New DO schools coming soon?

[wizinstick]

I have been reading some articles regarding how several allopathic schools are coming soon due to the huge demand....especially with healthcare reform being passed. Are the DO schools going to open any new ones to match?

The media is all about how 30 million new eligible patients means a need for more primary care, etc. Well, everyone knows that DOs usually choose that route to begin with, so wouldnt more DO schools make sense as well as more MD schools to fill this need?

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[jaywalk]

I have been reading some articles regarding how several allopathic schools are coming soon due to the huge demand....especially with healthcare reform being passed. Are the DO schools going to open any new ones to match?

The media is all about how 30 million new eligible patients means a need for more primary care, etc. Well, everyone knows that DOs usually choose that route to begin with, so wouldnt more DO schools make sense as well as more MD schools to fill this need?

VCOM and Western are opening new branches for the upcoming cycle. Plus there are threads on one opening in Indiana sometime in the next few years. I think MSU is increasing spots by a large margin (not 100% about this tho).
I'd be more concerned about residency positions being increased over the next few years as this year's match was very tight. New medical schools are only good when more residency spots open up to complement it.

 

[Irishfan]

There's a new one opening in MS for next year as well as some talk of one opening in IN and AL. However that still doesn't get around the huge problem we'll be seeing in regard to available residencies to match this student expansion.

 

[Cheshyre]

Wizin - somebody else will probably flesh this out some more, but, DO schools have been expanding rapidly. Many of the DO schools we have now have been open for only a little more than a decade. There has been some debate on whether the DO expansion is happening too rapidly (quality concerns, issues with numbers of residency spots, etc).

If you look around, you'll find that some of the DO schools today haven't graduated a single class yet (I believe this includes TouroNY, PNWU, RVUCOM...).

 

[Everglide]

In addition to new schools, existing DO and MD schools are increasing their class sizes.

This will either lead to more people going into primary care, expanded residency slots or unemployed grads... but that's a different issue discussed in depth on these forums.

 

[lovemesomeTJ]

These schools are opening up in the near future. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_medical_schools_in_the_United_States#Developing_medical_schools

What would make the most sense, even more sense than more medical schools, is more residency slots. So long as there is a cap on spaces, more schools and graduates who will be left out on Match days is pointless. Better to have too much advanced training and fill it with FMGs until more US graduates come along than to have all of these extra graduates who can't even put their knowledge to practice.

 

[gatewasani]

what does this mean for those of us, who are gearing up to apply for this upcoming cycle?

higher chance of acceptance or just more applicants?

 

[Vvandenn]

Nevermind, answer is above.

 

[lovemesomeTJ]

what does this mean for those of us, who are gearing up to apply for this upcoming cycle?

higher chance of acceptance or just more applicants?

I think initially there'll be a higher chance of acceptance. But it won't really mean much come 4 years later when you've got more med students fighting for the same number of residency spots. So then during your four years you've got to be bigger, better, and faster than the rest to enure a spot. So it'll be interesting to see if everything grows with regards to medical school, not just medical school seats.

 

[The Wild Wind]

I think initially there'll be a higher chance of acceptance. But it won't really mean much come 4 years later when you've got more med students fighting for the same number of residency spots. So then during your four years you've got to be bigger, better, and faster than the rest to enure a spot. So it'll be interesting to see if everything grows with regards to medical school, not just medical school seats.

I agree, this is going to be problem for the future students. Competition will be tougher for sure. There needs to be more residency program developed along with expansion of new school. The quality of residency program must be maintained, so does quality of medical education in new medical school must be maintained. I worry about too fast expansion of DO schools...