Morehouse School of Medicine has partnered with Agnes Scott College to increase diversity in healthcare! Get the full story Broadcast Editor Crystal Edmonson at the Atlanta Business Chronicle below.

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Agnes Scott College students who want to attend medical school will have a pathway to do so at Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM).

The colleges announced two programs that enable qualified undergraduates and post-baccalaureate pre-medical students to get a jump on the admissions process at MSM. The aim is to increase diversity among medical school students and ultimately doctors, which could lead to better health outcomes.

“When students that have traditionally not been steered into medicine and science, such as women, have opportunities to learn more about the possibilities of such careers, we see a stronger and more diverse clinical workforce,” said Valerie Montgomery Rice, president and CEO of MSM, in a statement.

Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice, president of Morehouse School of Medicine.
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Unlike Morehouse College, which is an all-male, historically Black college (HBCU), MSM admits a broad range of students.

Agnes Scott is an all-women’s college. 

The Early Commitment Program is designed to connect juniors at Agnes Scott with MSM. 

A separate initiative called the Pre-Medical Linkage Program targets post-baccalaureate and graduate students who aspire to attend MSM.

Leocadia “Lee” Zak, president of Agnes Scott College
ELIZABETH TAYLOR FRANDSEN VIA AGNES SCOTT

Both programs aim to “drive professional success for Scotties,” said Leocadia Zak, president of Agnes Scott, in a press release announcing the partnership. 

The school is currently finalizing its list of qualified candidates, said Jennifer Spann, senior director of communications and marketing at Agnes Scott.

“We have approximately 20 competitive students we are going to recommend for the inaugural year,” Spann told Atlanta Business Chronicle in an email, adding that the school anticipates the application pool will increase in the future.

Officials at MSM will conduct student interviews this spring and make the final decisions on acceptance.

This alliance is just the latest to link Agnes Scott students to graduate-level education at Atlanta-based institutions.

Last year, billionaire philanthropist John Brown and his wife Rosemary established a scholarship fund at Emory University. The $5 million gift helps pay for alumnae of Agnes Scott and Spelman College who want to attend Emory’s Goizueta Business School.

The partnership with MSM will enable participants to skip what is known as the “glide year”—a period when students typically apply for medical school and participate in internships and other training to prepare for their future careers in healthcare.