Health

HEALTH • Fall 2017 17 H Springfield satellite But the interests of new UMMS students may be somewhat different than in the past, particu- larly with the opening of the regional campus in Springfield. In partnership with Baystate Health, the Springfield campus is the site of the Population-based Urban and Rural Community Health (PURCH) track. The 22 students who were accepted into the track receive additional education and training in the social determinates of the health of a population, according to Dr. Andrew Artenstein, regional executive dean of UMMS' Baystate campus. They receive classroom instruction in Worcester, and spend a few days a month in Springfield during their first two years of medical school. But PURCH clinical rotations will take place within the Baystate system. Artenstein said students will focus on popula- tion health management, quality and safety and leadership, in a region with a number of challeng- es, such as high incidence of diabetes and heart disease, and opioid addiction. Baystate also ser- vices both rural and urban populations that are underserved in many areas. "We have a number of interesting challenges which these students are amazingly enthusiastic to tackle," Artenstein said. The hope is some graduates will put roots down and practice medicine in the region. While shortages in primary care are a pressing problem, Artenstein said there are shortages many special- ty areas, too. What's important, he said, is PURCH students are learning how to influence health, and not just treat the sick. "We need talent in all areas who are going to be able to really transform healthcare," Artenstein said. Salaries lag One of the challenges Massachusetts faces in attracting doctors to live and work here is, on average, physician income is lower than U.S. aver- ages, despite a high cost of living. That's accord- ing to the 2015 Physician Practice Environment Index published by the Massachusetts Medical Society (MMS), the professional organization rep- resenting Massachusetts doctors. According to MMS, the median Massachusetts physician income was $261,700 in 2014, compared to a U.S. median of $298,700. Bigger classes, more schools Overall, though, the practice environment was improving when the 2015 index was published, and that coincided with a continued increase in medical school enrollment. Since 2002, enroll- ment grew 23 percent nationally, according to MMS, due to expanding class sizes, as well as the opening of 17 new medical schools. Dr. Henry Dorkin, president of the MMS, said lower average physician earnings in Massachusetts are due in part to the fact it's an attractive place to live.. But shortages, particularly in lower-paying fields like primary care, persist. He noted many graduates face crippling debt, as high as $400,000. To remedy this, Dorkin advocated for enhanc- ing government loan forgiveness programs for medical school graduates, through lowering inter- est rates and forgiving greater chunks of debt. Meanwhile, Dorkin said he's encouraged by the work UMMS has done to increase class size. As a school with a strong focus on primary care, he said it will likely be an effective tool in bolstering the availability of primary care and other doctors here. "They're doing exactly the kind of the thing that is going to help us train more physicians and hopefully have more of them practice here in Massachusetts," Dorkin said. To t a l a p p l i c a n t s - 3 , 6 1 4 To t a l m a t r i c u l a t e s - 1 6 2 M a s s . r e s i d e n t s - 1 3 1 N o n - r e s i d e n t s - 3 1 A v e r a g e u n d e r g r a d u a t e G PA - 3 . 7 3 A v e r a g e M C AT - 8 8 t h p e r c e n t i l e The University of Massachusetts Medical School admits more students than it used to, but it's still highly selective. Here's a snapshot of the Class of 2021, which began classes this fall. Source: University of Massachusetts Medical School Class profile Students participate in clinical rounds at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester. "We need talent in all areas who are going to able to really transform healthcare" Dr Andrew Artenstein, Regional Executive Dean of UMMS' Baystate campus

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