The College of Medicine may accept out-of-state students within the next few years to increase the school’s funding and national rankings, said administrators at the Arizona Board of Regents meeting Friday.
The college does not currently accept out-of-state students because its mission enforces training Arizona residents in medical education, said Phil Malan, vice dean of academic affairs in the College of Medicine.
However, this policy may soon be reversed to admit out-of-state students in an effort to stimulate the applicant pool, Malan said.
This year, 599 people applied to the UA College of Medicine. One hundred and ten students will be accepted to the College of Medicine at UA’s Tucson campus and 24 will be accepted to the new UA College of Medicine in Phoenix.
“”Especially in Phoenix, we know that we won’t have enough students applying for the medical school,”” said Keith Joiner, dean of the College of Medicine.
About 60 to 70 percent of the medical school’s graduates stay and practice within their field in Arizona, Malan said.
Regent Dennis DeConcini said he believes opening the doors of the College of Medicine to out-of-state students may help the revenue and reputation of the UA.
“”If we don’t open to nonresidents, for the purpose of bringing new doctors that might stay here as well as for increasing revenue, we are missing the boat here,”” DeConcini said.
Malan said out-of-state students make up 10 to 15 percent of the student body at some medical schools across the nation, and the UA would likely model that ratio.
Medical school tuition increased
The regents increased tuition for the UA College of Medicine based on a four-year model planned through 2011.
The model, which was developed by student leaders and administrators in the College of Medicine, sets tuition at $16,456 for the graduating medical class of 2008, $16,643 for the class of 2009, $16,867 for the class of 2010 and $17,512 for the class of 2011.
Malan said medical students are supportive of the plan because it makes future tuition costs more predictable.
“”The goal is to let entering students know the tuition they will pay during their four years here, before they commit to the university,”” Malan said.
The proposed tuition plan places the UA College of Medicine in the top of the lower third of tuition costs at competing universities, Malan said.
“”We were asking ourselves, ‘Where will tuition be in four years?'”” Malan said.
If the predictions prove to be too high, Malan said tuition will decrease to an appropriate amount. But if the predictions prove to be too low, tuition will not increase.
The cost of tuition for the College of Medicine will apply to both of the college’s campuses.
Eighty-five percent of tuition will go toward funding new equipment and classes and 15 percent will fund financial aid within the College of Medicine, Malan said.
“”This is still one of the best values for medical school in the country,”” Joiner said. “”More important to our students is knowing what to expect, rather than the dollar amount.””
