Post by Devastator on Sept 5, 2005 9:46:47 GMT -5
Med school race pits UCF vs. FIU
www.bizjournals.com/orlando/stories/2005/09/05/story5.html?page=2
ORLANDO -- Come Nov. 17, the University of Central Florida in Orlando and Florida International University in Miami-Dade County will try to make their case before the state Board of Governors that there's a need for two more medical schools in Florida.
After all, officials with both universities say, there's a statewide shortage of doctors, while at the same time Florida's population is growing -- and aging.
"Unless Florida adds a new medical school -- perhaps two -- the state will still fall dangerously short of meeting the health care needs of its residents," according to a 2005 report by the UCF Medical School Task Force.
But if the board opts for just one new medical school, expect a flurry of proverbial fists to fly as the two schools compete to come out on top.
And some local observers believe whichever school has the most money banked for the proposed projects by November could win the honor by financial default -- something that could put UCF at a disadvantage.
That's because FIU already has $15 million in donations and pledges in hand to fund its second medical school building, while UCF currently has $10 million, just enough for its first building.
UCF hopes to raise another $20 million before Nov. 17, says Terry Hickey, UCF provost.
"We want to show the Board of Governors that we have the commitments to fund the second building," he says. "We are concerned that if we ask for a lot of capital, it would cast our proposal in a shadow. Raising this money is a very important -- if not crucial -- part of our application."
The need for more Florida medical schools is clear, say UCF and FIU officials. Indeed, the nation needs to open at least two new medical schools a year to keep up with the demand for doctors, says the International Health Economics Association.
However, some critics, including members of the Board of Governors who are charged with overseeing the state's 11 public universities, have said that the answer to a physician shortage isn't more medical schools, which are costly to build and operate. Instead, they say, it might be less expensive to expand the state's existing medical schools and increase the number of residency slots.
But a study commissioned by UCF shows that doing so actually would only offset the doctor shortage by 14 percent.
Meanwhile, creating two new medical schools would be a long-term investment in Florida's health that eventually will have a big payoff, says Tom Breslin, vice provost for academic affairs at FIU.
"We are very stingy when it comes to providing access to medical school education," he says. "But when you have too few doctors, health care costs go up accordingly."
Meanwhile, former U.S. Rep. Bill McCollum, who is on the Board of Governors, favors the creation of both proposed medical schools.
"It's likely both will prevail ultimately," he says.
Still, others think there is a possibility that the Board of Governors may decide that there is a need -- but that there's only enough state funding for just one new medical school.
"We feel that we both will have a strong case," says Breslin. "We believe there is a need for more than one, and we wish UCF well."
But if push comes to shove, both Breslin and Dr. Carlos Martini, who is heading up FIU's push for a medical school, feel FIU should prevail. "With 62 percent of South Florida's population medically underserved, that would be more compelling," says Breslin.
McCollum, in the meantime, says it's really not the Board of Governors' job to worry about the funding for the two medical schools.
Finding the resources, he says, is the Legislature's duty. "Our responsibility is to say what we need," says McCollum. "Otherwise Florida will suffer immeasurably. I think getting enough doctors to serve our population fits way ahead on the priority sheet."
www.bizjournals.com/orlando/stories/2005/09/05/story5.html?page=2
ORLANDO -- Come Nov. 17, the University of Central Florida in Orlando and Florida International University in Miami-Dade County will try to make their case before the state Board of Governors that there's a need for two more medical schools in Florida.
After all, officials with both universities say, there's a statewide shortage of doctors, while at the same time Florida's population is growing -- and aging.
"Unless Florida adds a new medical school -- perhaps two -- the state will still fall dangerously short of meeting the health care needs of its residents," according to a 2005 report by the UCF Medical School Task Force.
But if the board opts for just one new medical school, expect a flurry of proverbial fists to fly as the two schools compete to come out on top.
And some local observers believe whichever school has the most money banked for the proposed projects by November could win the honor by financial default -- something that could put UCF at a disadvantage.
That's because FIU already has $15 million in donations and pledges in hand to fund its second medical school building, while UCF currently has $10 million, just enough for its first building.
UCF hopes to raise another $20 million before Nov. 17, says Terry Hickey, UCF provost.
"We want to show the Board of Governors that we have the commitments to fund the second building," he says. "We are concerned that if we ask for a lot of capital, it would cast our proposal in a shadow. Raising this money is a very important -- if not crucial -- part of our application."
The need for more Florida medical schools is clear, say UCF and FIU officials. Indeed, the nation needs to open at least two new medical schools a year to keep up with the demand for doctors, says the International Health Economics Association.
However, some critics, including members of the Board of Governors who are charged with overseeing the state's 11 public universities, have said that the answer to a physician shortage isn't more medical schools, which are costly to build and operate. Instead, they say, it might be less expensive to expand the state's existing medical schools and increase the number of residency slots.
But a study commissioned by UCF shows that doing so actually would only offset the doctor shortage by 14 percent.
Meanwhile, creating two new medical schools would be a long-term investment in Florida's health that eventually will have a big payoff, says Tom Breslin, vice provost for academic affairs at FIU.
"We are very stingy when it comes to providing access to medical school education," he says. "But when you have too few doctors, health care costs go up accordingly."
Meanwhile, former U.S. Rep. Bill McCollum, who is on the Board of Governors, favors the creation of both proposed medical schools.
"It's likely both will prevail ultimately," he says.
Still, others think there is a possibility that the Board of Governors may decide that there is a need -- but that there's only enough state funding for just one new medical school.
"We feel that we both will have a strong case," says Breslin. "We believe there is a need for more than one, and we wish UCF well."
But if push comes to shove, both Breslin and Dr. Carlos Martini, who is heading up FIU's push for a medical school, feel FIU should prevail. "With 62 percent of South Florida's population medically underserved, that would be more compelling," says Breslin.
McCollum, in the meantime, says it's really not the Board of Governors' job to worry about the funding for the two medical schools.
Finding the resources, he says, is the Legislature's duty. "Our responsibility is to say what we need," says McCollum. "Otherwise Florida will suffer immeasurably. I think getting enough doctors to serve our population fits way ahead on the priority sheet."