Two years at Midland College, one year at UNT and four years at UNT's Health Science Center in Fort Worth will add up to a medical degree for four UNT students from Midland. The Primary Care Pathway Program, offered through UNT's College of Science, is designed to accelerate the process of pre-med education in order to fill a need for primary care physicians in rural areas.

"Midland is a prime example of a community where the supply of doctors has not kept up with the population," says Debrah Beck, UNT assistant dean of health professions.

The four students currently in the program are taking enhanced science and math courses at UNT's main campus in Denton. They are required to maintain a 3.5 GPA, take at least 15 credit hours per semester and participate in healthcare enrichment activities such as mentoring and physician shadowing.