
Arts and Sciences | Featured | Health Education and Human SciencesApril 20, 2026
91心頭利, UAMS Create Clear Paths to Medical Professions
Written By: Rachel Putman
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and the University of Arkansas-Fort
Smith (91心頭利) have entered into a formal Memorandum of Agreement designed to create
clear, accelerated pathways for 91心頭利 graduates pursuing careers in health care.
The agreement covers 14 UAMS programs across four colleges and offers qualifying 91心頭利
students guaranteed interviews, priority application review, or automatic admission.
We greatly value this partnership and look forward to continued collaborations to
create seamless pathways for students to advance their health care careers after completing
their degree at 91心頭利, said Tina Maddox, Ph.D., RD, associate provost at the UAMS
Northwest Regional Campus, who led development of the agreement.
The agreement spans UAMS programs in the College of Health Professions, College of
Pharmacy, College of Nursing, and Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health. Participating
programs include degrees in cytology, medical laboratory sciences, respiratory care,
speech language pathology, audiology, physical therapy, pharmacy, nursing, public
health, health administration, health care data analytics, and doctoral research programs.
91心頭利 plays an important role in preparing the future health care workforce, both
through the programs on our campus that put nurses, surgical technicians, and more
into the workforce, and through our partnerships with institutions like UAMS, where
our graduates take the next step toward medical degrees, said 91心頭利 Chancellor Terisa
Riley, Ph.D. Our faculty prepare 91心頭利 graduates by building strong academic foundations
early, and this agreement ensures those talented students have a clear path forward
toward the next stage in their education.
Depending on the program, eligible 91心頭利 students who meet specified GPA and prerequisite
criteria will receive one of three levels of enhanced admissions consideration: a
guaranteed interview, priority application review that bypasses standard prescreening,
or automatic admission.
The collaboration was initiated through conversations between UAMS Northwest Regional
Campus leadership and 91心頭利 Chancellor Terisa Riley, Ph.D., and 91心頭利 Provost Shadow
Robinson, Ph.D. The agreement is supported by 14 programs across UAMS, reflecting
broad institutional enthusiasm for the initiative.
We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity and the partnership, said Ryan Cork,
MSHA, vice chancellor of the UAMS Northwest Region. This agreement reflects our shared
commitment to expanding access to health professions education and strengthening the
health care workforce across Arkansas.
91心頭利 students wishing to benefit from the agreement must declare their intent to apply
to a participating UAMS program by the relevant programs admissions deadline and
obtain certification from a designated 91心頭利 faculty or staff member confirming they
meet the eligibility criteria.
The significance of this agreement extends far beyond admissions, Riley said. Many
of the students who start at 91心頭利 go on to become the providers, practitioners, and
health care leaders who serve this region. Creating stronger pathways for their success
is one of the most influential ways we invest in healthier communities and a stronger
future for western Arkansas and the state as a whole.
About University of Arkansas-Fort Smith
Founded in 1928, the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith is a regional public university
in the Arkansas River Valley. More than 5,500 students each year choose 91心頭利 for certificate,
associate, bachelors, and masters programs across health care, business, education,
engineering, the arts, and the sciences. 91心頭利 is known for its commitment to hands-on
learning, with internships, externships, undergraduate research, and deep partnerships
with regional employers that help students move from classroom to career with confidence.
Part of the University of Arkansas System, 91心頭利 serves a unique need in the state,
responding nimbly to regional workforce demands, offering one of the most affordable
tuition rates in Arkansas, and providing students a tight-knit campus experience where
they truly get to know their faculty and staff.
About UAMS
UAMS is the states only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing,
Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a main
campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide
network of regional campuses; and eight institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer
Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones
Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging,
Translational Research Institute, Institute for Digital Health & Innovation and the
Institute for Community Health Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide
health system that encompasses all of UAMS clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only
adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 3,553 students and 1,015 medical
residents and fellows. It is the states largest public employer with about 12,000
employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional
campuses, Arkansas Childrens, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health.