More women in med school; still get paid less than men – KELOLAND.com

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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) The number of women enrolled at the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine is increasing.

A 2019 study by the Association of American Medical Colleges said for the first time ever there are more women then men in medical school. The national average for females in medical school is 50.5%

The study said 45.7% of USD students for the 2019-2020 school year are women.

The national average is 50.5%. Thats an increase of 49.5% from 2018. The average was 46.9% in 2015.

While the percentage of women enrolled in medical school increased in the U.S., fewer women than men are applied to USD for the 2019-2020 school year.

USD had 836 applicants for the 2019-2020 school year. Of the applicants, 47.6% were female and 52.4% were male.

The number of female versus male applicants is similar at some neighboring medical schools.

The University of Iowa had 3,879 applicants. Of those applicants, 44.7% were female. The university has a 50-50 split between female and male students for the school year.

The University of North Dakota medical school had 1,718 applicants. Of those, 47.2% were women. Women made up 41.6% of the enrolled students.

Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, had 6,375 applicants and 45.3% of those were women. Of its enrolled students, 50.6% are women.

The University of Nebraska in Lincoln had 1,590 applicants and 45.7% were women. Of its enrolled students, 49.2% are women.

The University of Minnesota Mayo Medical School in Rochester had 7,265 applicants and 46.2% were women. The universitys enrollment is 51% female.

The University of Minnesotas overall medical school program other than Mayo had 5,561 applicants and 49.6% of those were female. Women made up 54.2% of the enrollment.

The overall makeup of the 142 residents at USD Sanford is 72 female students and 70 male students.

Although there are more women in medical school, chances are when they graduate they will earn less than men.

Studies show that in most categories of medical practice, if not all, women make less than men.

In many cases of research, its the doctors themselves reporting the pay to reveal the inequities.

A 2019 study by Doximity, an online network of medical professionals, said that on average male doctors earn $1.25 for every $1 earned by women.

USD said that of its female residents, 16 chose family medicine or psychiatry while 13 chose internal medicine or pediatrics. The rest chose specialties of pathology, cardiovascular, general surgery, geriatrics, transitional year or family medicine.

South Dakota had 2,121 active doctors, including 674 female doctors, in 2018, the 2019 State Physician Workforce Data Report said. The most were in family medicine/general practice at 188. Eighty-one were in internal medicine, 62 in obstetrics and gynecology, and 58 in pediatrics. The remainder were in other practices, except none were practicing in cardiovascular care or orthopedics.

A 2019 Medscape study showed the male primary care physicians earn 25% more than females. The income was $258,000 compared to $207,000 for women.

The gap did decrease in specialty pay from 36% in 2018 to a 33% difference between men and women. Men were paid $372,000 in specialty practice compared to $280,000 for women.

Specialty practices were identified as plastic surgery, orthopedics, internal medicine and similar. Medscape said while women tended to choose lower paying specialties than higher paying ones such as plastic surgery, orthopedics, cardiology and urology, that doesnt explain the overall disparity in specialty pay.

Additional research by Dr. Malgorzata Skaznik-Wikiel, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, and others show similar pay gaps between female and male doctors.

Several studies prompted the Association of Women Surgeons to release a formal statement on the gender pay equity gap. Women in academic medicine make 90 cents for every dollar earned by their male counterparts. Although this salary gender gap is not as large as the 82 cents per dollar noted in the overall US Economy 21 it reflects inequities in compensation, and must be addressed. If change continues at the current slow rate, women will not reach pay equity with men until 2152, the statement said.

But there are some indications that doctors who practice in rural areas, including South Dakota and in neighboring states, may be getting paid more than those who practice in some urban areas.

Research called Income and Age Profiles of Urban and Rural Physicians in the United States conducted through the University of Chicago shows that rural physicians have higher incomes, lower housing costs, and shorter commutes than urban physicians.

A 2018 study by Merritt Hawkins on healthcare recruitment said the Midwest and Great Plains ranked high when it came to pay for psychiatry, family practice, radiology and internal medicine, which were listed as top areas of recruitment. The salary list did not breakdown male versus female pay. Merritt Hawkins is a physician recruiting and consulting firm.

