Vice-chancellor Derek Swartz said many senior doctors in Nelson Mandela Bay were keen to teach at the medical school.
NMMU would work with Walter Sisulu University (WSU), which had extended professorships to a number of Port Elizabeth specialists in the public sector last year.
Paediatric cardiologist Dr Lungile Pepeta, specialist gynaecologist Dr Mfundo Mabenge, gastroenterologist Dr Fikile Mbete and psychiatrist Dr Zukiswa Zingela have been offered professorships by WSU.
Swartz said their expertise could be harnessed for the medical school.
NMMU would situate the medical school close to a large public hospital.
"For us, it would preferably be Dora Nginza Hospital which will then be supported by core academic departments at our Missionvale university campus.
"As hospitals fall under the national and provincial departments of health, we would naturally have to secure [their] agreement on the best location."
Plans for the medical school included building a covered pedestrian bridge across Uitenhage Road for the safe and easy passage of staff and students.
"The new medical school will certainly make Nelson Mandela Bay an even more attractive place to settle and invest in," Swartz said.
At present, NMMU was focused on getting a Bachelor of Medicine (MBChB) programme up and running, with specialist training to follow. "This is our plan unless government requests an earlier uptake," he said.
The medical school would be a public facility and its core costs would have to be underwritten by the Treasury, as part of the higher education budget.
"The Department of Higher Education and Training has already made provision for this expansion in the national enrolment planning process," Swartz said.
"We will also raise capital in the private and philanthropic markets.
"If [all] goes according to plan, the first intake for the MBChB degree will be in January 2020, and pre-medical training in 2017-18 if the necessary programme approvals are secured.
"I have already been approached by many highly skilled medical practitioners with expertise and passion for teaching [who want to serve] in professorial and other associated capacities in the new medical school."
Source: Herald via I-Net Bridge
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