UH considers medical school proposal
The Chronicle's Todd Ackerman reports that leaders at the University of Houston are seriously considering a proposal to develop a medical school:
In a move that would ratchet up an ongoing rivalry in the Texas Medical Center, the University of Houston is considering starting a medical school in partnership with The Methodist Hospital and Cornell University.
The idea, quietly explored by UH leaders in recent months, comes amid appeals for medical school expansion because of projected statewide and nationwide doctor shortages. Houston now has two medical schools — Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.
"We would be remiss if we didn't explore the possibility," UH President Jay Gogue said. "When you're sitting next to the world's largest medical center, in a state that's 41st out of 50th in physicians per capita, it would be almost unconscionable not to do due diligence."
Under a consultant's proposal, UH would provide students' basic-science training in their first two years and Cornell-affiliated physicians at Methodist would provide the clinical training in the last two years. Students would get a medical degree jointly awarded by UH and Cornell.
UH acknowledged its interest in a medical school only after the Houston Chronicle filed a Texas Open Records request.
Developing a medical school is a natural component of UH's ambitions of becoming a top tier public urban research university, and the university (not to mention the greater Houston area) can make a compelling case for both.
Unfortunately, the compelling case is not likely enough to overcome longstanding academic/political realities that favor two state flagship educational institutions over all others -- logic, reason, and other concerns be damned.
It also is of no help when shortsighted lawmakers play the following sorts of games:
The University of Texas-Austin also is interested in starting a medical school, and state Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston, is pushing for a medical school affiliated with Prairie View A&M."It would be my preference that Prairie View gets a medical school before UH or UT," said Coleman, UH's representative.
He's an embarrassment.
BLOGVERSATION: Houston's Clear Thinkers.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/24/07 02:42 PM | Houston Miscellany | Print | Comments (13)
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