The University of Arkansas at Monticello announced on Thursday the new Rural Health Early Admissions Program, which will offer pre-pharmacy students the opportunity to transfer early to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences’ College of Pharmacy.
The program, created by a memorandum of understanding between the universities, is designed to help recruit qualified students from rural and underserved areas in Arkansas, according to a news release.
Five high school seniors will be accepted into the program each year, and participants will complete four to six semesters of undergraduate pharmacy pre-requisites at UAM, followed by enrollment at UAMS in the Doctor of Pharmacy program.
“The college’s goals are to recruit qualified students from rural and underserved areas of Arkansas and to attract those pharmacists back to rural areas of the state,” UAMS College of Pharmacy Dean Keith Olsen said in a news release. “We believe this program can accomplish these goals.”
UAM Chancellor Karla Hughes called the agreement a “validation of the quality of our mathematics and science program and particularly our programs in health-related professions. We have always taken a great deal of pride, not just in the remarkable acceptance rates of our graduates to medical, pharmacy and dental schools, but their success once they have been accepted.”
Morris Bramlett, dean of the UAM School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences, said the agreement recognizes “that UAM serves a rural population whose residents are underrepresented in health-related professions. This will provide another avenue to bring those students to the table and give them opportunities they might not otherwise have.”
Applicants must attain an ACT score of 25 or above, have demonstrated excellence in mathematics and science courses, have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher, complete an interview with UAM and UAMS faculty and administrators, and demonstrate a strong interest in and commitment to the pharmacy profession.
Once enrolled at UAM, participants must achieve a score in the 50th percentile or higher on the Pharmacy College Admissions Test, maintain a GPA of 3.25 at UAM, complete at least 69 hours of pre-requisite coursework at a grade of C or above, complete at least 40 hours shadowing a licensed Arkansas pharmacist and complete satisfactory interviews with the UAMS College of Pharmacy.
Article by Arkansas Business Staff on Thursday, Mar. 9, 2017 12:30 pm
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