Construction broke ground officially in May this year for the US$300 million University of California Merced Medical Education Building addition. The facility, located behind the Arts and Computational Sciences Building is expected to train the next generation of doctors in San Joaquin Valley.
Those who successfully navigate the course will earn a four-year bachelor’s degree, complete 1.5 years of pre-medical clinical training and 2.5 years of clinical training. This results in a doctor of medicine degree from UCSF School of Medicine.
“The journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step. And we know there are the people here who were those original walkers, those people that took the step, people who had the vision that there was a place to go and took those steps, took those leaps of faith, those leaps of support,” said University of California President Michael V. Drake.
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The regents authorised the complete budget and finance for the building, as well as the final design and California Environmental Quality Act findings, in a vote on Wednesday. The renovation is projected to cost $300 million, according to the university. The campus budget, donor donations, and state General Fund funds will all be used to fund the project.
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Details on the facility
The four-story facility will meet with UC Merced’s sustainable practises policy. It will feature 203,500 square feet of academic office, research, and community-facing space. Additionally, common and instructional space. The structure will house the university’s medical education route, which was built in collaboration with UCSF and UCSF Fresno. Further, the first students enrolled in the programme began their studies in the autumn of 2023.
More on the University of California medical building
According to the university, the new building will also contain the Health Sciences Research Institute and allied healthcare-related programmes. Furthermore, the Department of Psychological Sciences and Public Health, specialist learning spaces, medical education, and general assignment learning settings. Additionally, the new facility is scheduled to be finished by the autumn of 2026. According to UC Merced, the facility will accommodate around 2,220 undergraduate students by 2030.
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“We are very pleased by the Regents’ showing of support for medical education at UC Merced,” stated UC Merced Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muoz in a press release. “The lack of quality healthcare options in the region is well documented, and this new building will enable UC Merced to train physicians uniquely qualified to address the Valley’s health needs.”
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Project Overview
Scope: 203,500 square feet
Floors: 4
Purpose: Medical education, Health sciences research, Allied healthcare programs, Psychological sciences and public health
Sustainability: Adherence to UC Merced’s sustainable practices policy
Capacity: Accommodate approximately 2,220 undergraduate students by 2030
Funding: The $300 million project is funded through a combination of: Campus budget, Donor donations, State General Fund
Timeline:
Groundbreaking: May 2023
Projected Completion: Spring 2024 to Autumn 2026
First Student Enrollment: Autumn 2023
