UAMS College of Medicine
Encyclopedia
UAMS College of Medicine is a medical school that is part of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
, a state-run university
in the U.S. state
of Arkansas
and part of the University of Arkansas System
. The primary campus is located in Little Rock
and is affiliated with UAMS Medical Center
, Arkansas Children's Hospital
, and Central Arkansas Veterans HealthCare System. A branch campus, UAMS Northwest
is located in Fayetteville
. It is the only medical school in Arkansas.
). The medical school was housed in several locations during the early 20th century, including the Old State House
, the former Arkansas State Capitol
, before using funding provided by Franklin D. Roosevelt's Public Works Administration and an Arkansas tax on beer and liquor to build a new campus in 1935 next to the Little Rock City Hospital. In 1951, Arkansas Governor Sid McMath used cigarette tax funds to construct a new University Hospital on a 26-acre site on West Markham Street in what was then the outskirts of Little Rock. The College of Medicine moved to this location in 1956 when construction on the new University of Arkansas Medical Center was completed and remains there today. Since 1956 the UAMS College of Medicine and medical center have expanded from a medical school with a charity hospital to a large academic health center with numerous related health colleges and research institutes.
at the site of the former Washington Regional Medical Center
. The proximity to the main campus of the University of Arkansas
and a rapidly growing region of the state with modern healthcare facilities were promoted as significant benefits to the Northwest Arkansas location, and the official announcement and political campaign for the location began on June 13, 2006. Approval was granted by state officials in December 2007, and a fundraising campaign for necessary facility renovations was initiated, with the initial $3 million goal reached in November 2008. Phase 1 of the renovations provided new classroom, student, and administrative space and was completed in 2009. Phase 2 includes additional classrooms, teaching laboratories, and distance learning resources to connect with the Little Rock campus and will be complete in 2011.
The location allowed the administration to expand the enrollment of the College of Medicine from 150 to 160 in 2007, and then up to 174 in 2009, where it remains now. Students attend their first two years of classroom education at the primary campus in Little Rock, at which point a designated number of students volunteer or are selected to attend their final two years of clinical education at UAMS Northwest
, with optional rotations in Little Rock and out of state their fourth year. The first medical students arrived at UAMS Northwest in 2009, and students from the college of pharmacy expanded enrollment in a similar arrangement with their first group of students selected to arrive in the fall of 2011. Enrollment in 2011 will also expand to include nursing and health related profession students in addition to the medical and pharmacy students.
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences is part of the University of Arkansas System, a state-run university in the U.S. state of Arkansas...
, a state-run university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
and part of the University of Arkansas System
University of Arkansas System
The University of Arkansas System comprises six main campuses within the state of Arkansas; a medical school; two law schools; a unique graduate school focused on public service; statewide research, service and educational units for agriculture, criminal justice and archeology; and several...
. The primary campus is located in Little Rock
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
and is affiliated with UAMS Medical Center
UAMS Medical Center
UAMS Medical Center is a major tertiary university hospital located in Little Rock, Arkansas. It is the only academic teaching hospital and the only designated Level I trauma center in the state of Arkansas.-Overview:...
, Arkansas Children's Hospital
Arkansas Children's Hospital
The Arkansas Children's Hospital is a pediatric hospital in Little Rock, Arkansas. It is the only pediatric Level I trauma center in Arkansas and the sixth largest in the United States, serving children from birth to age twenty-one...
, and Central Arkansas Veterans HealthCare System. A branch campus, UAMS Northwest
UAMS Northwest
The UAMS Northwest campus is community-based regional medical campus, and a satellite campus of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. It is located in the former Washington Regional Medical Center near the VA Hospital in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and is opening in phases, which started in...
is located in Fayetteville
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville is the county seat of Washington County, and the third largest city in Arkansas. The city is centrally located within the county and is home to the University of Arkansas. Fayetteville is also deep in the Boston Mountains, a subset of The Ozarks...
