Future Tulane Docs to Train in Baton Rouge

In May, a select group of students from the Tulane University School of Medicine will head to Baton Rouge General Medical Center. Tulane has entered into an affiliation agreement with the capital city's community hospital to create a satellite training campus in Baton Rouge, La.

Ten medical students will spend their third- and fourth-year clinical rotations in internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics, pediatrics, family medicine, neurology, psychiatry and other specialties at Baton Rouge General's mid-city hospital. Experienced Baton Rouge General physicians will serve as teachers, mentors and role models at the new campus.

The program, called the Baton Rouge LEAD (Leadership, Education, Advocacy and Discovery) Academy, marks the first time in the medical school's 175-year history that it will open a training campus outside of the New Orleans area.

The program will start with 10 students and will enroll an additional 20 during its second year. Plans call for it to grow to 160 students during the next several years.

"This is a significant opportunity for Tulane University School of Medicine and Baton Rouge General Medical Center to create an exciting and innovative new model to train the state's next generation of medical professionals and healthcare leaders," said Tulane University President Scott Cowen.

Dr. Benjamin Sachs, dean of the School of Medicine and senior vice president, added, "This bold and progressive initiative will provide unique opportunities for medical students in the state of Louisiana, and will define our state as a national leader in medical education."

Baton Rouge General Medical Center is a full-service hospital that provides cardiology, oncology, medical, emergency and surgical services for adult and pediatric patients in the greater Baton Rouge area. Baton Rouge General provides care at two locations to 175,000 people each year.