Please Read and Comment
Students would like to maintain a uniquely Osteopathic Education and have a place to practice while they are doing so. With the proposition of a buyout, the fact that SMMC is not an Osteopathic hospital must be understood. It is unlikely this institution will foster the climate of Osteopathy that we, as students, are interested in maintaining.
Accreditation is up for review in January 2010. With this much of a decrease in clinical faculty, Dr. Bates has stated we will not be able to pass. The inability to pass this review is due to the significant reduction in student to faculty ratio and the reduced amount of time students are able to spend with clinicians.
Recently, Dr. Ripich made a decision to close down UHC and terminate the entire clinical faculty including the OMM faculty keeping only the heads of the departments.
1. The quality of our education will undoubtedly suffer. SMMC has already said they will not allow physicians working for them to have more than 30% of their time purchased by UNECOM. This said, we currently have 8 OMT-only faculty, allocating 40-60% of their time to UNECOM activities. There is no guarantee from SMMC stating the physicians currently on staff will be rehired.
2. The cost of our education is one of the highest in the country. Closing the student clinic will decrease opportunities for preceptorships and decrease the overall quality of our education without a concurrent reduction in our tuition.
3. The further dilution of Osteopathic culture which will occur with the closure of UHC fundamentally alters the character the students expect and demand from this institution. Students matriculated to a school with a strong foundation in Osteopathy and community service, but the closure of UHC is radically opposed to these ideals.
4. The NMM residency operated jointly by the University and UHC is being put into jeopardy at a time when GME is calling for the expansion of residency positions.
5. Because of the need to buy out contracts and the cost to shut down UHC, there will be an incredible financial burden placed on the students who will in turn see no dividends. Closure of UHC will have an immediate financial impact to the University potentially in excess of two million dollars. President Ripich argues that the clinic’s budget should not be subsidized with student tuition. The use of tuition money for the closing of UHC is by far more inappropriate than using the money toward UHC and our education. The expense of University Health Care is one of the factors that contributes to the cost of our education and should not be viewed as a burden.
***Dr. Pezzullo states that UHC had a profit in July of over 200k which is the first profit in over ten years. This shows that his hard work was turning the financial situation around and may have led to future profits. It clearly will cost far more to close it down. The most appropriate financial decision is to rescind the closing of UHC and keep it with UNECOM.
*** It is less expensive to have the faculty hired by UNE than to hire them as adjunct.
6. The potential loss of accreditation would dramatically affect all students' careers, but would have particular significance to those students who are participating in military HPSP scholarships. These students would no longer be allowed to study at UNECOM, as participants in the HPSP program are required to attend accredited medical schools. However, military student physicians are still under contract to the United States Army/Navy/Air Force. These students would have two choices; one would be to transfer to another Osteopathic medical school. The other would be to immediately repay the United States Government over $80,000 in tuition, fees, expenses, and stipends (approximation of total disbursement to current second year students).
**This fact was obtained through direct communication with the United States Army HPSP Office of Student Management.
7. The decision to close UHC and terminate the associated faculty was made unilaterally and without regard to the input of students or faculty. The full COM Board of Trustees was not apprised of the situation before action was taken. This further highlights the lack of transparency with financial matters and institutional planning.
8. This should all be viewed in light of the fact that plans are in progress to nearly double class size. Doubling of class size with dramatic reductions in OMM faculty will seriously dilute the Osteopathic character of our school, a fact which many students find simply unpalatable.
Accreditation is up for review in January 2010. With this much of a decrease in clinical faculty, Dr. Bates has stated we will not be able to pass. The inability to pass this review is due to the significant reduction in student to faculty ratio and the reduced amount of time students are able to spend with clinicians.
Recently, Dr. Ripich made a decision to close down UHC and terminate the entire clinical faculty including the OMM faculty keeping only the heads of the departments.
1. The quality of our education will undoubtedly suffer. SMMC has already said they will not allow physicians working for them to have more than 30% of their time purchased by UNECOM. This said, we currently have 8 OMT-only faculty, allocating 40-60% of their time to UNECOM activities. There is no guarantee from SMMC stating the physicians currently on staff will be rehired.
2. The cost of our education is one of the highest in the country. Closing the student clinic will decrease opportunities for preceptorships and decrease the overall quality of our education without a concurrent reduction in our tuition.
3. The further dilution of Osteopathic culture which will occur with the closure of UHC fundamentally alters the character the students expect and demand from this institution. Students matriculated to a school with a strong foundation in Osteopathy and community service, but the closure of UHC is radically opposed to these ideals.
4. The NMM residency operated jointly by the University and UHC is being put into jeopardy at a time when GME is calling for the expansion of residency positions.
5. Because of the need to buy out contracts and the cost to shut down UHC, there will be an incredible financial burden placed on the students who will in turn see no dividends. Closure of UHC will have an immediate financial impact to the University potentially in excess of two million dollars. President Ripich argues that the clinic’s budget should not be subsidized with student tuition. The use of tuition money for the closing of UHC is by far more inappropriate than using the money toward UHC and our education. The expense of University Health Care is one of the factors that contributes to the cost of our education and should not be viewed as a burden.
***Dr. Pezzullo states that UHC had a profit in July of over 200k which is the first profit in over ten years. This shows that his hard work was turning the financial situation around and may have led to future profits. It clearly will cost far more to close it down. The most appropriate financial decision is to rescind the closing of UHC and keep it with UNECOM.
*** It is less expensive to have the faculty hired by UNE than to hire them as adjunct.
6. The potential loss of accreditation would dramatically affect all students' careers, but would have particular significance to those students who are participating in military HPSP scholarships. These students would no longer be allowed to study at UNECOM, as participants in the HPSP program are required to attend accredited medical schools. However, military student physicians are still under contract to the United States Army/Navy/Air Force. These students would have two choices; one would be to transfer to another Osteopathic medical school. The other would be to immediately repay the United States Government over $80,000 in tuition, fees, expenses, and stipends (approximation of total disbursement to current second year students).
**This fact was obtained through direct communication with the United States Army HPSP Office of Student Management.
7. The decision to close UHC and terminate the associated faculty was made unilaterally and without regard to the input of students or faculty. The full COM Board of Trustees was not apprised of the situation before action was taken. This further highlights the lack of transparency with financial matters and institutional planning.
8. This should all be viewed in light of the fact that plans are in progress to nearly double class size. Doubling of class size with dramatic reductions in OMM faculty will seriously dilute the Osteopathic character of our school, a fact which many students find simply unpalatable.
Until these concerns are sufficiently addressed, the students of UNECOM will not settle for what they are given, they will fight for what they expect and deserve from this great institution.
The best decision for students educationally is to keep UHC with UNECOM.
The best financial decision is to rescind the termination of clinical faculty as well as OMM faculty and keep our faculty intact.
UHC is an educational expense, as are the faculty. They have always been a part of the tuition.
The best decision for students educationally is to keep UHC with UNECOM.
The best financial decision is to rescind the termination of clinical faculty as well as OMM faculty and keep our faculty intact.
UHC is an educational expense, as are the faculty. They have always been a part of the tuition.