U of I President and board OK engineering-based medical school

The University of Illinois Board of Trustees voted Thursday to establish an engineering-based medical school on the university's Urbana-Champaign campus, after President Robert Easter, PhD, officially approved the proposal Wednesday, according to The Rock River Times.

Now the university must address organizational and implementation issues in a progress report for the board in May. The establishment of the new school depends on securing a contract with Urbana, Ill.-based Carle Health System, which has pledged to give the school $100 million over 10 years. If the school is unable to reach an agreement with Carle, the board will not permit the school to find a different partner.

The new medical school would train a maximum of 50 students to be physician-scientists with the ability to perform in clinical practice and to develop innovations in medical equipment and technology. It would operate independently of the Chicago-based University of Illinois College of Medicine and would not use state funds, according to a report in the Chicago Tribune.

Instead, the school expects to raise $135 million in funds from donors and receive support from tuition, grants, contracts and the commercialization of medical technology, in addition to funding from Carle, accordin to the Chicago Tribune.

If the plan is approved, the school is expected to open in fall 2017.

 

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