Southwest MO students encouraged to apply for MU School of Medicine pre-admission program by June 1

The application deadline for the University of Missouri School of Medicine Bryant Scholars Pre-admissions Program is June 1.

The Lester R. Bryant Scholars Pre-Admissions Program encourages young people from rural backgrounds, who are interested in practicing medicine in a small community, to pursue a medical education. The program aims to address the critical shortage of physicians in rural areas by increasing enrollment of rural medical students, offering them hands-on learning experiences, and preparing them to return to rural Missouri to practice medicine. Thirty-seven percent of Missourians live in a rural area and only 18% of physicians practice in these communities. Students are eligible for admission to the program after completing their sophomore year in college and plan to graduate from a Missouri public or independent four-year college or university.

“We would love to see southwest Missouri students represented in the applicant pool,” said Kelly Risby, Senior Program/Project Support Coordinator at the MU School of Medicine, Springfield Clinical Campus. “I am happy to help local students in any way that I can as they go through the process. Students who are pre-admitted will have many opportunities to experience rural medical practice while in medical school.”

The application, instructions, supporting documents, and eligibility requirements have been updated and are available online at http://medicine.missouri.edu/ahec/.

Teachers, parents or students that have questions should contact Kelly Risby at the Springfield Clinical Campus, 1845 S. National Ave., Ste. 100, Springfield by telephone at (417) 720-7140 or by email at  risbyk@health.missouri.edu. In addition, you may also contact Allison Fuemmeler at (573) 884-3566 or Blair Whitney at (573) 884-8025.