Despite higher pay, rural areas have about a third fewer physicians per capita than the nation as a whole, the University of Chicago study said. And most rural doctors are men.

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The Future Is Now: A Diverse and Inclusive Faculty – Columbia University Irving Medical Center

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Illustration: Davide Bonazzi.

This spring during her maternity leave, Stephanie Lovinsky-Desir, MD, updated progress reports to the NIH on her research into asthma among kids living in urban areas, reviewed grant applications and abstracts for the American Thoracic Society, flew to Chicago to present an abstract at an American Society for Clinical Investigation meeting, and drove to Baltimore to give an oral presentation of her research at a Pediatric Academic Society meeting. When an opportunity presents itself, its really hard to say no, says the pediatric pulmonologist and mother of three. Junior faculty members are expected to have exponential growth in this early part of our careersbut it overlaps with when were raising young families.

And yet, says Dr. Lovinsky-Desir, compared with the shorter leaves she had after her older two children were born, the 13-week parental leave policy instituted across Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) in January 2018 was a significant benefit. While it was still hard to come back to work, especially leaving a new baby with a cold, it was really nice to have that extra month of bonding time with her, she says.

In 2017, for the first time, more women than men enrolled in VP&S. This past year, women were the majority of both medical school applicants and enrolled students nationwide. Racial and ethnic diversity likewise continues to increase among medical students, with nearly 50% of medical students in the United States identifying as non-white. And while great strides have been made in diversifying the ranks of academic medical facultyboth at Columbia and across the countrywomen and people of color remain under-represented at the highest levels of academic ranks, administration, and leadership. To address the issue, VP&S administrators have dedicated recruitment, hiring, and programmatic efforts to expanding the pipeline of women and underrepresented minority faculty to serve the educational, clinical, and research missions of VP&S and to take on leadership roles.

Diversity at all levels of medicine, including students, trainees, faculty educators, researchers, and practitioners, is critically important to educate students to understand medical problems that quickly and easily cross global borders; to deliver culturally sensitive health care to a population that is multicultural, multinational, and multilingual; and to bring new and different research perspectives to the research agenda, says Anne Taylor, MD, vice dean for academic affairs. American medical education, practice, and research can only remain the best by using the full intellectual capital derived from recruiting the most committed, accomplished, and talented workforce from every segment of our population.

The effort at VP&S got a substantial boost in April 2018 when Lee Goldman, MD, dean of the faculties of health sciences and medicine and chief executive of CUIMC, convened two faculty committeesone dedicated to the particular career challenges faced by women and the other to those of underrepresented minoritiesto develop recommendations that would strengthen ongoing efforts to promote opportunities for career success at VP&S for all faculty. Dr. Goldman reviewed the recommendations submitted jointly by the two committees and accepted them in full this year. While the recommendations were developed by advisory committees, their implementation will position VP&S to be the best place for academic medical faculty to flourish, says Dr. Taylor, whose office provided administrative support for the committees.

Convening the committees was part of the medical schools ongoing efforts over the past decade to be sure that career development needs of all faculty are met. These efforts also recognize that women and underrepresented minority faculty face additional unique challenges to career development that require more professional development efforts. Earlier efforts have resulted in measurable progress. Among VP&S faculty 47% are women, compared with the national average of 39%. Even at the highest ranks, 29% of VP&S full professors are women compared with 25% nationally, and 35% of the medical schools tenure-track faculty are women, leading Columbias peer group of medical schools. Racially and ethnically diverse people make up 20% of the faculty at VP&S, with 11% (compared with 8% nationally) from groups traditionally underrepresented in the professoriate.

In recent years, the academic tracks were restructured to create a transparent, objective basis for academic advancement and to minimize arbitrary and potentially exclusionary promotion practices. Parameters of equity, such as numbers of women and diverse faculty in leadership positions and on key committees that review candidates for promotion and honors, are closely monitored to assure a balanced representation of the faculty, and salary equity between men and women is regularly measured. To ensure continued efforts, VP&S committed $50 million to programs to recruit and support women and diverse faculty.

