Administration

American University School of Medicine Aruba (AUSOMA) is a chartered and licensed medical school located in the Caribbean Islands. We provide quality education and programs that help you become a medical doctor in the U.S. and abroad.

Our administration and faculty provide a positive learning experience for all students. We offer high-yield programs designed to provide you with a hands-on approach to practicing medicine. Small class sizes allow us to give each student the attention needed in their coursework, board exam preparation, residency, and clinical placements.

Administration

Jawad
Shaikh

Chairman of the Board

Mr. Shaikh has over 20 years in the healthcare industry working with Physicians, Hospital CEOs, Chief Medical Officers, and operating large-scale operations for major hospital corporations across the United States. Prior to AUSOMA, Jawad was the Founder and Senior Partner at Accision Health and Avelead. After using advanced integration technologies at McKesson, Nike, DuPont, and United Healthcare, Jawad started Accision in 2001 to help healthcare organizations optimize and implement enterprise solutions. Jawad’s vision for delivering solutions in the form of healthcare technology-specific services is now a driving factor for taking Medical Education to the next level. 

Mannan Chaudhry, MD, MHP, FACP

Chief Operating Officer

Dr. Chaudhry graduated from Universidad Iberoamericana in the Dominican Republic in 1998. After graduation, he initially completed clinical training in the field of General Surgery. Later, he completed his residency at SUNY Downstate in Internal medicine, is board certified in Internal Medicine, and practices in Atlanta, GA. In 2005, he co-founded Xavier University School of Medicine Aruba and served as its Chief Academic officer till 2009.

At AUSOMA, Dr. Chaudhry serves as the interim Chief Academic Officer and as the Chief Operating Officer. He is responsible for the USA office’s daily operations, including recruitment of staff and faculty, marketing, student recruitment, accounting, clinical rotations, and academic oversight of the entire program.

Abrar Khan,
MD

Dean

Dr. Abrar Khan serves as the Dean for AUSOMA. He has over 30 years of teaching experience and managing Academics in the United States and Caribbean Medical Schools. 

Jawad Shaikh

Chairman of the Board

Mr. Shaikh has over 20 years in the healthcare industry working with Physicians, Hospital CEOs, Chief Medical Officers, and operating large-scale operations for major hospital corporations across the United States. Prior to AUSOMA, Jawad was the Founder and Senior Partner at Accision Health and Avelead. After using advanced integration technologies at McKesson, Nike, DuPont, and United Healthcare, Jawad started Accision in 2001 to help healthcare organizations optimize and implement enterprise solutions. Jawad’s vision for delivering solutions in the form of healthcare technology-specific services is now a driving factor for taking Medical Education to the next level. 

Mannan Chaudhry, MD, MHP, FACP

Chief Operating Officer

Dr. Chaudhry graduated from Universidad Iberoamericana in the Dominican Republic in 1998. After graduation, he initially completed clinical training in the field of General Surgery. Later, he completed his residency at SUNY Downstate in Internal medicine, is board certified in Internal Medicine, and practices in Atlanta, GA. In 2005, he co-founded Xavier University School of Medicine Aruba and served as its Chief Academic officer till 2009.

At AUSOMA, Dr. Chaudhry serves as the interim Chief Academic Officer and as the Chief Operating Officer. He is responsible for the USA office’s daily operations, including recruitment of staff and faculty, marketing, student recruitment, accounting, clinical rotations, and academic oversight of the entire program.

Abrar Khan, MD

Dean

Dr. Abrar Khan serves as the Dean for AUSOMA. He has over 30 years of teaching experience and managing Academics in the United States and Caribbean Medical Schools. 

Kanaan Baroud

Aruba Director of Operations

Mr. Kanaan Baroud, Jr is one of the most prominent businessmen and entrepreneurs on the island of Aruba. He is well known for his political contacts and ventures with the different Governments in the Caribbean. He was a co-founder of Xavier University School of Medicine and served as the Director of Operations in Aruba. At AUSOMA, he serves as the Director of Operations in Aruba. He oversees the day-to-day operation of the Basic Medical Sciences campus in Aruba.

Badar Shaikh

Chief Technology
Officer

Kanaan Baroud

Aruba Director of Operations

Mr. Kanaan Baroud, Jr is one of the most prominent businessmen and entrepreneurs on the island of Aruba. He is well known for his political contacts and ventures with the different Governments in the Caribbean. He was a co-founder of Xavier University School of Medicine and served as the Director of Operations in Aruba. At AUSOMA, he serves as the Director of Operations in Aruba. He oversees the day-to-day operation of the Basic Medical Sciences campus in Aruba.

