University of Arizona's Tucson medical school allows early graduation for COVID-19 fight

The University of Arizona's Tucson medical school will allow fourth-year students to graduate early to join the fight against COVID-19.

This move follows an announcement from the University of Arizona College of Medicine — Phoenix, which informed its students on Friday that they could graduate early.

The Tucson school announced its decision Sunday in an email to medical school's Class of 2020, saying the "potentially anticipated needs in healthcare delivery during the next months" meaning the school will allow the 119 students in the the option of graduating early.

"This is optional for qualified students in your class who wish to serve the unprecedented health needs of our community during the COVID-19 pandemic as new physicians," the email said.

Students must request early graduation in writing by detailing their rationale and how they plan to serve by April 6. They have to be completed with all graduation requirements by March 27 and have only an elective or vacation scheduled for the final block of medical school.

A committee will review the requests on April 13.

"I am extremely proud of our medical students who are exhibiting the very best in land grant values during this time of need for the state. This should have a substantial impact on both resting and care during this crisis," UA President Robert Robbins said.

UA is the latest school to offer early graduation

The two University of Arizona schools join several across the country that have said they will allow early graduation.

New York University announced it would allow its fourth-year medical students to graduate early and begin working as interns sooner. So far, 69 of the school's 122 eligible students have volunteered to do so, according to the Washington Post.

Guidance from medical schools' accrediting body paved the way for schools to allow these early graduations.

The Liaison Committee on Medical Education put out guidelines on March 25 for how schools can determine who is eligible to graduate early while complying with its standards.

On Friday, the University of Arizona College of Medicine — Phoenix said it will allow its fourth-year medical students to graduate early. About 50 students may qualify for the accelerated graduation, the school said.

In an email sent Friday, the school’s dean, Guy Reed, told fourth-year students they can request to graduate before the scheduled May 11 date. The school will review these requests on a case-by-case basis, and a committee will meet April 6 to consider each request, Reed said. The graduates could being working in a clinical setting as early as mid-April.

Students have to complete all graduation requirements and include in their request their rationale and planned service upon graduation.

“Given the extraordinary times in which we find ourselves, and the rapidly growing burden that the pandemic is placing on our health care system, we stand in admiration of our students who wish to pursue this option and will do our best to facilitate these requests,” Reed said.

Arizona doesn’t currently have a critical shortage of health care workers, Reed added, though that could change in the coming weeks.

As of Thursday, other medical schools with sites in Arizona said they weren't considering early graduation at this time.

The Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine said it does not have any plans for early graduation at this point. Creighton University, which has a medical school in Phoenix, said no plans were under consideration at this time.

Midwestern University in Glendale, which graduates osteopathic doctors, is "actively working with its programs and accrediting agencies for their guidance and will share information as soon as it becomes available," the school's president and CEO, Kathleen H. Goeppinger, said.

Reach reporter Rachel Leingang by email at rachel.leingang@gannett.com or by phone at 602-444-8157, or find her on Twitter and Facebook.

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