Chief among the recommendations Dr. Goldman endorsed to promote the success and retention of new recruits and current faculty is creation of an Office for Women and Diverse Faculty. All of our programs are driven by faculty interest and faculty demand, says Dr. Taylor. Hired in late 2007, about 18 months after Dr. Goldman became dean, Dr. Taylor now holds the John Lindenbaum Professorship of Medicine and also serves as senior vice president for faculty affairs and career development for CUIMC. From that vantage point, she sees implementation of the committees recommendations as the latest advance in the work with which she was charged when she joined Columbia.

When I came to the medical school, there were no professional development programs for faculty, says Dr. Taylor. VP&S hires some of the most gifted faculty members in the country, so it is our responsibility to support their career success and satisfaction. Her office now oversees orientation programs; leadership and management training, including sessions for all women and diverse faculty cohorts; workshops focused on career development and academic advancement for educators, researchers, and clinicians; and workshops focused on teaching skills, negotiation skills, and management of research teams. Working with women faculty, Dr. Taylor helped to develop the Virginia Kneeland Frantz Society for Women Faculty. Implementation of the advisory committees recommendations will allow for expanded professional development programs but importantly will offer the opportunity to create further changes in the overall culture and climate around diversity and equity.

When Hilda Hutcherson, MD, arrived at Columbia in 1981, she was the first African American woman resident in obstetrics & gynecology. On this campus, there were few African American residents at the time in any department, or even faculty members, she recalls. When I started as an assistant professor in 85, there were no programs to encourage minorities or women to pursue academic medicine. Now a professor of obstetrics & gynecology and senior associate dean for diversity and multicultural affairs, Dr. Hutcherson served on the Committee for Faculty Diversity and Inclusionand she is pleased that the committees work has been so enthusiastically endorsed by the dean. When the list of recommendations was put together, I dont think anyone was thinking wed get 100%, she says. Im so happy that Dr. Goldman took all of the recommendations.

In the absence of formal programs to support her own career development, says Dr. Hutcherson, informal relationships were key to her success. During her early years on the faculty, Gerald E. Thomson, MD, now the Samuel Lambert and Robert Sonneborn Professor Emeritus of Medicine, took note of her passion for encouraging students from diverse backgrounds and urged her to consider formal opportunities to mentor others. It wasnt something I was pursuing at first, says Dr. Hutcherson. Dr. Thomson thought I would be really good and a natural fit and encouraged me to applythats how I ended up in this position. She not only transformed what was once a small office dedicated to recruitment of underrepresented minority medical students into an office with a broader set of programs that support all medical center students, she founded and leads the Kenneth A. Forde Diversity Alliance, which is dedicated to recruiting, retaining, and recognizing a diverse community among students, residents, faculty, and alumni.

Informal associations like that with Dr. Hutcherson and Dr. Thomsonwhereby higher-ranking professionals in the field champion the career trajectories of junior facultyplay a critical role in sustaining diversification of leadership of academic medicine, says plastic surgeon Christine Rohde, MD. These relationships, which differ significantly from the peer-to-peer mentorship and networking many professionals already enjoy, are important but should be supplemented by formal mentoring and sponsorship opportunities available to all, says Dr. Rohde. The Office of Faculty Professional Development, Diversity & Inclusion led by Clara Lapiner, MPH, promotes mentorship and sponsorship for faculty within departments but also has made sponsorship of faculty for outside career development part of its mission.

A sponsorship opportunity from the Office of Faculty Professional Development, Diversity & Inclusion provided funding support from the Virginia Kneeland Frantz Society for Dr. Rohde to attend an AAMC mid-career development training program for women faculty. Since the program began in 2016, 29 women and 20 underrepresented faculty have received funding support to attend AAMC career development seminars. Faculty who have received such support share what they have learned with others. At the end of that course I wrote a list of the things I wanted to try to do in my work life and some were very, very specifictalking to a particular individual about things I wanted to achieve in the futureand others were more general about how I could grow, contribute, increase visibility, says Dr. Rohde. Sponsors have really put me forward for things I wouldnt have thought of myself.

