PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The First State is getting its first four-year medical school.
Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer announced a partnership on Tuesday with Thomas Jefferson University to open a regional campus of Sidney Kimmel Medical College.
Delaware ranks last in the country when it comes to primary care access. Health officials hope the school will help change that number.
Kevin Myers, Meyer’s deputy policy director, said the future medical school would be a game-changer for Delaware. “The time to do more to support the physician workforce is now,” said Myers.
Delaware is currently one of the only three states in the nation without a college that grants a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degree.
“That means we're one of only 3 states in the country where you can't become a doctor,” Myers explained.
Jefferson University President Dr. Susan Aldridge said the partnership hopes to tackle Delaware’s physician shortage.
“We've been serving medical students from the state of Delaware for a number of years, but sometimes they return to Delaware and sometimes they go to other locations,” she said. “We're looking to create a pipeline of physicians for the future of Delaware.”
The project is funded through a $157 million grant from the state’s Rural Health Transformation Program, which focuses on expanding healthcare access to rural communities.
“This medical school is going to have a really high focus on rural primary care for the initial cohorts,” said Myers. “Everyone that goes through the program, that commits to practicing in rural Delaware and serving rural Delawareans, will get their tuition covered.”
Jefferson says it will welcome its first class of 40 students by July 2028. It will host classes at the University of Delaware’s campus for the first two years.
