13th Annual Ceremony of Commitment to Medicine
Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown UniversityFrom:godtookmybike123Views:1 0ratingsTime:22:05More inComedy

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UPNG MedFac
Medical School staff wants remuneration packages reviewed.From:medianiuginiEMTV12Views:0 0ratingsTime:01:51More inNews Politics

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Record numbers of students, minorities enter medical school

Dr. Larry Hollier, chancellor of LSU Medical School, far left, joined the Rotary Club of Crowley Tuesday to discuss LSUs plan to redesign Louisianas hospital system and the impact it will have on the GME. Welcoming him were, from left, Dr. Bo McNeely (program organizer), Alice Whiting (vocational speaker) and Clay Lejeune (club president).

Possibly no numbers showcase that more than the number of beds the Medical Center of Louisiana at New Orleans (MCLNO) had in the 70s until now. In 1970, MCLNO had 1,500 beds; by January, that number will be down to 150.

Numbers like that display the need for reorganization and redesigning how LSU Medical School prepares its students for the future and has led the school to already put plans in place to ensure that the state is putting out great physicians.

Hollier spoke to the Rotary Club of Crowley Tuesday to explain the schools plan on redesigning the states hospital system and the impact on the GME (graduate medical education).

In the future, were going to be better off than we are now, said Hollier.

Hollier painted a picture Tuesday that is far brighter than the gloomy one budget cuts tend to depict. The key for LSU is adaptation.

A key number in its adaptation shows the plan to shift more residents to private hospitals than public ones, to make sure they are getting enough cases to better prepare themselves for life outside of residency.

In its pre-Katrina days, LSU Medical School had about 75 percent of its residents in public hospitals and only 25 percent in private ones. Currently that percentage breakdown is 50-50. After the redesign is complete, Hollier expects the numbers to lie at about 30 percent in public hospitals and 70 percent in private ones.

While many would tend to believe hospitals that have a residents-to-patients ratio lying somewhere between 1.3 to 1.7 residents per patient, which is where LSU is showing hospitals like UMC in Lafayette and so forth sitting currently, is a good thing, Hollier is quick to point out that is not the case for residents trying to equip themselves with knowledge.

For residents, the ratio is far too high for educational purposes, he said.

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LSU’s plan to redesign hospitals, medical schooling

BIDDEFORD, Maine (AP) Maines only medical school has a new dean.

The University of New England says Dr. Douglas Wood takes over as dean of its College of Osteopathic Medicine this Friday.

Wood most recently served as senior vice president of academic affairs at A.T. Still University in Arizona, where he was dean of the School of Osteopathic Medicine from 2005 to 2010.

He served as president of the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine from 1995 to 2005, and earlier served as dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine at Michigan State University.

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UNE osteopathic school gets new dean

The claim sounds reasonable: An Austin medical school would alleviate a looming shortage of doctors.

It assumes there is a local physician shortage to cure and that a medical school would attract the kinds of doctors needed to remedy it. Those assumptions are among the most hotly disputed as balloting for a proposed property tax increase goes down to the wire.

Supporters cite a study predicting a shortage of 770 doctors in the area by 2016. They say a University of Texas medical school would add doctors and improve access to care for the entire community, not just the needy who would receive health care services from a medical school faculty, its students and doctors-in-training, or residents.

Opponents of the tax to support the medical school challenge those numbers. They say the study trumps up a doctor shortage by sweeping in 10 counties surrounding Travis some with serious physician deficits while Travis County has the third-highest number of doctors in the state.

People want to live in this area, and I dont think you need a medical school for people to practice here, said Dr. Jeffrey Hall, a local plastic surgeon.

Whos right?

The numbers

The often-cited physician workforce study was paid for by Seton, which would own and operate the teaching hospital for the medical school. It was conducted in November by the Chicago-based consulting firm Navigant and covered an 11-county region Travis, Williamson, Hays, Lee, Bastrop, Caldwell, Fayette, Burnet, Blanco, Llano and Gonzales.