As vice chair of faculty development and diversity for the Department of Surgery and chief of microvascular services at CUIMC, Dr. Rohde now has opportunities to mentor and sponsor colleagues earlier in their careers, with a particular eye on cultivating diversity among those being recommended for leadership. There are scholarships geared toward women, underrepresented minorities, and Ill find people in my department who are eligible, encourage them to go for it, talk to people who will nominate them, she says. And as a Chinese American mother of three, she chooses to take on highvisibility rolesas co-chair of the Women Physicians of NewYork-Presbyterian, as a leader in her professional societies, as a member of the deans advisory committee for women faculty, and now as she applies for a full professorship, a pursuit relatively rare among female surgical faculty. Im very conscious of what I do and what that means for other people who may want to follow my career path in academic plastic surgery, she says. The kids are watchingif we say diversity is important, but the field is not, I think they pick up on that.

Pathologist Richard Francis says he has seen significant shifts in the institutional culture at VP&S since he was a student in the MD-PhD program and since he was hired as faculty in 2011. I feel like it is sincere, the idea of making this a better place for people to work, for patients to be seen, for people to receive their education, says Dr. Francis, who directs the Special Hematology and Coagulation Laboratory and served with Dr. Hutcherson on the deans advisory committee for faculty diversity and inclusion. I dont get the impression that its just lip service, but real follow-through where you can see differences.

He sees particular promise in the deans endorsement of the faculty recommendation that all departments offer training in detecting and fighting implicit bias the unconscious attitudes and stereotypes that can affect behavior. It feeds back into interviewing students, residents, faculty, he says. People need to understand how they view people, how that affects who they recommend, and how they approach trainees and job offers.

In his own career, he has found connection through programs like a Harold Amos Medical Faculty Development Program award from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which expanded his access to mentors. As you get further along, having people to mentor you who are more like you, look like you, have gone through things that youve experienced matters more.

To provide that kind of access among the residents he meets in clinical rotations, Dr. Francis keeps lines of communication open, often helping trainees process their own encounters with implicit bias. Much of that work boils down to acknowledging and validating painful experiences. Sometimes he shares insights from his own journey or offers advice. Its not that someones trying to disrespect you, says Dr. Francis. Theyre updating their schemasometimes it works and sometimes it doesnt and theres friction in that process.

Diverse perspectives advance the kind of problem-solving central to academic medicine, Dr. Francis notes. Acknowledging the friction that can sometimes emerge and working through difficult processes are critical steps for achieving the potential a diverse workforce promises. You have to do something to foster that environment, make sure everyone has an equal voice, that they know that what they have is something of value, he says. Everyone needs to know that their perspective will be heard.

As chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine since January 2018, Angela Mills, MD, has hired 34 new faculty. Among them are 21 women and nine people of color. Diverse teams are smarter, and teams that are both gender and culturally diverse are more likely to introduce innovations, says Dr. Mills. Both as problem solvers and as educators, she says, leaders in academic medicine must innovate. Yet implicit bias often interferes with the recruitment and retention of a diverse team. To reduce that risk, Dr. Mills has standardized as much of the process as possible by requiring that nominating committees define hiring criteria in advance and search committees develop a panel of questions each candidate must answer. What we ask candidates and how we evaluate them is really important when were talking about diversity, she says. Without clearly defined criteria, people tend to redefine characteristics of what theyre seeking to promote male candidates, less diverse candidates.

As a member of the deans advisory committee for women faculty, Dr. Mills brought to the table her personal experience as a first-generation college student, woman, and mother of two rising through the ranks of emergency medicine, as well as her scholarship on the gender gap in her field. In February, the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine published her analysisco-authored with colleagues at Harvardon gender differences in faculty rank among academic emergency physicians in the United States. Later that month, she gave a VP&S grand rounds lecture on the gender gap in academic medicine. Nationally, Dr. Mills notes, more than 50% of medical students are women. Among all residents, 46% are women; in emergency medicine, however, only 37% of residents are women. And the number keeps falling off, she says. The question is how do we promote emergency medicine as a specialty that supports women, promotes women, and allows women to successfully transition into academic medicine if they choose?

