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It’s not a first to offer free med school tuition, but the best reason I can see why Kaiser would do this is self-preservation. Get students in the door with fr

It’s not a first to offer free med school tuition, but the best reason I can see why Kaiser would do this is self-preservation. Get students in the door with free tuition, put them to work for free with immersions in Kaiser institutions, and then put them in residencies in Kaiser hospitals. It’s like an educational corporate town. A private company is keeping a stronghold on their huge healthcare network and establishing a medical school is a great way to support their own interests. I don’t believe a private healthcare company is going to offer a no-strings-attached free lunch. Removing Kaiser from the situation, what would the sentiment be if Amazon or Google bought up a small college and started their own university where cirriculum was based solely around AWS or Google Cloud? Where students worked on projects to directly support the shareholders and business in exchange for a piece of paper. It seems like a better deal for the company than the students. Not to say the students aren’t good or qualified. They could be damn good doctors. Only time will tell.

wahern 8y ago
Kaiser Permanente is non-profit. Actually, multiple non-profits: insurer, hospital, practice group. But, yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if there are strings attached. To be fair, their mandate is to provide low-cost healthcare, not free education.
Dowwie 8y ago
It is a rarety now but there was a time when employers offered tuition reimbursement programs for higher education. Graduate programs such as business schools are really expensive, but were economically feasible if an employer covered the cost. This wasn't a free lunch program. Employees needed to stay with the firm for at least X years immediately following completion. You have to do whatever possible to keep the ship afloat. You also can't leave without incurring steep financial penalties. However, if you love your job and where you work, this is such a luxury to have.
wjnc 8y ago
I wonder if this will increase or decrease the work-life balance of medical students after their initial training. The employer has quite the investment riding on successful medical practice by the doctors. The outside option for competitors is cheaper labor since less depreciation in the salary for the students loans. Seems like a big win for the students. You cannot contract effort only stimulate it.

wahern 8y ago

Kaiser Permanente is non-profit. Actually, multiple non-profits: insurer, hospital, practice group. But, yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if there are strings attached. To be fair, their mandate is to provide low-cost healthcare, not free education.

Dowwie 8y ago

It is a rarety now but there was a time when employers offered tuition reimbursement programs for higher education. Graduate programs such as business schools are really expensive, but were economically feasible if an employer covered the cost. This wasn't a free lunch program. Employees needed to stay with the firm for at least X years immediately following completion. You have to do whatever possible to keep the ship afloat. You also can't leave without incurring steep financial penalties. However, if you love your job and where you work, this is such a luxury to have.

wjnc 8y ago

I wonder if this will increase or decrease the work-life balance of medical students after their initial training. The employer has quite the investment riding on successful medical practice by the doctors. The outside option for competitors is cheaper labor since less depreciation in the salary for the students loans. Seems like a big win for the students. You cannot contract effort only stimulate it.