FIU/UCF Med. School?

[Knight_Light]

Here's some articles about all the donations of late:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/orl-ucf2705oct27,0,7952259.story

UCF medical school gets cash infusion

The proposal attracts an additional $7 million but needs state approval.

Tania Deluzuriaga

Sentinel Staff Writer

October 27, 2005

The University of Central Florida announced $7 million in new donations to its proposed medical school Wednesday, even as chances for a decision this year on whether UCF can proceed were slipping away.

The east Orange County university said it has $22.5 million pledged toward the new college it hopes to start building in southeast Orlando by next year.

"We're in the homestretch," UCF Provost Terry Hickey said of the fundraising effort to build Florida's sixth state-supported medical school.

However, the state university system's board of governors, which must approve any new school, may postpone a decision on the UCF proposal. Chairwoman Carolyn Roberts said Wednesday that three board members have asked for additional time to consider the matter.

"They have asked very respectfully to allow them more time to do more personal research," Roberts said.

If the board doesn't vote at its November meeting, the decision could likely be postponed until January or later.

Complicating the situation further -- at least in appearance -- was the board's selection Wednesday of Mark B. Rosenberg, provost of Florida International University, as the new chancellor of the 11 state universities.

Florida International has a competing proposal to build its own medical school in Miami. Both schools will present their respective med-school proposals to the board of governors Nov. 17.

UCF officials dismissed the idea that FIU might have an advantage, striking an optimistic tone as they unveiled new gifts for the medical center planned for the Lake Nona development east of Orlando International Airport.

The medical-school library will be named after the Alan and Harriet Ginsburg Family Foundation, thanks to a $4 million gift from the Maitland-based developer announced Wednesday.

Orlando Regional Healthcare, Florida Hospital and UCF board of trustees Chairman **** Nunis also have pledged $1 million each.

"We view this not so much a gift as an investment," Florida Hospital President Don Jernigan told members of the Orange County Chamber of Commerce before Wednesday's announcement.

Earlier this month, UCF announced that Tavistock Group, developer of Lake Nona, had pledged $12.5 million in cash and $8 million worth of land. UCF also has a $10 million gift from car dealer Al Burnett and his wife, Nancy, to help build a biomedical-sciences building within the medical complex. That building will be built whether or not the medical school is approved.

All of the money donated for the medical school is eligible for a state match, bringing the total amount available for the project so far to $45 million.

"When this medical school becomes a reality, it's going to be due in very large part to the support we've received from the community," Hickey said.

Ginsburg, president and founder of CED Construction, did not attend the news conference. His company is one of the largest developers of apartments using tax credits and tax-exempt bonds.

He is a longtime patron of the arts, serving on the board of the Orlando Museum of Art and Hamilton Holt School at Rollins College in Winter Park. Nunis, former chairman of Walt Disney Attractions, worked with Ginsburg in the 1990s when Disney hired the developer to build two apartment complexes.

FIU said earlier this month that it had a $30 million package assembled in support of its medical-school plans. Its proposal includes partnerships with Mount Sinai Medical Center and Miami Children's Hospital.

Officials there could not be reached Wednesday for an update because power outages and damage from Hurricane Wilma have shut down the university.

Although Florida is the fourth-most-populous state in the nation, it ranks 41st in producing medical-school graduates and 26th in physicians per 100,000 people.

While the statewide shortage of doctors is well-documented, the board of governors must decide whether a new medical school is the way to solve the problem.

"There are some on the board of governors who don't think there's a physician shortage," Hickey told the chamber. "There are some who think there are other ways to produce the physicians needed."

UCF would like to begin construction next year. If so, classes could begin as early as 2008, university officials say. The new school could turn out as many as 120 doctors a year in a state that now imports many doctors from other states and nations.

Orlando is the largest U.S. metropolitan area without a medical school. Miami already has a state-subsidized school at the private University of Miami. Florida's other medical schools are in Tampa, Gainesville, Tallahassee and Fort Lauderdale. "If I were to pick a No. 1 Achilles' heel to doing what we want to do, it would be finding enough qualified physicians," Jernigan told the chamber. "I don't want to see this Achilles' heel become a bigger problem."

Because a new medical school will cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, some board members contend they cannot make a well-informed, careful decision by the board's November meeting.

