Canisius University is expanding its growing portfolio of accelerated academic pathways with the fall 2026 launch of a new six-year BS/MD Accelerated Pathway to MD (APMD) in partnership with Western Atlantic University School of Medicine (WAUSM). Offering a more direct route to a career in medicine, the APMD is designed for aspiring physicians and enables students to earn their bachelor’s and doctor of medicine (MD) degrees in six years (versus the traditional eight) while benefiting from the academic rigor, personal attention and mission-driven education that defines Canisius University. Students who enroll in the pathway begin their undergraduate coursework at Canisius before transitioning to WAUSM where they receive dual credit for approved coursework – a key feature that shortens the traditional timeline without compromising academic rigor.
“Medical education is evolving and students are increasingly seeking pathways that can reduce time to practice without sacrificing quality,” said Allyson Backstrom, PhD, director of the Dr. George E. Schreiner ’43 Pre-Medical Center. “This pathway builds on Canisius’ proven success in pre-medical education – including our small class sizes, 86 percent medical school acceptance rate and extensive medical alumni network – to create an efficient and supportive route to becoming a physician.”
Students admitted to the six-year APMD begin their bachelor’s degree requirements at Canisius with an accelerated year-round course of study in chemistry, biology, physics and mathematics. They also develop the leadership, perspective and ethical grounding essential to the practice of medicine through clinical volunteering and physician-led seminars that leverage Buffalo’s robust medical campus and community.
In the second phase of the APMD, students transition to WAUSM, where – after successfully completing the first two terms of the MD Program – they earn their bachelor’s degree from Canisius and continue their journey toward an MD without adding additional time or coursework. Students complete their foundational medical school coursework on WAUSM’s pre-clerkship campus in Freeport, Grand Bahama, before advancing to their clinical clerkships at WAUSM’s partner hospitals in Chicago, IL. Throughout this phase, students continue to receive guidance and support from Canisius faculty and alumni mentors. Upon earning their MD degree, graduates are eligible to apply for residency training programs in the U.S. and Canada.
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Submitted by: University Communications
Canisius Giving Day is fast approaching on Wednesday, March 25 and we are looking for submissions from our campus partners for initiatives.
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Join ArtsCanisius as we welcome all three of our exceptional student ensembles to the stage. The annual Festival of the Ensembles is an evening of music that cannot be missed. The concert begins at 7:30 PM on Friday, February 20, 2026 in Montante Cultural Center. There will be a reception to follow the concert. General admission is $5 and can be purchased at the door or online at https://tinyurl.com/bdefv459
For more information about this concert or other ArtsCanisius events, please contact Yvonne Widenor, Director of ArtsCanisius at widenory@canisius.edu or visit canisius.edu/artscanisius
D2L has a workshop on February 12 at 2:00PM titled Practical AI for Higher Ed: Designing, Assessing, and Innovating.
Speakers include Dr. Luke Hobson, Assistant Director of Instructional Design at MIT xPRO and Instructor in the School of Education and Human Development at the University of Miami and Robyn Hammontree, VP of Academic Partnerships at D2L. Those that attend will learn how to build custom GTP’s/AI Agents, create immersive scenario-based learning, and about AI trends.
For more information about the webinar, visit the registration page.
