Why is UC Berkeley so ****ty?

[NRAI2001]

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There is a thread about UC Irvine trying to improve the rankings of their med school. So started wondering, why doesnt Cal have a med school? Seems like all the other Large UCs have a med school (UC: san deigo, la, irvine, davis, sf). Even Riverside has a large teaching hospital. Berkeley has nothing, even though its graduate school is nearly top in every one of the science fields; great mph, business, law, policy programs, CS, engineering, Bioengineering.

Whats wrong with Cal? All we have is the ****ty tang center.

 

[tacrum43]

There is a thread about UC Irvine trying to improve the rankings of their med school. So started wondering, why doesnt Cal have a med school? Seems like all the other Large UCs have a med school (UC: san deigo, la, irvine, davis, sf). Even Riverside has a large teaching hospital. Berkeley has nothing, even though its graduate school is nearly top in every one of the science fields; great mph, business, law, policy programs..

Whats wrong with Cal? All we have is the ****ty tang center.

Wasn't UCSF part of Berkeley at one point?

 

[bootz]

Does the Tang center still tell all of their female patients that they are pregnant?

 

[NRAI2001]

Seems like with having a med school here you could really integrate a lot of the other science fields with medicine. CS, bioengineering, mcb, physics, EECS, chemistry, o chem are all top ranked.

Many very large biotech and pharm companies located in Emeryville, SF, San Jose.......and various other Bay Area locations.

 

[NRAI2001]

Wasn't UCSF part of Berkeley at one point?

I dont think so. Either way it no longer is.

 

[Flopotomist]

I can think of a few reasons why Cal doesn't have a med school.

1. Proximity to UCSF, 2 med schools within 20 miles of each other with a population this small just doesn't make sense.

2. Hospital access - UCSF has a lock on most of the East Bay tertiary care areas, so where would the med students train?

3. Geography and politics. Would the people of Berkeley approve massive new construction and traffic associated with the medical school? Where would you put it?

4. Mission. What would the mission of the medical school be, and would it enhance, or detract from the schools overall mission. That is to say, would it take dollars away from the other great research areas of the school, or bring more in?

5. White coats and birkenstocks clash.

 

[DrBowtie]

at #5

 

[exmike]

Well there is the UCB/UCSF Joint Medical Program. You do your preclinical sciences at UCB along with a masters.

There is a historical reason for not having a UCB medical school.

UCSF started as the University of California medical school, complementary with University of California (as berkeley was known then). Since at that time there was only one University of California non med campus and one University of California Medical school, there was no such thing as a UC (insert campus) med school. University of California med school became UCSF when UCLA opened its medical school so as to not cause confusion.

 

[NRAI2001]

I can think of a few reasons why Cal doesn't have a med school.

1. Proximity to UCSF, 2 med schools within 20 miles of each other with a population this small just doesn't make sense.

2. Hospital access - UCSF has a lock on most of the East Bay tertiary care areas, so where would the med students train?

3. Geography and politics. Would the people of Berkeley approve massive new construction and traffic associated with the medical school? Where would you put it?

4. Mission. What would the mission of the medical school be, and would it enhance, or detract from the schools overall mission. That is to say, would it take dollars away from the other great research areas of the school, or bring more in?

5. White coats and birkenstocks clash.

There are many cities with mutliple med school, Illinois has like i think 8 med schools in chicago alone(not sure on exact number, but there are many), NY also has a whole bunch. The Bay area has a fairly large population. Alta Bates in berkeley and Highland hospital in oakland are teaching hospitals, but they could be improved.

Berkeley already has classrooms and lecture halls. Infact they are building a brand new gigantic bioengineering building. They also have the joint UCSF-Berkeley medical program, where around 15 people each year (45 total spread over 3 years) do all of their basic science course work on the UC berkeley campus.

 

[pseudoknot]

Yes, in 1873 the Toland Medical College became a part of the University of California, which then had one campus (at Berkeley). This later became UCSF:
http://history.library.ucsf.edu/chapter1/chapter1_05.html

Anyway, having a med school at Berkeley is absurd. Berkeley is a small city that couldn't support its own med school unless it was a referral center in a very rural, sparsely populated part of the state. If you were to build a med school for UC Berkeley, you'd put it in SF. Don't forget Stanford's there too. Besides, that's such a desirable area that it would have a physician surplus even if there were no med schools there.

Where does California need a new med school? Riverside's probably a good idea. Or perhaps Merced, although Fresno would be better due to population density.

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

Princeton doesn't have a med school, and I don't see anyone calling it ****ty 🙂

 

[Rafa]

Princeton doesn't have a med school, and I don't see anyone calling it ****ty 🙂

That's because they're in New Jersey. It's already ****ty...

 

[anystream]

Where does California need a new med school? Riverside's probably a good idea. Or perhaps Merced, although Fresno would be better due to population density.

fresno state med school! why don't they have any CSU med schools? does anyone know?

 

[rouge et noir]

That's because they're in New Jersey. It's already ****ty...

