Weill Cornell Medical College graduates its inaugural class this Thursday. Because the school is in Qatar, it will be the first time an American medical school has awarded degrees outside the United States.

The nine women and six men will participate in a second commencement ceremony later in May in New York's Carnegie Hall with the rest of Cornell's graduating medical class. Of the fifteen graduates, eleven will be entering residency programs in the U.S., three will remain to train in Qatar, and one will be pursuing research in the U.S.

The AAMC has seen an increase in recent years in the number of U.S. med schools forming overseas partnerships; Cornell opened Weill in 2002. The college has plans to expand into an American-style academic medical center in 2011 with additional research facilities for focusing on women's and children's health issues.

Kettering University now offers students the opportunity to prepare for medical school with a new Premedical Course of Study program.

Students who complete this course of study will receive a bachelor of science in their respective degree program along with a minor in Biochemistry, preparing them for medical school, a job in the growing bio-technical industry or graduate school.

Supporting the pre-med course of study are the newly formed Biochemistry Department and the donation of the Dane and Mary Louise Miller Life Sciences and Bio-Engineering Laboratory facilities that include surgery simulation suites, a cold room, storage area and a prep room to support laboratory functions.

For more information about the Kettering Premedical Education Course of Study, visit their web page.

As growth continues at existing medical schools and new ones being added, first-year medical school enrollment is projected to grow 21 percent over the next 10 years. The most recent survey done by the AAMC shows that a collective incoming class of 19,900 students can be expected four years from now; in 2002-3, the survey showed 16,448 first-year students.

Two years ago, concerned about a future physician shortage, the AAMC recommended a 30 percent increase in first-year U.S. medical school enrollment from 2002 to 2015. The report notes that projecting the enrollment data out beyond 2012 using average forecasted increases for existing schools and proposed enrollment figures for the proposed schools, the targeted 30 percent growth would be reached by 2017.

The survey relied primarily on self-reported data provided by 115 M.D.-granting U.S. medical institutions in fall 2007. More than 86 percent of existing schools that participated in the annual survey said they have already expanded the number of first-year students or plan to do so within the next five years.

At least nine institutions have taken the first step toward medical school accreditation, with some already under development, according to the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, which accredits medical education programs leading to a M.D. degree. Few new schools have emerged in recent decades.

Considering medical school but not completely sure which path between allopathic and osteopathic education to take? They may be more similar than you realize.

It's a tough choice. There is some disagreement between the two studies, though critique and criticism is much less than it was a decade ago; both disciplines are practically indistinguishable now.

Students in the charter class at the University of Central Florida's College of Medicine will pursue -- for free -- their dreams of becoming medical doctors thanks to 40 scholarships fully funded by the Central Florida community.

University officials today announced the completion of the first-of-its-kind scholarship fundraising campaign. That means each student in the school's charter class will receive a four-year scholarship worth $160,000 – about $20,000 for tuition and $20,000 for living expenses and fees each year.

According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, no other medical school in the nation has provided full scholarships to an entire class. The scholarships are significant because the average debt of a medical school graduate in 2007 was $139,517, according to the AAMC.

"This is a momentous occasion – we have made history," said UCF President John Hitt. "Through the generosity of our community, we reached our goal of raising $6.4 million for this remarkable scholarship program. I want to thank everyone who helped us make an investment in our collective future."

The College of Medicine is set to open in fall 2009. The college will begin taking applications on June 1. Students who are admitted will automatically receive the scholarship.

Gaining acceptance into the medical school should be quite competitive. Requirements are posted at www.med.ucf.edu and officials say they are seeking the best and brightest candidates who are well rounded and have a pioneering spirit.

The four-year medical program will capitalize on UCF's existing strengths in biomedical sciences, modeling and simulation, and optics and photonics. Other programs in materials science, psychology, chemistry, film and digital media, hospitality and nursing will support the College of Medicine. The college will eventually produce about 120 medical graduates each year.