Its conclusion: The overall supply of doctors is relatively healthy but wont be for long. While there is an oversupply of certain specialists including obstetricians, cardiologists, and general, orthopedic and plastic surgeons there are shortages in primary care and various specialties: gastroenterology, rheumatology, infectious disease medicine, and pulmonary and critical care. Those shortages will worsen as doctors retire and the population grows and ages, the consultants said.

Basing their projections on the assumption that doctors retire at 65, the consultants said the region is short 49 primary care doctors, a deficit that will grow to 362 by 2016. The region would need 347 more surgeons and specialists by 2016, not counting shortages in pediatrics, psychiatry and other fields.

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Would a medical school provide more of the doctors Travis County needs most?

While still severely underrepresented, racial minorities are making healthy gains in medical school enrollments, according to recent study showing minorities closing the gap.

(RELATED AP STORY: Mexican Dreamer Opts to Pursue Med School in U.S.)

American Indians and Alaska Natives made the most gains this year after seeing a slight dip in 2011, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges, a nonprofit that represents all 150 accredited medical schools in the U.S. and Canada.

Enrollment for this relatively small population increased by 11.9 percent to 430 aspiring doctors, from last years 379. American Indians and Alaska Natives account for only 0.9 percent of 2012 medical school students and 1.7 percent of the total U.S. population.

David Baines, a physician and member of the Tlingit and Tsimshian tribes, describes the culture shock of moving from his reservation in Alaska to the Mayo Medical School in Rochester, Minn., the Native American Times reported. He credits student and professional organizations, such as the Association of Native American Medical Students, with helping him succeed.

Growing up in an isolated reservation in Alaska, going to medical school was a big shock, especially culturally, he recalls. I was very isolated as the first and only American Indian or Alaska Native student at Mayo Medical School.

The studys figures also shows blacks and Latinos applied to medical school at record-high numbers, 3,824 and 3,701, respectively.

Total enrollment, plus increase, by race and ethnicity (pdf) for 2012:

Overall, more than 45,000 people applied to medical school, a 3.1 percent increase from 2011. First-time applicants also went up by 3.4, signaling an even stronger interest in medicine, according to the nonprofit.

A physician shortage of about 90,000 is expected over the next decade, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.

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Minority Enrollment in Medical Schools Rises

OAKLAND, Calif., Oct. 17, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Oakland Gastroenterologist Taft Bhuket, MD, has been elected Alameda County Medical Center's (ACMC) Chief of Medical Staff for 2012-14. In this position, he is responsible for leading the medical staff, whose primary purpose is to oversee and improve issues related to the quality of patient care and safety at ACMC.

"It is my honor to serve as Chief of Staff for Alameda County Medical Center," said Dr. Bhuket. "These next few years will be an exciting and challenging time for both our medical center and for American healthcare in general. I look forward to collaborating with the medical staff and ACMC's leadership as we plan for and respond to this dynamic healthcare environment."

The newly-installed ACMC Medical Staff Officers for 2012-2014 include Lyn Berry, MD, immediate past Chief of Medical Staff; Joe Walker, MD, Vice Chief of Staff; and Michelle "Mickye" Adams, MD, Secretary/Treasurer. Members at large include Swapnil Shah, MD; Pat Twomey, MD; David English, MD; Arlen Ho, MD; Suzie Bruch, MD; and Jackie Bolds, MD.

Dr. Bhuket has practiced at ACMC since 2008, when he was named Chief of Gastroenterology and Director of the Endoscopy Unit. His professional interests are clinical education, systems improvements and operations, and expansion of access to care. Under his leadership, there has been a marked expansion and operational streamlining of GI services, including significant reductions in endoscopy wait times, the launch of the hepatitis C clinic, and the development of the ACMC Colorectal Cancer Screening Program. Dr. Bhuket is a two-time winner of the Department of Medicine's "Teacher of the Year" award and was selected into the prestigious California Healthcare Foundation Leadership Fellowship Program for 2011-13. His scholarly interests are colorectal cancer screening, gastrointestinal bleeding, inflammatory bowel disease, and complications of liver disease.

