JONESBORO, Ark. – A new program at Arkansas State University to track incoming freshmen to become physicians was announced on Tuesday.

Officials said the Freshman to Physician Pathway program is a joint effort between A-State and the NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine. They added that it is designed to increase the number of physicians serving in rural communities.

School officials said that since opening its Jonesboro campus in Wilson Hall in 2016, NYITCOM has graduated 650 new doctors in six classes. Nearly 70% of those graduates from Arkansas have chosen to stay and practice in the state.

Students joining the pathway must meet certain requirements, officials said, including initial pursuit of a BS in biological sciences with a pre-professional studies emphasis, application to NYITC

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