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Future Physicians
A partnership putting students on a path to become doctors across rural Tennessee crosses the midway point
by Randy Weiler
Four trailblazing MTSU students successfully advanced in a special partnership with Meharry Medical College School of Medicine in Nashville last fall, even before graduating from MTSU in spring 2023.
“We have made it to medical school,” an exuberant Maria Hite of La Vergne said of herself and classmates Claire Ritter of Nashville, Pierce Creighton of Lascassas, and Kirolos Michael of Brentwood.
This cohort of four successfully completed the first three years of study in prescribed undergraduate premedical school curriculum at MTSU and is already more than a year into four years of medical school study.
It’s all part of the Medical School Early Acceptance Program (MSEAP), a collaboration between MTSU’s College of Basic and Applied Sciences and Meharry.
The program intends to increase the number of primary care physicians serving medically underserved populations as well as alleviate health care disparities in rural Tennessee. A three-year residency in primary care in a rural or underserved area of Tennessee, along with a two-year post-residency commitment, is required of MSEAP participants.
Tennessee has fewer primary care physicians per capita than the national average. Statewide, there is one primary care doctor per 1,390 people, according to 2019 County Health Rankings.
The shortage is even more acute in rural counties. In Morgan County in east Tennessee, for instance, there is one primary care physician for every 21,550 citizens.
The program launched in 2018, with the first freshmen entering MTSU in fall 2019. Gov. Bill Lee, who proposed funding for the program, has continued that funding in each successive state budget.
“We can drastically improve our outcomes through programs like this,” Lee said at the program’s launch. “I’ve been to those communities. I’ve talked to those folks. I’ve seen the situations that they’re in. This is a great opportunity for us to begin addressing that great need in this state.”
Recipe for Success
In addition to the inaugural cohort of Hite, Ritter, Creighton, and Michael, four more students are entering Meharry for 2023–24 after recently finishing their third year of the program at MTSU. Eight others just completed their second year at MTSU, and four freshmen advanced, for a total of 20 program participants prior to a new class beginning at MTSU this fall.
CBAS Dean Greg Van Patten described those who join the program as “highly talented and compassionate students who want to make a difference for people in the state by making top-notch health care accessible to everybody.”
“It’s a great program that will benefit the people of Tennessee, but it’s also a tremendous opportunity for these top students,” Van Patten said. “The program accelerates their pathway to become doctors and also provides a hefty scholarship for all seven years they are in college and medical school. It’s truly a win-win for academically talented students who want to become doctors.”
As a result of an influx of new state funding in 2023, qualifying MSEAP students do not pay tuition or fees at either school.
The program is limited to incoming freshmen from Tennessee. Applicants are required to have at least a 3.5 GPA and a minimum 28 ACT score to be considered for the program.
At the time of her completed coursework at MTSU and early enrollment at Meharry, Hite said what the group has achieved already“ is a huge accomplishment, but we still have a long journey ahead: four years of medical school, licensing exams, years of residency, and potentially fellowships. It’s what we signed up for, but that doesn’t make it any less daunting.”
Hite said she keeps the end goal in mind.
We will help improve access to health care by caring for medically underserved communities,” she said. “This mission helps keep me focused and motivated, especially on the difficult days.
She added that being a competitive gymnast initially sparked her interest in studying medicine.
“By learning skills and dealing with injuries, I became interested in how the human body worked and healed,” said Hite, a native of China. “In high school, I got the opportunity to shadow my pediatrician. I was able to see the connections primary care physicians can make with patients.
“As a physician, I want to ensure that a person’s health does not prevent them from living their life to the fullest.”
About the program
Learn more at mtsu.edu/mseap