Badar Shaikh

Chief Technology Officer

Clinical Sciences

Dr. Kavita
Kotte

Dean of Clinical
Sciences

Dr. Saju Joseph

MD Clinical Chair Surgery

Dr. Joseph completed his medical school education at Tufts University School of Medicine. He then went on to pursue training in surgery at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center under the leadership of Dr. Josef E. Fischer. Dr. Joseph won the prestigious Harvard House-staff and Fellows Teaching award during his training. Through Dr. Fischer’s mentorship, Dr. Joseph had the unique experience of doing his fellowship in Hepato-Biliary and Pancreatic Surgery at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh under the tutelage of Professor O. James Garden.

Since completing his training, Dr. Joseph has worked in academic surgery for his entire career. He has had the opportunity to serve as a visiting professor for the Colombian Association of Surgery and as an advisor to Governor Abbott (Texas)regarding emergency and trauma services.  He was also the Vice Chair of Surgery at Texas Tech, where he was instrumental in establishing the residency in the Permian Basin and an acclaimed rural surgery training program. Dr. Joseph serves on the editorial board of multiple journals and is a reviewer for many others.  He has over 25 peer-reviewed publications, $4 million of grant funding, and numerous book chapters. He is the editor of a book on Point-of-Care-Ultrasound for First Responders.

Dr. Nazir Ahmed Umrani

Associate Dean of Clinical Medicine

Dr. Nazir Ahmed Umrani was born and raised in a small town in Pakistan. After his high school diploma, he decided to come to the U.S. in pursuit of a medical degree.

Dr. Umrani graduated from the University of Evansville, Evansville Indiana in 1998 with a B.A. degree. He got his master’s degree from Fielding’s Graduate University Santa Barbra California in 2003 and graduated from Xavier University School of Medicine with an M.D. degree in 2008.

Since graduating, he has been working in many roles, including Assistant Director of Clinical Medicine, Director of Admissions, and Associate Dean of Clinical Medicine. He has been proudly serving in US Navy at Jacksonville Naval Base as a department head for administration. We are lucky to have him join our team at AUSOMA now and help build one of the best clinical departments for our students.

Dr. Umrani is happily married to his beautiful wife Berri Umrani and they have 6 beautiful children. He believes that raising good children starts at home and therefore, he and his wife, take a keen interest in providing a good home for their children so they grow up to be good citizens.

Dr. Umrani’s free time is spent with his family and flying around in a single-engine Piper Warrior 2 with his kids because he holds a private pilot license through FAA.

Dr. MujeebShad

MD Clinical Chair Psychiatry

Dr. Shad graduated from Sind Medical College in 1983. He started his career at a sub-rural dispensary in interior Sindh followed by teaching anatomy at the Sindh Medical College and later at the Aga Khan University. After moving to the U.S., Dr. Shad completed his psychiatry residency at the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita and a 2-year psychopharmacology fellowship in 1998. In 2000, Dr. Shad joined Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic at the University of Pittsburgh to advance his interest in neuroimaging research. At the University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, he completed his master’s in clinical sciences and received an NIMH-sponsored K-23 mentored research award. In 2013, Dr. Shad moved to Southern Illinois University, Springfield, Illinois as a residency program director. He continued his academic career at the Oregon Health & Sciences University, where he became a full professor in 2019. Currently, Dr. Shad is an adjunct professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and Touro University Nevada and is starting a new psychiatry residency program in Las Vegas in 2022. Dr. Shad has received federal, investigator-initiated, and private research funding. The federal funding was a K23 award to investigate the neurobiology of self-awareness in schizophrenia. Private funding involved the investigation of minocycline augmentation in schizophrenia. Most recently, investigator-initiated trials included an investigation of the utility of the pharmacogenomics algorithm in schizophrenia. In addition to receiving several teaching awards from trainees, Dr. Shad has authored and co-authored more than 75 peer-reviewed publications, CME reviews, and book chapters. Dr. Shad has presented at national and international meetings including UN-sponsored psychopharmacology workshops and seminars in Pakistan.

Dr. Kavita Kotte

Dean of Clinical Sciences

Dr. Nazir Ahmed Umrani

Associate Dean of Clinical Medicine

Dr. Nazir Ahmed Umrani was born and raised in a small town in Pakistan. After his high school diploma, he decided to come to the U.S. in pursuit of a medical degree.

