A year ago, two universities were vying to open the first medical school in the San Joaquin Valley. On Wednesday, one took a big step forward—while the other fizzled.
California Health Sciences University on Wednesday broke ground on a new campus in Clovis, which is slated to house its proposed College of Osteopathic Medicine. The school is expected to begin enrolling students in the fall of 2020.
For some time, a corporation based in India had also planned to open a second medical school in downtown Fresno around the same time. But the dean of the proposed California Central Valley College of Osteopathic Medicine confirmed the plans for that school have been scrapped. Delays in paperwork from the state led to a reorganization of leadership and the school is no longer being planned for California.
Meanwhile, a recent report out of the University of California Office of the Presidentalso proposed next steps for a medical school at UC Merced, but the university would not confirm a timeline.