👍

 

[Uegis]

fresno state med school! why don't they have any CSU med schools? does anyone know?

The UC system is the only state system permitted to give doctorates of any sorts, whether it's PhD or MD. It took the Cal States a while to even earn the right to issue masters degrees. It is an elitist view that UC's are superior to CSU's and that only a PhD from a UC will be of high academic standards.

I only heard of this from reading a recent article on the CSU's trying to get the right to issue PhD's in audiology because the UCs do not have an extensive program for all their campuses while the CSU's does.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/02/17/BAGPSBCKT31.DTL

Article, if you're interested.

 

[studentstudent]

There would be plenty of patients and doctors for a UCB Med School. Kaiser does big business in the east bay with such an old wrinkly population (berkeley may be full of 20-somethings, but everywhere else has lots of baby boomers + young families = lots of need for health care), plus all the other HMOs. And docs in the East Bay have to commute to the peninsula to be any sort of a prof -- why not let them do it on this side of the bay? Plus we could take some of that rural patient population from UCD. There's space to build in Berkeley -- just knock down another earthquake liability nobody wants. =) And if you've ever been to the Tang Center, you'd know everyone would appreciate a real hospital.

I can think of a few reasons why Cal doesn't have a med school.

1. Proximity to UCSF, 2 med schools within 20 miles of each other with a population this small just doesn't make sense.

2. Hospital access - UCSF has a lock on most of the East Bay tertiary care areas, so where would the med students train?

3. Geography and politics. Would the people of Berkeley approve massive new construction and traffic associated with the medical school? Where would you put it?

4. Mission. What would the mission of the medical school be, and would it enhance, or detract from the schools overall mission. That is to say, would it take dollars away from the other great research areas of the school, or bring more in?

5. White coats and birkenstocks clash.

 

[BerkeleyMD]

fresno state med school! why don't they have any CSU med schools? does anyone know?

I work at UCSF-Fresno. If there is to be a med school in Fresno it would be affiliated with UCSF, not FSU. The UCSF-Fresno residency program is already starting to get stronger so its only a matter of time before they have an med school. Its too much of a reach for UCMerced because its still trying to establish itself as an undergraduate institution.

Going back to the OP, a med school at Cal would be awesome, but far-fetched. There's no more land (unless you build it up in the hills) and the congestion is already unbearable. It's faster to get across town by foot than it is by car. You add the traffic of a medical center and driving would be impossible.

 

[etf]

if cal had a med school, no one would want to go to harvard...cause all of the funding would be heading our way...

 

[veenut]

That's because they're in New Jersey. It's already ****ty...

nice cheap shot

 

[Zoom-Zoom]

I can think of a few reasons why Cal doesn't have a med school.

1. Proximity to UCSF, 2 med schools within 20 miles of each other with a population this small just doesn't make sense.

Yeah but think about it...how many schools does New York have? Chicago? Boston? Phili?

And the bay area only gets one? Lame-o

California needs more med schools anyway. I say UCB and UCSB open one up...

 

[Medikit]

I dont think so. Either way it no longer is.

It probably was since it was established while all of the UC's were still just satellites of the Berkeley campus.

 

[tank you]

uc santa barbara and uc santa cruz need med schools, how can u NOT want to go to a med school on the beach?

 

[BerkeleyMD]

uc santa barbara and uc santa cruz need med schools, how can u NOT want to go to a med school on the beach?

thats why i want UCI so bad! who builds a med school minutes from newport beach? .... gotta love cali !

 

[Messerschmitts]

Some days I think to myself, "I wanted to be a doctor...why the hell did I go to Berkeley?" Ha ha, j/k "Because Berkeley rocks!" I love Berkeley, go bears. Too bad the proximity to UCSF precludes us from ever getting a med school, but I guess like most people said, UCSF is sort of Berkeley's medical school. And it only makes sense the top UC would have the top UC med school in its vicinity (even though they're not officially affiliated). If people ask, "why doesn't Berkeley have a med school", then they could just as easily ask, "why doesn't UCSF have an undergrad?" That said, I think California could use as many new med schools as it can!

 

[Messerschmitts]

Yeah but think about it...how many schools does New York have? Chicago? Boston? Phili?

And the bay area only gets one? Lame-o

California needs more med schools anyway. I say UCB and UCSB open one up...

Actually uh...the Bay Area has 2; even though I hate the 'Furd just as much as the next Cal alum, Stanfurd's med school is in the south bay. Actually UCD isn't even that far from the Bay Area, so the "greater NorCal" region actually has 3 medical school. But it's California! NorCal could always use 4. 😉

 

[sdn1977]

Well there is the UCB/UCSF Joint Medical Program. You do your preclinical sciences at UCB along with a masters.

There is a historical reason for not having a UCB medical school.

UCSF started as the University of California medical school, complementary with University of California (as berkeley was known then). Since at that time there was only one University of California non med campus and one University of California Medical school, there was no such thing as a UC (insert campus) med school. University of California med school became UCSF when UCLA opened its medical school so as to not cause confusion.

