The University of Minnesota Medical School is expanding for the first time in 50 years.
The Board of Regents approved a new CentraCare Regional Campus in St. Cloud this week.
Dr. Jakub Tolar is Dean of the University of Minnesota's medical school and says the expansion is critical in addressing the gap in physicians available to Minnesotans.
"Since, I would say 1972, there has not been an increase or a significant one," says Tolar. "There may be a spot or two in the number of physicians trained in the State of Minnesota."
The population of Minnesota has increased by 50 percent since the Medical School added the Duluth campus in 1972.
Tolar says the expansion will expand the Medical School's class by 24 students per year, beginning in 2025, with the program educating 96 students by 2029.
They expect to increase the overall class size by ten percent. The St. Cloud-based Medical School campus at CentraCare will focus on educating physicians across specialties to address the unique healthcare needs of rural Minnesotans and immigrant populations.
Founded in 1888 as the College of Medicine and Surgery, the University of Minnesota Medical School has evolved over time to become a leader in medical education and research nationwide.