Message from founding Dean Spann
Welcome! The College of Medicine grew out of the University of Houston’s desire to play a greater role in improving the overall health and health care resources of this city and this state. We intend to accomplish this bold undertaking by establishing a medical school that will produce a diverse group of graduates with a deep understanding of the social determinants of health and a commitment to providing compassionate, high value care to underserved populations.
We are doing this because we can. And because we should.
UH has long had strong programs in the biomedical sciences, Tier One research in the health-related fields and a proud tradition of clinical outreach to the community. We are drawing on those recognized strengths to take the next big step and develop a medical school that will help meet a clearly identified need for more and better primary care physicians in our state. Today, Texas has 71 per 100,000 people – which ranks us an alarming 47th out of 50 states. Our distinctive focus on preparing primary care doctors with a better understanding of community health disparities will differentiate us from all other medical schools in Texas and from most institutions across the United States.
We are moving ahead with our ambitious plans cautiously but confidently. The UH System Board of Regents has endorsed our offering a doctoral degree in medicine, and we will soon be requesting similar approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. We have initiated the development of our application for accreditation by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME). We have designated premium space in the University’s state of the art Health 2 Building to accommodate our operations for the first few years before moving into our permanent home.
On this website, you will find a number of documents that offer important information about our mission, the advisory committees that are helping guide our efforts, and a detailed rationale for establishing the University of Houston Medical School. But what you won’t find neatly published on these web pages is the passion that has propelled this worthy enterprise. Many people have offered unflagging support to bring this dream of starting a medical school ever closer to completion. For that, our appreciation is immeasurable.
We plan to enroll our first class after the LCME provides accreditation. What a great day that will be for UH, for Houston and for Texas.
Regards,
Stephen J. Spann, M.D., M.B.A.
Vice President for Medical Affairs and Founding Dean of the College of Medicine
