LAKELAND, Fla. (July 11, 2006) — The Florida Southern College Board of Trustees voted recently to begin a new articulation agreement between Florida Southern College and the University of South Florida College of Medicine in Tampa, Fla., in which FSC students who meet a series of requirements will receive priority admittance to the USF College of Medicine.

“This arrangement with the USF College of Medicine is a testament to the high caliber of pre-med students at Florida Southern. USF’s admissions personnel were interested in the partnership because they consistently are impressed by our students’ academic accomplishments and service to the community,” said Robert Baum, FSC professor of biology and pre-med advisor. “This arrangement will aid FSC in continuing to recruit top students to our program, and it will guarantee quality medical students to the program at USF.”

FSC students will earn priority admittance to the USF College of Medicine if they fulfill the following requirements: a combined verbal and quantitative score of at least 1300 on the SAT or at least 29 on the ACT, graduation in the top 10% of the student’s high school class, admission to FSC’s Honors Program, a grade-point average of at least 3.7 at FSC, completion of an honors thesis in the student’s major, community service work while at FSC, a score of at least 30 on the MCAT, and a strong interview.

“Florida Southern deserves this important recognition for their outstanding undergraduate program for pre-medical students,” said Dr. Louis Saco, chairman and CEO of Watson Clinic LLP in Lakeland, Fla. and FSC Board of Trustees member. “The college is gaining a reputation for graduating top students who are motivated to make significant impacts in their communities.” Saco continued, “Florida Southern, like Watson Clinic, is dedicated to fostering excellence in scientific education. It is my hope that these students go on to become physicians and then return to practice medicine in our local community.”

About Florida Southern College
Founded in 1885, Florida Southern College is a private, comprehensive, United Methodist college with a liberal arts core. The college maintains its commitment to academic excellence through 38 undergraduate majors and distinctive graduate programs in business administration, education, and nursing. Florida Southern has a 14:1 student/faculty ratio, provides strong student/faculty mentorship programs, boasts 25 NCAA Division II national championships, and is ranked by U. S. News and World Report as one of the top ten Southern Comprehensive Colleges-Bachelors and by the Princeton Review as a “Best Southeastern College.” Located on scenic Lake Hollingsworth, Florida Southern is the home of the world’s largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture.