According to a Monday statement from the Latter-day Saints, Brigham Young University (BYU) will open a medical school. However, the announcement has raised questions.
“The First Presidency is pleased to announce the decision now to create a medical school at BYU,” church officials wrote in a statement, which added that “unlike many medical schools, the BYU medical school will be focused on teaching with research in areas of strategic importance to the church.”
The university also stated that the school will concentrate on the “international health issues affecting members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” and the church’s “worldwide humanitarian efforts.” It is unclear what “areas of strategic importance to the church” entails.
The Mormons have consistently opposed abortion; however, birth control is a personal decision.
Daniel Sulmasy, a professor of philosophy and medicine and director of the Kennedy Institute of Ethics, stated to Lake Tribune that he anticipates BYU’s medical school to address abortion as a topic in a similar way as his Catholic institution.
“We teach people what an abortion is because people need to know that,” he said. “They need to know what the consequences could be if someone has a complication.”
He also stated that abortion is taught but not supported. Sulmasy stated, “I think that’s the same kind of thing that would happen at a place like BYU.”
It is uncertain if BYU will offer healthcare tailored to the LGBTQ+ community. According to the accreditation requirements, diversity acceptance should be taught to students in any field, but it doesn’t mention the LGBTQ+ community.
In 2022, BYU faced criticism for discontinuing gender-affirming services for LLGBTQ+ patients at its speech clinic. The school stated that voice therapy services, which assist transgender clients in matching the pitch and the tone of their gender identity, conflicted with the policies of the policies of the faith.
The church stated that “specific target dates will be announced as they are set,” but it did not specify when the medical school would open. When it does, it will be the fourth medical school in the state.
There has been a doctor shortage in Utah in recent years. According to the latest available data from 2019, there were 21 physicians per 10,000 individuals. Comparative data from the Utah Department of Health and Human Services shows 29.9 doctors for every 10,000 individuals. Data from the American Association of Medical Colleges reveals that Utah has the ninth-lowest number of physicians per person among all states.
Despite a steady increase in applications to the University of Utah’s medical school, fewer graduates are choosing to complete their residencies in the state, with a 13% decrease in the previous year. The think tank of the Association of American Medical Colleges causes Utah’s restrictive abortion policies.
In Utah, abortion is permitted for up to 18 weeks. After that, it is a second-degree felony to induce an abortion. Certain pregnancies are exempted from this rule, such as those “caused by rape or incest,” those that endanger the mother’s life and pregnancies “if more than one doctor says the fetus has a lethal defect.”
The exception for rape and incest, however, only holds if the crimes were previously reported by law enforcement.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox supported BYU’s future medical school to solve the physician shortage.
He posted on X (formerly X), “This is great news not only for BYU but for all Utahns as we seek to increase educational opportunities for those looking to enter the medical profession and increase access to health care worldwide.”
It is unclear at this time if BYU will request government funding. As of late Marc, the publicly reported portfolio of Ensign Peak Advisor, the investment arm of Mormon, has stock holdings valued at $54.7 billion.
According to reports, the BYU medical school will not establish its own hospital or hospital system.
