A new medical school set to open this month in Jackson represents a significant step forward for Mississippi in cultivating an environment of excellence in medicine, which will surely find its way to Northeast Mississippis already vast, far-reaching health care ecosystem.

Gov. Phil Bryant, University of Mississippi Chancellor Jeffrey Vitter and others gathered to dedicate the five-story, $74-million structure at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, as reported by the Associated Press.

The new facility, leaders say, could be a shot in the arm for a physician-starved Mississippi.

The medical school will expand to 155 incoming first-year students when class starts Monday, growing to 165 students in 2018, according to the AP. But the building has space to grow more, maybe as high as 200 students in each class. The student mailroom has 783 mailboxes, but only 489 currently have names on them.

The facility will utilize some of the most modern medical education technology by allowing students to simulate hands-on medical procedures through multifunctional electronic mannequins, among other innovative methods. The simulation area will move from a series of closets and converted classrooms in the old facility to an entire wing, including an operating room that could actually be used for real patients in a disaster scenario.

The dedication of the facility, which will officially open its doors Aug. 14, comes at a critical time for Mississippi as the state has fewer doctors per capita than any other state in the country, according to a report from the Association of Academic Medical Colleges. As reported by Mississippi Today, many at the University of Mississippi Medical Center the health sciences campus to the universitys main campus in Oxford and in the Capitol believe the best way to attract more doctors to the state is to invest in the medical school and its students.

Vitter called the universitys medical school one of our crown jewels. He hopes to see the program grow larger over time now that class sizes can comfortably increase.

The investment, funded through a combination of mainly state bonds but also funding from a HUD Community Development Block Grant through the Mississippi Development Authority, is an impressive one for Mississippi and should hopefully send a message loud and clear to prospective students and doctors alike across the country.

While the physical location of this facility is outside of Northeast Mississippi, make no mistake that its impact could be substantial for our region. The thriving health care industry thats already here will serve as a strong foundation when the medical school begins producing top-tiered doctors that will hopefully be eager to stay and practice in Mississippi.

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OUR OPINION: New medical school brings promise to region - Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal