A K LEO T H E
V O I C E
Ser v i ng t he st udents of t he Un iversit y of Hawa i ‘ i at M ā noa si nce 1922
Nifty and thrifty! Life and times of a discount store Features 4
Housing haberdashery Third fridge, not so charming Opinions 6
W E DN E S DAY, F E B . 2 3 to T H U R S DAY, F E B . 2 4 , 2 011
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Volu me 105 Issue 74
Legislation may give in to big tobacco over UH med school E VA AVERY Staff Writer
Lawmakers are facing a budget gap which may require cutting the $4 million in yearly funding that the John A. Burns School of Medicine receives through a tobacco settlement. As of this year, Hawai‘i has a projected shortage of about $800 million, because the state’s revenues don’t meet its expenses. “The real issue is the major state government fiscal crisis. The legislators are looking for support of state programs wherever possible, especially in existing special funds like the Tobacco Settlement Special Fund,” said Dr. Jerris Hedges, dean of JABSOM. The state of Hawai‘i receives an estimated $1.38 billion from the tobacco settlement over 25 years. The payments are submitted by domestic tobacco companies to compensate for tobacco-related injuries in Hawai‘i. The money is aimed at preventing tobacco use by minors and educating the public about the harmful effects of tobacco. Some of the funding goes toward the Coalition for a TobaccoFree Hawai‘i in support of a supplemental state-based prevention program. Other funding goes into the state’s Department of Health and rainy day funds, along with the $4 million annually allotted to the UH medical school. JABSOM supports HB1330, which would extend the expiration date of this funding. JABSOM’s overall costs total $100 million a year, but continues to see funding cuts of $6 million a year. Hedges said the result of the four percent budget cut could raise
RON PAIK / KA LEO O HAWAI‘I
JABSOM students attend a Hawai‘i House of Representatives hearing at the Capitol on Feb. 8. tuition for in-state and out-of-state students. JABSOM has 64 student slots that are fi lled every year from an average of 1,900 applicants. Because out-of-state students pay higher tuition, they may be the logical choice when it comes time for acceptance letters. Of JABSOM’s students, 10 percent are out-of-state. Hawai‘i already charges higher in-state tuition than the average U.S. medical school. According to third-year medical student Zachery Thielen, his current tuition is $27,000, while books, supplies, equipment and room and board are around $20,000 a year. “Because of the rigor of medical school, there is a no-working policy while enrolled. Medical
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school is four years long, plus we have our debt from our undergraduate education. It’s easy to see how many students graduate from medical school with more than $200,000 in debt,” Thielen said. The current budget cuts have affected UH students and impacted the Kaka‘ako campus. Theilen admitted that students previously had 24-hour access to the library and study areas, but over the past year, hours have been restricted to save on operations costs. JABSOM also lost administrators, which resulted in cutbacks on clinical skills training. About 80 percent of students who perform their residency training in Hawai‘i remain in Hawai‘i. Since
50 percent of all MD graduates remain in-state, JABSOM is in the top 25 U.S. medical schools. Tuition hikes may discourage local students from attending or remaining at JABSOM, leading to potential doctor shortages. After 45 years of practice, Chris King recently retired from his post as assistant clinical professor for the department of surgery at Hilo Hospital. He was also on the board of directors for the Health System Corporation. When asked how this could impact Hawai‘i’s medical system and community, he said, “If it decreases the number of students enrolled in the medical school, then it will likely decrease the people who
SURF Report
want to be practicing in Hawai‘i on graduation. Many doctors come to Hawai‘i having been trained elsewhere, and local communities and practices will have to be more aggressive in recruiting them to Hawai‘i. Overall, Hawai‘i does not have enough physicians, especially in the neighbor islands. But this is due to some other issues as well.” He said that of his ER group on the Big Island, only one person had trained at UH’s medical school. “The return on investment in our education does not end with graduation either. Many of our graduates will practice medicine in Hawai‘i where we will be in the fi ght against tobacco for our entire careers,” Thielen said.
T hursday Arrive & Drive! Formula 1 Style Track with 45 mph Go-Karts N: 1-2 f t. (808) 682-RACE W: 0-1.5 f t. 91-1085 Lexington St - Bldg 1844 S: 0-2 f t. Kapolei, HI 96707 E: 1-2 f t.