Top 2 Medical Schools In Mississippi

Do you know that there are but top two medical schools in Mississippi? This article explains these medical schools that are in Mississippi and where they are situated.

Mississippi is one of the states in the Southeastern region of the United States, that is bordered to the north, east, south, southwest, and northwest by Tennessee, Alabama, the Gulf of Mexico, Louisiana, and Arkansas respectively. Mississippi’s western boundary is largely defined by the Mississippi River. 

Of the 59 U.S. states, Mississippi is the 32nd largest and 34th-most populous state. Jackson is the state’s capital and largest city too. Greater Jackson is the state’s most populous metropolitan area, with an estimated population of over 440,000 in 2018.

Educational System of Mississippi:

The education system in Mississippi is made up of elementary, middle, and high schools as well as boarding schools, public and private schools, and colleges and universities.

Mississippi has a reputation of having the lowest-ranked education system in the United States. Records by the American Legislative Exchange Council’s Report Card on Education have it that in 2008, Mississippi ranked last in academic achievement as they had the lowest average ACT score. Mississippi is also the 6th lowest spending per pupil in the nation.

It is a known fact in the United States that most of the schools in Mississippi are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

The Mississippi Board of Education consists of nine appointed members, and it is their duty to appoint the State Superintendent of Education whose responsibility is to set educational policies and oversee the Mississippi Department of Education. 

Next is, the Mississippi Governor who appoints one member of the Board of Education from Mississippi’s Northern Supreme Court District, one from the Central Supreme Court District, one from the Southern Supreme Court District, one employed school administrator, and one employed public school teacher.

The Lieutenant Governor appoints two members-at-large, and the Speaker of the Mississippi House of Representatives appoints two members-at-large.

The Mississippi Board of Education divides the Department of Education into different functioning divisions and bears the responsibility of establishing and maintaining their policy system and designing and maintaining curriculum for public school students that prepares them for the workforce. 

The Mississippi Board of Education is also responsible for regulating curriculum, teacher standards and certification, student testing, accountability, school accreditation, and any other problems that arise in the school system.

In Mississippi, there are about 15 public community colleges, 8 private colleges, and 9 public universities. Most of these colleges and universities assess ACT and SAT scores when accepting college graduates.

[lwptoc]

Requirements For Medical Schools In Mississippi

It is strongly recommended that any student who wishes to apply to one of the medical schools in Mississippi should have completed or can show proficiency in some undergraduate subjects like:

algebra and trigonometry (or calculus), general biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, general physics, advanced biology course (e.g., genetics, cell biology, biochemistry, comparative anatomy, etc.).

Also, students who apply to one of the medical schools in Mississippi will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

  • An overall undergraduate GPA ≥ 3.0 on a 4 point scale. This is because preference will be given to students with this GPA.
  • A standardized test score. All applicants are expected to provide a standardized test score that meets the following criteria:
    ≥ 295 combined verbal and quantitative on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), OR≥ 492 MCAT, OR ≥ 15 DAT
  • An application essay

Applicants must provide a personal statement, that is labeled the “application essay” in the online application portal.

But, because of space constraints, the medical program is limited to U.S. citizens and permanent residents of the United States of America (that is, the green cardholders). In addition, because an important aspect of UMMC’s mission is targeted at training healthcare providers for Mississippi, a greater preference is given to Mississippi residents.

Top 2 Medical Schools in Mississippi

The best medical schools in Mississippi are: 

  • University of Mississippi School of Medicine (UMSOM)
  • William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine (WCUCOM)

  1. University of Mississippi School of Medicine (UMSOM)

The University of Mississippi School of Medicine (UMSOM) is the medical school of the University of Mississippi in the U.S. state of Mississippi.

This medical school in Mississippi was founded in the year 1903 on the Oxford campus and started with a two-year program. It is situated in Jackson, Mississippi, in the USA. It was popularly nicknamed “UMSOM”, even to date.

In 1955, UMSOM was moved from the Oxford campus to the state capital of Jackson. This movement took place in order to expand it to include the third and fourth years of training. Today, the University of Mississippi Medical Center, the health sciences campus of the University of Mississippi, houses the School of Medicine.

This medical school in Mississippi shares the campus with the School of Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing, and other Health Related Professions. In addition to its features, it has a laboratory and research building and the Medical Center’s School of Graduate Studies in the Health Sciences.

Also, UMSOM offers some programs like the four-year M.D. program, an M.D./Ph.D. program. This program in this medical school in Mississippi only lasts for seven years and prepares students for clinical practices and research. During the first three years, the program is divided into foundational coursework and clinical rotations.

Then, during the next three years, the M.D./Ph.D. program focuses on biomedical sciences, in which students must perform scientific research. This is because this medical school in Mississippi has the objective of preparing students for their dissertation. The last year of the program consists of senior medical courses.

Initial applications to this medical school in Mississippi must be done through the AMCAS platform. There’s a special program called M1-M2 buddy list where UMSOM pairs her first-year students to her second-year students. This way, the first-year students can learn from more experienced medical students.

See their website for more info

  1. William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine (WCUCOM)

The William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine (WCUCOM) is one of the best medical schools in Mississippi that was established in the year 2008 with the aim of tackling the lack of physicians in Mississippi and in the region. It is situated on the Hattiesburg campus of the university.

The WCUCOM has a D.O. degree program which is divided into the foundational phase and the clerkship phase. During the first two years at WCUCOM, students get to learn different science concepts, anatomy, histology, medical physiology, and so on. These science concepts and courses are usually combined with the development of basic clinical and patient interaction skills. 

They are taught through simulations and experiences with standardized patients. Actually, WCUCOM has a Simulation and Technology Center, and this is one of the features it has that makes the school one of the best medical schools in Mississippi.

Then, the last two years at WCUCOM consist of clerkships and clinical rotations under the close supervision of physicians. In the last year, students at WCUCOM choose rotations in the areas in which they would like to be involved.

It is also important to know that WCUCOM offers a Master’s in Biomedical Science along with the D.O. degree. So, with respect to this,

admissions must be done through the AACOMAS platform. 

This medical school in Mississippi is open to international students and out-of-state applicants. However, although this is a private medical school, they strongly prefer admitting in-state students. 

The Mission of this medical school in Mississippi is to prepare her students to become osteopathic physicians through an emphasis on the following: primary care, research activities, lifelong learning, osteopathic clinical service, and graduate medical education. 

The COM also helps to educate and train graduates who are committed to serving the healthcare needs of all individuals, with a more direct special attention particularly to the medically underserved and diverse populations of the entire state and across the globe. They achieve this using a community-based training model.

Their goals and objectives are targeted at providing high-quality medical education that is consistent with their mission and medical professional 

See their website for more info 

FAQS On Top 2 Medical Schools In Mississippi

How to find cheap medical schools in Mississippi

The search for a cheaper degree in Mississippi begins with state schools and community colleges. The University of Mississippi (UM) and Mississippi State University (MSU) are good options, and the student always has the option to transfer credits. It is worthy to note that, state financial aid is primarily focused on low-income students (e.g. HELP) and high-achievers.

Can international students apply to medical schools in Mississippi?

Yes, the University of Mississippi welcomes the enrollment of only qualified international students. 

So, any applicant who does not hold U.S. citizenship, regardless of where he or she resides, is considered “international” and such a person must check “international student” on his or her online application.

Recommendations