Doctor of Pharmacy and Doctor of Optometry degrees are now more accessible to Medical Professional Stream (MPS) students at Trent University through a new agreement offering direct pathways into these programs at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS).
Dr. Stephen Kerr (left) of MCPHS and Dr. Michael Khan of Trent shake hands at the signing of the MOU
"We know how competitive the admissions process is for undergraduate students to gain entry into professional medicine programs both in Canada and abroad. Just a few years ago, the success rate for entry was about ten percent," said Dr. Michael Khan, provost and vice president Academic at Trent University. "With this agreement, and a few others like it at Trent, we are making it easier for high-performing and high-potential students in Trent's unique MPS program to pursue their dreams of becoming a health professional in their desired specialty and, ultimately, help increase access to medicine and care for people in Canada and the United States."
The new agreement between Trent University and MCPHS streamlines the admission process for Trent's MPS graduates applying to MCPHS's Doctor of Optometry (four-year), Doctor of Pharmacy (four-year), or Accelerated Doctor of Pharmacy (three-years) programs at the College's campuses in Boston, Worcester, and Manchester.
MPS graduates will receive a range of benefits through this partnership, including a guaranteed interview, preferential admission review, and financial support. The agreement will also establish several student awards, including renewable merit scholarships, a one-time tuition award, and a housing award ranging from US$15,000 to $32,000, depending on campus and program.
"We are especially excited with this affiliation and thrilled to have the Medical Professional Stream students from Trent University matriculate into our doctoral programs. We feel the knowledge, confidence and preparedness of these students are particularly well suited to enter our university which, for over 200 years, has been training students for careers in health and life sciences," said Dr. Stephen Kerr, professor and associate provost of Academic and International Affairs at MCPHS University. "MCPHS has thousands of Canadian alumni and the vast majority return and practice in Canada. This agreement certainly helps sustain our vision of empowering our community to create a healthier and more equitable world, and I'm confident will immensely benefit both of our institutions and countries."
"I am a proud alumna of Trent and look back fondly on my experiences there. I was fortunate enough to participate in Trent's Thailand Year Abroad Program, and this experience has had lasting effects, both personally and professionally. It was this immersive, applied learning experience that made me want to dedicate my 25+ year career to higher education, specifically in the internationalization and global engagement areas," said Krista LaVack, associate director of International at MCPHS, who helped initiate the articulation agreement between the two institutions.
"I'm so pleased to see our articulation agreement come to fruition. We look forward to witnessing Trent student success in our professional degree programs in the very near future. We're confident they will come with the right academic foundation to succeed in our curriculum and in their chosen professions down the road."
Applications for the 2025 intake at MCPHS are now open to eligible students currently enrolled in Trent's Medical Professional Stream. MCPHS will be hosting an information session at Trent in January 2025 for MPS students who are interested in learning more about the pathway. Students may also email mps@trentu.ca for information about pathways to professional medical programs.
MCPHS is an accredited school with the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) and the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE), allowing graduates who complete these pathway programs the opportunity to return and practice back in Canada.