Dr. Umrani graduated from the University of Evansville, Evansville Indiana in 1998 with a B.A. degree. He got his master’s degree from Fielding’s Graduate University Santa Barbra California in 2003 and graduated from Xavier University School of Medicine with an M.D. degree in 2008.

Since graduating, he has been working in many roles, including Assistant Director of Clinical Medicine, Director of Admissions, and Associate Dean of Clinical Medicine. He has been proudly serving in US Navy at Jacksonville Naval Base as a department head for administration. We are lucky to have him join our team at AUSOMA now and help build one of the best clinical departments for our students.

Dr. Umrani is happily married to his beautiful wife Berri Umrani and they have 6 beautiful children. He believes that raising good children starts at home and therefore, he and his wife, take a keen interest in providing a good home for their children so they grow up to be good citizens.

Dr. Umrani’s free time is spent with his family and flying around in a single-engine Piper Warrior 2 with his kids because he holds a private pilot license through FAA.

Dr. Mujeeb Shad

MD Clinical Chair Psychiatry

Dr. Shad graduated from Sind Medical College in 1983. He started his career at a sub-rural dispensary in interior Sindh followed by teaching anatomy at the Sindh Medical College and later at the Aga Khan University. After moving to the U.S., Dr. Shad completed his psychiatry residency at the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita and a 2-year psychopharmacology fellowship in 1998. In 2000, Dr. Shad joined Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic at the University of Pittsburgh to advance his interest in neuroimaging research. At the University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, he completed his master’s in clinical sciences and received an NIMH-sponsored K-23 mentored research award. In 2013, Dr. Shad moved to Southern Illinois University, Springfield, Illinois as a residency program director. He continued his academic career at the Oregon Health & Sciences University, where he became a full professor in 2019. Currently, Dr. Shad is an adjunct professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and Touro University Nevada and is starting a new psychiatry residency program in Las Vegas in 2022. Dr. Shad has received federal, investigator-initiated, and private research funding. The federal funding was a K23 award to investigate the neurobiology of self-awareness in schizophrenia. Private funding involved the investigation of minocycline augmentation in schizophrenia. Most recently, investigator-initiated trials included an investigation of the utility of the pharmacogenomics algorithm in schizophrenia. In addition to receiving several teaching awards from trainees, Dr. Shad has authored and co-authored more than 75 peer-reviewed publications, CME reviews, and book chapters. Dr. Shad has presented at national and international meetings including UN-sponsored psychopharmacology workshops and seminars in Pakistan.

Dr. Saju Joseph

MD Clinical Chair Surgery

Dr. Joseph completed his medical school education at Tufts University School of Medicine. He then went on to pursue training in surgery at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center under the leadership of Dr. Josef E. Fischer. Dr. Joseph won the prestigious Harvard House-staff and Fellows Teaching award during his training. Through Dr. Fischer’s mentorship, Dr. Joseph had the unique experience of doing his fellowship in Hepato-Biliary and Pancreatic Surgery at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh under the tutelage of Professor O. James Garden.

Since completing his training, Dr. Joseph has worked in academic surgery for his entire career. He has had the opportunity to serve as a visiting professor for the Colombian Association of Surgery and as an advisor to Governor Abbott (Texas)regarding emergency and trauma services.  He was also the Vice Chair of Surgery at Texas Tech, where he was instrumental in establishing the residency in the Permian Basin and an acclaimed rural surgery training program. Dr. Joseph serves on the editorial board of multiple journals and is a reviewer for many others.  He has over 25 peer-reviewed publications, $4 million of grant funding, and numerous book chapters. He is the editor of a book on Point-of-Care-Ultrasound for First Responders.

Registrar

Summer Furgason

Associate Registrar

Dr. Baily Cua-Apacible

Associate Registrar

Summer Furgason

Associate Registrar

Dr. Baily Cua-Apacible

Associate Registrar

Admissions

Tabitha Raj, MEd

Director of Admissions

Hassam Aslam

Admissions Specialist

Tabitha Raj

Director of Admissions

Hassam Aslam

Admissions Specialist

Finance

Mr. Jawad Chughtai

Jawad Chughtai

Chief Financial Officer

Afsheen Hai

Accounting
Saad Khan Headshot

Saad Khan

Accounting
Mr. Jawad Chughtai

Jawad Chughtai

Chief Financial Officer

Afsheen Hai

Accounting
Saad Khan Headshot

Saad Khan

Accounting