. It is the only medical school in Arkansas.
History
The University of Arkansas College of Medicine was founded in October, 1879 by eight Arkansas physicians, led by Dr. P. O. Hooper of Little Rock. The physicians pooled a total of $5,000 to acquire the former Sperindo Restaurant and Hotel in downtown Little Rock, the first location of the medical school at that time known as the Medical Department of Arkansas Industrial University (later renamed University of ArkansasUniversity of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
). The medical school was housed in several locations during the early 20th century, including the Old State House
Old State House (Little Rock)
The Old State House is a historic building in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA. It is the oldest surviving state capitol building west of the Mississippi River. It is known best as the site of President Bill Clinton's election night celebration in 1992....
, the former Arkansas State Capitol
Arkansas State Capitol
The Arkansas State Capitol Building, located in Little Rock, is the main house of government of the state of Arkansas.-History:In 1899, the St. Louis architect George R. Mann visited the governor of Arkansas Daniel W. Jones, and presented his drawings of his winning competition design for the...
, before using funding provided by Franklin D. Roosevelt's Public Works Administration and an Arkansas tax on beer and liquor to build a new campus in 1935 next to the Little Rock City Hospital. In 1951, Arkansas Governor Sid McMath used cigarette tax funds to construct a new University Hospital on a 26-acre site on West Markham Street in what was then the outskirts of Little Rock. The College of Medicine moved to this location in 1956 when construction on the new University of Arkansas Medical Center was completed and remains there today. Since 1956 the UAMS College of Medicine and medical center have expanded from a medical school with a charity hospital to a large academic health center with numerous related health colleges and research institutes.
Northwest Arkansas Campus Expansion
In 2006, due to rising healthcare demand in the state of Arkansas, UAMS and the College of Medicine began looking for appropriate ways to expand their campus and address the shortage of physicians and healthcare professionals in Arkansas. With medical enrollment at the Little Rock campus at capacity for third and fourth year rotations, a satellite campus was proposed in Fayetteville, ArkansasFayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville is the county seat of Washington County, and the third largest city in Arkansas. The city is centrally located within the county and is home to the University of Arkansas. Fayetteville is also deep in the Boston Mountains, a subset of The Ozarks...
at the site of the former Washington Regional Medical Center
Washington Regional Medical Center
Washington Regional Medical Center is a not-for-profit health care system located in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It includes an acute care hospital, a rehabilitation hospital, assisted living and long-term care facilities, kidney dialysis centers, an outpatient surgery center, and clinics devoted to...
. The proximity to the main campus of the University of Arkansas
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
and a rapidly growing region of the state with modern healthcare facilities were promoted as significant benefits to the Northwest Arkansas location, and the official announcement and political campaign for the location began on June 13, 2006. Approval was granted by state officials in December 2007, and a fundraising campaign for necessary facility renovations was initiated, with the initial $3 million goal reached in November 2008. Phase 1 of the renovations provided new classroom, student, and administrative space and was completed in 2009. Phase 2 includes additional classrooms, teaching laboratories, and distance learning resources to connect with the Little Rock campus and will be complete in 2011.
The location allowed the administration to expand the enrollment of the College of Medicine from 150 to 160 in 2007, and then up to 174 in 2009, where it remains now. Students attend their first two years of classroom education at the primary campus in Little Rock, at which point a designated number of students volunteer or are selected to attend their final two years of clinical education at UAMS Northwest
UAMS Northwest
The UAMS Northwest campus is community-based regional medical campus, and a satellite campus of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. It is located in the former Washington Regional Medical Center near the VA Hospital in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and is opening in phases, which started in...
, with optional rotations in Little Rock and out of state their fourth year. The first medical students arrived at UAMS Northwest in 2009, and students from the college of pharmacy expanded enrollment in a similar arrangement with their first group of students selected to arrive in the fall of 2011. Enrollment in 2011 will also expand to include nursing and health related profession students in addition to the medical and pharmacy students.