Somewhere in Tennessee, a family will one day sit across from a healthcare professional they have never met. They may be facing a difficult diagnosis, welcoming a new baby, recovering from an injury or searching for answers about their health. They may never know where the doctor, nurse, therapist or other healthcare professional caring for them received their education. But there is a good chance that person was Made in Tennessee, through the education and training provided by the University of Tennessee Health Sciences.
Preparing the next generation of healthcare professionals takes more than dedicated faculty and talented students. It also takes a commitment to providing the spaces, technology and hands-on experiences that prepare them for the challenges they will face. That commitment is taking shape through Tennessee’s investment in the new College of Medicine Interdisciplinary Building (COMIB) at UT Health Sciences, which will help prepare future healthcare professionals to serve communities across the state.
At the recent groundbreaking, Ophelia Pilkinton, president of the College of Medicine Class of 2027, put it this way:
“Somewhere, right now, there are patients we have never met, patients who do not know our names and don’t know what their futures hold,” she said. “But someday, one of those patients may sit across from one of the students who learns in this building. That is what we are breaking ground for today.”
Ophelia’s words capture the purpose of this investment: preparing more healthcare professionals to care for Tennesseans in the moments that matter most.
The Tennessee General Assembly committed $311 million toward the $350 million project, marking the largest state-funded capital investment in Tennessee higher education history. The building will allow UT Health Sciences to expand its annual medical school class from 175 to 250 students and double annual enrollment in its Physician Assistant Program from 30 to 60 students.