Article by: Drayten Nobles, Contributing Writer

With construction already underway for the new College of Medicine building, it’s only a matter of time before it is finished. Construction for the building began in June 2023 and is expected to be completed around December 2026. The new building is set to be named the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine building. In the end, the project will cost around $230 million, and at 250,000 square feet, it will be one of the largest buildings on campus.

With the number of healthcare workers on the decline in recent years around the country, the University of South Alabama is hoping to make a change to that. With the new building, South will be able to accept more medical and healthcare students, which will cause the class size of first-year medical students to jump from 80 to 100 students, with the possibility of reaching up to 120 students. The building will be five stories tall and hold 54,000 square feet of classrooms. Students will be able to use more than 100,000 square feet of laboratories to go along with a 32,000-square-foot Vivarium. 

The soon-to-be new building is generating a ton of excitement and expectations for South Alabama’s medical program. President Bonner stated that “This facility will offer our future students the most advanced learning and research opportunities anywhere in the country.” Governor Kay Ivey said that “From larger cohorts to greater research capabilities, this new facility will take an already excellent program to the next level.” The Whiddon College of Medicine is one of the very few institutions that provide accredited M.D. programs in the country and one of only two in the state of Alabama. 

With almost a year left in the construction process, healthcare students should be excited for the opportunities on the horizon. With more resources in the palm of their hands, it’s only a matter of time before South Alabama students start making groundbreaking innovations and discoveries. If you would like to find out more information about the new College of Medicine building, go to University of South Alabama | Flagship of the Gulf Coast.