Wednesday, August 19, 2026

University of Arizona together with the Gila River Indian Community to open nation's first MD medical school on tribal land near Phoenix

Good news!

"University of Arizona plans to open a medical school branch on tribal land southeast of Phoenix, the first MD-granting medical school within a sovereign tribal nation."

"... Program Structure & Details
  • Launch Date: Begins in July 2027.Class Size: Admits 10 students annually.
  • Curriculum: A three-year MD Primary Care Accelerated Program. Students spend the first 18 months in Phoenix and the final 18 months doing clinical training in Sacaton.
..." (Google Search)

"Today [8/18/2026], the University of Arizona and Gila River Health Care (GRHC), the Gila River Indian Community's tribally operated healthcare system, announced a long-term partnership to establish the nation's first MD-granting medical school branch located on the lands of a sovereign Tribal Nation. ..."

"Gila River Health Care will invest more than $25 million to establish a University of Arizona medical school branch on the Gila River Indian Community, a long-term workforce investment aimed at training and retaining physicians within tribal and rural health systems.

The tribally operated health system has committed the funding through 2034 for faculty positions, full-tuition scholarships and educational infrastructure. The partners say the University of Arizona College of Medicine–Phoenix Regional Medical Branch will be the nation’s first MD-granting medical school branch located on the lands of a sovereign tribal nation. ..."

University of Arizona to open medical school on tribal land - Phoenix Business Journal (behind paywall)




Gila River Health Care


No comments: