The More in Common Alliance strategy to increase diversity in undergraduate medical education has two distinct prongs, unified by community need. The first prong — recruitment into Morehouse School of Medicine from underserved communities — actually builds on the foundation of the second prong, which is establishing medical campuses at five CommonSpirit Health facilities across the nation. As these facility locations are identified and accredited for clinical rotations by third- and fourth-year medical students, prospective applicants from that facility’s surrounding community will be recruited to begin their medical education in Atlanta at Morehouse School of Medicine. In this way, these students will be best positioned to complete their studies and ultimately practice in their home communities.
Undergraduate training began at regional campus facilities in Chattanooga, Tennessee; Lexington, Kentucky; and Seattle, Washington in 2021 and 2022. Hospital sites in Columbus and Albany, Georgia are being established in coming months. From these communities, targeted recruitment for first- and second-year medical education will follow, with a goal of doubling enrollment at MSM in Atlanta from 100 to 200 seats per class.
As these efforts continue, Morehouse School of Medicine will train its proven data-focused lens on enrollment patterns to determine the impact of More in Common Alliance recruitment tactics and continue to refine these to maximize representative health care access in communities with greatest need.
Community benefit at the forefront
Consistent with More in Common Alliance strategies at all levels, this work to develop more physicians from and for these communities is undertaken in collaboration with regional government, social service, health care, education, and family stakeholders without whose input and support they cannot succeed. The longitudinal benefit to the region in terms of economic vitality and public health are key drivers of the process at every stage.