Dr. Bhuket earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Texas at Austin. He went on to complete both medical school and an internal medicine residency at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School at Dallas. He subsequently completed a fellowship in gastroenterology at the University of Michigan Medical School where he served as Chief GI Fellow. Dr. Bhuket is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in both Gastroenterology and Internal Medicine. He is a member of the American College of Gastroenterology, the American Gastroenterological Association and the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

NOTE TO EDITORS: A high-resolution photo of Dr. Bhuket is available upon request.

Alameda County Medical Center is a nationally recognized public healthcare system with more than 2,800 employees, 500 physicians, and 475 accredited beds. ACMC provides comprehensive, high quality medical treatment and compassionate care to all residents of Alameda County. The integrated system of hospitals, clinics, and health services is staffed by healthcare professionals who are responsive to the diverse cultural needs of our community. ACMC fosters a learning environment with a wide range of educational programs and activities including medical research and education for students, interns and residents as well as continuing medical education for medical, nursing and other staff. ACMC operates six facilities: Highland Hospital in Oakland, John George Psychiatric Pavilion in San Leandro, Fairmont Hospital in San Leandro and three community-based wellness centers. The system provides a range of services from family and women's health to pediatrics, oncology and orthopedics.

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Dr. Taft Bhuket Elected Alameda County Medical Center's Chief of Medical Staff

Public release date: 16-Oct-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Jim Fessenden james.fessenden@umassmed.edu 508-856-2000 University of Massachusetts Medical School

WORCESTER, MA The Lupus Research Institute (LRI) has named University of Massachusetts Medical School Professor of Medicine Ann Marshak-Rothstein, MD, one of two recipients of the first LRI Distinguished Innovator Awards. Created to provide outstanding scientists with support to conduct novel research into the fundamental causes of lupus, the $1 million Distinguished Innovator Award was established to address the current lack of treatments for lupus and aims to provide new directions toward a cure or prevention.

"Support from the LRI will enable us to extend our analysis of the cell components recognized by toll-like receptors in mice models to toll-like receptor activation in human cell populations, and allow us to identify those patients most likely to respond to therapies directed at blocking specific toll-like receptors," said Dr. Marshak-Rothstein.

Systemic lupus erythematosus is a chronic and often disabling autoimmune disease in which the human immune system becomes hyperactive and attacks normal, health tissues. As a result, no two cases of lupus are alike. Symptoms may affect many different body systems, including joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, heart, and lungs. Some people develop kidney problems, for example, while others suffer from premature heart disease, strokes or lung inflammation. There is no known cause or cure for lupus and no new treatments have been approved for the disease in 50 years, and the treatments currently available can often be toxic and more damaging than the disease itself. Estimates indicate that more than 1.5 million Americans have lupus.

Marshak-Rothstein's research group was the first to propose that toll-like receptors (TLR) a class of proteins that play a key role in the innate immune system could have a primary role in lupus by turning on the immune system to attack the body. Because TLR proteins are essential in fighting any infection, how the body loses control over their activity is a fundamental question in immunology. Finding the causes of lupus, the prototype for autoimmune disease research, could have broad implications across a wide range of illnesses affecting millions. Recent studies found that one TLR, TLR7, has a harmful role, while another, TLR9, has the opposite effect helping to protect against lupus.

Building on this work, Marshak-Rothstein is developing a highly innovative experimental approach to pinpoint which specific TLR is mainly to blame for causing lupus in humans. This experimental approach also promises to reveal new targets for therapies that could prevent or arrest lupus.

"Members of the toll-like receptor gene family have been clearly implicated in the development of systemic autoimmune diseases such as lupus," said Marshak-Rothstein. "These studies will further provide a high throughput system for testing TLR-based inhibitors and thereby identify appropriate TLR-based therapeutic targets."

The LRI received applications for the Distinguished Innovator Awards the first privately funded $1 million grants for lupus research from many of the world's most renowned scientists as well as rising young investigators with great promise for contributing their talent to uncovering the causes of lupus. Rigorous peer-review was conducted by a team of LRI's scientific advisors and 12 of the world's leading lupus experts.

