Mr. Jason Benitez, EOP sophomore at FSC, was recently selected to participate in the inaugural class of the SUNY Pre-Med Opportunity Program and will receive academic support while pursuing a degree in medicine. The Pre-Med Opportunity Program was created to help undergraduate students from low-income backgrounds get into and succeed in medical schools. The SUNY Office of Opportunity Programs will cover all costs, including transportation, room, board, and instruction for all participants.
Jason is extremely excited and humbled to be selected for this prestigious opportunity. In total, only twenty-five students from 10 of the 64 SUNY campuses were chosen for the program. All 25 students will receive academic support while pursuing medicine, optometry, physical therapy, or physician assistant programs.
The inaugural class will participate in a residential summer program at the SUNY Upstate Medical University from July 18-22, 2021. The summer program will include clinical exposure through simulation labs at Upstate, skill development workshops, and academic programming. During the summer program, student participants will also receive remote instruction to prepare them for medical school prerequisite courses such as organic chemistry, physics, and microbiology that they will take during the Fall 2021 semester. During the academic year, academic support will include mentorship, workshops, and supplemental financial assistance.
We applaud Jason for his commitment to education and congratulate him on this prestigious honor.
Since its inception in 1967, the Educational Opportunity Program has provided access, academic support, and supplemental financial assistance to students from disadvantaged backgrounds, many of whom are the first in their families to attend college to help ensure their collegiate success. In its 53-year history, the EOP has served more than 76,000 students and evolved into one of the country’s most successful college access programs. To learn more about the EOP at Farmingdale State College, visit the EOP website.
