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Med School Missed Opportunity?

SoldierGriz

SoldierGriz

Well-known member
DONOR
https://amp.greatfallstribune.com/amp/7735068002?__twitter_impression=true

A missed opportunity for UM and Missoula....Montana will get a medical school and it won't be in Missoula.

Why?
 
You do realize that these have zero connection to the Montana University System and any of its members. Doesn't even look like they are associated with any of the private universities either. I believe this is getting pushed by the local medical centers in GF and Billings.
 
HelenaHandBasket said:
You do realize that these have zero connection to the Montana University System and any of its members. Doesn't even look like they are associated with any of the private universities either. I believe this is getting pushed by the local medical centers in GF and Billings.
Click to expand...

You do realize there was a real opportunity here...

If GF and Billings can compete for this why wouldn't UM get in the mix?
 
SoldierGriz said:
HelenaHandBasket said:
You do realize that these have zero connection to the Montana University System and any of its members. Doesn't even look like they are associated with any of the private universities either. I believe this is getting pushed by the local medical centers in GF and Billings.
Click to expand...

You do realize there was a real opportunity here...

If GF and Billings can compete for this why wouldn't UM get in the mix?
Click to expand...

I guess the question you should ask is why are only GF and Billings medical centers getting involved. There are zero institutions of higher learning in Montana that seem to be pushing to start a medical school.
 
HelenaHandBasket said:
SoldierGriz said:
You do realize there was a real opportunity here...

If GF and Billings can compete for this why wouldn't UM get in the mix?
Click to expand...

I guess the question you should ask is why are only GF and Billings medical centers getting involved. There are zero institutions of higher learning in Montana that seem to be pushing to start a medical school.
Click to expand...

Ok, WHY IS UM NOT PUSUING THIS LIKE A SQUIRREL TO AN ACORN? WTF?
 
SoldierGriz said:
HelenaHandBasket said:
I guess the question you should ask is why are only GF and Billings medical centers getting involved. There are zero institutions of higher learning in Montana that seem to be pushing to start a medical school.
Click to expand...

Ok, WHY IS UM NOT PUSUING THIS LIKE A SQUIRREL TO AN ACORN? WTF?
Click to expand...

I would think the same reason why no one else is pushing it, money. Healthcare in Great Falls and Billings have been looking for someone, anyone, including numerous out-of-state for-profit solutions, and so far, no one has found it financially feasible. The article notes 2015, but I know that this push is going on for at least a decade.
 
HelenaHandBasket said:
SoldierGriz said:
Ok, WHY IS UM NOT PUSUING THIS LIKE A SQUIRREL TO AN ACORN? WTF?
Click to expand...

I would think the same reason why no one else is pushing it, money. Healthcare in Great Falls and Billings have been looking for someone, anyone, including numerous out-of-state for-profit solutions, and so far, no one has found it financially feasible. The article notes 2015, but I know that this push is going on for at least a decade.
Click to expand...

No one else except Great Falls and Billings..

There is also a not-for-profit entity involved...

This is a missed opportunity IMO. There are a bunch of peripherals that come with a medical school. This type of thing is key to reversing the enrollment problem.
 
SoldierGriz said:
HelenaHandBasket said:
I would think the same reason why no one else is pushing it, money. Healthcare in Great Falls and Billings have been looking for someone, anyone, including numerous out-of-state for-profit solutions, and so far, no one has found it financially feasible. The article notes 2015, but I know that this push is going on for at least a decade.
Click to expand...

Actually Soldier,
These other posters are spot on. There is high cost and low return. Low prestige and low quality. They will be considered the Granada medical schools of the west. Great Falls and Billings are looking to use graduates from these to farm out to satellite clinics in rural communities that they contract with. They will be sponsored and subsidized heavily by the local hospitals with requirements to do your clinical rotations locally with the hope that you may find the unicorn that is qualified and wants to stay. I still am not sure either of these will get off the ground.

No one else except Great Falls and Billings..

There is also a not-for-profit entity involved...

This is a missed opportunity IMO. There are a bunch of peripherals that come with a medical school. This type of thing is key to reversing the enrollment problem.
Click to expand...
 
Grizatwork, I don’t disagree at all, but after living where I have for over a decade, never underestimate the number of overbearing parents who want nothing more than to say their kids are med students. They’ll pay good money to send them to D.O. schools in the Caribbean to have something to boast about at church receptions. And the kids (adults) will actually go.
 
CDAGRIZ said:
Grizatwork, I don’t disagree at all, but after living where I have for over a decade, never underestimate the number of overbearing parents who want nothing more than to say their kids are med students. They’ll pay good money to send them to D.O. schools in the Caribbean to have something to boast about at church receptions. And the kids (adults) will actually go.
Click to expand...


I agree. You are exactly right. Which is why these places are scouring the edges of Montana to start a new “school “
 
I’m missing something here. Many outstanding universities have successful medical schools. Why not UM as Soldier asks? Why are some of you painting a medical school as a negative?
 
