Purchase College to launch academic partnership with Upstate Medical University

A new program between Purchase College and Upstate Medical University will allow students to attend the Purchase school for their undergraduate studies then be guaranteed admission to the Syracuse school for a medical degree. 

The two colleges, both part of the SUNY system, announced the partnership June 13. Called the Purchase-Upstate Guaranteed Entrance Program for Select Majors, the initiative will aim to eventually enroll about 10 students each year.

The students would be accepted directly from high school, with guaranteed admission to Purchase College for a bachelor’s degree followed by Upstate’s College of Medicine for medical school.

The partnership with Purchase is one of several that SUNY Upstate plans to roll out as part of a plan to attract medical students from a more diverse range of undergraduate study programs. While at Purchase, the students will be able to pick from a range of pre-med degrees, including a bachelor of fine arts, bachelor of arts, bachelor of music or  bachelor of science.

“Whether students are focusing on the liberal arts and sciences, or the performing or visual arts, we know that their holistic education will benefit the field of medicine,” said Suzanne Kessler, dean of liberal arts and sciences and vice provost of academic affairs at Purchase.

As long as students maintain a 3.5 grade point average at Purchase, they are guaranteed a spot to continue to SUNY Upstate”™s medical school and do not need to reapply. The process allows students to skip over the Medical College Admission Test.

High school applicants must apply to Purchase College and interview with SUNY Upstate to be considered for the program. They’re expected to have a 90 percent average or higher, extracurricular activities in a healthcare setting and SAT scores of 1360 or higher, or an ACT score of 29 or better.