COVID-19 has both exposed and exacerbated health care disparities, especially among our low-income communities. In a nation of plenty--and a region renowned for health care and innovation--too many people still lack access to basic medical services.
There aren't enough doctors to serve everyone, especially in the primary care practice so vital to overall wellbeing. And the shortfall will only worsen in the years to come. Medical schools across the country have increased enrollment, but a growing, aging population--coupled with the impending retirement of thousands of active physicians--amplifies the urgency of the need. We are answering the call.
Upon a projected opening in 2024, Duquesne will emerge as a leader, being one of only a very few nationally ranked, top-tier private research universities in America with a College of Osteopathic Medicine. By leveraging our existing schools, programs and facilities, we'll be poised to immediately become a global leader in truly integrative health care.
The University will construct an 80,000 square-foot building on Forbes Avenue, providing a highly visible home for the College of Osteopathic Medicine. Our holistic approach includes areas for formal classroom learning, experiential and immersive learning (including advanced simulation technologies), student interaction and administration. An additional 20,000 square feet of existing space will be renovated to house a health sciences library and the University's new Center for Student Wellbeing.
Our building will incorporate the most advanced technologies in a state-of-the-art simulation hospital setting. Animation graphics and virtual and augmented reality systems will allow for realism in immersion training that human subjects, cadavers or even sophisticated mannequins can't match.
Our curriculum is being designed with a focus on training related to cultural bias and health disparities. Personal commitment to service will be emphasized in recruiting diverse students and faculty.
We project a total investment of $151 million during the seven-year startup period (fiscal years 2019-2025). Of this total, we seek to raise at least $87 million from philanthropic partners and government agencies. This is, by far, the most ambitious development objective in our history--one made even more challenging by the fact that, as a new school, there is no direct alumni base from which to seek gifts.
Whatever your interest or capacity, there's an opportunity for you to help make history:
- Naming opportunities are available for the School, the building and spaces inside the structure.
- Funding for endowed chairs, professorships, scholarships and fellowships will help us assemble a talented and diverse faculty and student body, including young women and men who could otherwise not afford medical study and those who wish to pursue family practice and primary care careers in underserved areas.
- Support for students' professional equipment and supplies (virtual reality headsets, hand-held ultrasounds, specialized tablets, stethoscopes, etc.) serves as an virtual "scholarship" by reducing the overall cost of attendance.