Spanky2 said:
I’m missing something here. Many outstanding universities have successful medical schools. Why not UM as Soldier asks? Why are some of you painting a medical school as a negative?
Click to expand...

First, these are not university based programs. The local colleges are not going to benefit at all. Think classes in a strip mall, where they pay for a couple months rent up front and then quit paying. Read the link in the original post. Students take hundreds of thousands in loans and then realize the school had accreditation but then didn’t renew and they realize they are F@3ked. Long story short, they are not real medical schools. This is the Tony Robbins or Trump university method. It is not sustainable.
 
grizatwork said:
SoldierGriz said:
Actually Soldier,
These other posters are spot on. There is high cost and low return. Low prestige and low quality. They will be considered the Granada medical schools of the west. Great Falls and Billings are looking to use graduates from these to farm out to satellite clinics in rural communities that they contract with. They will be sponsored and subsidized heavily by the local hospitals with requirements to do your clinical rotations locally with the hope that you may find the unicorn that is qualified and wants to stay. I still am not sure either of these will get off the ground.

No one else except Great Falls and Billings..

There is also a not-for-profit entity involved...

This is a missed opportunity IMO. There are a bunch of peripherals that come with a medical school. This type of thing is key to reversing the enrollment problem.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

Mostly correct here, but it’s been a tough one here in Billings on this. Most folks support it, but many don’t want it either. Both Billings Clinic and St. Vincent Healthcare have come out against a private medical school in Billings and the medical school “will not” be subsidized by the hospitals.

The company building the medical school has a successful business model in Colorado and I believe another place as well. They are brining that model to Billings. You are right, I believe they want to provide our rural communities with medical professionals as we have a number of counties in Montana without any doctor. So it appears that is their niche and the rural aspect must work financially for them.

I do agree that maybe a partnership with UM could be interesting, but I’m not sure the headaches outweigh the positives here. Until any of us see their financial model we can’t make assumptions of why or why it doesn’t work.
 
406 Grizzly said:

Mostly correct here, but it’s been a tough one here in Billings on this. Most folks support it, but many don’t want it either. Both Billings Clinic and St. Vincent Healthcare have come out against a private medical school in Billings and the medical school “will not” be subsidized by the hospitals.

The company building the medical school has a successful business model in Colorado and I believe another place as well. They are brining that model to Billings. You are right, I believe they want to provide our rural communities with medical professionals as we have a number of counties in Montana without any doctor. So it appears that is their niche and the rural aspect must work financially for them.

I do agree that maybe a partnership with UM could be interesting, but I’m not sure the headaches outweigh the positives here. Until any of us see their financial model we can’t make assumptions of why or why it doesn’t work.
Click to expand...
Hospital infrastructure is key to a medical school. It's not all booklearning. Huge advantage for Billings.
 
grizatwork said:
SoldierGriz said:
Actually Soldier,
These other posters are spot on. There is high cost and low return. Low prestige and low quality. They will be considered the Granada medical schools of the west. Great Falls and Billings are looking to use graduates from these to farm out to satellite clinics in rural communities that they contract with. They will be sponsored and subsidized heavily by the local hospitals with requirements to do your clinical rotations locally with the hope that you may find the unicorn that is qualified and wants to stay. I still am not sure either of these will get off the ground.

No one else except Great Falls and Billings..

There is also a not-for-profit entity involved...

This is a missed opportunity IMO. There are a bunch of peripherals that come with a medical school. This type of thing is key to reversing the enrollment problem.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

Appreciate this info, thanks.

I think the fact that entities are working to put a medical school in Montana is worth something. Perhaps the quality is questionable...

I just look at it this way:

1. If Montana is going to get a medical school....and...
2. If that medical school is of questionable quality...then...
3. Why can't UM make an investment to get a higher quality medical school in Missoula?
 
Is the quality of the medical school questionable or are the two so-called non profit hospitals worried about their control of the medical community?
 
SoldierGriz said:
Appreciate this info, thanks.

I think the fact that entities are working to put a medical school in Montana is worth something. Perhaps the quality is questionable...

I just look at it this way:

1. If Montana is going to get a medical school....and...
2. If that medical school is of questionable quality...then...
3. Why can't UM make an investment to get a higher quality medical school in Missoula?
Click to expand...

The entire University system along with the private higher ed institutions in the state have deemed the investment to start a medical school far outweighs the return. They find the current relationship with UW through WWAMI to be more beneficial and cost effective. Like work stated, there are a few healthcare entities in Montana that have been trying for a decade to put a system together to find health care professional to place in their clinics in smaller outlying areas without having to foot the huge financial burden. None of the institutions of higher ed within the state want to take on the finances and these healthcare entities having been looking for out-of-state organizations to come in and foot a large part of the bill.
 
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