A New Medical School Is Opening Nearby. What Do Health Systems Do First?

Why It Matters

Early collaboration turns new medical schools into reliable sources of physicians, directly addressing looming workforce gaps and strengthening community health outcomes.

Key Takeaways

• Build relationships with new schools before classes start
• Create clinical and residency pathways for local students
• Leverage partnerships to diversify the physician workforce
• Non‑teaching hospitals can become teaching affiliates
• Early pipelines boost regional economic and health equity

Pulse Analysis

Health‑system executives are racing to turn the latest wave of medical schools into a sustainable physician pipeline. The United States faces an estimated shortfall of up to 86,000 doctors by 2036, a gap that new MD and DO programs alone cannot fill. By establishing formal partnerships before the inaugural class arrives, hospitals can secure preferred training slots, influence curriculum focus, and align residency slots with local workforce needs. Early engagement also signals commitment to community‑based education, attracting students who are more likely to practice where they train.

Beyond the classroom, the real leverage point is residency. Data consistently show that physicians practice near their residency training sites, making residency placement a critical lever for long‑term staffing. Health systems that have not traditionally served as teaching hospitals can now host clinical rotations and residency programs, converting existing infrastructure into educational assets. This approach not only expands the pool of future hires but also diversifies the talent pipeline by offering opportunities to students from underserved backgrounds, which research links to improved patient trust and outcomes.

The early‑adopter advantage is already evident. Cook County Health in Chicago, Bayhealth in Delaware, and Endeavor Health in Evanston have launched mentorship, clinical exposure, and residency tracks tied to new schools. These initiatives have yielded tangible results—hundreds of thousands of patient encounters and committed graduates staying in their home regions. For health systems, the formula is clear: move fast, embed training pathways, and align educational goals with community health priorities to turn new medical schools into a strategic asset for workforce stability and equity.