Yesterday, National Public Radio ran a story called, "New Medical School Model: Adopt A Family To Treat." They mention that after decades without a single new school, five new medical schools have opened since 2009, and 10 more are being accredited. They credit this response to the growing doctor shortage.

In particular, the story focuses on Florida International University's College of Medicine in Miami. This new school has instituted a new approach to education - community-based medical curriculum. Each medical student is assigned to a local family in order to "improve the health of the family and the quality of life in the neighborhood."

The school says they want to produce more primary care physicians.

Two solutions that AMSA has proposed for the shortage of primary care physicians includes (1) erecting new medical schools that focus exclusively on primary care as a part of the infrastructural improvements that are a component of the incoming administration’s economic development plan, and (2) reward those schools that already focus on training primary care providers by increasing funding for the primary care-related research being conducted at such institutions making it commensurate with that awarded for more specialized research occurring at other institutions that demonstrate less focus on primary care.

Listen to the entire NPR story here. Comment here and let us know what you think of this new curriculum.