NYU Grossman School of Medicine has a culture of dynamism and is always looking to improve, says Robert I. Grossman, MD, dean of NYU Grossman School of Medicine and CEO of NYU Langone Health. Dr. Grossman joins podcast The Crossover with Dr. Rick Komotar—hosted by Rick Komotar, MD, a professor of neurological surgery at the University of Miami School of Medicine—for a discussion about the future of medical education.

In 2018, NYU Grossman School of Medicine made the groundbreaking announcement that every student admitted to the MD program would receive a Full-Tuition Scholarship. The school now offers additional need-based Debt-Free Scholarships for students with financial aid needs beyond tuition, and it covers the cost of the school’s individual health insurance plan for all students.

“I was a scholarship kid, and scholarships are very important. Students coming to medical school, especially today, are living under significantly adverse financial conditions, so we viewed it as a moral imperative,” says Dr. Grossman. “Doctors and educating doctors are critically important to this country, and so the question was how to improve their financial standing.”

Beyond these trailblazing efforts to improve the affordability of medical school, Dr. Grossman also discusses the Curriculum for the 21st Century, or C21, which emphasize clinical training from the beginning of medical school and includes an accelerated three-year MD pathway.

“Training programs have gotten longer and longer, especially between residencies and fellowships,” Dr. Grossman tells Dr. Komotar. “Taking one year out of medical school and moving students along was important both in terms of the time frame and also in terms of saving a year of tuition and expenses.”

Listen to more on The Crossover with Dr. Rick Komotar.