Мерсерский университет запустил ускоренную программу, позволяющую студентам получить две степени за шесть лет

Mercer University Launches Accelerated Medical Program Allowing Students to Graduate One Year Early By Mercer University has enrolled the first 17 students in its invitation-only Accelerated Mercer Medical Scholars program, a pathway that shortens undergraduate study by one year before medical school. The program allows selected students to complete their undergraduate education in three years rather than the traditional four years. Participants then move into Mercer University School of Medicine's Doctor of Medicine program, putting them on track to earn undergraduate and medical degrees in seven years, according to Mercer. Mercer's Board of Trustees approved the accelerated option in April 2025 through a partnership between the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the School of Medicine. Students in the pathway pursue a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences and must satisfy the program's academic, service and admissions requirements. The bachelor's degree is awarded after students successfully complete their first year of medical school. The program is open to qualified incoming undergraduates who meet Mercer's residency, citizenship and academic eligibility rules. Admission is by invitation, and Mercer School of Medicine Dean Jean Sumner said the university carefully selects participants for the compressed course of study. The inaugural class consists of 17 students. The three-year undergraduate schedule is designed to prepare students for the medical curriculum while reducing the time required to begin physician training, according to the university and 13WMAZ reporting provided by the user. Students who complete the Accelerated Mercer Medical Scholars program may, in certain circumstances, qualify to apply for Mercer's Primary Care Accelerated Track. That separate School of Medicine program provides a three-year medical curriculum for students committed to primary care. It offers early entry into a family medicine, internal medicine or pediatrics residency after graduation. Primary Care Accelerated Track students who meet program requirements receive tuition support for their second and third years of medical school and are guaranteed a residency match, according to the 13WMAZ report. Combining the three-year undergraduate program with the three-year medical pathway could allow eligible students to finish their degrees in six years. Mercer has framed its accelerated medical pathways as part of its broader effort to strengthen the physician workforce in rural Georgia. The School of Medicine's rural-health work focuses on improving access to care in underserved communities, and its primary-care acceleration model is intended to move physicians into Georgia residency programs sooner, as per 41NBC. © 2026 University Herald, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.