Kaiser Permanente’s new Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine will begin this Monday in Pasadena with its first class of 50 students in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s a challenge,” said Walter Harris, the school’s senior vice president for administration and finance, about the opening of the school during a health crisis.
The new medical school will be located at 98 S. Los Robles Ave.
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the school to make adjustments, including adopting a “hybrid model” that includes virtual and in-class programs and more frequent cleanup, Harris told the City News Service.
Harris said that some classes could be held with some students in one classroom and another group from another classroom via Zoom video conference.
The four-story, state-of-the-art building could accommodate twice as many students, easily allowing for physical distance, Harris said.
Students have been told to wear face masks, and the school will have a large number of hand sanitizers and wipes available, he said.
None of the students opposed opening the school as scheduled, according to Harris, who said they are “very excited to begin their medical careers.”
The school includes an anatomy resource center where traditional cadaver dissection will be replaced by newer methods that are clinically more relevant, along with a rooftop garden with a meditation, yoga and fitness area for “well-being” of students and teachers.
Students will begin interacting with patients during their third week of classes and learning from Kaiser Permanente doctors and care teams at six of its medical center campuses, including Los Angeles, West Los Angeles, and Downey.
The school will not charge tuition, fees, and disability insurance for students entering until the fall of 2024, and students in those classes will receive an exemption from the cost of a Kaiser Permanente health plan unless they have a health plan equivalent, according to the school website.
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