Northern Arizona University is pausing plans for its College of Medicine amid economic uncertainty.
NAU says a challenging economic environment and a shifting landscape for American universities led to the decision.
University spokesperson Kim Ott says NAU will instead focus on proven strengths like its nursing program.
“Last year alone, NAU graduated nearly 800 students in health-related fields, and those programs continue to grow, including the recent launch of the College of Nursing,” Ott says.
The university announced plans for a medical school to train primary care physicians in 2023.
At the time, officials said NAU was responding to a shortage of healthcare professionals statewide, especially in rural and tribal communities.
Ott is confident the College of Medicine will eventually be revived and says the university will resume the effort when “sustainable funding and the appropriate infrastructure are in place.”
“NAU will be well positioned to move forward with a College of Medicine,” Ott says. “In the meantime, the university remains firmly committed to preparing the healthcare professionals Arizona needs now and into the future.”
