Post by FIUFanatic on Sept 22, 2005 20:27:22 GMT -5
....possibilities at both UCF and FIU in the Orlando Sentinel today. Pretty telling that the writer mentions that FIU has already an extra $5 million in donations "already lined up", plus "tens of millions more by November". At this point, the more millions our administrators raise for our Medical School proposal, the more chances the BOR and State Legislature would at least approve the School.
The fact that some South Florida legislators will be in top position in the Senate also bodes well for FIU's quest for a Med School.. If we get the donations and funding in place, then the Med School would likely come.
When you think of it..... the fact that FIU has the toughest admission standards,second highest average GPA of entering freshmen and highest SAT and ACT scores in the SBC in just 33 years of existence, it's just amazing!!! I know lots of mediocre academic colleges would kill for these achievements.
www.orlandosentinel.com/orl-medical2205sep22,0,5380475.story?page=2
The fact that some South Florida legislators will be in top position in the Senate also bodes well for FIU's quest for a Med School.. If we get the donations and funding in place, then the Med School would likely come.
When you think of it..... the fact that FIU has the toughest admission standards,second highest average GPA of entering freshmen and highest SAT and ACT scores in the SBC in just 33 years of existence, it's just amazing!!! I know lots of mediocre academic colleges would kill for these achievements.
www.orlandosentinel.com/orl-medical2205sep22,0,5380475.story?page=2
UCF readies its pitch for school of medicine
Doctors are in short supply, but so is state money and FIU also wants a school.
Tania Deluzuriaga | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted September 22, 2005
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Gift to UCF creates school for real estate
Sep 22, 2005
The University of Central Florida will need $88.4 million over 10 years to build a medical school that could open as early as 2008, officials said Wednesday.
UCF's board of trustees is expected to approve the plan today, paving the way for the proposal to go to the state's Board of Governors, which will decide Nov. 17 if a new medical school is needed in Florida.
Florida International University in Miami submitted a similar plan to the state last week, asking for $97.4 million to start a public medical school in South Florida.
With state dollars in short supply, it's unclear whether the Board of Governors will approve both, or either, of the plans.
"The biggest factor is how they're going to pay for this," said Carolyn Roberts, chairwoman of the Board of Governors. "We don't have the money to build as we need now -- without having two colleges of medicine."
A medical school at UCF is a key step for the growth of Florida's now second-largest university, which is pushing itself to become an upper-tier institution.
"It'll certainly increase the prestige of the institution," UCF Provost Terry Hickey said Wednesday. "More people will know about us because we have a medical school."
Despite the 300-page plan, UCF still has details to iron out. It's unclear where the school would be located, though on- and off-campus options are being considered. The university is in discussions with "three or four parties," Hickey said, but would not elaborate.
With the medical school projected to pump almost $3 billion into the local economy, it's no secret that Orange County and Orlando are interested in getting in on the deal.
The school could fit in well with Orange County Mayor Rich Crotty's plan to transform Orange's east side into a magnet for high-tech, high-paying jobs. In May, Crotty vowed to help UCF establish the medical college.
The school would partner with Orlando Regional Medical Center and Florida Hospital, which would make a downtown campus appealing. Construction on a 120-bed Department of Veterans Affairs hospital in Orlando is expected to begin in 2006. A medical school would be an attractive neighbor for a new VA hospital.
"Medical schools become medical centers real quickly," Hickey said. "It's possible that a hospital would want to locate near a medical school or a research facility focused on biomedicine."
Doctor shortage
The Sunshine State's physician shortage is well-documented. The state estimates that by 2021, 1,500 more doctors will be needed to keep up with growth. If both schools were approved, the number of doctors produced in-state would rise to 365 a year.
Although Florida is the fourth-most-populous state in the nation, it ranks 41st in producing medical school graduates and 26th in physicians per 100,000 people.
"Florida needs more doctors, a lot more doctors," said Thomas Breslin, vice provost for academic affairs at FIU. "We can't continue to rely on semiretired and foreign doctors to serve a rapidly aging and growing population."
Orlando is the largest metropolitan area in the country without a medical school. Miami already has a state-subsidized medical school at privately run University of Miami. Florida's other medical schools are in Tampa, Gainesville, Tallahassee and Fort Lauderdale.
Opponents to the plans have said that the state should look at cheaper ways to alleviate the shortage, such as bolstering the number of students at the state's existing medical schools and increasing the number of residencies at Florida hospitals.
Even with those measures, supporters of the new schools say Florida would still have a physician shortage. Under their respective plans, UCF and FIU would each produce an additional 120 doctors a year.
"We don't view ourselves as being in competition with FIU," Hickey said. "The data clearly shows that the output of two medical schools is needed."
Scholarships, residencies
Both institutions seek to alleviate the physician shortage locally. FIU plans to offer scholarships to medical students who agree to stay in the area for five years after they graduate. Because doctors often stay in the area where they perform their residencies, UCF plans to bolster the number of physicians by partnering with local hospitals to increase residencies.
With money tight, officials at both schools realize that the more they can raise through private donors, the better their chances of state backing.
"If you look around the Southeastern United States, governments have retreated from all-out support for public universities," FIU's Breslin said. "When looking at a significant undertaking like a medical school, we know the state would prefer to maximize private support."
