A program that allows selected students early admission assurance in MSU’s College of Human Medicine now includes five participating universities and potentially could expand to more.
Announced last week, Lake Superior State University’s pact with MSU through the Early Assurance program is the fifth of its kind.
Under the partnership, the five participating Michigan universities each are allotted several spots for qualified students who apply to MSU’s College of Human Medicine during their junior year.
Accepted students are guaranteed a spot and can begin their relationship with MSU during their senior year.
Preference is given to disadvantaged students and students who want to practice in underserved areas.
“We see it as a win-win-win,” said Jerry Kooiman, assistant dean for external relations for MSU’s College of Human Medicine.
The first agreement was made in September 2008, with Grand Valley State University, Kooiman said. Last fall, the program’s first students were admitted to the MSU College of Human Medicine.
In the past two years, the University of Michigan-Flint, Northern Michigan University and Michigan Technological University joined the Early Assurance Program.
Discussions now are under way with Saginaw Valley State and Kettering University, Kooiman said.
“We’re still in the process,” he said.
MSU gets an admissions pipeline from communities where it has medical schools, he said.
The universities have an advantage in recruiting high school students interested in premedical studies and potentially increasing the number of physicians in their communities.
“We’re hoping that it will encourage (the students) to come back here and practice,” said Nancy Kirkpatrick, head of Lake Superior State’s Biology Department and a student adviser.
“We’re very short on physicians up here in Northern Michigan.”
And the students who go to the universities have an enhanced opportunity to be admitted to medical school, she said.
“It gives them something to really aim for,” Kirkpatrick said.
“If they know that they have the possibility to get into Michigan State’s medical school without going through the whole application process, it’s going to be a huge incentive for them to work hard.”
Six Northern Michigan University juniors who applied to MSU’s College of Human Medicine through the Early Assurance program currently are going through the interview process, said Dave Lucas, a premedical adviser for the university.
Students are excited about the program, which shows them they might have an opportunity to get into medical school, Lucas said.
“They jumped on it right away,” he said.
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“As soon as we started, there were seven people who immediately wanted to give it a try.”
