Ground broken for WMU medical school

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) - A groundbreaking ceremony occurred Friday morning for the new Western Michigan University medical school.

The school has been granted preliminary accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, the national accrediting body for educational programs leading to the MD degree.

"This is an important step because we now have the go-ahead to recruit students for our first class to begin in August 2014," Dr. Hal B. Jenson, MD, MBA, told the ceremony's crowd.

The medical school is a collaboration involving WMU and Kalamazoo's two teaching hospitals -- Borgess Health and Bronson Healthcare. It has been in planning since 2008.

In December 2011, William U. Parfet, chairman and CEO of MPI Research in Mattawan, donated the 320,000 square-foot building to WMU to be used by the new medical school.

In March 2011, WMU received a gift of $100 million for the medical school from anonymous donors.

The seven-story building at 300 Portage St. in Kalamazoo is located at the heart of the new W.E. Upjohn Campus. A $68 million renovation and expansion project is scheduled to be completed by May 2014, with 30,000 more square feet to be added to the building.

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WMU School of Medicine building stat sheet (pdf)

WMU School of Medicine future floor plans (pdf)

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The new medical school will admit an inaugural class of about 50 students, eventually increasing this number to about 80 students each year. These students will receive instruction from School of Medicine physician faculty and residents, as well as community physicians. Medical students will be exposed to a wide range of patient care environments at the Western Michigan University School of Medicine Clinics, area physician offices, and at Borgess Medical Center and Bronson Methodist Hospital.

Dr. Jenson thanked the visionary leaders from WMU and the hospitals.

"The Kalamazoo community has a 40-year legacy of collaboration providing outstanding undergraduate and graduate medical education. The Liaison Committee on Medical Education noted this as a major strength of the new medical school."

A crowd, representing area physicians, community leaders, local residents, premedical students from the WMU Chapter of the American Medical Student Association, and employees from the medical school gathered under a tent at the site of the medical school.

Several speakers, including U.S. Congressman Fred Upton and WMU President John M. Dunn, spoke of what the school will mean not only to the area's economy, but to health care in Michigan and the southwest Michigan community.

"The city of Kalamazoo has a history of excellence in education, health care, research and life science exploration -- all of which are assets for the development of a new medical school," said Dunn.

"Efforts to launch a medical school address the growing shortage of physicians in Michigan and the nation, and provide other benefits to the area. A new medical school will contribute to meeting the national and local need for physicians and also bring benefits to the state of Michigan and Kalamazoo community. New jobs generate personal income for local residents. Businesses in the wholesale, retail, service and manufacturing sectors benefit from the direct expenditures of the medical school on goods and services. In addition, businesses are recipients of spending by staff, medical students and their visitors. And, the $68 million investment to renovate and expand this building in downtown Kalamazoo will mean the School of Medicine will have an immediate impact on the community as well."

"This facility will be home to a pioneering class of students, faculty and staff and remain relevant to the future generations that will follow in their footsteps," said Dr. Jenson. "Its design and execution have been guided by four defining principles from the school of medicine vision: learner centered, discovery driven, globally engaged, and patient and family focused.