Both schools have received $10 million donations that will be matched by the state, while officials at FIU say another $5 million is lined up. They also hope to raise tens of millions more by November.
"What we're looking for is $20 million," UCF's Hickey said. "It isn't going to be easy, but I feel that with the support we've received from the community, we'll get there."
UCF already has a strong scientific-research presence that would act as a foundation for the medical school. Nine percent of UCF's degrees are given in health professions and related sciences.
The school has posted double-digit percentage increases in research funding in five of the past six years, bringing in more than $100 million last year.
Having a medical school would likely double that number, Hickey said.
Even with the Board of Governors' approval, the Legislature would have to fund any new schools.
Tania deLuzuriaga can be reached at tdeluzuriaga@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5718.
Doctors are in short supply, but so is state money and FIU also wants a school.
Tania Deluzuriaga | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted September 22, 2005
E-mail this article
Printer friendly version
Most e-mailed articles
RELATED STORIES
Gift to UCF creates school for real estate
Sep 22, 2005
The University of Central Florida will need $88.4 million over 10 years to build a medical school that could open as early as 2008, officials said Wednesday.
UCF's board of trustees is expected to approve the plan today, paving the way for the proposal to go to the state's Board of Governors, which will decide Nov. 17 if a new medical school is needed in Florida.
Florida International University in Miami submitted a similar plan to the state last week, asking for $97.4 million to start a public medical school in South Florida.
With state dollars in short supply, it's unclear whether the Board of Governors will approve both, or either, of the plans.
"The biggest factor is how they're going to pay for this," said Carolyn Roberts, chairwoman of the Board of Governors. "We don't have the money to build as we need now -- without having two colleges of medicine."
A medical school at UCF is a key step for the growth of Florida's now second-largest university, which is pushing itself to become an upper-tier institution.
"It'll certainly increase the prestige of the institution," UCF Provost Terry Hickey said Wednesday. "More people will know about us because we have a medical school."
Despite the 300-page plan, UCF still has details to iron out. It's unclear where the school would be located, though on- and off-campus options are being considered. The university is in discussions with "three or four parties," Hickey said, but would not elaborate.
With the medical school projected to pump almost $3 billion into the local economy, it's no secret that Orange County and Orlando are interested in getting in on the deal.
The school could fit in well with Orange County Mayor Rich Crotty's plan to transform Orange's east side into a magnet for high-tech, high-paying jobs. In May, Crotty vowed to help UCF establish the medical college.
The school would partner with Orlando Regional Medical Center and Florida Hospital, which would make a downtown campus appealing. Construction on a 120-bed Department of Veterans Affairs hospital in Orlando is expected to begin in 2006. A medical school would be an attractive neighbor for a new VA hospital.
"Medical schools become medical centers real quickly," Hickey said. "It's possible that a hospital would want to locate near a medical school or a research facility focused on biomedicine."
Doctor shortage
The Sunshine State's physician shortage is well-documented. The state estimates that by 2021, 1,500 more doctors will be needed to keep up with growth. If both schools were approved, the number of doctors produced in-state would rise to 365 a year.
Although Florida is the fourth-most-populous state in the nation, it ranks 41st in producing medical school graduates and 26th in physicians per 100,000 people.
"Florida needs more doctors, a lot more doctors," said Thomas Breslin, vice provost for academic affairs at FIU. "We can't continue to rely on semiretired and foreign doctors to serve a rapidly aging and growing population."
Orlando is the largest metropolitan area in the country without a medical school. Miami already has a state-subsidized medical school at privately run University of Miami. Florida's other medical schools are in Tampa, Gainesville, Tallahassee and Fort Lauderdale.
Opponents to the plans have said that the state should look at cheaper ways to alleviate the shortage, such as bolstering the number of students at the state's existing medical schools and increasing the number of residencies at Florida hospitals.
Even with those measures, supporters of the new schools say Florida would still have a physician shortage. Under their respective plans, UCF and FIU would each produce an additional 120 doctors a year.
"We don't view ourselves as being in competition with FIU," Hickey said. "The data clearly shows that the output of two medical schools is needed."
Scholarships, residencies
Both institutions seek to alleviate the physician shortage locally. FIU plans to offer scholarships to medical students who agree to stay in the area for five years after they graduate. Because doctors often stay in the area where they perform their residencies, UCF plans to bolster the number of physicians by partnering with local hospitals to increase residencies.
With money tight, officials at both schools realize that the more they can raise through private donors, the better their chances of state backing.
"If you look around the Southeastern United States, governments have retreated from all-out support for public universities," FIU's Breslin said. "When looking at a significant undertaking like a medical school, we know the state would prefer to maximize private support."
Both schools have received $10 million donations that will be matched by the state, while officials at FIU say another $5 million is lined up. They also hope to raise tens of millions more by November.
"What we're looking for is $20 million," UCF's Hickey said. "It isn't going to be easy, but I feel that with the support we've received from the community, we'll get there."
UCF already has a strong scientific-research presence that would act as a foundation for the medical school. Nine percent of UCF's degrees are given in health professions and related sciences.
The school has posted double-digit percentage increases in research funding in five of the past six years, bringing in more than $100 million last year.
Having a medical school would likely double that number, Hickey said.
Even with the Board of Governors' approval, the Legislature would have to fund any new schools.
Tania deLuzuriaga can be reached at tdeluzuriaga@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5718.
