New Medical School In St. George Addresses Doctor Shortage

Tabbed as a major step forward for healthcare in Southern Utah -- the University of Utah and Utah Tech University are teaming up to launch a new medical school in St. George.

The joint program will be based at St. George Regional Hospital and is set to open in 2027. It will begin with an inaugural class of 25 medical students.

School officials say the focus will be on training future primary care physicians, with an emphasis on serving Utah’s growing rural communities.

The new campus marks a partnership between the state’s flagship research university and its fast-growing polytechnic institution, and leaders say it’s designed to address a critical doctor shortage across Southern Utah.

The program is designed to directly address the growing need for primary care doctors in rural Utah.

The school is proposing an accelerated three-year M.D. program, which includes direct placement into residency programs with a rural care focus. Lawmakers will review funding for the new program later this session.

University of Utah Health’s interim dean Sam Finlayson says the plan “promises to improve access to health care for residents in rural areas.”

Meanwhile, Intermountain Health will serve as a major clinical training partner, and talks are underway to create new residency programs in Southern Utah, a move that could improve physician retention in the region.

Studies show that doctors who complete both medical school and residency in Utah are 70 percent more likely to stay in-state. Similar programs in other states have seen rural doctor retention as high as 75 percent.

This isn’t the first collaboration between the two universities. The PA program, now in its seventh year, already trains students for rural practice with Utah Tech providing space and support, and the U conferring degrees.

Michelle Hofmann, senior associate dean at the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, says the new St. George campus will help “leverage the whole region” and expand Utah’s rural training footprint.

Utah ranks as one of the worst U.S. states for patient care physicians per capita.

As of 2024, the Beehive State has fewer than 85 primary care physicians per 100,000 people. That's according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.