In September, A&M announced it was planning to build a medical school in Round Rock, 50 miles south on Interstate 35, and local reaction wasn’t so positive.
The anxiety is unnecessary, according to Dr. Donald Wesson, vice dean of the Texas A&M Health Science Center, Temple campus.
“A&M is Scott & White’s medical school partner and we look forward to continuing that partnership in Round Rock, ” Wesson said.
Since September the expansion in Round Rock has seemed to be on the fast track, culminating last month with A&M University Board of Regents accepting a donation of land from the Avery family for the construction of a Health Science Center in Williamson County to provide third– and fourth– year clinical training.
Wesson said the perception here may be that efforts to expand the Temple campus have stalled. He doesn’t see it that way.
“I think when the medical school grows as a whole, then that will ultimately help the Temple component,” he said.
This fall, Temple welcomed for the first time first–year medical students to its campus.
Since 1979 A&M medical students have received their clinical training during their third and fourth years in Temple. In 2006, the Texas A&M System board of regents approved the expansion of the A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine in College Station and Temple to two four–year campuses.
Any time a variety of clinical experiences are offered, students will benefit, Wesson said of the expansion into Round Rock.
“Their experiences here in Temple will be different from experiences in Round Rock . . . offering a spectra of practice opportunities that will be faced once training is completed,” he said. “It’s good for them to have that exposure in a training atmosphere.”
“Round Rock complements work being done in College Station and doesn’t compete with Temple,” said Dr. Alfred Knight, Scott & White president and CEO.
The College Station campus has huge basic science resources through the university, but has less clinical sites. Round Rock, which will focus on third–year clinical rotations, will serve as one of those sites, he said.
As far as a structure in Temple, plans that are being used for the A&M Health Science Center Bryan campus are being looked at for possible use in Temple, he said.
“It’s logical that we remain vigilant,” Knight said, “that resources not get diverted away from Temple or College Station campuses in order to develop this third–year campus in Round Rock.”
At every level - the legislators, the health science center and A&M - it is understood that resources will be allocated carefully, he said.
Knight predicts the next legislative session will be interesting in regard to the University of Texas looking at Austin as a possible site of another medical school.
Austin, he said, certainly views A&M’s Round Rock facility as competition
“A&M and Scott & White really don’t see as we’re competing for anything,” Knight said. “A medical school in Austin will be deep in Austin and would use all of the significant clinical facilities that exist there.”
njgibbs@temple–telegram.com
