East Michigan News

Each year, the CMU College of Medicine receives thousands of applications from interested students. In 2024, more than 8,000 applicants vied for the 104 spaces available in the coming year’s cohort. Statewide and throughout the Midwest region, demand for physicians is on the rise, especially in rural and historically underserved communities. Consistent with the College of Medicine’s mission, most medical students admitted call Michigan home.

“72 of Michigan’s 83 counties are currently considered health professional shortage areas,” said Dr. George Kikano, dean of the CMU College of Medicine and executive vice president for health affairs. “And, as more than a third of Michigan’s practicing physicians plan to retire within the next decade, the shortage will get worse without swift action and investment.”

With student demand and community need on the rise, the College must strengthen and expand its programs to meet its core mission, Kikano said.

In early 2022, the CMU Board of Trustees formed a Health Care Special Committee to examine CMU’s current and potential contributions to health care within Michigan and throughout the Great Lakes Bay Region. Later that year, following a report from the committee, the Trustees approved recommendations to increase capacity and strengthen impact of CMU’s health professions and medical education programs.

Following this directive in 2023, CMU began discussions with community partners throughout the region to identify opportunities for growth. One option discussed was a presence in the Medical Diamond Project—a collaborative effort led by entities including City of Saginaw, County of Saginaw, Saginaw Future Inc., and Saginaw Chamber of Commerce.

In late summer 2023, President Davies and Dr. Kikano sent an email to faculty and staff introducing that university was considering shifting College of Medicine to Medical Diamond in Saginaw.

“The current Mount Pleasant facility for College of Medicine was built to accommodate a cohort size of roughly 60 students; we are currently admitting classes of 104 students,” Kikano said. “Because we have outgrown our space our students are split between campuses. This separation is not best practice; we are losing opportunities for peer-to-peer education training.”

In addition to medical education taking place in Saginaw there are several other CMU College Medicine clinics buildings programs area: medical education building Stone Street adjacent Covenant Hospital Women Children Center also Saginaw Medical Education Partners—collaborative organization between CMU Covenant HealthCare Ascension St Mary Hospital (soon MyMichigan Health)—manages Graduate Medical Education (GME) Programs growing footprint clinical services GME programs existed since 1947 today has more than residents per year eight accredited specialty programs Faculty residents essential education mentorship medical students

Based on need bring medical education back together one location considering existing presence region Board Trustees passed resolution December meeting commits university begin fundraising efforts support consolidation Saginaw

Kikano said while medical education training move new building many important programs remain Mount Pleasant space currently occupied campus allow expansion development new healthcare education programs according President Bob Davies

“With growing needs healthcare region looking expand other health professions programs well” Davies said “Programs like physician assistant nursing physical therapy athletic training others able grow those spaces”

To realize success expansion consolidation fundraising goal $200 million set Included within goal funds scholarships research support other related programs

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