Brigham Young University will launch its own medical school.
Leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which owns the university in Provo, announced the decision on Monday.
In a statement, the church said “a major focus will be on international health issues affecting members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Church’s worldwide humanitarian efforts.”
Mormon studies scholars have said the faith’s leadership has had an increasing international focus.
The announcement didn’t set a timeline for when the new school will open or say where it will be located but said plans are already underway.
“It is envisioned that, unlike many medical schools, the BYU medical school will be focused on teaching with research in areas of strategic importance to the Church. In time the school will draw students from within and outside the United States,” the statement read.
BYU President Shane Reese said on social media, “a planning team is being established to work on this initiative and more information will be shared as plans develop. This is an exciting day for the BYU community.”
Unlike The University of Utah’s medical school, the plan is not to create a hospital or hospital system. Instead, “BYU and Intermountain Health are discussing a mutually beneficial clinical relationship,” the church’s statement said. “Collaborative relationships with various entities in Utah, including the University of Utah,” are also anticipated.
For its part, Intermountain Health said it, “will engage with BYU in exploring and defining what a future relationship might be” as well as “continuing its clinical relationship with the University of Utah.”
Leaders at the University of Utah were quick to respond positively to the announcement.
“With a new medical school in the state, the U and BYU can strive to meet existing and future health care professional shortages, provide more opportunities for aspiring medical providers and contribute to the health care needs of patients in our region and around the globe,” President Taylor Randall said in a statement.
The international focus for BYU’s proposed medical school complements “University of Utah Health’s state-focused mission and offer new opportunities to serve growing health care needs locally and around the world,” the statement continued.
The University of Utah is currently the only Doctor of Medicine-granting school in the state. There are also two Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine schools, Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine in Provo and a Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine campus in Ivins.
In its statement, the university mentioned planning for a regional medical campus in St. George that would be a partnership with Intermountain Health and Utah Tech University but offered no further details. It said plans would be discussed during the 2025 General Legislative Session.
Sam Finlayson, interim dean of the University of Utah’s Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, said they receive “well over 2,000 applications for just 125 positions in each medical school class, highlighting the high demand for medical education in our region and the need to expand the state’s educational infrastructure.”
In 2023, the majority of BYU graduates who attended a Doctor of Medicine school went to the University of Utah, according to data from the school. A majority of BYU graduates who went to osteopathic schools went to Noorda or Rocky Vista.
While details about the new medical school are still sparse, Dr. Richard Ferguson, president of the Black Physicians of Utah, welcomed the news. He said one concern he has is about where students will be able to train. Especially since BYU won’t have its own hospital. From his experience talking with students and those in the medical field, there are already not enough training spots for the Noorda students in Provo.
“You’re more likely to retain someone if you have residency training programs,” Ferguson said.
BYU is a landmark institution, however, so he predicts it will be able to leverage its relationships to have places for students to train.
He would also like to see the new program focus on cultural competency in addition to its international vision. Across the state, Ferguson said there are geographic areas and populations, like refugees and people of color, that are underserved and don’t have access to the health care they need.
And while the church is a global faith, Ferguson said he wants BYU’s school to take care of Utah’s needs first, its physician shortage, instead of looking beyond its borders right out of the gate. That includes getting future BYU medical grads to stay in Utah.
“There’s so much that needs to be done here,” he said.
Even with the state’s apparent needs, Ferguson hopes BYU takes its time and has a solid plan.
“Rushing it will probably not address the primary care shortage, that will take some time.”