"We were enormously impressed by the quality of the submissions," noted world-leading immunologist Dr. William Paul, LRI Scientific Advisory Board Chairman and National Academy of Sciences member. "With these Distinguished Innovator Awards and existing annual Novel Research Grants, the LRI continues to pursue a strategy of funding the most innovative and novel research that has had unprecedented success in driving new answers in a complex disease state. Their work over the past decade has provided the basis for this transformative research initiative to look for the fundamental causes of lupus that can drive to a cure and the means to prevent lupus."

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Lupus Research Institute awards $1 million to University of Massachusetts Medical School faculty

Public release date: 16-Oct-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Tina McDowell tmcdowell@carnegiescience.edu 202-929-1120 Carnegie Institution

Washington, D.C.The Carnegie Institution for Science and the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) have been granted United States Patent 8,283,329, entitled, "Genetic inhibition of double-stranded RNA." The patent, issued on October 9, 2012, is broadly directed to the use of RNA interference (RNAi) to inhibit expression of a target gene in animal cells, including mammalian cells.

The process by which RNA, the cellular material responsible for the transmission of genetic information, can silence a targeted gene within a living cell was discovered in 1998 by Carnegie's Andrew Fire, (now a professor at Stanford University) and Craig C. Mello, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, Blais University Chair in Molecular Medicine and distinguished professor of molecular medicine and cell & developmental biology at UMass Medical School. The duo received the 2006 Nobel Prize in Physiology and/or Medicine for this work.

Already a powerful research tool used to isolate and identify genes and their function in the laboratory, RNAi holds the promise of shutting down disease-causing genes in humans and has broad implications for the development of new treatments and drugs for a range of diseases, including cancer. Researchers around the globeincluding UMass Medical School and the Carnegie Institutionare investigating novel methods for synthesizing and delivering RNAi molecules able to turn off disease-causing genes to human cells. According to the patent, the double-stranded RNA (ds-RNA) responsible for the RNAi process may be either synthesized by the animal cell, or otherwise provided to the cell, in an amount sufficient to inhibit expression of the target gene.

The single-stranded RNA molecule is commonly known for its role in shuttling the genetic code contained in DNA from the cell's nucleus to its ribosomes where proteins are made, and for making sure that the proteins are correctly constructed to perform their functions in living organisms. In RNAi, the first strand of double-stranded RNA molecule has the ribonucleotide sequence that matches the nucleotide sequence in the targeted gene (also called sense); the second strand of RNA has a complementary sequence to that in the target gene (called antisense). When introduced to an organism, the double stranded RNA degrades a specific messenger RNA (mRNA) molecule, which disrupts the message-carrying process and inactivates the gene, essentially halting the progression of an invading viral infection or, for example, tumor growth.

"We are very pleased that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued this broad patent for the groundbreaking work of Dr. Mello and Dr. Fire," said James P. McNamara, Executive Director of the Office of Technology Management of the University of Massachusetts Medical School. "RNA interference is a tremendously promising tool with enormous potential for treating disease. Our hope is to see the further advancement of the RNAi field toward novel therapies in the public interest."

"We are very pleased that the patent office has granted a patent of the present scope for such a fundamental advance," said Richard A. Meserve, president of the Carnegie Institution. "The research exemplifies what Andrew Carnegie sought to accomplishto benefit humankind."

The current patent is the most recent of several patents resulting from this work.

###

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Carnegie Institution and UMass Medical School granted broad US Patent related to RNA interference

The University of Auckland's medical school says it is "reasonably sure" a fake medical student did not deal with hospital patients.

An investigation has been launched by the university to figure out how a student managed to pose as a medical student for two years.

The dean of the Medical and Health Sciences Faculty, John Fraser, said it was unclear whether the student got through the doors of Auckland Hospital.

"We understand that he assigned himself to a group, but whether he actually was there, on site, and engaged with the patients, we are reasonably sure that didn't occur," Professor Fraser told TVNZ.

The man also forged a student identification badge, which he was seen wearing.

The man, yet to be named, had even fooled his family into thinking he was training legitimately to be a doctor.

Starting out as a health science student and failing to get into medical school, he took part in second and third year medical studies and was involved in human cadaver dissection.

Prof Fraser said the man deceived everyone in the class and his fellow, legitimate, students were feeling betrayed and angry.

"We had a formal meeting with students yesterday, their reaction was not surprisingly hurt and upset and there was some degree of anger.

The university's medical programme head Warwick Bagg said the bogus student would be referred to the appropriate health services to help him.

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Fake med student forged ID, university says

The University of Auckland's medical school says it is "reasonably sure" a fake medical student did not deal with hospital patients.

An investigation has been launched by the university to figure out how a student managed to pose as a medical student for two years.

The dean of the Medical and Health Sciences Faculty, John Fraser, said it was unclear whether the student got through the doors of Auckland Hospital.

"We understand that he assigned himself to a group, but whether he actually was there, on site, and engaged with the patients, we are reasonably sure that didn't occur," Professor Fraser told TVNZ.

The man also forged a student identification badge, which he was seen wearing.

The man, yet to be named, had even fooled his family into thinking he was training legitimately to be a doctor.

Starting out as a health science student and failing to get into medical school, he took part in second and third year medical studies and was involved in human cadaver dissection.

Prof Fraser said the man deceived everyone in the class and his fellow, legitimate, students were feeling betrayed and angry.

"We had a formal meeting with students yesterday, their reaction was not surprisingly hurt and upset and there was some degree of anger.

The university's medical programme head Warwick Bagg said the bogus student would be referred to the appropriate health services to help him.

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Fake med student forged ID - university

The Cedar City Office of Economic Development wants to establish a school of osteopathic medicine in that community.

It says it is beginning the groundwork to open the school in what it describes as a joint effort of community leaders, business leaders, educators, health professionals and interested residents and students.

The economic development office says it is consulting with Colorado-based Rocky Vista Universitys College of Osteopathic Medicine to help it establish a school. Rocky Vistas first class of physicians graduated in May 2012.

In the United States, there are two types of licensed physicians that practice medicine. Most physicians hold the M.D. or Doctor of Medicine degree. Osteopathic physicians hold the D.O. or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree. The medical training for an M.D. and D.O. is virtually indistinguishable. D.O. physicians are licensed to practice medicine in all 50 states, with a large percentage going into primary care.

Copyright 2012 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Cedar City pushing to establish osteopathic medical school

Tuesday, October 16, 2012, 10:49am

The Ambulatory Care Center (ACC) at the University of Massachusetts Medical School's Worcester campus has earned LEED Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, the first building in the school's history to achieve such status.

The ACC opened in June 2010, and after a detailed review of the building's design, construction and operational data, the Green Building Certification Institute verified the LEED Silver certification on Sept. 20. Built by the Medical School in collaboration with its clinical partner the UMass Memorial Medical Center, the 253,000-square-foot ACC is home to a mix of patient-care, clinical research and educational activities.

"We are pleased to have earned this important certification for the new building," said Terence R. Flotte, MD, the Celia and Isaac Haidak Professor in Medicine, executive deputy chancellor, provost, dean of the School of Medicine and professor of pediatrics and microbiology & physiological systems at UMass Medical School. "It is only fitting that facilities like the Ambulatory Care Center, that are designed to improve human health are respectful of the health of our environment."

LEED stands for "Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design" and is a third-party certification system created by the USGBC for "green building" construction and renovation projects. It's regarded as the premier certification program for sustainable construction in the country.

To meet the high standards required for LEED Silver certification, numerous sustainable features were integrated into the ACC. For example, the building's design and orientation helps prevent solar heat gain, thereby lowering the need for mechanical cooling. The building has a white roof to diminish the "heat island effect" and reflect rather than absorb heat; a tight exterior building envelope with tinted, reflective, and insulated glass; and an east-west building orientation to minimize the number of south-facing windows.

