Source: TexasTribune.org

Suggesting it has found a way to address state leaders' worries that Texas is building too many medical schools, the University of Houston System moved Thursday to create a college of medicine for its flagship campus. The decision is the biggest step yet toward a longtime dream for the university. A new medical school would probably grow UH's research expenditures and heighten its reputation as a well-rounded, rising university. But before it starts admitting students and granting degrees, it would need to secure funding from the Texas Legislature and approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to offer medical degrees. State leaders have expressed skepticism of new medical schools in the past. If approved, UH would begin admitting medical students in 2020 and grow to 480 students by 2029. The goal, the system says, is to build a school that helps Texas meet its need for more primary care physicians for rural and inner-city populations, and to graduate diverse doctors whose demographics mirror the state.