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Temple and St. Luke’s expand agreement to form 4-year medical school in Bethlehem
Susan Shelly, Contributing Writer//August 19, 2020
Temple and St. Luke’s expand agreement to form 4-year medical school in Bethlehem
Susan Shelly, Contributing Writer//August 19, 2020//
Listen to this articleMedical students will be able to complete all four years of schooling in Bethlehem, thanks to an expanded agreement between Temple University‘s Lewis Katz School of Medicine and St. Luke’s University Health Network.
Previously, students could not take first-year classes at the Temple/St. Luke’s Regional Campus. The expansion makes Temple/St. Luke’s the only four-year medical school in the Lehigh Valley.
Temple and St. Luke’s opened a clinical campus in Bethlehem in 2006. At that time, students could complete only their third and fourth years there. The program was later expanded to include second-year students.
A class of 40 students began their studies earlier this month, expecting to graduate in May 2024.
Dr. Joel Rosenfeld, chief academic officer and senior associate dean explained that class sizes have been increased.
“We wanted to be able to do more because of the physician shortage that is widely projected,” Rosenfeld said.
The Temple-St. Luke’s partnership has benefited the Lehigh Valley community, as many graduates continue with residencies in the St. Luke’s Network and join St. Luke’s staff after completing their studies, Rosenfeld said.
