From High School to Med School

A new partnership with Upstate Medical University will allow highly qualified high school seniors intending to study Spanish, Chinese or engineering at UAlbany to apply to medical school before they even begin their undergraduate careers.

ALBANY, N.Y. (August 22, 2018) — High school students will soon have the opportunity to secure a spot in medical school before they’ve even begun their undergraduate education, thanks to a new partnership between the University and Upstate Medical University.

The Guaranteed Entrance Program for Select Majors program will allow highly competitive high school students intending to study Chinese, Spanish or engineering to apply to UAlbany for their undergraduate education and simultaneously apply for admission into Upstate Medical University’s Doctor of Allopathic Medicine (MD) program.

According to Laura Schweitzer, UAlbany's vice president for health sciences, the specific majors targeted are a result of the medical field increasingly seeking to train physicians with a diverse undergraduate education, rather than the traditional, biology-focused path.

Student diversity and knowledge of languages, culture and technology in medical education is considered highly effective in mitigating health disparities because it creates a physician workforce prepared to meet the needs of diverse populations, said Schweitzer.

“Now more than ever, medical schools are seeing the value in recruiting students who are studying disciplines besides biology during their undergraduate careers,” said Schweitzer. “UAlbany’s partnership with Upstate Medical will not only help diversify the medical field, but it will train the most highly qualified students to become the next-generation of outstanding physicians.”

To apply, a student must have a high school grade average of at least 90 percent, SAT scores of 1360 or an ACT score of 29 and extra-curricular activities in a healthcare related setting. Approximately 10 students will be accepted each year.

When a student is offered acceptance, they are given an opportunity to make a reciprocal, binding commitment; they will not apply to other medical schools and in return, Upstate Medical will reserve a place for them in the class scheduled to matriculate four years from the date of their acceptance into the program.

The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), typically required for admission into medical colleges, will be waived for students participating in the program.

In order to remain in the program, the student must maintain an overall grade point average of at least 3.5 at UAlbany and must earn a B or better in medical school prerequisite courses in addition to the completing graduation requirements for their specified degree program. For more information about the program, click here.

Guaranteed entrance programs for high school students are gaining popularity, with similar programs gaining traction around the country, such as at Brown University, Drexel, University of Missouri and others.

“We are exceptionally committed to this exciting partnership,” said Dr. Julio Licinio, Dean of the College of Medicine at Upstate Medical. “The journey to medical school is long and complex, and our goal here is to identify exceptional candidates early on and help them grow in a holistic manner that will lead them to be better physicians and more well-rounded community leaders.”

The guaranteed entrance program joins the list of the health sciences opportunities available to UAlbany students, including programs with Albany Medical College and Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine.

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