Three years of undergraduate studies, followed by three years of med school. Possible? Rowan University President Ali Houshmand said it is — and he said it’s a new model that not only will help solve the much-needed shortage of doctors and nurses and other health care professionals, but increase access at the same time.
“There are certain areas where we really believe that four years of medical school is unnecessary,” he said. “And there are brilliant kids who come from high school with a lot of advanced courses that could easily finish a science-based undergraduate in three years.”
Virtua Health CEO Dennis Pullin is in total agreement. He saw how the pandemic exacerbated the shortage of workers that is impacting the industry. “Health care must find new models to create its workforce of the future”, Pullin said.