FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
The following commonly asked questions and answers are intended to provide the campus and community with key information about the proposed School of Medicine. Additional questions may be submitted to Kathy Barton at kathryn.barton@ucr.edu.
- What does it mean to be a University of California medical school?
- What is the status of planning for the UCR medical school?
- When is the medical school anticipated to open and what will be the enrollment?
- How will having a school of medicine benefit the rest of the campus?
- What is the status of the dean search?
- Where will the medical school be built?
- Are there still plans for a Surge building? Will the School of Medicine faculty have lab space in this building? If so, for how long?
- How will the planned medical school be funded?
- How will the medical school fund faculty salaries?
- What is a distributed clinical model of medical education?
What does it mean to be a University of California medical school?
Each of the University of California's five medical schools has the tripartite mission of medical education, research and clinical service that is aligned with UC's overall mission of teaching, research and public service.
What is the status of planning for the UCR medical school?
The University of California Board of Regents in July 2008 approved establishment of the UCR School of Medicine, paving the way for the first public medical school to be built in California in more than 40 years. The UCR campus has recruited G. Richard Olds as founding dean; established partnerships with regional hospitals and clinics for medical student rotations and residencies; and is currently seeking accreditation.
When is the medical school anticipated to open and what will be the enrollment?
Current plans call for the medical school to accept its first four-year class of 50 medical students in August of 2013. At full build-out, plans call for total enrollment of 400 medical students, or 100 per class.
How will having a school of medicine benefit the rest of the campus?
The presence of a medical school can help enrich the academic climate of a campus, creating new, diverse opportunities for research collaborations across disciplines. A medical school can also be a powerful stimulus for bringing to a campus additional research funds and for attracting new industry to collaborate in health-related research. A graduate component is also being planned for the medical school, which will contribute to campus aspirations to increase graduate school enrollment.
Who is the founding dean?
A national search for the founding dean of the School of Medicine was launched in October 2008 and resulted in the hiring of G. Richard Olds. The search committee was comprised of representatives from the UCR faculty, students and staff; other University of California medical schools; and the community. Chancellor Timothy P. White co-chaired the committee with Phyllis A. Guze, executive director of medical school planning.
Where will the medical school be built?
UCR's Long Range Development Plan (LRDP) designates the West Campus for development of graduate and professional schools and other uses such as housing and recreational facilities. Initial planning is underway for the proposed medical school to be located at the northeast corner of Chicago Avenue and Martin Luther King Boulevard.
Where is the laboratory space for the medical school?
The three-floor School of Medicine Research Building is approximately
58,000 square feet and designed to meet the LEED Silver sustainability
standards of the U.S. Green Building Council. Additionally, plans call for the space currently utilized by the UCR/UCLA Thomas Haider Biomedical Sciences Program to be renovated to accommodate the early stages of programmatic growth.
How will the proposed medical school be funded?
The proposed medical school would be funded from a variety of sources, including state funds, education fees paid by students enrolled in the school, revenue from clinical services, contracts and grants, and private gifts and endowments.
How will the medical school fund faculty salaries?
In the case of public medical schools, faculty salaries are generally funded from a variety of sources, such as State General Funds, grants and contracts, revenue from the patient care services, endowed professorships, and private funds. For planning purposes, faculty salaries in the UCR medical school are based on the average salaries at the five UC medical schools.
What is a distributed clinical model of medical education?
The distributed clinical model of medical education means that UCR will collaborate with existing healthcare facilities and professionals in the region to train students. This also means that there are no plans to build a university hospital.