UC Regents Announce the Creation of the UC Berkeley School of Medicine

[California]

Hypothetical topic! I was just wondering how many SDN members would really like to see the University of California (UC) Regents create the UC Berkeley School of Medicine (with an entering class of 122 students who would eventually earn an MD Degree). I'm sure there are logistical reasons why this has not happenned nor even been a point of interest. I do realize UC San Francisco is just across the bay and UC Davis is a hour or two away; however, I think a medical school at UC Berkeley, along with affiliated hospitals (perhaps the Alta Bates Hospital system and a new University Hospital), would go a long way in addressing health care issues in the East Bay (i.e., Oakland, Hayward, Alameda) and in Northern California in general. I also think UC Berkeley has enormous resources to conduct biomedical research (as it does already), which would also benefit the medical school. Could you imagine an MD/PhD program here? With the institution's current faculty, I'm sure the curriculum would be very innovatice. Also, I feel confident the institution would recruit faculty for the medical school who were open to alternative forms of medicine (if, of course, there was sound research to back up the claims).

Please note there is a joint program between UC San Francisco and UC Berkeley in which you earn MD and MS degrees. There are usually only 12 students in the program each year. However, this program is obviously different than what I was envisioning, which was a comprehensive medical school at UC Berkeley.

So, my question is this: How many of you would like to see the creation of the UC Berkeley School of Medicine? Please vote and feel free to share your opinions on the subject. Thanks.

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[Papa Smurf]

I'm all for it. Anything to ease the free flowing exodus of Cali applicants with 4.0's and 38's to all the regular schools around the nation. 4500 applicants and only like 800 seats in Cali. A damn shame! 1500 applicants and 300 seats here in Florida so we feel your pain. Seriously, why don't the Cali schools at least increase their enrollment to address the problem?

 

[chinchilla]

wow, just realizing that i haven't posted here in a while; rediscovered SDN a few weeks ago and now i'm remembering the stress of applying <shudder>

actually, there *is* a medical school at uc-berkeley- the <a href="http://jmp.berkeley.edu" target="_blank">Joint Medical Program</a> is an awesome 5-year MS/MD program between berkeley and UCSF medical school. if you have any questions about it, i'm a first-year who loves it! we get all the resources of the east bay and then some

 

[Homer J. Simpson]

I'd prefer to see an entering class of 123.

 

[California]

Homer Simpson,

I knew throwing out an arbitrary number of 122 would lead to a post like your's. Serves me right!

 

[matthew0126]

heh... wouldn't happen. i was just reading our joke for a school newspaper today (daily cal) about alta bates wanting to expand its emergency room (which is impacted by something like four times the amount of patients annually than it was designed for) -- but nope, the residents won't have it. typical NIMBY. we all know half of a med school are its hopsitals; there are some hospitals in oakland, but there's nothing special

the idea is a nice pipe-dream though. berkeley could attract the right faculty in a hurry in addition to its existing faculty (i was just looking at the rankings, did ya know berkeley does not have a single grad dept not in the top3 nationally, with the exception of law and business which are top5/10). then again, why practice at berkeley when you could practice at god-almight ucsf 20 minutes away? good thing there isn't one now; i would have been forced to apply and i can't imagine spending another four years here

don't forget stanford med too, so that makes 3 med schools in the area already

 

[Procrastinator]

UC Merced School of Medicine would make a lot more sense because then the underserved Central Valley would have access to the benefits of a teaching hospital.

 

[Yogi Bear]

matthew0126:

are you sure that cal doesn't have a top 5 department besides biz and law? they're #1 or co-1 for at least chem, cs, etc.

 

[Forensic Chick]

I'm all for another UC med school - especially Berkeley since I'm about 20 minutes away. That would be great - though for the reasons already listed - it will never happen.

What else would be good, medical school wise, would be for the CSU system to have a medical school. I'd absolutely love that - cheaper tuition!!

Oh well - we can always dream - right Cali?

