Students have opportunity to impact public health
Jackson State University’s Department of Biology and the University of Mississippi (UM) School of Pharmacy have started work on a new collaboration to give qualified JSU pre-pharmacy students preferred admission status to the UM School of Pharmacy.
Timothy Turner, chair of the JSU Department of Biology, called the collaborative venture a “win-win” and said, “It is a tremendous opportunity for our students to enter directly into one of the numerous career choices within the field of pharmacy. While at the same time, this collaboration will also increase the cultural diversity within the field of pharmacy in this state and throughout the country.”
The agreement, dubbed the Preferred Admission Program, is part of an initiative by the School of Pharmacy to encourage more students to apply to pharmacy school and to make completing pre-pharmacy courses more convenient.
“We saw a need to allow students around the state to complete their pre-pharmacy requirements closer to home, and in some cases, at a lower cost,” said David Gregory, associate dean for academic affairs at the School of Pharmacy.
For admission consideration, JSU pre-pharmacy students will be required to complete established pre-pharmacy courses, have high academic performance and demonstrate a record of service activities. Those who meet the requirements will be admitted to the Preferred Admission Program after the first semester of their freshman year.
“We are elated that our bright and dedicated students have an opportunity to engage in such a prestigious program. We look forward to witnessing the impact this partnership will have on their lives and the field of public health,” said Richard A. Aló, dean of the College of Science, Engineering and Technology at Jackson State.
The two schools hope to begin the program in Fall of 2017, with the first qualified students coming to Ole Miss as early as 2019. Once students from the Preferred Admission Program are admitted to the University of Mississippi, they will be on track to graduate on time and will be held to the same academic standards as all Ole Miss pharmacy students.
“We feel very strongly that creating these avenues and opportunities for students is essential to the future of our profession,” said David D. Allen, dean of the School of Pharmacy. “We hope this partnership will expand the applicant pool and offer more talented and passionate students the chance to make a difference in public health.”