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UArizona graduates 30 medical students early to help combat COVID-19 in the state

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Updated  April 13, 2020 7:16pm MST
Coronavirus in Arizona
FOX 10 Phoenix
UArizona graduates 30 medical students early to help combat COVID-19 in the state

UArizona graduates 30 medical students early to help combat COVID-19 in the state

The need for health care professionals is growing as the cases for coronavirus continue to increase.

PHOENIX - The need for health care professionals is growing as the cases for coronavirus continue to increase.

The University of Arizona College of Medicine is helping with the demand by granting early graduation for students.

Medical students said they didn’t think they would graduate early when they started school, but as of Monday, they are doctors one month earlier than originally scheduled.

“I guess I’m a doctor now," said University of Arizona fourth-year medical student Shanan Immel.

He's been fast tracked to graduate and became a doctor Monday. He is now being deployed in Phoenix to help in the battle against COVID-19.

Immel will serve with other health care professionals on the coronavirus hotline for the Poison Control Center.

“It was a shock," he said. "We didn’t think the news would come so soon, this is what we have worked for, it was exciting to get this degree a month early, it is shocking but exciting.”

Immel is one of 30 students the college granted accelerated graduation if they met certain requirements.

The college made this decision to serve the community. “We can finally use our skills as a unit, all of these people graduating and use a skill set,” Immel said.

These students, now doctors, will help free up resources as they answer hotline calls. The hotline will be getting more than one thousand calls a day.

After a month serving here in phoenix, Immel will head to his residency in New Orleans.