She has found that the new 13-week parental leave policy helps recruitment. I use that as a selling tool, and Ive had just as many men as women take parental leave, she says. Its a great benefit to all parents. She also is optimistic about the potential of #SHEmergency, a professional development group that fosters community and develops methods for awareness of gender bias among female-identified residents and emergency medicine faculty. The groups article, #Shemergency Presents: Recruitment & Retention of Female Residents, appeared this summer in AAMCs journal, Academic Medicine. We developed specific events where residents and faculty partner on strategies and plans to combat disparitieseverything from mentorship to speaking invitations, awards and recognition, salaries.

Like Dr. Francis and Dr. Rohde, Dr. Lovinsky-Desir credits an early career development award for providing the professional connections and coaching she needed to take a tactical approach to her own career advancement. In my regular circles on the academic campus, often Im the only woman of color, she says. Its important to see people in leadership who look like you, who have gone through similar experiences. If theyve made it, I too can make it.

Among members of the deans advisory committee for faculty diversity and inclusion, the power of solidarity and connection made the idea of an Office for Women and Diverse Faculty particularly attractive, says Dr. Lovinsky-Desir. As the odd person out, sometimes your voice gets lost. Its a little harder to speak up, she notes. If theres a space where we can unite, uplift one another, I think it will empower us as we go back into our teams.

This article originally appeared in the 2019 VP&S Annual Report.

Already, says Dr. Lovinsky-Desir, she sees other changes emerging from the recommendations advanced by the deans advisory committeesa powerful, self-reinforcing effect both on campus culture and the advancement of women and minorities across VP&S. She was recently invited to serve on a search committee. Not only was she able to lend her perspective on the search itself, Dr. Lovinsky-Desir was fascinated by the insights she gleaned about what search committees prioritize when assessing candidates for senior leadership positions. We often dont get that as junior faculty, women, minorities, she says. I learned so much about what features are valued in a person in senior administrative leadership, and that perspective will enhance my growth here as a junior faculty member.

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The Future Is Now: A Diverse and Inclusive Faculty - Columbia University Irving Medical Center

The Prerequisites for Medical School – Kaplan Test Prep

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The key to medical school admissions success is careful planning based on correct information. Research the schools in which you are interested. What are their admissions requirements? Keep in close contact with your pre-med advisor. Are you taking the proper classes now? With thorough research and thoughtful questions, you will benefit from the great amount of information that is available to you. By proactively seeking information, you will avoid the aggravation, disappointment, and delays that come upon finding out that you do not meet all of the necessary prerequisites.

During your pre-medical education, you will be required to fulfill certain coursework prerequisites. In addition, you should select other courses in the sciences and humanities to supplement this core curriculum, enhancing your education and your application to medical school.

Most schools agree on the basic elements for pre-medical education. Minimum course requirements include one year each of biology, general (inorganic) chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, and related lab work for each. In addition, about two-thirds require English and about one quarter require calculus. A small number of schools have no specific course requirements.

Bear in mind that since the MCAT covers material from the commonly required courses, you will need to include those courses in your program of study whether or not they are medical school prerequisites. Nevertheless, many students are surprised to learn that the list of courses required by medical schools is so small. The best sources for admissions requirements for specific medical schools are theMedical School Admission Requirements(MSAR) and theOsteopathic Medical College Information Booklet.

These classes are nearly universal pre-med requirements, including basic science classes that are familiar to most science majors.

Medical school prerequisites are selected by the particular program, and so there are some classes that are not required at all schools but are required at most or some. For details regarding specifically which classes are required for each school, check theMSAR website.

While science majors are certainly more common, medical schools stress their interest in well-rounded students with broad-based undergraduate backgrounds. In fact, regardless of your major, your undergraduate transcript is a vital part of the admissions decision.

If you are a science major, one approach is to broaden your education by considering at least some social science and humanities electives. If you are not majoring in a science, your work in both science and non-science courses will be evaluated. However, with fewer courses on which to judge your science ability, your grades in the core science subjects will take on greater importance. So consider taking at least some additional science courses, such as biochemistry, cell biology, or genetics.

