BYUMed: Accreditation

[Okrahomer]

With today's news that the BYU School of Medicine has received preliminary accreditation to recruit its first class, it's a major milestone. Beyond opening its doors, the school's mission emphasizes global impact—addressing international health needs, supporting worldwide humanitarian efforts, and eventually bringing in international students.

Apparently, International medical students are a rarity in U.S. (typically making up under 1% to 2% of total students), I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts on a few questions:

The Student Body: How will the cohort shape up? Does an "international focus" mean mostly training domestic students for global service, or actively bringing in students from abroad who can return home to practice?

Focus Areas: What unique public health or clinical challenges (e.g., maternal/child health, infectious diseases, local health systems) do you think a Church-affiliated medical school will tackle?

A Pathway Connection? Looking further down the road, could we see educational bridges tied into programs like BYU-Pathway to help prepare or support international medical candidates?

Curious to hear how others picture this unique program taking shape.

[Calm]

I am looking forward to seeing where they take this.  Given how they have approached global education with Pathways and other programs, I am very excited as that approaches a great need in an effective, far reaching way as far as I can tell (I don’t have personal experience with it nor talked in detail with someone who has).

[Eschaton]

I know so many BYU pre-med students who came to our area for med school, and then move back to Utah once they graduate. I'm sure they'll retain a lot more students with this new program. 

 

[smac97]

22 hours ago, Okrahomer said:

With today's news that the BYU School of Medicine has received preliminary accreditation to recruit its first class, it's a major milestone. Beyond opening its doors, the school's mission emphasizes global impact—addressing international health needs, supporting worldwide humanitarian efforts, and eventually bringing in international students.

Apparently, International medical students are a rarity in U.S. (typically making up under 1% to 2% of total students), I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts on a few questions:

The Student Body: How will the cohort shape up? Does an "international focus" mean mostly training domestic students for global service, or actively bringing in students from abroad who can return home to practice?

Both, I think.  I'm not sure how much one will be prioritized over the other.

I have a brother-in-law, Matthew Cornish, who is a pediatrician (now professor of medicine at Augusta University) who has had fairly extensive international experience practicing medicine internationally (he spent several years providing medical services in Vanuatu, where my sister - his wife - served her mission).  I had a good discussion with him about the medical school during his visit to Utah over the July 4 holiday.  He previously practiced in Utah County, but now lives in Georgia.  My understanding is that he has been consulted for input about the school.  The things he said were very encouraging and exciting.

22 hours ago, Okrahomer said:

Focus Areas: What unique public health or clinical challenges (e.g., maternal/child health, infectious diseases, local health systems) do you think a Church-affiliated medical school will tackle?

I suspect those areas that cater to the most important and fundamental international needs.  So yes, that would involve areas such as those you have noted.  I think many Americans would be shocked at just how much of the world lives with only limited access to medical care.

22 hours ago, Okrahomer said:

A Pathway Connection? Looking further down the road, could we see educational bridges tied into programs like BYU-Pathway to help prepare or support international medical candidates?

Curious to hear how others picture this unique program taking shape.

My BIL's comments did not seem to involve any confidential information, but I nevertheless don't want to publish them without his consent.  Suffice it to say, though, that I think the Latter-day Saints will be very pleased with the efforts of this project, and the international community will benefit from it a lot.  

I suspect the school will require vast sums of money to open and operate.  This will be particularly acute where, I think, many of the students will have limited financial means.  So the Church will be subsidizing a lot.  That money will come from the coffers of the Church, which funds in turn originated, directly or derivatively, from the tithes of faithful Latter-day Saints.  I hope they will see these expenditures as being worthwhile.

Thanks,

-Smac

Edited 7 hours ago by smac97

[Calm]

44 minutes ago, Eschaton said:

I know so many BYU pre-med students who came to our area for med school, and then move back to Utah once they graduate. I'm sure they'll retain a lot more students with this new program. 

 

“Retain” In Utah or as church members?

[Calm]

2 hours ago, Okrahomer said:

Focus Areas: What unique public health or clinical challenges (e.g., maternal/child health, infectious diseases, local health systems) do you think a Church-affiliated medical school will tackle?

I would love to see a strong focus on better maternal and child health care, including prenatal and postnatal support.  This should, imo, be tied tightly to welfare to help ensure pregnant women and children get their nutritional needs met no matter how or why they got pregnant, what their family situation is, or how many jobs, if any, parents have. (I wish we could do it for all, but believe we need to focus on the most vulnerable and dependent individuals first).  With our focus on the value of family, it makes sense to support and invest in them.  Maternal health is a high indicator of the health of the family and its individuals.  Not only physical and emotional, but financial.  And it extends way beyond the family.  You want a safe bet for building a stronger economy?  Invest in mothers’ health.  Give them good medical care and good food at the very least.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4814064/

Edited yesterday at 07:59 PM by Calm

[Eschaton]

10 minutes ago, Calm said:

“Retain” In Utah or as church members?

Retain as BYU students

[Calm]

5 minutes ago, Eschaton said:

Retain as BYU students

Is the advice to get your degrees at different institutions not as accepted as it once was?

[Eschaton]

11 minutes ago, Calm said:

Is the advice to get your degrees at different institutions not as accepted as it once was?

Actually I'm not sure! I have heard that before, not sure how important it really is.