The Medical College of Wisconsin, or simply MCW, is a private, freestanding medical school and graduate school of sciences in the central United States, located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Formerly affiliated with Marquette University, it has operated as an independent institution since 1967.
MCW is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (HLC) and by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME). It is one of only two medical schools in Wisconsin, along with the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison, and the only private one.
In the fall of 2015, MCW opened Wisconsin's first 3-year medical school in Green Bay, oriented to those choosing primary care. More than 1,510 faculty physicians with MCW provide adult and pediatric care to more than 500,000 patients, representing more than 2.2 million patient visits annually.
History
The Medical College traces its beginnings to the opening of the Wisconsin College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1893 and of Milwaukee Medical College in 1894. In 1906, Marquette College (now Marquette University), merged with the nearby Milwaukee Medical College. On May 14, 1907, Milwaukee Medical College became the Medical Department of the newly chartered Marquette University.
In 1913, in response to the standards introduced by the Flexner Report, Marquette University purchased the Wisconsin College of Physicians and Surgeons, thereby creating a separate institution known as the Marquette University School of Medicine. During World War II, the school developed close ties with the local Veterans Health Administration hospital in Milwaukee. Plans for a regional medical center also developed soon after the war, and today the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center surrounds MCW's campus. In the 1950s, local philanthropist Kurtis Froedtert, bequeathed much of his estate to the establishment of a teaching hospital, which became today's Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital. Opened 37Â years ago in 1980, Froedtert Hospital is adjacent to MCW and is one of the three major affiliated health care centers where MCW students, residents and physicians practice.
Financial problems plagued the medical school in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1967, MU terminated its relationship with the medical school because of financial difficulties, and the school continued as a private, freestanding institution. It changed its name to the Medical College of Wisconsin in 1970. MCW has more than 16,000 alumni, all of whom are represented by the Medical College of Wisconsin-Marquette Medical Alumni Association.
Education
There are more than 1,200 students enrolled in education programs at the Medical College of Wisconsin. This consists of about 817 medical students and 400 graduate students. An additional 670 physicians in residency and 180 physicians in fellowship training work with the College's affiliated hospitals throughout the state. About 160 scientists conduct postdoctoral research with MCW.
MCW opened a new campus in Green Bay in July 2015 that provides a focused, three-year curriculum for students seeking careers in primary care, general surgery, or psychiatry. The college plans to open a campus in central Wisconsin, targeted for a July 2016 opening.
MCW grants M.D., Ph.D, M.S., M.P.H., M.A., and combination degrees. Through the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), students may enter a combined M.D./Ph.D. degree program. PhD degrees are awarded in the following subjects:
- Basic and translational research
- Biochemistry
- Biophysics
- Biostatistics
- Cell biology
- Neurobiology and anatomy
- Microbiology
- Immunology and molecular genetics
- Pharmacology and toxicology
- Physiology
- Public and community health
- Functional imaging (through a joint PhD program with Marquette University)
Master’s degrees are offered in:
- Bioethics (MA)
- Clinical and translational science (MS)
- Public health (MPH)
Joint degree programs with other institutions are offered in: bioinformatics (MS) and healthcare technologies management (MS) with Marquette University, and medical informatics (MS) with the Milwaukee School of Engineering. In addition, Graduate Certificate programs are offered in Clinical Bioethics, Public Health, Research Ethics, and a joint Bioethics Certificate with the American Medical Association. Residency training is offered in nearly 30 medical specialties and subspecialties.
Admissions and rankings
The average MCAT scores and undergraduate GPA for the entering class of 2011 were 31.9 and 3.70, respectively. About 60% of the incoming class was male, and the mean age was 23 years old. The highest number of incoming students completed their undergraduate degrees at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Brigham Young University, University of Illinois, Marquette University, UCLA, and the University of Minnesota.
U.S. News & World Report ranked MCW's medical programs as 54th for research and 62nd for primary care. Shanghai Jiao Tong World University Rankings placed MCW in the top 101-150 medical schools in the world, and MCW as an institution was in the top 401-500 universities worldwide.
The biological sciences graduate program was 106th, while the statistics program ranked 53rd, according to U.S. News.
Research
As a research center, the Medical College of Wisconsin received more than $154 million in external support for research, teaching, training and related purposes in fiscal year (FY) 2013-2014. MCW received about $79.5 million in NIH funding and ranked 46th among 137 medical schools in the country for NIH research funding. Its faculty conducted more than 2,500 research studies, including clinical trials, in the same fiscal year. Overall, it is the largest research center in the Milwaukee metropolitan area and the second-largest in Wisconsin.
References
External links
- Official website
