Changes in Undergraduate Medical Education, Admissions, and Student Outcomes at LSU School of Medicine: Three Years After Katrina

Abstract

Much has been written about the effects of Hurricane Katrina on the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC) School of Medicine in New Orleans1–4 and the importance of disaster planning for all medical schools. As we approach Katrina’s third anniversary, it is useful to reflect on the storm’s longer term effects on the school. This brief report summarizes the current status of our admissions process and undergraduate medical education curriculum. Pre-Katrina (July 2005) and immediate post-Katrina (July 2006) measures are used as benchmarks for comparison.