Morgan State University in Baltimore has been awarded a two-year, $1.75 million grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to develop a comprehensive plan for a new public, nonprofit doctor of medicine (M.D.) program.
The Association of American Colleges projects a shortage of up to 48,000 primary care physicians by 2034. This gap, which will severely impact underserved and rural communities, suggests an urgent need to prepare the next generation of family physicians from backgrounds underrepresented in medicine. Currently, there are only four historically Black medical schools in the United States. Despite their small representation among American medical programs, HBCUs produce nearly 70 percent of the country’s Black physicians and dentists.
In 2020, Morgan State first announced plans to establish its own osteopathic medical school. While the HBCU has yet to move forward with those plans, the university has continued to engage with healthcare leaders, policymakers, and community stakeholders to ensure its next steps in medical education are sustainable.
Thanks to the new funds from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Morgan State will focus on creating a blueprint for a publicly supported, nonprofit medical school offering an M.D. program, with greater access to state and federal funding and a focus on care for underserved populations. Morgan State President David Wilson has established a Morgan Medical School Planning Group to lead the project.
“This investment represents a pivotal moment for Morgan and for the communities we serve,” said President Wilson. “For more than a decade, we have been committed to the idea that a medical school on our campus can be transformative — not only for our students but for the state of Maryland and the nation. With the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s support, we are charting a new course toward a public, nonprofit M.D. program that will train physicians where they are most needed, close gaps in care, and reflect the diversity of the populations served.”
Can somebody please why Morgan State President David Wilson continue to put forward these lofty and pollyannish goals such as a medical school or school of osteopathic medicine when Morgan State has more pressing issues that need to be addressed. Let’s be honest, David Wilson enjoys pontificating about creating these new programs at Morgan State all the while not having the appropriate infrastructure (i.e., spacing, full time faculty, IT, etc.) to support such programs.
In fact, what David Wilson should be focusing on in hiring more tenure-tracked faculty, enhanced security (too much crime on/near campus), increased pay for faculty, and adjutant/lecturers. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention a complete overhaul in the quality of food students on-campus have to endure. For those who dissent, I challenge you to ask any current Morgan State student about their experiences on-campus.
In close, David Wilson is nothing than a rabid neoliberal who happily acquiesces to the White Maryland state legislators and White business community all the while turning Morgan State into a non-HBCU incrementally.