A new private, for-profit medical school could still be a possibility in Montana despite earlier concerns from regional leaders and educators, according to the Great Falls Tribune.
New Mexico entrepreneur Dan Burrell proposed the idea of a Montana medical school this fall. Earlier this month, a feasibility study by his organization, The Burrell Group, preliminarily determined the city of Bozeman would be a suitable site for a private medical school in Montana. Bozeman also houses Montana State University. But officials at MSU believed the idea was too premature. They worried about Montana's capacity for clerkship training and residencies for medical students.
Now, officials at The Burrell Group hope to create the medical school elsewhere in the state.
"There are a number of spots in Montana where the medical school could go, and which would benefit from having the medical school in their community," said John Goodnow, interim president of the proposed medical school and CEO of Great Falls, Mont.-based Benefis Health System, one of the school's partners. "The important thing is for Montana to have its own medical school, to address the current and growing physician shortage in our state, not the location."
Mr. Burrell wants to move forward with the plan, as he believes the medical school would be beneficial not only to Montana, but also to Idaho, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming.
Additionally, Mr. Goodnow has said Great Falls could be a potential host for the school. "Since MSU has withdrawn, Great Falls could make its case to the Burrell Group as an alternative location — which would love the medical school in our community," he said.