Truman State and A.T. Still University officials signed an agreement that enables students to complete their medical studies within seven years.
The Pre-Med/Med Accelerated Track, also known as the “3+4” agreement, creates a way for students to attend Truman for three years then transfer to ATSU to complete their degrees.
Roberta Donahue, health sciences department chair, said it will be a very specific course of action for students.
“The agreement allows selected Truman State University health and exercise science students to start at [ATSU] after successfully completing their third year at Truman, prior to completing their degree from Truman,” Donahue says.
Donahue says after successfully completing their first year at ATSU, first-year medical school credits will be transferred back to Truman. She says the students will then be awarded their B.S. in health science or exercise science during August of that year.
Donahue says Truman and A.T. Still are still determining the details for students to become a part of the PMAT program, but the basics have been set up.
“The basic process is that starting in fall 2016, interested first-year health science and exercise science majors could submit a basic application stating their interest in the program,” Donahue says.
Donahue says students would not formally apply until after their fourth semester at Truman and would have to meet or exceed all admission criteria at the time of application — such as a 3.5 overall and prerequisite science GPA and documentation of clinical, community service and leadership experiences.
Donahue says students are selected during their junior year and will be awarded reserved admission to ATSU for the following year.
Janet Gooch, dean of the school of health sciences and education, also helped develop the agreement. Gooch says she thinks the program will help students.
“The 3+4 agreement will give Truman health and exercise science students the opportunity to complete their goals sooner by completing three years at Truman and transitioning to [ATSU].”
– Janet Gooch, dean of the school of health sciences and education
Gooch says the schools offer high quality programs, which she thinks attracts high quality students, and says she thinks this new program will work out well for both schools.
The collaboration offers one more opportunity for the two universities to work together to provide exceptional learning experiences for students, Gooch says.
She says she hopes Truman and ATSU students who train to be doctors in Northeast Missouri might be more likely to stay in the area following graduation and contribute to the medical workforce in that area of the state.
Gooch and Donahue were also assisted by Susan Thomas, executive vice president for academic affairs atTruman, Margaret Wilson, dean of Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, Norman Gevitz, Truman’s senior vice president for academic affairs, ATSU and several others to make this program accessible to students.