The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced plans July 29 to establish a private, faith-affiliated medical school at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.
The church envisions an institution "unlike many medical schools," with a focus on teaching and research in areas strategically important to the church, such as international health issues affecting its members and global humanitarian efforts.
In a brief statement, the church clarified that the BYU medical school will not develop its own hospital or hospital system. Instead, the university is in discussions with Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Health about a mutually beneficial clinical relationship.
Intermountain, in a separate statement, said it "will engage with BYU in exploring and defining what a future relationship might be."
While the church did not provide specific dates or timelines for the medical school's establishment, it emphasized its intention to recruit students both from abroad and within the United States.
Details regarding potential class size, planned infrastructure, and funding were not specified. In fielding questions from the Salt Lake Tribune, BYU President C. Shane Reese shared a statement noting that a planning team is being established to work on this initiative and more information will be shared as plans develop.
The University of Utah, which has a medical school with classes built to exceed 120 students, said in a statement that, "BYU's internationally-focused health education plans complement University of Utah Health's state-focused mission and offer new opportunities to serve growing healthcare needs locally and around the world."
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has 17.2 million members around the globe. In 2018, the church asked that its members and others refer to the church by its full name instead of using terms like Mormon Church.