New accelerated program in Albany to become a doctor

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Albany College of Pharmacy is introducing to medical students a new opportunity to accelerate their path to becoming a doctor while also having the chance to study abroad.

For the first time, Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, also known as ACPHS, is helping students get the opportunity to finish their M-D in six years instead of eight years at Western Atlantic University School of Medicine (WAUSM) in the Bahamas.

“So, students will be at ACPHS just for essentially two and a half years, and then they will transition to WASUM and then complete all of the semesters down there in the next about three and a half years,” Dr. Betsy Brookins, Director of Pre-Professional Pathways at Albany College, said.

As many people know, attending a medical school is lengthy and can be really expensive, so with this accelerated program, it gives them the opportunity to save time and money.

“They would cut essentially two years off of their tuition by completing it in six years, because the tuition is based on how many years and how many semesters. So, they would have to pay for their time at ACPHS, their time at WAUSM,” said Dr.Brookins.

Dr. Brookins told NEWS10’s Tyanna Xavier there is a need for doctors almost anywhere you go, so this strategy helps them get into the profession quicker. Ryan Moriarty, Vice President of Development and Enrollment Management at WAUSM, says there will be plenty of hands-on experience with their simulation lab.

“Students are treating simulated patients as they’re learning certain conditions, or what have you, in class, and that could be a mannequin, an automated mannequin. It also can be a human actor,” said Moriarty. “So, we’re also bringing in folks from the island to participate in our program and things like that.”

Friday, there was an informational session at ACPHS so students can learn about the opportunity. High school students who are applying to colleges can apply to the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences by November 15, and through this process, they can apply to WASUM. Once they are accepted to the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Services, they will know if they were selected for the WASUM program in the Bahamas.

WAUSM is offering a sponsored campus visit and a virtual visit as well for the students who attended Friday’s meeting. You could see the campus, the housing and the student life. Here are the dates.

Sponsored campus visits: 10/16/2025 and 11/13/2025

Virtual Information Sessions: 10/15/2025 and 11/19/2025