Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University

Establishment

The Frank H. Netter M.D. School of Medicine was established in 2010 with a $100 million investment from the family of Frank H. Netter, the renowned surgeon and medical illustrator. It received preliminary accreditation from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), preliminary accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), and full accreditation from the Connecticut State Board of Education in 2012. It welcomed its first class in 2013. As of February 2017, the school of medicine received full accreditation from the LCME.

Netter is one of about a dozen new medical schools established in anticipation of increased demand for medical professionals following the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the aging of the baby boomer generation. It is notable for its commitment to primary care, stating that it hopes 50% of its graduates will go into primary care positions. By contrast, other medical schools graduate an average of 20% of their doctors into primary care positions. It has even been called a "magnet school for primary care".

For the class of 2019, there were 7,556 applicants for 91 spots. For matriculants, the mean MCAT score was 32.48, the mean total GPA was 3.62, and the mean age was 24. Within several years, the school plans to expand its class size to 125, putting it more in line with other medical schools around the country. The estimated annual budget for a student is $73,141, which is comparable to other medical schools.

The school currently offers a Primary Care Fellowship provided that the student commits to four years of primary care practice following residency. There is also a Prematriculation Program during the summer for students who may need some extra preparation before beginning medical school. The school does not currently offer a Joint Admissions program for incoming QU Freshman classes.

Curriculum

Students participate in the longitudinal Medical Student Home (MeSH) program starting in their first semester, working one half-day each week in the offices of primary care doctors throughout their first three years of medical school. Students spend their third and fourth years rotating through internships in various departments at St. Vincent's and other affiliated hospitals (such as MidState Medical Center and Middlesex Hospital Connecticut). Quinnipiac completed its own 145,000 square foot medical facility on March 1, 2013. The Medical School facility is located adjacent to the facilities for the Schools of Health Sciences and Nursing, and students of all three schools are expected to interact frequently with each other through classes and the Center for Interprofessional Healthcare Education.

Throughout the entire medical school experience, each student pursues a capstone project in one of the following fields:

1. Global, public, and community health
2. Health policy and advocacy
3. Health management and leadership
4. Health communication
5. Medical education
6. Translational, clinical, and basic science research
7. Medical humanities
8. Self-designed