Quinnipiac University has selected St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport to be the principal clinical partner of its new medical school, which is scheduled to begin classes in 2013.
Under a five-year agreement between the two institutions, St. Vincent’s medical staff will take part in designing the medical school’s clinical curriculum and academic policies and procedures. They will also play a role in recruiting physicians to teach students. The chiefs of service who lead departments at St. Vincent’s will become the chairs of the corresponding departments at the medical school.
Students at the medical school, which will be based on the university’s North Haven campus, will do their clinical rotations at St. Vincent’s or its affiliates.
St. Vincent’s is part of Ascension Health, a national network of Catholic hospitals and health care facilities. In a statement released by the university, the medical school’s founding dean, Dr. Bruce Koeppen, said St. Vincent’s position within a larger network would give students access to multiple hospitals for their electives, residency and employment, and made it an attractive partner. He also cited the hospital’s “commitment to education; its emphasis on quality and patient safety; its support of our mission of primary care and interprofessional education; and its enthusiasm to partner.”