Water use in the ACC is approximately 30-percent less than a conventional building because of automatic low-flow/low-flush plumbing fixtures. Electricity consumption is reduced by sophisticated controls for heating, cooling and lighting. A special "commissioning agent" was brought in to oversee the design and installation of the mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems to insure they were the most efficient possible given the use of the building, and are functioning as expected.

Payette of Boston was the architect for the ACC; Consigli Construction of Milford was the construction manager and general contractor.

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UMass Medical School Building Earns LEED Silver

By Tom McRae

The University of Auckland medical school still can't rule out a man posing as a student didn't have direct contact with patients.

An investigation is underway and the man has been issued with a trespass notice after he went to great lengths to pose as a medical student for two years.

Watched closely by security, students today filed into their 8am lecture. Many are shocked at the deception by someone they thought was a fellow student.

[Theyre] not surprisingly very upset and hurt, and [there is] some degree of anger, says Medical and Health Sciences dean Professor John Fraser.

The imposter studied biomedical science in 2010 but failed to get into medical school. So for two years he faked it, continuing to attend classes.

He doesn't give a good explanation, says head of the universitys medical programme Dr Warwick Bagg. What we need to understand with this individual is he's in great distress. His family is in great distress and we're quite concerned for his wellbeing.

The man took part in dissecting dead bodies, and as a third-year student he was eligible to attend hospital site visits and interact with patients one-on-one.

Our investigations to date show that he has not had interaction with patients on the wards, says Dr Bagg.

But a student who wanted to remain anonymous says he did have access to confidential patient information while at the hospital. The class is also concerned he was able to carry out medical procedures on other students.

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Trespass notice issued to fake medical student

Auckland University's medical school is carefully reviewing its practices after a man pretended to be a medical student for two years.

The student failed to gain entry into the medical school in 2010 but has since attended classes and taken part in a number of school activities, including the study of human cadavers.

He was detected when a group assignment with his name on it was submitted which didn't match any name on the class list.

Professor John Fraser says the school has no evidence the students interacted with any patients, but they were still concerned he was able to pretend he was a student for two years.

"Obviously there are areas, particularly in the medical programme, where we do need to tighten up our procedures on entry and access," he told a media conference.

"This student went to some considerable length to hide the fact that he wasn't eligible, and although we are very, very concerned that he was able to get away with that, I would like to tell the public that our university operates on the highest possible standards."

Associate Professor Warwick Begg said the school's hospital partners had all been in touch trying to see if the fake student had any contact with patients.

"As far as we know we have not been able to find any evidence to date that he did interact with a patient."

Prof Fraser said the fake student's family weren't aware of his scam.

He said the fake student was in some distress, and they were concerned for his wellbeing.

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Fake student prompts medical school review

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In Colorado, there is a serious need for primary care doctors both in rural areas and in Colorado Springs. The National Health Service Corps and the Colorado Health Service Corps are trying to address the need through loan forgiveness grants to medical school students.

The National Health Service Corps granted more than $12 million in student loan forgiveness during 2011 in Colorado and contracted with 240 primary care providers to erase medical school debt and get more doctors in rural areas. The CHSC gave more than $2.5 million to nearly 80 primary care doctors.

So far this year, NHSC granted $2.8 million in loan repayment funding to graduating doctors in the state. In exchange, the new doctors agree to work at community health centers like Peak Vista Community Health Centers, serving an underinsured and indigent population.

The Health Service Corps has been incredibly successful in helping us attract health care professionals to Community Health Centers, said Tanah Wagenseller, health center workforce manager for Colorado Community Health Network. Its helping students who want to make a difference find a job where they can do that every day.

The National Health Service Corps was created 40 years ago to provide rural areas with essential health services, and receives bipartisan support from Congress. The federal government doubled the program in 2009, after recognizing the upcoming shortage of primary care physicians.

The Colorado Health Service Corps offers providers more flexibility and is administered through the Department of Public Health and Environment with funding from the Colorado Health Foundation, the U.S. Health Resources and Services administration, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the state of Colorado, the Colorado Trust and the Comprecare Foundation.

Despite the programs success, there is still a stark need for new primary care doctors. Colorado has 3,200 licensed primary care physicians, and many are nearing retirement age, while an increasing percentage of medical students are choosing other specialties. Some 85 percent of the state is deemed a professional health shortage area.

