The College of Medicine will officially open doors to students on July 20 after being granted preliminary accreditation, the University announced Wednesday.
The first class will include 30 medical students, all having their tuition and fees covered through $100,000 4-year scholarships. This will be the first medical school built in Houston in almost 50 years.
“Today is a historic day for the University of Houston, city of Houston and the state of Texas because we are building this dream together,” said President Renu Khator in a news release.
UH first received approval to offer a doctor of medicine degree program from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in August 2019. After applying in March 2019, the University received its preliminary accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education.
Receiving the accreditation was the final step of opening the medical school.
The College of Medicine will strive to help medically underserved communities in Houston and throughout Texas.
“Our dedicated faculty and students will work tirelessly, with boots on the ground in clinics across the city, to advance healthcare delivery and ultimately improve the well-being of our communities,” Khator said.
Within ten years of the program’s opening, there will be an approximate $377 million contribution to the regional economy, according to the news release.
“By training the next generation of compassionate physicians who understand how to provide quality health care at a reasonable cost, we are expanding our capabilities to serve the people and neighborhoods too often left behind,” Khator said.