February 29, 2012

Agreement establishes pathway to MD degree

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Troy University Chancellor Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr. signs an agreement that establishes a direct admission pathway for TROY students to enter medical school at Costa Rica's Universidad De Iberoamerica with UNIBE President Emma Grace Hernandez. Witnessing the signing of the document are, from left, Dr. Earl Ingram, Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs; Janet Gaston, an instructor in TROY's Department of Biological Science and a health professions advisor; Dr. Israel Hernandez, Chancellor of UNIBE; Dr. Michael Stewart, TROY's Eminent Scholar in Agriculture and Management; Dr. Roberto Rodriquez, UNIBE's Vice Chancellor and Provost; and Orlando Pacheco, TROY's Director of Study Abroad. (TROY photo/Kevin Glackmeyer)

TROY – Troy University students can now transition into medical school thanks to an international partnership.

The direct admission agreement signed Wednesday on the Troy Campus with the Universidad De Iberoamerica's College of Medicine will clear the way for TROY students in certain College of Arts and Sciences disciplines to easily transition into medical school at the Costa Rican university.

"We are quite excited about the opportunities this new agreement offers our students at Troy University," said Dr. James Rinehart, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. "It sets the stage for a wonderful partnership of substantive study-abroad programs in the health-related professions that will be of importance for TROY students well into the future."

In order for TROY students to be considered for direct admission into the medical school, they must first complete a core set of prerequisites of 53 semester hours. UNIBE's Medical Doctor program requires 145 semester hours. Students must have at least a 3.0 grade point average, or have a total SAT exam score of 1200, and either must be fluent in Spanish or take four Spanish language courses during their first year at UNIBE.

UNIBE's Medical Doctor Program is registered with the U.S. Dept. of Education and is a part of the International Medical Education Directory.

Last year, TROY and UNIBE signed a partnership agreement that established a collaborative exchange agreement for students and faculty.