Lakeland-based Florida Polytechnic University and Winter Garden, Fla.-based Orlando College of Osteopathic Medicine have partnered to create a medical degree program that cuts two years off the traditional timeline, Fox News reported Aug. 7.
The accelerated Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree takes only six years to complete, compared to the traditional eight years. The curriculum also includes STEM-medicine integration.
The accelerated program will accept 20 students each year and will not require students to take the Medical College Admission Test.
“This is a transformative opportunity for students who want to become physicians and are eager to begin serving their communities,” Devin Stephenson, PhD, president of Florida Polytechnic University, told Fox. “By combining rigorous STEM education with a clear, accelerated track to medical school, we are reimagining what’s possible in health education and responding to a critical need for more doctors across Florida and beyond.”
