On November 19th, 2024, Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the CUNY School of Medicine has become an independent college within the City University of New York (CUNY) system.
The CUNY School of Medicine was formerly a constituent school of The City College of New York (CCNY) and it is now a constituent school of the CUNY Graduate Center. The CUNY School of Medicine has also added master’s, doctoral, post-graduate residency, and other medical programs for students and applicants, raising it to a graduate-level professional institution.
“Every student deserves a shot at attaining a high-quality education without racking up mountains of debt — New York’s public colleges and universities are a critical part of this ladder of opportunity. Making higher education more affordable is a top concern, which is why we’ve expanded access to tuition assistance and are making record investments in SUNY and CUNY schools. The newly-independent School of Medicine at CUNY is the next step in our mission of providing high-quality, affordable education for New Yorkers,” said Governor Hochul in her November 19th Press Release.
The school has a legacy of transition, change and development. Since its inception in 1973 as The Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education at the City College of New York, the school has strived to recruit students from, and provide care for underrepresented communities. It transformed into the CUNY School of Medicine in 2016, making it the first public medical school in Manhattan.
In October 2024, The City University of New York announced that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded a $19.3 million grant to the School of Medicine for the creation of a health equity center. In the initial plans, the center’s portfolio prioritized basic science, behavioral health, and clinical research. The center’s primary aim is to dismantle the disparities in healthcare in Harlem and the South Bronx.
This independent transition creates an opportunity to expand the number of caregivers and diversify the pool of prospective doctors in the city. It is also expected that the transition will help uplift areas with a scarcity of healthcare workers.
On July 31st, the CUNY School of Medicine celebrated its first Bachelor of Science Commencement and White Coat Ceremony for 59 medical students after earning its status as the University’s 26th constituent school. These students are projected to complete their program and acquire their Doctor of Medicine degree in 2029.
“A CUNY School of Medicine white coat symbolizes our commitment to New York State, and the students’ willingness to become the doctors New York needs and New Yorkers want to see,” said CUNY School of Medicine Dean Carmen Renée Green in an August 1st CUNY press release.
The School of Medicine has an accelerated 7 year BS/MD program and it does not require the MCAT. The white coat ceremony means the end of a student’s bachelor of science degree and the start of their doctor of medicine degree.
“Operating as part of the Graduate School and University Center will enable us to effectively and fully implement our mission of advancing medical education, scientific discovery, and scholarship. The CUNY School of Medicine remains committed to eradicating educational, health, and healthcare disparities in the City and State of New York and advancing education for those who are underserved and traditionally underrepresented in medicine. We are changing the skyline of academic medicine and setting a national example for public medical schools,” said Dean Green in a November 19th CUNY press release.
