Four Midland College students accepted into medical schoolFebruary 10, 2022

Four Midland College students are now one step closer to medical school.  Michael Mangan, Jordyn Ricks, Shaquila Sarapao and Marisol Tarin  have all been accepted to Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (TCOM) and will enter medical school in summer 2023.  The students will graduate this coming May from Midland College (MC) with an Associate of Science degree through MC’s Primary Care Pathway Program.  This coming August, they will enter the University of North Texas (UNT) and spend one year there taking upper-level science courses before entering TCOM.

What all this means is that before obtaining their associate degrees, the four students have been accepted to medical school without having to take the rigorous and expensive MCAT medical school entrance exam. 

MC Associate Professor of Biology Joseph Schenkman serves as coordinator of the Primary Care Pathway Program.  He explained that the purpose of the program is to increase the number of physicians practicing primary care in the Midland area and in the state of Texas. 

The program contains the following components: (1) An enhanced three-year premed curriculum that includes two years at MC and one year at UNT; (2) Healthcare enrichment activities that include mentoring and physician shadowing; and (3) a summer enrichment experience. 

Since 2016 when the program began, 24 graduates have been accepted into TCOM.  To be eligible for MC’s Primary Care Pathway Program, high school graduates must have competitive college entrance exam scores and be U.S. citizens or permanent residents with Texas residency.  Dual credit coursework may be accepted at the discretion of the program committee.  

Schenkman said that students who successfully complete all of the requirements in the prescribed timeframe while maintaining at least a 3.5 GPA may be granted an interview that can lead to an offer of early acceptance admission to TCOM.  Additionally, by attaining only A’s and B’s, while maintaining the 3.5 GPA, the submission of an MCAT score will be waived.  Mangan, Ricks, Sarapao and Tarin are four of those students.

Schenkman further explained that in addition to partnering with UNT and TCOM, the program’s success can also be attributed to a third partner—Midland Memorial Hospital.  

“Because of the relentless efforts of our three partners, the Midland community and, of course, Midland College faculty, staff and administration, these students have continued to gain the foundation necessary to continue their success beyond Midland and Midland College,” Schenkman said.  “Midland College has provided these students the tools and support for their success, but it is their drive and motivation toward medicine that makes them truly successful.”  

Photo:  Top row, left to right:  Shaquila Sarapao, Marisol Tarin; Bottom row, left to right:  Jordyn Ricks, Michael Mangan