More MD schools, please!

[sicko]

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In recent years there are a significant number of new osteopathic medical schools popping up across the country. However, all of allopathic medical schools are at least 50 years old. Does anyone know when was the last time a MD school welcomed its first class? With an ever increasing demand for doctors, I wonder why there aren't any new MD schools to serve the aging population.

 

[Bacchus]

Touro is opening a new facility in Jersey, I believe. Commonwealth Medical College is welcoming a class in 2009.

Edit: It appears the CMC will be providing half tuition scholarships to its inaugural class. Back away people, Scranton is my home area, not yours 😉.

 

[Cataract]

There's a thread about new medical schools in development. Hunter college in NYC is planning one among others.

 

[Depakote]

In recent years there are a significant number of new osteopathic medical schools popping up across the country. However, all of allopathic medical schools are at least 50 years old. Does anyone know when was the last time a MD school welcomed its first class? With an ever increasing demand for doctors, I wonder why there aren't any new MD schools to serve the aging population.

actually, there was a huge boom of med schools in the 70's due to a primary care shortage.

I can think of a few schools that were founded in that era. (EVMS (1973), MCO- now UT (1969), UMKC (1971)... off the top of my head)

IIRC, Florida just opened a school, or is opening one in the next year or two.

There is growth (increased numbers of DO schools are especially filling the gap for medical school applicants) While I do agree that there should be more MD schools, this is a process that takes time... I would also recommend you do research before making broad statements.

EDIT: MCO/UT's first class started in 1969, my mistake.

note, added the dates with help of wiki.

 

[ChubbyChaser]

East Carolina University Opened one in the 70s also

 

[Depakote]

this wiki page has a list of medical schools that are in development in the next few years.

Check the bottom.

 

[sicko]

this wiki page has a list of medical schools that are in development in the next few years.

Check the bottom.

Thanks for the link. I'll make sure I'll apply there if I don't get accepted this year.

 

[coffeebythelake]

Stewart University?















🙂🙂

 

[medguy83]

Here in FL there are plans to open a few more new MD programs. FSU has been going strong now since 2000; UCF plans to open its doors fall of '09 with FIU following soon after. I agree that there needs to be more schools. I've heard projections of there being an aging workforce of physicians within the next few years with many being 55+. I don't think there is a shortage of qualified people who want to become doctors, so it stands to reason that either schools should start increasing enrollment numbers, or there should be more programs available.

 

[167649]

In recent years there are a significant number of new osteopathic medical schools popping up across the country. However, all of allopathic medical schools are at least 50 years old. Does anyone know when was the last time a MD school welcomed its first class? With an ever increasing demand for doctors, I wonder why there aren't any new MD schools to serve the aging population.

A study that came out in the 1980's actually predicted a physician surplus, and therefore after the previously mentioned spark of expansion in the 70's the AAMC virtually stopped medical school expansion. I don't know much about osteopathic expansion trends, but for some reason they seemed to have responded more quickly to the now projected shortage as many of their new schools have already opened. But now, the AAMC also recognizes the shortage as a problem and more schools are going to open soon.

Apart from the aformentioned schools listed on the wikipedia page that was previously linked, I know that UofArizona is opening a new school in Phoenix, essentially doubling their output. UCRiverside is also starting a school in two years. And I believe UoWashington is starting a campus in Spokane, although I am not sure about that. So right there, combined with the wiki list, that is 10 new allopathic schools along with the new DO schools that are opening. And I would bet more are going to come.

This may be bad news for the carribean and foreign trained MD's, because more US trained MD's and DO's means less residency positions available for the carribean graduates.

 

[Law2Doc]

With an ever increasing demand for doctors, I wonder why there aren't any new MD schools to serve the aging population.

Med schools are currently addressing this by increasing enrollment at existing schools a few percent per year, rather than pushing for more schools. Bear in mind that while there may be a shortage of doctors during the baby boomer geriatric years, the generation behind them is somewhat smaller, so it would be short sighted to gear up too much for what may ultimately be a temporary blip in the healthcare landscape.

 

[PreMD86]

I read that Hofstra plans on opening a medical school in 2010 with long island jewish as its teaching hopsital.

 

[Food]

there seem to be a lot of off-shore Caribbean MD schools opening up. I am really hoping I don't have to go to one of those though.

 

[Lokhtar]

Med schools are currently addressing this by increasing enrollment at existing schools a few percent per year, rather than pushing for more schools. Bear in mind that while there may be a shortage of doctors during the baby boomer geriatric years, the generation behind them is somewhat smaller, so it would be short sighted to gear up too much for what may ultimately be a temporary blip in the healthcare landscape.

Though the population is indeed expected to shrink after the baby boomers have gone, it is not a long term shrink, and the estimates have population increasing steadily after that.

 

[Lokhtar]

Edit: It appears the CMC will be providing half tuition scholarships to its inaugural class. Back away people, Scranton is my home area, not yours 😉.

Where do you see this? This is my area too...are they going to be IS only, or heavy IS preference?

And where did you get this information?

 

[Gut Shot]

With an ever increasing demand for doctors, I wonder why there aren't any new MD schools to serve the aging population.

Opening a new allopathic school is very difficult and expensive. I believe that with accreditation being what it is, each school has to establish formal clinical training programs with existing hospitals and clinics. Those bonds don't come easily. The osteopathic schools don't have this requirement, so it's much easier for them to open their doors.

 

[BCLumas]

_______________________________________________... I think that more DO schools are opening not because of the lack of acreditation, but the fact that they are responding (as quickly as possible) to the underserved, rural populations across the country. If you look at many of the locations of the recent Osteopathic school creation, they're generally in rural areas where PCPs are more heavily in demand. While I won't say that MDs CAN'T be a PCP, the goals of many of the COMs is to produce PCPs for their particular area. _____________________________... I hope I made sense...

