After President John Lahey announced on Jan. 28 that Quinnipiac will open a medical school, students weighed the pros and cons of attending, and its benefits to the University.

“In the long run, I think the pros outweigh any cons,” said junior bio/pre-med major T.J. Gallant. “Having it would separate us from many other schools in its category.  With it, QU would be a place for undergraduates, law students and medical students to receive at least a master’s and I think that’s huge.”

Junior Melissa DiBacco agreed.

“Being a junior and wanting to go to medical school right after graduation, in 2011, the Quinnipiac medical school would not be an option for me,” DiBacco, a bio/pre-med major, said. “However, I think Quinnipiac opening a medical school is great. It will open up more interest to the school at the undergraduate level and really put this school on the map.”

Currently, the University of Connecticut and Yale University are the only two universities in the state that have medical schools.

“I would not consider going because the school would not have a name for itself yet,” said junior Carli Phillips, a bio/pre-med major. “Yes, Quinnipiac has established itself when it comes to health sciences and its [physical therapy] and [physician’s assistant] programs, along with some of the other programs here, but it has yet to make a name for itself when it comes to medicine.

“It is going to be difficult for QU to make a name for itself in the beginning because we have Yale just down the road and the University of Connecticut not too far away either.”