U.S. Medical Schools

Increasing medical school enrollment to meet the nation’s rising demand for physicians isn’t as simple as adding a few more chairs to a classroom, according to “Medical School Expansion: Challenges and Strategies,” a new report released today by the AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges). The report finds that medical school administrators face numerous obstacles throughout their expansion efforts-including a lack of faculty resources, financial resources, and classroom and training space-but shows how careful planning can help overcome these challenges.

As of 2006, 93 of the nation’s 126 medical schools increased or were planning to increase enrollment over 2002 levels. Several U.S. medical schools are increasing their class size by 10 percent or more in response to the AAMC’s call for a 30 percent increase in enrollment by 2015 to address an anticipated national physician shortage. Six of these institutions were selected for this study, which was conducted through site visits, focus groups, and extensive interviews with medical school and university officials, staff, and faculty; community leaders; and medical students. The six participating institutions were: Boston University School of Medicine; Michigan State University College of Human Medicine; Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine; Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine; University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Medicine; and University of Texas Medical School at Houston.

Some of the common challenges these schools addressed while planning for expansion include:

- Finding additional classroom and laboratory space and equipment for first- and second-year students
- Securing sufficient clinical training sites and faculty for third- and fourth-year students and ensuring that students on different campuses have comparable experiences
- Maintaining student support services and administrative infrastructure despite increased demand on admissions, financial aid, and other resources
- Developing accurate cost estimates for the expansion, and obtaining financial support through state appropriations, tuition, and donations
- Acknowledging increased demands on current faculty, and recruiting additional faculty
- Creating interdisciplinary planning teams and strategic partnerships.

The new study found that class size expansion at existing medical schools typically follows one of two models for growth: “in place”-in which more medical students are enrolled on an existing academic medical center campus by increasing infrastructure capacity-or the regional campus model.

The regional campus model can follow two paths. Under the traditional path, a medical school accommodates a larger class by providing students with their third- and fourth-year clinical education at a regional campus location (after having completed their first two years of basic science education on the main campus). Under the second path-which the AAMC has identified as an emerging trend in medical education-a medical school creates a new branch campus that offers all four years of medical education while operating within the accreditation of the four-year program on the main medical school campus.

“The consensus from the medical school administrators and staff on the front lines of these expansion efforts is that planning is the most critical-and iterative-process involved,” said Sarah Bunton, Ph.D., senior research associate for organization and management studies at the AAMC and lead author of the report. “Expansion can be relatively uncharted territory, and even the most attentive and organized administrators found themselves reassessing and revising their plans throughout the expansion process.”

To purchase a copy of “Medical School Expansion: Challenges and Strategies” go to http://www.aamc.org/medicalschoolexpansion. The latest issue of AAMC Analysis in Brief also examines some of the findings from this medical school expansion report: see here.

The Association of American Medical Colleges is a not-for-profit association representing all 126 accredited U.S. and 17 accredited Canadian medical schools; nearly 400 major teaching hospitals and health systems, including 68 Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers; and 94 academic and scientific societies. Through these institutions and organizations, the AAMC represents 109,000 faculty members, 67,000 medical students, and 104,000 resident physicians.
Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/96103.php