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By Maricar Estrella

 
Fort Worth is now home to the nation’s newest M.D. School.

The Liaison Committee on Medical Education awarded preliminary accreditation to the TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine, opening the doors for student recruitment. The first class of 60 medical students is expected in July 2019.

“I am so humbled and grateful to our community for rallying together to pave the way for this exceptional School of Medicine,” said Stuart D. Flynn, M.D., the medical school’s founding dean. “We brought the right team together with the support of two excellent universities. Now, we can begin our journey to train the best physicians for the future.”

The innovative curriculum at the new School of Medicine focuses on developing Empathetic ScholarsTM, physicians who are able to “walk in a patient’s shoes” and who excel in the science of medicine. In addition, students will be prepared for future advances in medicine and will be life-long learners.

The School of Medicine will address cost, quality and work force challenges of today with an eye toward tomorrow’s health care. Starting in 2030, the annual economic impact of the medical school is estimated at $4 billion and the school is expected to generate about 31,000 jobs for North Texas, according to a Tripp Umbach study.

“The entire City of Fort Worth proudly stands behind this collaborative and innovative medical school,” said Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price. “We are excited to not only watch as this school grows and becomes part of our community, but as it transforms our city and medical community.”

Texas Christian University and University of North Texas Health Science Center joined together in July 2015 to form this new allopathic medical school. Classes will be held on both the TCU and UNTHSC campuses – and students will rotate through hospitals and clinics in the Dallas-Fort Worth region. This month, UNTHSC opened its new Interdisciplinary Research and Education Building, a $121 million facility with two floors devoted to the School of Medicine.

“The School of Medicine allows us to offer one of the most futuristic and comprehensive health care educations in the nation,” UNTHSC President Michael R. Williams said. “Together with TCU, we are creating a health care environment and a cutting edge curriculum that will define and produce the health care providers of the future that our community needs and deserves.”

The M.D. school will train future doctors to embrace and lead the rapid advance of technology in empowering health and delivering care. The two universities will work together to produce life-long learners and highly valued physicians.

“This marks a great day for three institutions: TCU, UNTHSC and Fort Worth,” TCU Chancellor Victor J. Boschini, Jr. said. “The School of Medicine has taken the lead on transforming our universities and the health care community. We are proud and thrilled to partner with UNTHSC in this endeavor.”

Paul Dorman, chairman and CEO of Fort Worth-based DFB Pharmaceuticals, has generously donated the cost of tuition for the first year for the inaugural class, who will be known as the Dorman Scholars.

Over the next couple of weeks, the School of Medicine will be working to achieve membership to the Association of American Medical Colleges, which will provide access to the American Medical College Application Service or AMCAS. Upon gaining membership, the School of Medicine will begin accepting applications in November.

Prospective students can go to mdschool.tcu.edu/admissions for more information on the application process.

A team of accreditors from the LCME visited Fort Worth in June in preparation for making the preliminary accreditation decision. The school is awaiting approval from Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

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