GREENEVILLE – Qualified Tusculum University students will receive a guaranteed interview for admission into the Lincoln Memorial University-DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine in a new agreement reached by the two higher education institutions.
Dr. Heather Henson-Ramsey, right, Tusculum’s assistant vice president of academic affairs, stands with Jevon Joseph, director of recruitment and outreach at LMU-DCOM, meet during a career fair at Tusculum earlier this year.
Tusculum and Lincoln Memorial leaders recently signed the articulation agreement, which is effective immediately. Faculty members in Tusculum’s science programs are making students aware of this exceptional opportunity as they counsel them on their future academic and career options.
“Our science students engage in rigorous coursework and robust active and experiential learning at Tusculum that prepare them exceptionally well for medical school,” said Dr. Heather Henson-Ramsey, assistant vice president of academic affairs. “We are excited because they can now showcase their knowledge in an interview with LMU’s outstanding medical school. Our students will be well-trained at that institution and make a positive impact on their community and their patients with the skills they have developed at both institutions.”
Dr. Christopher Loyke, dean and chief academic officer of LMU-DCOM, was also pleased to formalize the agreement with Tusculum.
“We are excited to welcome Tusculum University students into this pathway to medical school,” Dr. Loyke said. “By working together, we can support the next generation of osteopathic physicians and improve health care access in our region.”
The agreement establishes the following required academic outcomes Tusculum students need to achieve to earn the interview:
- Meet all general admissions requirements for LMU-DCOM
- Earn a preferred minimum of 495 on the Medical College Admission Test
- Attain a preferred cumulative science grade point average of 3.4 or higher at Tusculum
- Complete all of the required prerequisite courses for admission to LMU-DCOM at the time of their application
Tusculum students are able to apply for admission to LMU-DCOM at the end of their junior year. They have to apply by March 1 of their senior year or gap year.
Dr. Christopher Loyke
Dr. David Cook
One of the key way Tusculum students are prepared to enter medical school is through undergraduate research. Students enrolled in the biology pre-medical, dental and veterinary program at Tusculum participate in the senior seminar in the fall. They spend 20 minutes discussing research they have completed on a topic of interest to them and answering questions.
This event is the last stage in a two-course seminar series designed to help students share complex scientific knowledge in a way anyone can understand. This presentation method is one reason students have good placement rates in graduate and professional schools. Students also benefit from the one-on-one interaction and mentorship from their professors, who help them discern their calling and purpose and then be successful at accomplishing it.
“We have an outstanding faculty that is focused on guiding our students and empowering them to maximize their God-given abilities,” said Dr. David Cook, Tusculum’s provost and vice president of academic affairs. “Our students have also demonstrated a pioneering spirit and used their time at Tusculum wisely to put them in the position for acceptance to medical school. We are confident our students will perform well at LMU-DCOM.”
LMU founded the DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2007 and subsequently developed a wide range of professional schools. In the last decade LMU-DCOM has grown to become one of the nation’s largest producers of osteopathic primary care physicians providing care in rural and underserved areas. Student physicians, faculty and staff are dedicated to the university’s mission to serve residents of East Tennessee and other parts of Appalachia.
LMU-DCOM believes the United States needs osteopathic physicians who are committed to health and wellness now more than ever. It embraces the future as a better place for the impact osteopathic physicians will have on people’s health, welfare and lives.
The signed document for potential medical school admission represents the latest agreement between Tusculum and LMU. In 2023, the two institutions reached an agreement to provide Tusculum students who seek to become a physician assistant and meet eligibility requirements a guaranteed interview for admission to that LMU program. Candidates accepted into the LMU program are on a path to earn a Master of Medical Science in physician assistant studies.
Additional information about Tusculum is available at www.tusculum.edu. To learn more about LMU-DCOM, please visit https://www.lmunet.edu/debusk-college-of-osteopathic-medicine/.