Becker's Hospital Review

73 Physician Affairs B y the time the average medical student finishes medical school, they have accrued quite a bit of debt. For the average allopathic medi- cal student in 2014, total debt totaled $180,000, while the average osteopathic graduate accrued $200,000 in debt in 2012, according to data published by U.S. News & World Report. For students at the following universities, their debt is even higher. Here are the top 10 medical schools where graduates accrued the most debt, ranked by U.S. News & World Report in order of highest average indebtedness of 2013 graduates. 1. Western University of Health Sciences (Pomona, Calif.) 2014-2015 annual tuition and fees: $52,255 Average indebtedness: $239,680 2. West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (Lewisburg) 2014-2015 tuition and fees: $21,650 (in-state); $51,400 (out-of-state) Average indebtedness: $236,931 3. University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine (Biddeford, Maine) Tuition and fees: $52,435 Average indebtedness: $236,444 4. Nova Southeastern University (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) Tuition and fees: $46,140 (in-state); $50,430 (out-of-state) Average indebtedness: $224,685 5. Georgetown University (Washington, D.C.) Tuition and fees: $55,136 Average indebtedness: $224,000 6. Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine (Parker, Colo.) Tuition and fees: $48,578 Average indebtedness: $222,607 7. University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine (Los Angeles) Tuition and fees: $57,091 Average indebtedness: $219,473 8. George Washington University (Washington, D.C.) Tuition and fees: $54,183 Average indebtedness: $218,356 9. New York Medical College (Valhalla) Tuition and fees: $54,246 Average indebtedness: $216,631 10. Michigan State University College of Human Medicine (East Lansing) Tuition and fees: $31,349 (in-state); $62,845 (out-of-state) Average indebtedness: $214,952 n H alf of each incoming class at New York City-based Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai will soon be nontradition- al medical students — students who didn't take the MCAT and who studied humanities in college. Mount Sinai's medical school is expanding and revamping its HuMed program, a program that guarantees humanities students from select lib- eral arts schools admission to the school after their sophomore year, according to NPR. HuMed students study science over the summer at Mount Sinai, freeing them up to study what they want during the school year. Established in 1987 by then-dean of medical edu- cation Nathan Kase, MD, the HuMed program was meant to diversify the class and help reduce "pre-med syndrome," when students are laser- focused on acing science courses, to the point of unsociability and extreme competitiveness. Dr. Kase believed a foundation in the liberal arts helped students relate to patients and communi- cate, making for well-rounded physicians. Studies show that HuMed students are just as successful as their science-based counterparts, according to NPR. Plus, they are more likely to become primary care physicians or psychiatrists. Due to the success of the HuMed program in rounding out medical classes, Mount Sinai has decided to revamp the program under the name "FlexMed." FlexMed will be open to students from any major at any university and, eventually, half the admitted medical class each year will be admitted through the program, according to the report. "People who look at the same problems through different lenses will make us better in the long run," Mount Sinai's current dean of medical edu- cation, David Muller, MD, told NPR. "Now, can I prove that's going to be the case? No. But I'd like to believe that it is." n 10 Medical Schools With Highest Student Debt By Emily Rappleye Why is This Medical School Trying to Lure English Majors? By Emily Rappleye BECKER'S HOSPITAL REVIEW CEO ROUNDTABLE + CFO/CIO ROUNDTABLE Register at www.beckershospitalreview.com 44 CEO SPEAKERS • 33 CFO & CIO SPEAKERS • 99 HOSPITAL SYSTEM SPEAKERS KEYNOTES BY CLEVELAND CLINIC CEO DR. TOBY COSGROVE & ASCENSION CEO DR. ANTHONY TERSIGNI

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