Bottom line? Dont choose a major because you think it will get you accepted to medical school. Choose a major in a subject in which you are really interested. You will do better and have a more enjoyable time throughout college.

According to a recent survey of medical schools, knowledge of health care issues and commitment to health care were among the top five variables considered very important to student selection (the other four were med school interview ratings, GPA, MCAT scores, and letters of recommendation).

You should consider being active in health care activities as much as possible as a premed student. If nothing else, these experiences will help you articulate in your personal statement and interviews why you want to pursue a career in medicine.

Your pre-med advisor is instrumental in helping you decide if medical school is right for you and assessing your chances for admission. In addition, he or she will be particularly helpful in guiding you to the schools whose curricula and student profiles best match your qualifications and interests. Finally, your pre-med advisor will have specific data about medical school requirements, how students from your school fared in the admissions process, and where students with similar academic backgrounds and MCAT scores were accepted.

In many undergraduate institutions, the pre-med office handles the letters of recommendation. In some cases, they simply relay the letters to the medical schools. Yet in other cases, the pre-med advisoror committeewrites a letter to the admissions offices on your behalf. Its imperative that you get to know your advisor and that they get to know you.

Medical school applicants often fail to acknowledge the importance of working withtheirinstitutions premed office. Going it alone means that you wont benefit from networking contacts and relationships the premed office has with a number of admissions offices where theyouve applied. Often admissions officers ask whyapplicants haventusedtheir premedical offices resources. So be very mindful to have the full support of your premedical office if such a resource is available to you.

Medical school admissions committees select applicants who have demonstrated intelligence, maturity, integrity, and a dedication to the ideal of service to society. One way they assess your nonacademic qualities is to look at how you have lived your life prior to completing your medical school application. To this end, you have an opportunity to submit a description of up to fifteen activities, club memberships, leadership roles, honors, awards, and jobs within the AMCAS Primary Application. Furthermore, many committees will ask you to submit a more comprehensive list of the extracurricular activities with which you have been involved.

While not all admissions committees consider them in the application process, many value the nature and depth of your extracurricular activities as significant factors in your admissibility to medical school.

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The Prerequisites for Medical School - Kaplan Test Prep

Huge variation in time and money for GP-based teaching in medical schools – GP online

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Analysis of 36 UK medical schools by the Society for Academic Primary Care (SAPC) found significant gaps between institutions in the overall amount of GP teaching in their curricula.

In the medical school with the greatest focus on GP teaching, 19% of teaching overall was within general practice or by GPs, compared with just 3.9% in the medical school with the lowest proportion of GP teaching. On average,9.2% of medical schools' teaching was GP-based.

A near five-fold variation was seen in the average number of sessions assigned to GP teaching per student in curricula at different medical schools. GP-based sessions per student ranged from 65.3 to 313 - equivalent to 6.5 weeks to 31.3 weeks.

Meanwhile, the average payment per session for clinical GP teaching was 58.74 per student per session, but payment varied from 32.21 to 120.00 across the UK.

Three quarters of medical schools experienced difficulty in recruiting GP teaching practices, citing poor pay for clinicians, difficulty where placements were not in blocks, or where students had excessive travel.

Two medical schools' curricula were found to include none of a list of key topics recommended by Health Education England (HEE) to encourage doctors into general practice. Just 14% said they delivered sessions on all recommended topics from the HEE list.

The findings follow a BJGP study last month, which revealed that the actual cost of teaching undergraduate medical students in general practice was almost double what practices receive for placements.

The SAPC report, which examined the exposure of undergraduate medical students in the UK to general practice, found that the number of GP teaching sessions in undergraduate schools has plateaued since 2002. This was despite perceptions among educators that GP sessions had increased over the past five years.

Medical schools established before the start of the 21st century had a significantly lower percentage of GP teaching than the percentage in newer medical schools: 8.3% vs 12.9%, the report found. While, the number of compulsory sessions of practice-based GP teaching varied between schools, varied between 248 and 27.

Dr Hugh Alberti, who is sub dean for primary and community care at the University of Newcastle, said variation in the amount of time given to GP teaching was down to both cultural and historical reasons, with hospitals traditionally seen as the natural learning arena for medical graduates.

