Construction on Colorados second medical school – Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine – is set to begin this week.
The school to be built in Parker is scheduled to start its first class of 150 students in the fall of 2008, administrators say.
Were very excited, said Dr. Ronnie B. Martin, dean of the college.
Martin said the $120 million school, which has been in the planning stages for nearly two years, is being funded by a donation from a private foundation headed by Yife Tien.
About $40 million will go to construct the campus on 40 acres in Douglas County, Martin said. Another $30 million to $40 million is being invested in curriculum and recruiting faculty.
About $30 million will be set aside in an escrow account, which Martin described as a safety net for the schools first students.
Once we graduate our first class, we can take that money out of escrow and use it for development of the school, Martin said.
Discount for Coloradans
Martin said he expects tuition to be $38,000 a year, with a 10 percent discount for state residents.
A year at the University of Colorado’s medical school costs $22,583 for state residents and $74,098 for out-of-state students.
Medical schools such as CU, which turn out physicians with M.D. degrees, are accredited by a national group called the Liaison Committee on Medical Education.
Osteopathic medical schools are accredited by the American Osteopathic Association.
Martin said he expects a site visit by an assessment team from the association sometime in May.
If that visit results in provisional accreditation, Martin said, he can begin admitting students.
State recognizes college
The Colorado Commission on Higher Education has recognized the college as a Class 2 institution, which means it can begin admitting students, said Matt McKeever, a commission degree-authorization officer.
The authorization is provisional, as the school continues to make progress toward earning full accreditation, said McKee ver. The commission awarded the authorization after being assured Rocky Vista had received preaccreditation from the American Osteopathic Association, McKeever said.
Dr. Richard Krugman, dean of the CU medical school, said CU welcomes the possible addition of a medical school in the state.
Krugman described the university’s relationship with Rocky Vista as an informal partnership.
Osteopathic medical schools emphasize training students to become primary-care physicians, the association said.
Osteopaths, like M.D.s, are licensed by the state board of medical examiners and have the same privileges to practice at hospitals and prescribe medication.
Staff writer John Ingold contributed to this report.