 

[matthew0126]

i used a double negative, notice two nots in the sentence

i haven't checked the 2003 rankings yet, but in 2002, every single category they were #3, #2, or #1 (besides law and business)

•••quote:•••Originally posted by coenocyte:
•matthew0126:

are you sure that cal doesn't have a top 5 department besides biz and law? they're #1 or co-1 for at least chem, cs, etc.•••••

 

[California]

Yes, Forensic Chick, we can dream. I know Matt and others have pointed out that a UC Berkeley medical school will never happen, but you never know.

By the way, Matt, thanks for correcting me about Stanford. As a fellow Cal Golden Bear, I convenietly omitted our rival.

 

[none]

I TOTALLY prefer the UCMSOM over UCB! Geeze...that bay area has too many med schools now, it's the Central Valley that needs the school! All we get is the pittance that UCSF throws out by having their students/physicians spend some time in Fresno.

 

[shimmer118]

Boston has 3 med schools in the same city....NY has a bunch....Philly has a TON....why not San Francisco/Berkeley/Palo Alto?

 

[Hero]

Every UC should have a med school

 

[Cdc28p]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by shimmer118:
•Boston has 3 med schools in the same city....NY has a bunch....Philly has a TON....why not San Francisco/Berkeley/Palo Alto? •••••The hospitals in Boston are numerous and kick a**! The Bay Area doens't enjoy that kind of abundance. I would rather see classes expanded at UCLA, UCSF, UCD, UCI, and UCSD. Adding more spots at existing schools is cheaper than building a med school from the ground up.

 

[UCMonkey]

OK, while it would be great for the UC's to expand their current classes, its not going to happen. Why? Money. To be able to educate more people the schools would need more pre-clinical space (i.e. labs, lecture halls, small group rooms). Now as far as I know, there is really not that much money around to make those kinds of physical upgrades. Also, at least at UCSF and UCLA, being right in the middle of major cities, there is really no space for them to expand. Now I heard a rumor a while back that UCD is going to build a brand new building for its medschool connected to the UCD Med Center in Sacramento, but I can't confirm or deny that. Besides, that would still be several years at least in the future.

 

[McEntrye]

It wouldn't really take too much new space in order to increase class sizes by approximately 25%, which would provide 200 new spots in the state. They would just squeeze people in. Also UCLA is currently building a new hospital right next to the old one. One obstacle, however, would be the cost, and its generally nicer for students to be in smaller classes.

•••quote:•••Originally posted by Monkeyrunner:
•OK, while it would be great for the UC's to expand their current classes, its not going to happen. Why? Money. To be able to educate more people the schools would need more pre-clinical space (i.e. labs, lecture halls, small group rooms). Now as far as I know, there is really not that much money around to make those kinds of physical upgrades. Also, at least at UCSF and UCLA, being right in the middle of major cities, there is really no space for them to expand. Now I heard a rumor a while back that UCD is going to build a brand new building for its medschool connected to the UCD Med Center in Sacramento, but I can't confirm or deny that. Besides, that would still be several years at least in the future.•••••

 

[Wahoo]

I was under the impression that California has waaaay too many docs as it is. I think I read somewhere that CA has the highest unemployment rate for MDs of any state, or the largest over-supply of specialists by far, or something of that nature. Of course, there will still be certain regions and certain populations that are underserved. Still, it just wouldn't make sense for the state of California to invest any more money to produce more of what they already have too many of.

 

[none]

Certain AREAS of California have too many docs (like say SoCal and the Bay Area). These areas have so many primarily because that's where the med schools are! The entire state certainly doesn't. That's why we need UCMSOM! Of course...we need UCM first and the fairy shrimp don't seem too happy about its creation.

 

[matthew0126]

you know what's weird though -- when i was filling out AMCAS, i noticed that los angeles and orange counties are underserved counties -- so maybe socali doesn't have enough doctors, contrary to popular belief? maybe it's the huge mexican influx? (i regret sooooooooo much that i didn't learn spanish)