JAMP gives HSU Biology students a path to medical school

July 18, 2018 Grace Mitchell, Staff Reporter

The Joint Admission Medical Program (JAMP) is helping HSU students take the next step toward their dreams to become doctors.

Medical school is a daunting thought for any student, but the Joint Admission Medical Program (JAMP) is helping HSU students take the next step toward their dreams to become doctors.

JAMP is a special program created by the Texas Legislature to support and encourage highly qualified, economically disadvantaged Texas resident students pursuing a medical education. Students who complete the program are guaranteed admission to one of Texas’ nine medical schools. Students apply for JAMP the May before their sophomore year. They are chosen based on their grades, resume, and interview.

Of the thousands of students who apply each year, only 100 are chosen to participate in the program. Most years, only one or two students are accepted from each of the 67 participating Texas universities, but this year, four students were selected from HSU: Abhi Rashiwala, Morgan McAdams, Carlee Pitcher, and Jesper Jiang. Jiang credits HSU’s success in JAMP to the student to teacher ratio.

“Our professors challenge us to our limits,” he said. “But we’re a small enough school that our professors are able to challenge us like that and still help us one-on-one. It really goes hand in hand with how good the school is and how many students get into JAMP.”

This summer, Jiang and the other three students from HSU completed their first summer internships. They attended medical school-style lectures, shadowed doctors and PAs, and experienced cadaver labs. To stay in the program, they must complete another summer internship, maintain a 3.25 GPA, and score a 499 on the MCAT. Jiang says that he is thankful for the opportunities he has received through JAMP and HSU.

“A lot of times, students get told ‘you’re never going to make it. You can’t become a doctor,’ but this program helps you defy that odd,” he said. “It serves as a stepping stone to help you get to be where you want to be. I am very grateful to be a part of this program at Hardin-Simmons, and I am grateful for the professors who have helped me get this far.”

Because of JAMP, Chase Ballard’18 was accepted to Long School of Medicine in San Antonio.

“Guaranteed acceptance to medical school is fantastic,” Ballard said. “JAMP also provide MCAT prep courses for free. Those materials would have been around $2500, so I wouldn’t have been able to purchase those without them.”

Ballard encourages students hoping to enter the medical field to choose HSU and to apply for JAMP.

“Definitely apply if you can, and talk to upperclassmen,” he said. “They’ve already been through the process, so they can help you.”

Saleena Ramzanali ’17 says she wouldn’t have known about JAMP without HSU.

“I heard about it my freshman year at a pre-health club meeting and started the application process as soon as I could,” she said. “HSU also helped prepare us for the interviews by giving us the opportunity to participate in mock interviews.”

Ramzanali says the program helped give her a path to success and her acceptance to Texas Tech University Health Science Center.

“JAMP was one of the best programs I could have been a part of,” she said. “It gave me lasting friendships, two great summer internships at two medical schools, and direct relationships with the faculty and staff at two different medical schools. Being a part of this program truly gave me some of the best experiences and memories that I wouldn’t have gotten elsewhere.”

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