Henderson State welcomes first cohort to NYITCOM medical pathway program

Lainey Morrison, from left, Olivia Speech, and Madison Howard.

Henderson State University will welcome its first cohort of students to a unique pathway to medical school thanks to an agreement between Henderson and the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro.

The three pre-med undergraduates, who were accepted into the program this spring, will work with medical students and be advised by faculty from a medical school while they are earning their degrees at Henderson.

Madison Howard from Little Rock, Olivia Speech from Ozan, and Lainey Morrison from Malvern, applied for the program during their freshman year at Henderson. Howard and Speech will be sophomores this fall, and Morrison will be a junior. They will complete a natural science (pre-med) degree at Henderson and must maintain a 3.5 GPA in their science courses and in their overall GPA. Campus advisors will work with them on their class schedules to ensure that they complete the pathway curriculum.

"Henderson and NYITCOM have been collaborating on educational initiatives for several years, and we're thrilled to now welcome the first cohort of the Physician Pathway Program," said Terri McMaster, NYIT coordinator at Henderson.

Dr. Shane Speights, dean of NYITCOM-Arkansas State, and a Henderson graduate, said, "We are committed to finding innovative ways to get more students from Arkansas into medical school, while also ensuring that that those students who matriculate are prepared for the rigor of our curriculum. This program does both."

Speights said data shows that students who attend medical school and residency in Arkansas stay in the state to practice about 80 percent of the time.

"So, if we get more people with ties to our state studying medicine here, we'll have a stronger opportunity to get them to practice here," he said.

Students who successfully meet the pathway program's academic requirements and pass an admissions interview will be admitted to NYITCOM's doctoral program without being required to take the MCAT.

"With so much variety in undergraduate education, we are forced to use the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) as a national benchmark. But this pathway program ensures that we are getting a student who is ready for medical school," Speights said. "Being able to partner with Henderson State so that we can give feedback on where students struggle in our curriculum will allow the Henderson faculty to design their courses to better prepare students attending any medical school.

"Because we've worked with the undergraduate institution to help shape the curriculum, there is no need for a MCAT, so we do not require it for this pathway."

Henderson State Chancellor Dr. Trey Berry said, "Henderson State is thrilled to provide a direct path to medical school for future Reddies. We were proud to be the first institution in Arkansas to launch a program like this, and we are grateful to NYITCOM at A-State for partnering with us to expand student access to medical school admission in Arkansas."

The Henderson-NYITCOM Pre-Med Pathway begins with freshmen enrolled at Henderson. Classes for the bachelor's degree in natural sciences (pre-med track) will be taught in-person by Henderson and NYITCOM professors on the Henderson campus in Arkadelphia.

Applicants must reside in Arkansas, have a combined SAT score of at least 1100 or an ACT composite score of at least 26, and have a successful interview with the admissions committee for the Pathway Program.

For program requirements and application information, please visit https://go.hsu.edu/pre-med.

Interested high school students and Fall 2026 college freshmen can request information at hsu.edu/premed-interest.