But he said it was important that attitudes changed if more students were to be attracted into working in general practice.

The arguments for having more students in general practice are very simple; its good for the students because they get high quality teaching and its good for general practice because more students are likely to become GPs because theyve had more time in that area.

If we dont get more students into practices, were not going to get more students becoming GPs and were just going to continue the recruitment problem.'

He added that practices were currently 'making a loss on average' from training students. 'If it costs them 110 [to train a student] and were paying them on average 55, then practices are potentially making a loss,' he said.Until we make it cost neutral for them, then its always going to be a challenge.'

Health secretary Matt Hancock announced last month that more than 3,500 doctors had been recruited to GP specialty training this year. But the RCGP has warned thatthe NHS needs to train 5,000 GPs a year to keep patients safe.

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Huge variation in time and money for GP-based teaching in medical schools - GP online

Impact and not optics: How we can increase the number of African Americans in medicine – St. Louis American

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I am the lead author of a peer-reviewed manuscript that details how U.S. medical school diversity initiatives are leaving us behind. This is a summary of the article, which was published in Academic Medicine, and a call to action to improve our representation and the health of our communities

U.S. medical education diversity initiatives were born out of the Civil Rights Movement in an effort to increase the representation of African Americans in the physician workforce. Over the last 50 years, these efforts have evolved to include other minority groups that are underrepresented in medicine, and efforts to specifically identify and recruit African-American students have become obscured. African Americans thus remain significantly underrepresented in medicine, accounting for just 6 percent of graduates from U.S. medical schools and 3 percent of U.S. medical school full-time faculty.

Further complicating matters, demographic shifts resulting from recent immigration of black people from Africa and the Caribbean have both expanded the definition of African-American medical students and shifted the emphasis from those with a history of suffering under U.S. oppression and poverty to anyone who meets a black phenotype. Thus, while the majority of blacks in this country are African Americans defined as blacks born in the United States whose ancestors suffered under slavery and Jim Crow laws over half of black students entering medical schools are members of other black subgroups, i.e. African, Afro-Caribbean, and mixed race. African Americans have now become underrepresented amongst the underrepresented.

Besides being emblematic of a glaring scholastic achievement gap, why does all of this matter?

African Americans have a higher age-adjusted death rate than whites for 9 of the 15 leading causes of death in this country, and the life expectancy for African Americans (74.8 years) continues be lower than white Americans (78.5 years). The life expectancy for African-American men is 71.5 years.

Medical literature has consistently shown that black patients rate their healthcare experience as higher when paired with a black physician. This in turn has been proven to yield greater utilization of health services and improved compliance to plans of care. It can thus be asserted that the underrepresentation of African Americans in healthcare is a public health problem, and any health disparity initiative aimed at improving the health of African Americans should include African American physician pipeline programming at the core.

Diversity initiatives in U.S. medical school need refocusing. Educational environments with students of varying experiences and a myriad of backgrounds are certainly valuable, but identity-oriented initiatives that seek to improve African-American student presence and right societal wrongs should be underscored. In doing so, medical school admissions committees must consider and contextualize the genealogical heritage and ancestral legacy of minority students, particularly blacks.

Additionally, the corrosive effects of financial and social deprivation of African Americans should be considered, including those from high-income, two-parent homes. Simply competing for any phenotypically black student that clears lowered academic thresholds is incomplete and contributes to African Americans being underrepresented in medicine.

The responsibility should not fall solely on medical school admissions committees, which are largely white. The African-American community also needs to be called into action to adequately prepare African-American students to compete in the mainstream.

Here are some detailed solutions.

Academic expectations for African-American boys and girls need to be raised. The bar needs to be much higher than staying out of trouble and having good manners. Strong classroom performance, high standardized test scoring, and achievement of professional and STEM-based graduate degrees should be routine and normalized as opposed to seeming foreign.

