The Indiana University School of Medicine-Lafayette is expanding in scope and size. The program located on the Purdue campus took on 39 third years students this year. It will offer four years of medical education next year.
Dr. Gordon Coppoc, associate dean and program director, says third and fourth year students do their clerkships with doctors throughout Greater Lafayette.
The main goal is to gain hands-on experience, but he says another is to get them interested in the community.
"Where they had some really great experiences and that they'd be more likely to go back to that community to practice," he says. "And a statistical study reveals that in fact there was, I think the number is, 40% increased likelihood that they would go back."
Class size also is growing. First and second year students will increase from 16 per class to 24 by 2014.
When the School of Medicine moves into the new Lyles-Porter Hall on campus, those classes could have up to 32 students each.
Jerrod Day is one of the new third year students. At first, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to spend more than two-years in the Lafayette area.
"What really kind of stood out to me was the one-on-one time with the physicians and the little bit more patient contact I thought I would get staying here," he says. "Getting to see what we've been studying come to life and getting to participate a little more in my patients' care. It brings to mind why I wanted to do medicine."
Prior to this year, third year students did their clerkships in Indianapolis.