Proposal could hike med school tuition

This is part one of a two-part series that will look at the medical school's tuition hike plan.

When the New York legislature votes on the state budget later this spring, it will also be voting on a proposal that might require all SUNY medical students to pay out-of-state tuition if they don't agree to work in a needy area of New York state.

The plan does not specify how long the students would have to work in an "underserved" part of the state to qualify for the in-state tuition, but students would be required to work there right after they graduate, according to David Brooks, the student representative on the UB Council.

Brooks, who is a medical student, said that medical students statewide are scrambling to fight the tuition hike plan. The plan would affect the students' freedom to choose their field of specialization, Brooks said.

"If they do this a lot of students will be forced to choose certain specialties upon entrance of medical school because their own certain specialties are needed in these underserved or rural areas," he said.

The decision will change the diversity that UB has worked to achieve, if it is approved, according to Brooks.

"People are going to have to make decisions when they enter medical school, instead of just going through medical school and seeing what they are best at or what they enjoy the most, which is really unfair because of the financial situation," he said.

If the bill passes, the policy would start next fall and only for medical students. Law students, dental students, or all other graduate or professional programs in the state are exempt.

The proposal itself calls for an amendment of the Education Law and to implement a "differential tuition rate" for in-state medical students who "agree to practice medicine in a public capacity upon completion of their medical training," according to the state budget proposal.

Brooks called the language in the budget complicated, but said he's been told by a representative in the SUNY Chancellor's office the clause would only be used for medical students.

Emily McCourt, the UB chapter president of American Medical Association-Medical Student Section, said she feels such a policy is not in the best interest of UB or the state system.

"Many medical students choose SUNY because of the affordable costs," said McCourt, a second-year medical student. "With the $15,000 increase there will be no competitive edge over private schools," she said.

According to McCourt, in the past three years there have been four $2,000 increases in tuition for medical students. The tuition increases have been retroactive, which means the students receive notice of it after classes have already started.

"Being in medical school is expensive and medical students aren't able to take out any more loans," she said.

In the end, Brooks said he doesn't believe the proposal will get approval from the SUNY Board of Trustees, even if the legislature approves it.

"I think the Board of Trustees understands what this would do to medical education and our medical community in New York State," Brooks said. "I think this is an embarrassment."

Many undergraduates planning to enter medical school at UB said they were unaware of the new tuition issue.

"This proposal makes me nervous," said Sujata Sofat, a senior biomedical science and medicinal chemistry major. "I think it would be unfair for the medical school to require me to know if working in an underserved area of New York State is something I could do after becoming a doctor."

"Of course I love volunteering and I think it is really important to help out areas that are underserved," Sofat added. "But depending on what type of specialty physician I choose to be, I may not be able to dedicate myself to working in this type of area."

Working with the underserved should come from the heart and not from a financial obligation because someone cannot afford to pay out-of-state tuition, Sofat said.

Some UB administrators also said they disagree with the proposal.

"I don't understand why they are singling out only medical students," said Charles Severin, associate professor in the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and the interim director of admissions. "When students and family are faced with what medical school to pick, cost is definitely a factor in their decision."

Severin added that students who come to a SUNY medical school from out of state pay the out-of-state tuition for one year. Once residency is established they begin paying in-state tuition, but "this will all change if the bill is passed and students from out of state will not want to come here," he said.

"I understand the demand for underserved areas but this is not the way to do it," Severin said.

Chris Tjoa, a second-year medical student, said there are also factors that need to be considered when discussing medical school tuition.

"It is a well-supported fact that medical salaries are decreasing every year. The cost of education, including time and money, is becoming less justified by the salary," he said. "But students generally accept the fact that the practice of medicine is more than just about the financial gain."

"What bothers me though, is that fields where salaries haven't taken a similar hit - law practices and business - aren't seeing similar tuition increases of the same magnitude," Tjoa added.

In an effort to fight the proposal, McCourt, Brooks and other medical students are sending letters out to politicians from the state senate to Chancellor Robert King himself.

"We all oppose this policy and it will be a great disservice to our community," Brooks said.

Next week's story will look deeper into the specifics of the state's proposal and discuss the legislators' argument.