MD School Initiative

MD School Initiative Timeline:
Dec. 2008: Appoint the various group members. Begin the process of presenting the study framework and outlining the issues to the key stakeholder groups. Allow the Study Group Staff to begin to collect information to present to the Study Group.

Dec. 2008/Jan. 2009: Study Group Survey conducted. Various groups, including TOMA District II, UNTHSC Foundation Board, and UNTHSC Board of Visitors, will have discussions on the MD degree study.

Jan. 7, 2009: Ken Barr, former mayor and city councilman, named Chairman of Study Group.

Jan. 29, 2009: First meeting of the Study Group to discuss preliminary perspectives and plan of work. Review of Study Group Staff work to date. Prepare update for Board of Regents Meeting.

Feb. 3, 2009: First report from Study Group: MD Degree Assessment made available.

Feb. 12-13, 2009: UNT System Board of Regents Meeting.

Feb. 19, 2009: Study Group meets again to review feedback from update presented to the Board of Regents. Review and provide direction to the Study Group Staff.

Mar. 19, 2009: Study Group meeting to review and finalize report.

Mar. 26, 2009: Special called open meeting with the UNT System Board of Regents. Click here for the final agenda and list of registered speakers. The Study Group Executive Summary Report was presented to UNT System Board of Regents at this meeting.

Jun. 2009: Consulting services Request for Proposals posted.

Jul. 2009: Consulting firm selected

Aug. 2009: Consultants work with UNTHSC Core Team to develop draft academic and business plan for proposed MD degree program; Consulting firm begins meeting with key stakeholders

Plan to include items such as: risk assessment, implementation issues, curriculum focus, admissions processes, program start-up costs, financial analysis, infrastructure requirements, hospital and clinical collaboration requirements, and potential accreditation issues while supporting the growth and quality goals of TCOM and its DO program along with the other HSC programs

Sep. 2009: Consulting firm continues to meet with key stakeholders to draft academic and business plan; Refinement of plan after review with UNTHSC Leadership

Sep. 12, 2009: Draft Report Table of Contents for proposed Medical College/MD degree program made available.

Sep. 13, 2009: Update on Proposed MD Degree Program made available.

Sep. 14, 2009: UNTHSC President Scott Ransom sends a letter to Friends of the UNT Health Science Center.

Sept 25, 2009: UNTHSC President Scott Ransom sends a second letter to Friends of the UNT Health Science Center

Oct. 16, 2009: Three Townhall Meetings about the MD Study are held for UNTHSC faculty, staff and students. Click here to see the MD Study Presentation.

Oct. 2009: Continue to refine academic and business plan after review with UNTHSC Leadership and internal and external stakeholders; Consultants work with UNTHSC Core Team and Leadership to prepare Board of Regents presentation and final report

Nov. 19-20, 2009: UNT System Board of Regents meeting.

Nov. 20, 2009: The UNT System Board of Regents voted to move forward in its intent to offer an MD degree at the UNT Health Science Center at Fort Worth. This second medical degree would be separate from and in addition to the DO degree which currently is conferred through the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (TCOM) at the UNT Health Science Center.

The decision followed a year of research into pursuing the possibility of conferring a second degree. The next steps in the process include securing preliminary funding, establishing a business plan for the new school, ensuring commitments to TCOM and confirming relationships with area hospitals for student rotations and instruction.

Press release announcing the Board’s decision
Dr. Scott Ransom’s remarks at the Board of Regents meeting on Nov. 20, 2009
Excerpts of letters supporting this initiative

Mar. 22, 2010: UNTHSC Leadership working on assurances to existing schools if MD School is approved. See attached for the current drafts of the composite summary and school-specific assurances designed to provide safeguards to assure the continued excellence and operations of the existing four schools. Please send comments to Dr. Thomas Yorio, Provost and EVP for Academic Affairs at Thomas.Yorio@unthsc.edu and/or Laura Barber, Administrative Director at Laura.Barber@unthsc.edu. The final versions of these documents will be developed into a Board item for the approval of the UNT System Board of Regents later this year.

May 4, 2010: Several news articles on the MD degree initiative added to the In the News page

May 26, 2010: UNT Health Science Center releases a draft of assurances protecting the permanent vitality and viability of UNTHSC’s existing schools if MD School is approved. Click here to view the Draft Assurances Document.

Aug. 19, 2010: The UNT System Board of Regents today voted to approve a proposal to develop a new MD degree program at the UNT Health Science Center at Fort Worth (UNTHSC). The MD program will be an independent fifth school in addition to the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, School of Public Health, and School of Health Professions.

Approval comes upon completion of pre-approval requirements the Board of Regents directed UNTHSC leadership to accomplish at the Regents’ November 2009 meeting. The requirements were to secure all necessary start-up funding from the community, establish a business plan for the new school, ensure commitments to secure a strong future for all existing programs, and confirm relationships with area hospitals for student rotations and graduate training.

UNTHSC will now begin discussions with members of the Texas Legislature regarding the state’s process for approval of the proposed MD school.

Click here for more information about the proposed MD school at the UNT Health Science Center. This document includes:

Facts about the proposed MD school at the UNT Health Science Center
Measures to protect and enhance TCOM and all UNTHSC schools and programs
The academic and business plan for the development of a proposed MD program