Stockton, Calif.-based University of the Pacific is exploring plans to open a new medical school and has asked city officials to help secure federal funding for the project, ABC 10 reported March 10.
The Stockton City Council voted unanimously during a special meeting to submit a federal grant application on behalf of the university as it pursues the proposed school of medicine, according to city records.
University leaders said the school would serve as a new physician training hub for the San Joaquin Valley. University of the Pacific President Christopher Callahan wrote in a letter that the school would be the region’s first MD-granting institution and could open by fall 2030.
The university has committed $50 million to the project and secured another $20 million in donations. Officials are also seeking an additional $7 million in federal funding to purchase equipment for the proposed medical school.
California is expected to face a 20% shortage of physicians by the time the school could open, Mr. Callahan wrote.
