How Realistic is this UC Irvine vision?

[panoramaelegant]

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"A committee, UCI SOM: Vision 2010, has been charged with creating a plan for advancing the UCI School of Medicine to the top 20 Schools of Medicine in the country. The committee will employ a spectrum of mechanisms to generate a succinct statement of vision, and to develop the strategy and the means to achieve it."


This is from their website. I don't know if a school can jump from the 40s to top 20 in a couple of years. What do you guys think? Wouldn't it take a while? and even if it does go up that fast, wouldn't it take a long time to build up their reputation like say Case western or university of iowa?

 

[Elastase]

I hope so. I think UCI is a great school.

Unfortunately, they have been hit recently with some transplant/surgical problems at the medical center.

I am excited to see where all the schools place as far as research rankings in the coming months (U.S. News).

 

[potato51]

Seems silly to improve your school to attain a mere ranking. Do it because you genuinely want advancement, not because you want to be a numbers *****.

 

[tacrum43]

Sigh, another California school goes elite. What's so wrong with having normal medical schools in CA? You know, ones Californians can get into.

edit: By the way, I love UCI. I just think it's kind of sad in a way for it to be gunning for the top 20. I guess that being in the top 20 is better for the school itself, but it just seems like the UC's are so research focused already.

 

[Napoleon4000]

Potato51,

I agree with you. Maybe, just maybe, UCISOM will have some "famous" movie mogul, or some zip-a-di-doo-da quintillionare donate a couple of hundred million and have the school renamed after him/her. Maybe...just maybe. Even though many places don't have the resources of harvard, washu, etc (you fill in the blank) there is still some great science being performed. The NIH funds many places, but alas, nepotism and "status quo" rule supreme. The country is in need of primare care physicians, and look at what schools rate the highest in that. Like the song goes on the apprentice:

"Money! Money! Moooney! Money!! Money! Money! Moooney! Money!!"

That may be all that matters...to some.

 

[Bluntman]

A "couple years" time-frame seems a bit overly optimistic. I'd put it at more like 5-10. That being said, UCI is slated for huge expansion. With UCLA and Cal maxed out people/space-wise, and UCSD nearing that plateau as well, UCI is tagged by UC to grow immensely in pretty much every way in the coming years. I expect this will have a similar effect to what has happened at UCSD in terms of ranking/prestige/quality of medical research and education.

 

[pdiddy348]

attending UCI (regardless of their rank) = dream come true

 

[Doctor&Geek]

To make the top twenty institutions, UCI has to more than double its NIH money - forget about doing that in this current environment. To make it to UCSD level, Irvine has to triple its research dollars. UCI also has nothing like the Salk/Burnham/Scripps to build up research. Finally, IIRC, the new UCI hospital hasn't been even approved yet.

More power to the folks at Irvine, but they've got a ridiculously long way ahead of them.

 

[Bluntman]

UCI also has nothing like the Salk/Burnham/Scripps to build up research.

Nothing is a bit harsh - For one, you're forgetting about the Beckman Laser Institute. From a BME's perspective, not to mention anyone that wants to get into translational research, that place is heaven. It's one of the strongest integrations around of a clinic with a world-class research environment.

Also, I'm wondering why you think it's impossible to increase its research funding in its current environment? They have tons of space and are already pegged by UC for something like 50% expansion over the next 5 years.

open space + expansion needs of UC system -> more buildings -> more researchers -> more grant $$$.

 

[iggyboop]

oops. double post.

 

[iggyboop]

While there may be room for improvement, I'd say that the school's great and while at times I probably complain too much, I really am very lucky to be here. I think it's actually a good thing that it's not in the top 20 or whatever - the atmosphere is less competitive and stressful, and it really does feel like we're just here to learn about medicine, not to claw each other's eyes out and become the top of the class or whatever. Sometimes I almost feel like I'm in undergrad again.

The people of this class really make up the experience that is UCI, and if raising the ranking of UCI up to the top 20 makes it such that more competitive, stressed out, anal, and generally unfriendly people fight to get in, then that would be a very sad day indeed. Med school is stressful enough, having a class here full of awesome, friendly people makes it so much bearable.

