Mary Washington Healthcare Medical School
Expanding Medical Education to Strengthen Virginia’s Physician Workforce
The Challenge
Fredericksburg, Virginia, faces one of the lowest physician-to-population ratios in the state — a shortage expected to deepen as the current workforce ages. Mary Washington Healthcare recognized both an urgent community need and a unique opportunity: to establish a medical school that would train and retain physicians in the region.
How We Helped
Tripp Umbach conducted a comprehensive feasibility study to evaluate the potential for a new medical school in Fredericksburg. Through regional and statewide analysis, workforce and infrastructure review, and extensive stakeholder engagement, we assessed community readiness and identified the conditions required for long-term success.
The study recommends that Mary Washington Healthcare and the University of Mary Washington partner to develop a public-private, M.D.-granting medical education program in Fredericksburg. This initiative would address the region’s physician shortage, expand access to care in rural and underserved areas, and strengthen Virginia’s healthcare workforce for the future.