Delaware will get its first medical school under a plan announced Wednesday that aims to keep medical training — and more physicians — in the state. Thomas Jefferson University and a coalition of local partners said they expect a four-year regional campus of Jefferson’s Sidney Kimmel Medical College to welcome an initial class of 40 students in July 2028, pending accreditation.
Why this matters here
The proposal responds to a long-standing gap: Delaware is one of just three states without a medical school. State and health system leaders say that training doctors locally increases the odds they will practice in Delaware, a central goal as population growth and aging demographics push demand for care, particularly in Kent and Sussex counties.
Officials outlined the plan at a community forum held at the University of Delaware’s Virden Retreat Center in Lewes, bringing together Jefferson leaders, state officials and regional health partners. Gov. Matt Meyer announced in June that Jefferson was chosen to establish the campus.
“For too long, Delaware students who dreamed of becoming doctors had to leave home to do it, and too many never came back,” Gov. Matt Meyer said.
Beebe Healthcare President and CEO Dr. David Tam underscored that relationship between training and retention. “When medical students and resident physicians train here, they stay here, build their careers here and care for our community,” Tam said.
How the program will work
The proposed campus would operate as a regional extension of Sidney Kimmel Medical College. Students would complete their four-year medical education and clinical training in Delaware through formal partnerships with hospitals and colleges across the state.
- Inaugural class size: 40 students.
- Target start date: July 2028, contingent on accreditation by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education.
- Partners: Thomas Jefferson University, University of Delaware, Beebe Healthcare, state officials and others in the Delaware Medical School Consortium.
Officials said the effort is intended to address shortages most acute in Kent and Sussex counties, where growth has increased pressure on existing healthcare services. Training students and residents locally is a strategy many states use to grow their physician workforce because clinicians often settle where they train.
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Sponsor | Thomas Jefferson University (Sidney Kimmel Medical College) |
| Local partners | University of Delaware, Beebe Healthcare, state officials (Delaware Medical School Consortium) |
| First class | 40 students (July 2028, pending LCME accreditation) |
Next steps and what remains unresolved
The announcement marks a major step forward but not the finish line. Formal accreditation by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education is required before the campus can enroll students. Officials said plans are moving forward, but they did not provide a timeline for accreditation milestones or final program details such as curriculum, campus location or clinical rotation assignments beyond broad partnerships.
For Delaware, the campus represents both an educational milestone and a practical strategy to bolster healthcare capacity. If the program proceeds as planned, it will be the first time aspiring physicians can complete a full medical education inside the state — a change that backers say could reshape where doctors choose to build careers and serve communities across Delaware.
Reporting from Lewes.
