The University of Illinois Board of Trustees recently approved the expansion of the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria (UICOMP) by approving the college's Department of Health Sciences Education.
“We’re excited about the expansion of the medical school, the benefits this provides our students and the far-reaching positive impact on the future of health care in central Illinois,” UICOMP Regional Dean Sara Rusch said. “This new department is designed to change the way we teach medicine by integrating the basic sciences and clinical medicine in a way that will translate to better care for their future patients.”
First year medical students will be able to start their studies at the Peoria campus in August 2017. Previously, the students took their first year of classes in Urbana before transferring to Peoria. In addition to the new department, the curriculum committee approved an accelerated program that will change the first two years of medical school into a 20 month program.
The expansion will increase enrollment from approximately 165 students to more than 220. It will also create 20 new positions for faculty and staff members. Upgrades of the facility and construction of an anatomical lab will require an estimated $1.5 million to accommodate the new classes and program changes.
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