At the same time, safety net sites that provide health care expect increased demand as aresult of health care reform. One in 10 people in Colorado depend on a community health center for primary care. That number is expected to grow dramatically when health reform is fully implemented in 2014, expanding access to care to about 540,000 residents.

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Programs pay off medical school debt

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (AP) -- Western Michigan University has broken ground for its new medical school and says it's received accreditation for its expected opening two years from now. The university broke held the ceremony Friday in downtown Kalamazoo. The site is being named the W.E. Upjohn Campus in honor of the founder of pharmaceutical company Upjohn. The building once was used for pharmaceutical research as part of the campuses of Upjohn, Pharmacia and Pfizer. The first class of medical students arrives in August 2014. Mlive.com says there will be 50 students in the entering class, a number that's expected to rise to 80 in the future.

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WMU Breaks Ground On Medical Building

The dean of Auckland University's medical school says he's extremely concerned a person managed to pretend to be a medical student for two years.

The student failed to gain entry into the medical school in 2010 but had since allegedly attended classes and was able to deceive classmates and teachers by not submitting assessments or sitting tests.

He was detected when an assignment was submitted which didn't match any name on the class list, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences dean Professor John Fraser said.

The university was taking the incident seriously, Prof Fraser said.

"This type of behaviour is extremely unusual and this is the first such instance in the 43-year history of the medical school," he said.

"As well as undertaking reviews of the processes which allow enrolled students access to medical programmes, the University will assist in any investigations by any statutory agency."

Prof Fraser said the fake student hadn't been given any confidential or restricted training material and hadn't ever examined any patients or received confidential patient information.

However, the student was alleged to have dissected bodies donated for medical research, 3 News reported.

Prof Fraser said it was inappropriate to comment further given the fake student's actions "and the likelihood of a police investigation".

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Fake student investigated by university

The number of students applying to study medicine at the country's universities plunged 14.2% for the 2011-2012 academic year from a year earlier, leading a trend of falling university enrollments, according to figures from the Higher Education Council.

Statistics released Wednesday said the number of people applying for places at the universities dropped 2.5% for the current year, while there was a 1.1% drop in the number who were accepted.

The drop in medical school applicants was so large that for the first time in years, the rate of acceptance was not the lowest among all areas of study. That honor went to architecture programs, where the rate of acceptance was 25%, versus 27.5% for medical school.

The higher rate of acceptance for medicine partly reflects the opening of a new medical school in Safed, the council said. But the major factor was that only 1,600 people applied for places, compared with 1,865 last year. Of those, 440 were admitted, down from 455 last year.

But Eran Leitersdorf, dean of the Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Medicine and chairman of the medical faculty deans' forums, said the council's figures didn't reflect actual interest in medical studies. Medical programs used a weighted index of matriculation (bagrut ) and psychometric exam scores to consider applicants, and fewer potential applicants meet the standard to apply, he said.

Other academic programs also suffered declining demand. For social work, the number of applicants dropped 15.5% for the current academic year from 2010-2011. About 55% of all applicants to social worker programs at the universities were accepted, the council said.

Both declines, which were the sharpest among academic programs, appear to have been linked to labor disputes occurring at the time applicants were considering programs.

According to an analysis conducted by TheMarker, the number of students in bachelor's programs at academic colleges soared from 2008 to 2011, while university enrollments held steady and even declined at the biggest institutions.

The decline in university applications was nearly across the board, the exceptions being electrical and electronics engineering (which was unchanged ), and computer science (which rose 2% ). For those programs, the acceptance rate in bachelor's programs was 53% and 54%, respectively.

Applications for humanities programs were unchanged at 1,980, with three-quarters of all applicants getting accepted, the council said. Accounting programs saw applications drop 7% and economics programs fell by 3.3%. Psychology applications were off 2% from last year. Only one out of every 1.6 applicants gets into a psychology program and only one out of every 1.7 gets into accounting or economics.

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Medical schools lead decline in applications to universities