Mike...you are exactly correct. When the University of California was founded, there was only one campus - Berkeley. The medical center was located in San Francisco because that was where the facilities were (Berkeley was very rural at that time). Each campus had it's geographic name attached when UCLA was begun. What you know now as UC Davis was actually called the University of California experimental farms. My mom graduated from UCSF School of Nursing in the early 40's - her graduation was held on the Berkeley campus and her diploma reads Bachelors of Science in Nursing from University of California, Berkeley although she never took a class on that campus. By the time I attended the School of Pharmacy in the 70's, the San Francisco campus had long been established as its own independent campus of the University...altho we were very proud of our motto - 50 years and still no football 😉 FYI - the University of California does have in its master plan new professional sites planned. I believe the Regents have approved the next medical school to open at UC Riverside and the next law school at UCSB.

 

[NRAI2001]

Actually uh...the Bay Area has 2; even though I hate the 'Furd just as much as the next Cal alum, Stanfurd's med school is in the south bay. Actually UCD isn't even that far from the Bay Area, so the "greater NorCal" region actually has 3 medical school. But it's California! NorCal could always use 4. 😉

UCD is atleast an hour and a half drive from Cal and SF.

 

[drmota]

berkeley is dope. don't hate.
-dr. mota

 

[Pewl]

Heh, the Bears suck! We'll see who makes it further in the NCAA tournament!

I was also at the Cal/UCLA football game this year. We came back in the 4th quarter!
BAHAHAHAHAH! =D

 

[Messerschmitts]

berkeley is dope. don't hate.
-dr. mota

Hey, I'm totally down with that, ma dawg. 👍 Go Bears! My four years at Cal were (so far) the best years of my life, I had a ball up there. (I say "up there" because I'm originally from southern CA, FYI for you SDNers from other states). Other than UCSF being too hard to get into (and thus I can't stay up in the Bay Area), I've got nuthin' bad to say about Cal. And even that's not UC's fault, per se. "We're sorry our Bay Area med school was too awesome for an applicant of your calibre, but we're providing premium medical education at a bargin price for those lucky few who kicked enough @$$ to get in". Can't blame UCSF for being awesome, can we? 😛

 

[Messerschmitts]

"What's a Bruin?"

Ah, you guys suck! 😛 The answer they told us at Calso is: "A small, dickless bear!"

 

[drmota]

"What's a Bruin?"

COFFEE????
-dr. mota

 

[mdogo]

Does the Tang center still tell all of their female patients that they are pregnant?

ahahAHAH.. it's so true. I doubt this will ever change, and I LOVE that fact!

 

[shortyganoush]

uc santa barbara and uc santa cruz need med schools, how can u NOT want to go to a med school on the beach?

Not to get into the nor cal / so cal debate, but I since you mention it UCSB could probably use a med school, and maybe even more than berkeley. While research there isn't quite as highly ranked, there's a huge rural population between SLO and Ventura County as well as "just a few" wealthy baby boomers who will soon need medical care. While there are hospitals there, it's a pretty big region of growing population density that could a medical school since UCLA/USC/ and Loma Linda are pretty far away to the south (farther than UCI is from UCLA) and even farther from the nor cal schools. I have no idea how the logistics of that would work, but I'm definately for increasing the number of Cali med schools, if only for the selfish reasons of increasing my chances of staying in here now or comming back for residency.

 

[red dot]

Yes, in 1873 the Toland Medical College became a part of the University of California, which then had one campus (at Berkeley). This later became UCSF:
http://history.library.ucsf.edu/chapter1/chapter1_05.html

according to prof presti (or rather, one of his slides of a ucsf ad) it used to be that you could just go and get accepted to ucsf with a payment of 100 bucks. but that was like a hundred years ago. wishful thinking!

 

[45408]

I dont think so. Either way it no longer is.

No, I'm pretty sure that they were. That's why UC Berkeley is so well-known for everything but a med school, and UCSF isn't known for a whole lot except their med school. They're physically pretty close.

 

[exmike]

according to prof presti (or rather, one of his slides of a ucsf ad) it used to be that you could just go and get accepted to ucsf with a payment of 100 bucks. but that was like a hundred years ago. wishful thinking!

presti is the man. you know that guy tokes!

 

[NRAI2001]

presti is the man. you know that guy tokes!

PRESTIIII 👍

 

[Legend123]

MIT does not have med school and most of its people go to the big HMS. In facts, most of UCSF classes are from CAL(GO BEARS!!) all these years. The stats from your premed career site is way understated because most of them do not reported their acceptances to UCSF. Anyway, it would be great to see Cal has its own med school up on the hill next to the Lawrence Lab overlooking the Bay. It will be a sweet dream indeed...... GO BEARS!!

 

[TM2006]

Heh, the Bears suck! We'll see who makes it further in the NCAA tournament!

I was also at the Cal/UCLA football game this year. We came back in the 4th quarter!
BAHAHAHAHAH! =D

Sat, Dec 31 California 68 UCLA 61 @ fucla

and btw wait until next season for football...mwhahahah MWHAHAHAHAHA