OU/TU Partner To Create Joint Medical School In Tulsa

By Dan Bewley and Terry Hood, The News On 6

TULSA, OK -- It is being called a historic day as the University of Tulsa and the University of Oklahoma are teaming up to teach future doctors.

The two universities say the collaboration will put more physicians in areas where they are needed most.

The two university presidents donned lab coats to welcome in a new era in medical school education for Oklahoma.

"This is really a fantastic development for us," said Steadman Upham, University of Tulsa President.

TU's Steadman Upham and OU's David Boren announced Tuesday the plan to start a joint community medical school in Tulsa.

"We need to pool together the greatest talent we can find, we need to pool together the best ideas and we need to work together in unity as one team," Boren said.

Currently, TU specializes in biological science and only offers a joint degree with OU for a physician's assistant, while medical students at OU-Tulsa only take their final two years of classes and complete their residency training.

The new plan will combine the two and allow future doctors to complete all of their coursework and training in Tulsa.

"This initiative is about getting more doctors in Oklahoma caring for everyone," said Dr. Gerard Clancy.

Dr. Gerard Clancy is president at OU-Tulsa. He says the program will benefit not only Tulsa, but all of Northeastern Oklahoma.

"Those students will be anchored here in Oklahoma. We'll get to start with them and many of them will stay here," Clancy said.

The program's concept is to help those most in need of medical care by focusing on students with altruistic goals of serving the less fortunate and improving community health systems.

The school presidents say the joint venture is a win for the state and for their respective institutions.

"In terms of what our state needs in physician production this is the least expensive investment that we can make to help all of our citizens," Upham said.

The program is scheduled to start in 2014 and the goal is to have as many as 75 students in each class.