 

[Doctor&Geek]

*Everybody* is building it, and hoping people will come, but the assumption is research dollars will increase at the same time. Right now the NIH budget is in a big crunch (everybody's noncompeting renewals lost 2.5% this year, and there was no inflation compensation). Just because you hire more people and build more buildings doesn't necessarily mean more dollars, and while UCI might expand, UCSF, UCSD, UCLA, and UCDavis are all in the process of building new hospitals or making significant expansion to their facilities (Mission Bay, Westwood Replacement, UCSD New Hospital, move of UCDavis to Sacramento campus).

After further research, UCI appears to be targeted for an expansion, but that expansion is not purely biomedical related. UCI also is building a new hopsital, but its gotten a whole lot more expensive, and its construction has been delayed.

And I'm really sorry if you're trying to compare Beckman Laser versus Salk or Scripps or Burnham or Ludwig, or even the Beckman Institute at CalTech.

I apologize if I seem cynical, but I've seen a lot of "Top 10/20 by XXXX" slogans around, and just about no one has done it, except Pitt.

 

[DrHuang]

Seems silly to improve your school to attain a mere ranking. Do it because you genuinely want advancement, not because you want to be a numbers *****.

QFT

 

[Messerschmitts]

Sigh, another California school goes elite. What's so wrong with having normal medical schools in CA? You know, ones Californians can get into.

Word. UCI going elite? Yeah that's a good idea, because I don't think CA's med schools are selective enough 😛 UCI's being selfish and ******ed. Sure, it's understandable every school wishes to be the best, but somebody's gotta be on the lower rungs to help out the average applicants. State med schools in other states accept their status, and understand that they serve a valuable purpose of providing medicial education for the more humble applicants. Well, the sad truth is that it doesn't really matter what UCI does; every CA med school is already de facto elite, at least by criterion of admissions rates.

 

[tacrum43]

Word. UCI going elite? Yeah that's a good idea, because I don't think CA's med schools are selective enough 😛 UCI's being selfish and ******ed. Sure, it's understandable every school wishes to be the best, but somebody's gotta be on the lower rungs to help out the average applicants. State med schools in other states accept their status, and understand that they serve a valuable purpose of providing medicial education for the more humble applicants. Well, the sad truth is that it doesn't really matter what UCI does; every CA med school is already de facto elite, at least by criterion of admissions rates.

Who am I kidding? I still love UCI. I was mad at them for a minute for going research, but true love is true love. Why am I so unworthy of being an anteater? Why? Why! Echidnas eat ants too! Maybe they're worried I'll hog all the ants in the OC. [Disclaimer: Recent nights of pre-exam sleep deprivation have obviously taken their toll, and I can't be held responsible for the content of my posts tonight].

And Mes, at least UCSD showed you some in-state love. Some is better than none. 🙂

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

I don't think UCI has any shot of the US News top twenty in the next five years, and I say this as a potential (even likely) UCI med student. Here's why: UCI is 50th in research funding, 59th in peer ranking, and 52nd in residency director rankings. What's keeping UCI in the top 50 is its lower than average acceptance rate and decent average GPA and MCAT. To jump in ranks, UCI will need to obtain significant amounts of new research dollars (at least doubling, and more likely tripling current funding), and just as important, it needs to improve its reputation in the medical community. Unfortunately, UCI has received some negative press as of late which will likely prevent improvements in the peer ranking scores. I 😍 UCI, and so do most of its students, but we gotta be honest about the potential of rising in the (fairly meaningless) US News rankings.

 

[NRAI2001]

Maybe instead of spending so much money on obtaining a title, open another california school. We definitely need atleast 2 more; especially in the central valley.

 

[qwerty123]

I apologize if I seem cynical, but I've seen a lot of "Top 10/20 by XXXX" slogans around, and just about no one has done it, except Pitt.

I agree. The only place that I've heard of climbing the ladder in a short period of time is Pitt. But I'm pretty sure they took more than 2 years time. And from what I heard, it was the dean who took matters into his own hands.

 

[exmike]

Maybe instead of spending so much money on obtaining a title, open another california school. We definitely need atleast 2 more; especially in the central valley.

Word. As much as I would like CA med schools to go up in rankings, I think what CA really needs is more state medical schools so 80% of us dont have to go out of state every year! word is UCR is going to try to open up one.. they already have a preclinical curriculum. they "just" need to get a teaching hospital.