"No member of the board, I believe, could claim to have been adequately informed about medical education in Florida and could not, therefore, vote intelligently on whether we should have two new medical schools, or one, or none," board member J. Stanley Marshall wrote to Roberts in seeking a delay.

Board members Peter Rummell and Sheila McDevitt have made similar requests.

Although UCF and FIU intend to raise the bulk of their construction dollars from private sources, they will both need close to $100 million from the state over 10 years to get their schools up and running.

"You may take on the capital costs initially, but once those buildings are complete there continue to be capital costs," Roberts said. "A medical school is always expanding. And once the buildings are complete, the state has a requirement to support those buildings for many, many years."

Like UCF officials, she said the choice of FIU's Roberts to oversee the state universities should not give the Miami school any lead in the medical-school campaign.

"The fact that he comes from FIU will not have any influence in any way," Roberts said. "He's not representing one university now. He's the chancellor of the entire university system, and that includes UCF."

[CyberBull]

I don't see the practicality of having one at FIU.  That means there are 2 in Miami and that's too many considering there is a major city without one.  Orlando has an actual need for one, so I think it should come here.

No offense to FIU, but I see it only as the school trying to validate itself.

Why?

Let's see, private medical school tuition at UM can set you back at least 30K/year not including living expenses.

Tuition at a state university around half. Not many people can afford to attend a private medical school. Considering all the underepresented minorities in south Florida, a public medical school offering an affordable education would mean more Haitian, Hispanic, African-American doctors being produced who will likely stay in the community.

UCF has made a late charge, but I would be surprised if State charters 3 medical schools, especially when they can barely fund the ones that they have now in Tampa, Tallahassee and Gainesville.

BTW....I see the opposite in which school is trying to "validate" itself.  FIU already has a professional school in their law school. They also have a very good MBA program, which is on Business Week's "watch list" to break into the elite "Top 30 MBA programs".  In contrast, UCf has ZERO professional schools, which usually considered a badge of honor in determining the prestige of a University.

My guess is that the State tables the issue until next year and forces UCF and FIU to distinguish further.  With major medical schools ~ two hours North and 2 hours Southwest  from Orlando, the need for Orlando to have it's own medical school seems exagerated. The need for a medical school to stimulate the economy beyond tourism is a legitimate cause, and for the life of me I don't understand why UCF doesn't take this track.

Why?

FSU called in every political favor to get their medical school under the guise of producing primary care and rural medicine specialists. There isn't a lot of research dollars in those fields. So unless FSU backs out of it's original mission and promise to the State of Florida taxpayers they are be "stuck" and not be able embrace becoming a potentially lucrative big research school. That is why UCF should just admit that they eventually want  a place in the table in the research arena. That way they have no hurdles to overcome....

[CyberBull]

Well I happen to be very close to someone on that board and I am being told quite the opposite.  FIU jumped the gun because they knew they had a weaker argument that UCF.  UM has a medical school, the closest medical school to Orlando, which is also the largest MSA without a medical school in the entire country, is in Tampa.

I like how cyber seems to think he knows why UCF wants a medical school.  Gee cyber, could it be because UCF wants to contineu to grow its academic status.

So.....what do you have to say STK or are you still hiding like a hooker on Vikings cruiseship?

[DawgPound]

Cyber, I thought the article said UM's is state funded.

[Knight_Light]

Cyber, I thought the article said UM's is state funded.

UM's Medical is State Funded....but it still is under the label of a Private University.

KL

[MavTechKNIGHT2]

Why?

Let's see, private medical school tuition at UM can set you back at least 30K/year not including living expenses.

Tuition at a state university around half. Not many people can afford to attend a private medical school. Considering all the underepresented minorities in south Florida, a public medical school offering an affordable education would mean more Haitian, Hispanic, African-American doctors being produced who will likely stay in the community.

UCF has made a late charge, but I would be surprised if State charters 3 medical schools, especially when they can barely fund the ones that they have now in Tampa, Tallahassee and Gainesville.

BTW....I see the opposite in which school is trying to "validate" itself.  FIU already has a professional school in their law school. They also have a very good MBA program, which is on Business Week's "watch list" to break into the elite "Top 30 MBA programs".  In contrast, UCf has ZERO professional schools, which usually considered a badge of honor in determining the prestige of a University.

