St. Luke's and ASR Media Productions Document Journey of First Medical School Class

Our documentary follows the inaugural class of Temple | St. Luke’s Regional Medical School from timid beginnings to Match Day, 2015, as they become the first physicians trained at the only medical school in the region.

The United States is currently not producing enough physicians to meet the increasing needs of our aging population. Estimated figures suggest that there will be a shortage of 90,000 doctors by the year 2020. St. Luke’s has a long history of healthcare education, having been a cornerstone of training the next generation of healthcare professionals since 1881. With the recently formed Temple | St. Luke’s Regional Medical School, the Lehigh Valley healthcare powerhouse hopes to secure the region’s medical future.

St. Luke’s and Temple University’s School of Medicine’s relationship dates back almost 50 years, with residents coming from Philadelphia for rotations at the St. Luke’s Bethlehem campus. In 2004, St. Luke’s Bethlehem became a Clinical Campus for Temple’s Lewis Katz School of Medicine, offering students a distinctive academic experience in a suburban setting with patient care needs that are similar to those at an urban hospital. The St. Luke’s Temple University relationship reached yet another milestone in 2011, with the formation of the Temple | St. Luke’s Regional Medical School campus and the inaugural class matriculating in August of that year. Through this newly formed partnership, St. Luke’s University Health Network hopes to add 150 new physicians to the Lehigh Valley over the next 10 years.