University President Dave Frohnmayer signed a letter of intent Friday that would establish a partnership with Oregon Health and Science University and PeaceHealth Oregon Region to train medical students at the University and at the PeaceHealth hospital Sacred Heart Medical Center.
The plan is part of an effort to double the number of physicians OHSU graduates in the next 10 years to address the impending physician shortage in Oregon. OHSU is currently the only institution that trains doctors in the state.
“An estimated 1,225 Oregon doctors will leave the work force by 2006, and by that time only 216 new physicians will have graduated from the OHSU School of Medicine,” OHSU School of Medicine Dean Joe Robertson said in a press release.
To compound the matter, medical needs in Oregon are also growing at alarming rates, Frohnmayer added, citing an aging Oregon population and an increasing number of retirees.
“It meets a real need when it comes to the very alarming doctor shortages,” he said. “That’s a danger for all Oregonians that we need to address now.”
The exact details of the plan have yet to be worked out, but Frohnmayer said he hopes to implement the plan by fall term of 2006.
Students would receive the same instruction at the University as they would at OHSU, which is located in Portland, and the curriculum would be identical, Robertson said.
“It should be indistinguishable to the student’s academic experience,” he said.
Robertson said medical students would have the opportunity to spend the first, third and fourth years at the University; the second year would have to be spent at OHSU “because of the nature of the curriculum.”
“The benefit would be at the student level,” Robertson added. “There would be some students that prefer to be in Eugene.”
Frohnmayer said the medical students would use current University science facilities.
“We could use existing facilities and avoid an otherwise enormous cost you’d have to incur if you’re doubling the number of students,” he said. “But we’re not going to displace any of our students.”
Robertson added that medical students would be taught by
a combination of OHSU and University faculty.
As for undergraduate benefits, Robertson said having medical
students on campus would cultivate interest in medical careers among other undergraduates. Frohnmayer added he foresaw internship
opportunities.
Frohnmayer said the program would be funded with a “pay-as-you-go program” and that all three institutions would participate in funding it.
“We’ll expand only as rapidly as we can absorb it,” he said.
Administrative details have yet
to be worked out, but representatives from both universities were appointed Friday to address the issues. Robertson stressed that the program would be part of a joint
effort and that both institutions would manage it equally.
“I expect it to be balanced,” Robertson said. “This is a full
partnership.”
Robertson said this is the first time that OHSU has pursued such
a program.
“This is the first time we’re looking at providing basic science to our medical students in locations other than the OHSU Portland campus,” he said.
Robertson said the University
provided an ideal location for such
a program.
“(The University) has strong
biomedical science programs,” he said. “(It) has a health system
in close proximity that was a very eager partner.”
Robertson said all partners are excited about the new venture.
“It’s an opportunity to meet a very compelling need in an efficient and expeditious manner,” he said.

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