My guess is that the State tables the issue until next year and forces UCF and FIU to distinguish further.  With major medical schools ~ two hours North and 2 hours Southwest  from Orlando, the need for Orlando to have it's own medical school seems exagerated. The need for a medical school to stimulate the economy beyond tourism is a legitimate cause, and for the life of me I don't understand why UCF doesn't take this track.

Why?

FSU called in every political favor to get their medical school under the guise of producing primary care and rural medicine specialists. There isn't a lot of research dollars in those fields. So unless FSU backs out of it's original mission and promise to the State of Florida taxpayers they are be "stuck" and not be able embrace becoming a potentially lucrative big research school. That is why UCF should just admit that they eventually want  a place in the table in the research arena. That way they have no hurdles to overcome....

Two words:   BITTER BETTY!

Quite whining already.  Hell, just READ the **** articles to get the answers to ALL of your questions.  It is all rught there for you.

No need to validate the fact we are a Tier III school.

[Guest FIU Panther Fan]

I would like for both schools to get it, however, Cyberbull is right, UM tuition (excluding books, board, fees, etc.) is at $30K.  FIU's would obviously be a lot cheaper.  Again, I think the fact that we have two newly constructed buildings for Health Sciences which would house the new medical school, we have $30MM on hand, support of local hospitals, etc. shows how serious the school is in getting this through.  The medical school would be the crown jewel of Pres. Maidique's accomplishment at FIU and he is very positive about the outcome.  Lastly, in the upcoming year (2006), South Florida legislators will come to leadership position...Alex Villalobos is currently the Majority Leader (will be Senate President) and Marco Rubio (will be Speaker of the House in '08 ).  With Mark Rosengberg becoming chancellor and the political connections in place, I hope that it all adds up to a successful lobbying campaign for the Medical School.  In the end, politics will play a big role in getting this done.

[CyberBull]

Cyber, I thought the article said UM's is state funded.

The article misrepresents what that means. When the legislature convines every year the University of Miami's medical school budget is not chopped to pieces by  self-serving politicians. UM may get SOME state dollars but it's not what drives decision on how much money each school has to spend on faculty, students, capital equipment purchases etc... In fact, there are many academics that wonder if schools wouldn't be better off being private, that way they wouldn't be subject to the whims and follies of politicians. Trust me I have had a half a million dollar piece of equipment chopped off my budget the last two years, b/c the state keeps funding the existing schools less and less. It's a problem at USF and a huge problem at the state's flagship university in Gainesville....they are having a hell of a time keeping their faculty in place due to low salaries.

[CyberBull]

Two words:   BITTER BETTY!

Quite whining already.  Hell, just READ the **** articles to get the answers to ALL of your questions.  It is all rught there for you.

No need to validate the fact we are a Tier III school.

Mav- you sound like a child. We'll let you back at the adult table when you grow a little bit and actually try and discuss the issues.

[CyberBull]

I would like for both schools to get it, however, Cyberbull is right, UM tuition (excluding books, board, fees, etc.) is at $30K.  FIU's would obviously be a lot cheaper.  Again, I think the fact that we have two newly constructed buildings for Health Sciences which would house the new medical school, we have $30MM on hand, support of local hospitals, etc. shows how serious the school is in getting this through.  The medical school would be the crown jewel of Pres. Maidique's accomplishment at FIU and he is very positive about the outcome.  Lastly, in the upcoming year (2006), South Florida legislators will come to leadership position...Alex Villalobos is currently the Majority Leader (will be Senate President) and Marco Rubio (will be Speaker of the House in '08 ).  With Mark Rosengberg becoming chancellor and the political connections in place, I hope that it all adds up to a successful lobbying campaign for the Medical School.  In the end, politics will play a big role in getting this done.

FIU is quietly tucked away in Miami, but it's really a quietly kept secret that people are slowly becoming aware of. The law school speaks for itself, and the MBA program is second behind UF's in some rankings. Then again, the State of Florida seems to be behind the curve in having world class business schools...private or not...but if the economy in Florida is going to change into something like Califorinia we need a couple business schools in Florida to step up and start producing the talent needed to run tomorow's businesses. FIU could be one of those schools....actually it's anybody ballgame if they just made the proper commitment and investment.