New Medical School Announced in Michigan

Posted on April 11, 2007
Filed Under News

Rochester, MI

Oakland University Medical SchoolOfficials from Oakland University and Beaumont Hospitals announced last week they will create a privately funded medical school on Oakland’s campus.

Beaumont and Oakland jointly filed a letter of intent with the Liaison Committee for Medical Education (LCME) to begin the process of establishing an allopathic medical school.

“Studies show that there is a looming shortage of physicians, nationally and especially in Michigan,” said Ananias Diokno, M.D., Beaumont’s Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer. “This new medical school will help fill the gap.”

In addition to addressing the doctor shortage, the new medical school will have a significant economic impact on southeast Michigan. According to the AAMC, the economic impact of medical schools and teaching hospitals is $451 billion nationwide, $18 billion alone in Michigan.

“Beaumont is the largest, private-staff model teaching hospital and academic medical center in the country,” said Kenneth J. Matzick, President and CEO, Beaumont Hospitals. “Becoming the primary teaching hospital and equal partner of a medical school is the logical next step.”

Officials said the first two years of the four-year curriculum will consist of basic medical science in classrooms and labs on Oakland’s campus. Students are placed in hospitals for clinical rotations in years three and four at Beaumont’s two hospitals in Royal Oak and Troy, Michigan. The medical school will be funded by foundations, individual and corporate donations. Plans to erect a new building to house the medical school on Oakland’s campus have already been discussed.

The charter class is expected to be admitted in 2010.

Comments

4 Responses to “New Medical School Announced in Michigan”

  1. Great News for MI residents! on April 13th, 2007 1:14 pm

    This is fantastic news!

  2. Eric on April 14th, 2007 1:39 pm

    I’m split between cool, and scary…opening a medical school because it will provide an economic benifit? And if they want more doctors in that area, perhaps more residency programs? Or restricting the residencies available to IMGs who won’t stay in the area anyways? The problem and the solution don’t seem to match up here.

  3. Brad on April 18th, 2007 11:46 am

    It sounds like the university is geared towards helping the shortage. When I read the article, it did not appear that the econlomical advantages was the main reason for opening the new medical school.

    (In response to “eric”)

  4. Eric on April 19th, 2007 10:27 am

    Quote: “the new medical school will have a significant economic impact on southeast Michigan. According to the AAMC, the economic impact of medical schools and teaching hospitals is $451 billion nationwide, $18 billion alone in Michigan.”

    While I agree it is admirable to address the shortage of doctors in an area, a new medical school will not do the job unless there are additional residency spots created, or if more of the local residency spots are restricted to US or Michigan residents, so simply adding a school will do nothing to help with the shortage if there isn’t a corresponding change in residency slots or slot availability.

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