St. Mary's Health Care officials hope the new West Michigan Medical School will help them become a nationally recognized neuroscience center.
The hospital became the latest partner with the Michigan State University last week. The new school is expected to begin accepting students in 2008.
The hospital already has the only neuroscience center in West Michigan and the presence of a medical school will help the hospital recruit top-level doctors who also could teach at the school, said Micki Benz, spokeswoman for the hospital.
"It’s a mutually beneficial project. It keeps us in touch with a medical school, where the new ideas come from. You always want to be on the front with what's new, what's coming up," she says.
Having a medical school in the community improves the quality of life in the region because it brings in new, bright people and provides for services that aren't available in the area.
St. Mary's has agreed to commit $10 million to the creation and operation of the medical school, both in cash and in-kind contributions. It also agreed to provide a center for students on campus, do joint recruitment with the medical school for physicians and researchers and provide physicians to be teachers at the school.
The location of the new school hasn't been locked down, but it is expected to be near St. Mary's on the "Medical Mile" in Grand Rapids.
Source: Michigan State University; Micki Benz, St. Mary's
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