Europe and the Middle East. Dr. Chilana adds, “It gives students the opportunity to broaden their horizons and learn from each other’s backgrounds.”
The school has over 400 students currently enrolled and new courses are frequently added to the curriculum to accommodate for advancements in the medical field.
The administration plans to expand its recently renovated campus to include more dorms and state of the art technology.
For more information regarding Dr. Gurmit Chilana and Aureus University School of medicine, please visit the website www.aureusuniversity.com or contact them using the following details.
Phone: 866.596.9919
Email: info@auruesuniversity.com
Address:Aureus University School of Medicine
21-00 Route 208 South, Suite. 220
Fair Lawn, NJ 07410