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

Maybe instead of spending so much money on obtaining a title, open another california school. We definitely need atleast 2 more; especially in the central valley.

I think UC Modesto sounds nice. 😀 Maybe they can go UCSF style and just run a health campus, so UC Merced can keep their little undergrads. 😉

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

Word. As much as I would like CA med schools to go up in rankings, I think what CA really needs is more state medical schools so 80% of us dont have to go out of state every year! word is UCR is going to try to open up one.. they already have a preclinical curriculum. they "just" need to get a teaching hospital.

Haha ya, and we know teaching hospitals are a dime a dozen. But seriously, opening another 100 med students slots at UCR would help a lot with CAs med school shortage. Just keep it out of the hands of those hippies in Santa Cruz - they'd probably open up a naturopathic school and have hands-on training with medical marijuana.

 

[Uegis]

Word. As much as I would like CA med schools to go up in rankings, I think what CA really needs is more state medical schools so 80% of us dont have to go out of state every year! word is UCR is going to try to open up one.. they already have a preclinical curriculum. they "just" need to get a teaching hospital.

For such a huge state, I am surprised California doesn't have more med schools. If the state of New York can accomodate so many private and SUNY schools, California can definitely do the same.

Another alternative is increasing class sizes. I heard from a presentation a few days back that UCD will be approved to increase their class size from the present 93 students because the new medical school building can accomodate 500 students at one time. This will be great for future applicants, but I sorta like having a small class size right now.

 

[NRAI2001]

I think UC Modesto sounds nice. 😀 Maybe they can go UCSF style and just run a health campus, so UC Merced can keep their little undergrads. 😉

LOL are you from Modesto?

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

UCI recently added ~10 spots with their Prime-LC program (not sure on the exact number), and rumor has it that the main program will also expand.

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

LOL are you from Modesto?

Oh yeah. Only a native could appreciate the sound of "UC Modesto". Everyone else just scoffs 🙂

 

[NRAI2001]

For such a huge state, I am surprised California doesn't have more med schools. If the state of New York can accomodate so many private and SUNY schools, California can definitely do the same.

Another alternative is increasing class sizes. I heard from a presentation a few days back that UCD will be approved to increase their class size from the present 93 students because the new medical school building can accomodate 500 students at one time. This will be great for future applicants, but I sorta like having a small class size right now.

When will UCD begin this increase in class size? And to what size?

 

[Uegis]

When will they UCD begin this increase in class size?

I'm not completely sure. I heard that it was awaiting approval by Regents and AAMC/LCME. We were promised that we will be able to move into the new med building next year, so it shouldn't be too far down the line.

 

[dr.z]

USC said they will try to be top 10 medical school in 10 years few years ago. They still haven't moved up that much.

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

USC said they will try to be top 10 medical school in 10 years few years ago. They still haven't moved up that much.

I remember hearing that. I assume that most schools make similar statements, and they probably have geniuine desires, but my belief is that it is a recruitment tool used to keep top applicants from going to higher ranked schools simply due to rank.

 

[panoramaelegant]

well, a couple of things that can help UCI acheive their goal is the fact that they have a nobel prize winner on the faculty now, the leading neurobio department. but then the have these issues with the transplant. so who knows?

I'm curious about why some students are just obsessed with UCI? is it because they don't want to leave CA or is it because they want to match in a residency in CA? or what is the main reason for the obsession?

Don't you all think that if you go to a better med school outside of CA, do some of your rotations in CA hospitals in your 4th year, then you have just as good of a chance? I mean 1st and 2nd year are really coursework, not time to network....

opinions???

 

[Uegis]

well, a couple of things that can help UCI acheive their goal is the fact that they have a nobel prize winner on the faculty now, the leading neurobio department. but then the have these issues with the transplant. so who knows?

I'm curious about why some students are just obsessed with UCI? is it because they don't want to leave CA or is it because they want to match in a residency in CA? or what is the main reason for the obsession?

Don't you all think that if you go to a better med school outside of CA, do some of your rotations in CA hospitals in your 4th year, then you have just as good of a chance? I mean 1st and 2nd year are really coursework, not time to network....

opinions???

Lower tuition, nice weather, desire to be close to family/friends/signifcant others, increasing chances of landing CA residency and UCI being a great school are all possible reasons.