The Michigan State University College of Human Medicine has expanded its Early Assurance Program, or EAP, with three Southeast Michigan universities that will provide an enhanced opportunity for the institutions’ premedical students to attend medical school at MSU.
Lawrence Technological University, the University of Detroit Mercy and University of Michigan-Dearborn will join 12 other universities and colleges throughout Michigan as part of a statewide pipeline of med students to MSU.
The EAP agreement was signed by officials from each institution, including:
- Norman J. Beauchamp Jr., dean of MSU’s College of Human Medicine
- Virinder K. Moudgil, president and CEO of Lawrence Technological University
- Katherine Snyder, dean of the College of Engineering at University of Detroit Mercy
- Mitchel A. Sollenberger, associate provost for undergraduate programs and integrative learning at University of Michigan-Dearborn.
“MSU is committed to bringing well-qualified premedical students from Michigan’s higher education institutions to the College of Human Medicine,” Beauchamp said. “As a community-based medical school with seven campuses statewide, EAP is part of our long-term vision for enhancing health care throughout Michigan. This includes training doctors who come to medical school with a focus on making a difference in the lives of the medically underserved.”
Preference for EAP admission will be given to those who meet one or more of the following criteria:
- First generation college student
- Graduate of a low-income high school as defined by the U.S. Department of Education
- Eligible for, or a recipient of, an undergraduate PELL or institutional need-based grant
- Graduate from an underserved (health professional shortage) urban or rural area
- Demonstrates interest in a high-need medical specialty or practicing in a medically underserved community
“Our pre-medical students have long excelled in the classroom, and we are very pleased that they will now have greater opportunity at one of the nation’s foremost medical schools,” Moudgil said. “This agreement continues Lawrence Tech’s increasingly significant presence in medical science, along with our growing programs in biomedical engineering and nursing.”
“This agreement with MSU for an Early Assurance Program will help us provide additional opportunities to Detroit Mercy students from diverse backgrounds who are looking to make a difference in our communities through a committed engagement with others through health care,” Snyder added.
Candidates for the EAP will receive academic advising directed toward admission to MSU and the College of Human Medicine. During their junior year of college, selected students who fit the mission of the EAP and the admissions criteria of the college may apply.
"We are thrilled for the opportunity to participate in the Early Assurance Program," Sollenberger said. "At UM-Dearborn we've seen a growing number of students interested in pursuing medical school and view this program as an opportunity to develop a strong pathway that will enhance opportunities for their professional success."
Nationally, admission to medical school is highly competitive. This year, 7,983 applications were received by the College of Human Medicine with only 190 seats available for first-year students starting this fall. This includes 20 students entering medical school through the EAP.
Since the program’s inception, 141 students have entered medical school at the College of Human Medicine through the EAP.