<3

 

[Gut Shot]

I guess that's not really the question at hand, however.

No, it's really not, but thank you for planting the seed for another MD vs. DO thread hijack.

 

[dmission]

UC Riverside is opening one in 2012... i think

 

[Bacchus]

Where do you see this? This is my area too...are they going to be IS only, or heavy IS preference?

And where did you get this information?

Go to google and type in "Commonwealth Medical College". You should get the official website, from there, there is a link to a blog by the president of the prospective school. I'm not right in Scranton, a bit south at the foothills of the Poconos but I feel my location is going to be a good factor for me. That being said, it is private so I don't think its going to be strictly IS. However, there is no doubt about it, the purpose of the school is to crank out docs for the area. That being said, people living in the area are going to be more naturally oriented to stay in the area.

 

[BCLumas]

No, it's really not, but thank you for planting the seed for another MD vs. DO thread hijack.

Wow.. what a jerk. It wasn't a hijack, it was simply an observation. In fact, if I remember right, the OP was the first one to mention DO schools.

In recent years there are a significant number of new osteopathic medical schools popping up across the country. However, all of allopathic medical schools are at least 50 years old. Does anyone know when was the last time a MD school welcomed its first class? With an ever increasing demand for doctors, I wonder why there aren't any new MD schools to serve the aging population.

Your comment was definitely unnecessary and unfounded. If you really want that part of my post removed, then I will do that for you, but maybe you should try and read a post for its substance instead of a close-minded view of what you THINK I am trying to say.

Thanks.

 

[Gut Shot]

Wow.. what a jerk. It wasn't a hijack, it was simply an observation. In fact, if I remember right, the OP was the first one to mention DO schools.



Your comment was definitely unnecessary and unfounded. If you really want that part of my post removed, then I will do that for you, but maybe you should try and read a post for its substance instead of a close-minded view of what you THINK I am trying to say.

Thanks.

I'm not trying to be a jerk, but if you've lurked here longer than two months you may have noticed the remarkable tendency for these exchanges to devolve into MD vs. DO flamefests.

 

[BCLumas]

And I do understand that, but I also think that giving someone's comments a chance is more important than worry about a childish flamefest. I'm done with this particular thread. Good luck with you.

 

[PeepshowJohnny]

Be careful what you wish for.

Check out this thread in the Resident's forum: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=472631

Essentially, opening more medical schools without more residencies is just going to change where the cut off occurs. There are plenty of residency slots to accomodate bumping up the number of medical students, but they're going to be in primary care specialties. Now, a lot of people WANT to go to med school to do do family medicine, or open a pediatrics office. That's fantastic, more power to them. But if your dream is do ortho or plastics, be a radiologist, practice dermatology etc. more med school slots is not going to make your dreams any easier.

 

[Colbert]

I believe both allopathic and osteopathic schools are responding to the shortage of physicians, however it takes a whole lot of time and money to start a medical school.

Let me take my home state of Michigan for example. Within the next three years, the number of allopathic schools will increase from three (University of Michigan, Wayne State University, and Michigan State University) and one Osteopathic school (Michigan State University). Both MSUCHM and MSUCOM will be adding satellite campuses, effectively bringing the total number of schools from 4 to 6. Also, Oakland University will be opening its doors to a new allopathic school (brings our total to seven). On top of that, both Western Michigan University and Central Michigan University have formed exploratory committees to look into establishing medical schools (I have no idea whether they're considering MD or DO for WMU and CMU).

So within three years, the number of medical schools in Michigan will effectively increase from 4 to 7, with the possibly of being up to 9 within the next ten years.

I think both the AMA and AOA are doing fine in responding to the shortage.

 

[Finian]

Maine Medical Center is planning to start a new allopathic med school in conjunction with Tufts. Graduates will receive a Tufts M.D. degree.

I'm not sure, though, how this will affect the affiliations with UVM and Dartmouth.

 

[Lokhtar]

Be careful what you wish for.

Check out this thread in the Resident's forum: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=472631

Essentially, opening more medical schools without more residencies is just going to change where the cut off occurs. There are plenty of residency slots to accomodate bumping up the number of medical students, but they're going to be in primary care specialties. Now, a lot of people WANT to go to med school to do do family medicine, or open a pediatrics office. That's fantastic, more power to them. But if your dream is do ortho or plastics, be a radiologist, practice dermatology etc. more med school slots is not going to make your dreams any easier.

Considering the specialties where the physician needs are most acute, if I was a government employee making a recommendation, I would not start a single specialty residency. It would all be FP & IM, if any. The government pays for residency training, because physicians provide a valuable service, so it makes sense for them to fund the things that are needed most by the country.

 

[Lokhtar]

And I don't think it would be a bad thing either. Patients being followed by a cadre of physicians all ordering tests does not positively affect quality of care.

 

[MacGyver]

Med schools are currently addressing this by increasing enrollment at existing schools a few percent per year, rather than pushing for more schools. Bear in mind that while there may be a shortage of doctors during the baby boomer geriatric years, the generation behind them is somewhat smaller, so it would be short sighted to gear up too much for what may ultimately be a temporary blip in the healthcare landscape.

Sadly, you are incorrect about this.

There are 34 new/planned med schools since 2002. About half of those are MD programs.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=277016&page=1

 

[Ahmed786]

hahah i didnt know scranton pennsylvania was a real town maybe the med school will be located next to dundler mifflen

 

[Bacchus]

hahah i didnt know scranton pennsylvania was a real town maybe the med school will be located next to dundler mifflen

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scranton