GORDON COPPOC introduced Craig Brater, Dean of the IU School of Medicine, who described the incredible partnership between Purdue and IU in meeting the 
challenge to head off a deficit of physicians interested in becoming primary care physicians in small communities. There are eight centers around Indiana where students currently spend the first two years of their medical school experience. To increase this to three years requires team-work and collaboration with the local physicians and hospitals. However, having a student spend three years in a community also increases the likelihood that the student will become a doctor in that community. Dr. Brater appreciates the support this community is providing. The ground breaking for a new building at Purdue to train physicians was a couple of weeks ago. The staff and students are very excited about the prospect of more comfortable conditions. He ended by answering several good questions: 1) Research collaboration between Purdue and the IU Medical School is very robust. 2) The number of residency slots need to be increased. Slots are funded by Medicare and Congress wants to cut funding by 30%. 3) The cost of four years of medical education is $30,000 for in-state students and $45,000 for out of state students. In spite of scholarship opportunities, the average debt for the student or family is $160,000.