We need to start educating African-American boys and girls outside of traditional school systems, which have largely proven to be insufficient in terms of helping us make collective academic progress. Just as athletic teenagers rely on AAU and club sports teams alongside their high school teams for preparation and showcasing of talent, schools should simply augment the academic efforts of African-American children. This is not uncommon amongst many Indian and Asian populations in the United States. Parental efforts and programs that teach and stretch the core academic potential of African-American youth should be created and prioritized.

African-American youth need immersion into the language of U.S. standardized tests. Once thought to be primarily related to economic status, race has become a greater predictor of SAT performance than parental education and family income. Blacks continue to lag behind all minority groups in ACT and SAT scoring, the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT), and other graduate school entrance exams. Reading assignments for African-American adolescents and teens should routinely include publications such as Time Magazine and the Wall Street Journal. Familiarity with National Public Radio and related content should also be incorporated.

Collegiate selection needs to be more intentional. Parents and high school students need to look towards schools that have a proven track record of successfully preparing African-American students for academic success. The medical school application process is very complex, and medical school admissions committees look for specific scholastic and extracurricular profiles. The American Association of Medical Colleges lists the institutions with the highest numbers of African-American applicants to U.S. medical schools each year. Parents and high school students should reference this regularly in looking for and selecting the right institution of higher learning.

Finally, African-American students should be guided, mentored, and supported through college, medical school, residency, and beyond. Pre-medical and other students destined for graduate and professional school require nuanced financial support and experiences to be successful applicants for the next level. Pipeline programs should include parental education on the type of support African Americans need to clear hurdles along the way.

These are simple solutions, but they require a deliberate investment and collective effort. None of it is showy. None of it looks good on Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn. It does not make for good pictures or hashtags. Its not magic. Much like medical school admissions committees, our community-based efforts need to be about impact and not optics.

Dr. Kenneth Poole Jr. is the medical director of Patient Experience for Mayo Clinic Arizona, chair of the Mayo Clinic Enterprise Health Information Coordinating Subcommittee, and a member of the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine admissions committee. He is a North St. Louis County native and a product of the Mathews Dickey Boys and Girls Club, Hazelwood Public Schools, Lutheran North High School, and Tennessee State University. The views expressed above are his own and do not represent those of the Mayo Clinic.

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Impact and not optics: How we can increase the number of African Americans in medicine - St. Louis American

Medical School Admissions Consulting | Kaplan Test Prep

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Your Kaplan consultant takes the guesswork out of the medical school admissions process and helps you make the best application decisions for you.

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Most applicants are going to be qualified for some range of schools. However, most people are on "the bubble" somewhere, meaning the next level of schools is just beyond their reach. Applicants applying to competitive programs, international applicants, weaker writers, or those who have complicating factors, weaker MCAT scores or GPAs that need to be addressed can all benefit from the guidance of a seasoned admissions professional.

How does the service work?

One business day after you enroll in Medical School Admissions Consulting, you will receive a welcome email including a link to a survey. The survey inquires about your goals, target schools, and more to help us better understand your needs. We then use this information to match you with the right consultant. You will be paired with the consultant whose experience and expertise best matches your goals, target school, and level of competitiveness. Or, let us know who are your top three consultant choices and we'll be happy to match you with one of your preferred consultants.

The service is delivered remotely with your consultant advising you via phone and email. The remote delivery allows Kaplan to provide the most convenient scheduling and to match you with exactly the right consultant regardless of geography.

What are the credentials of the consultants?

Kaplans medical school admissions consultants are so effective because of their deep experience in the field. Most have served on admissions committees or as advisorsmany at the top medical schoolsand they bring really cogent insight into the admissions decision-making process. Most importantly, they understand that this process is about you presenting the best you possible. Our consultants know how essential it is to preserve and amplify your voice. They bring their expertise to bear to help you succeed.

Does my consultant do the work for me?

No. Kaplan consultants work with you to enhance your original work. Theyll help you brainstorm, polish your work, and help you position yourself for the greatest effect. But dont forget, medical school is a very personal choiceits important that the schools understand who you are as a person. And Kaplan medical school admission consultants can help you do that.

You've got this, our medical school admissions experts are here to help. Our consultants are experienced guides and mentors with a thorough knowledge of the medical school admissions process. They'll help you navigate your unique journey to medical school so you can apply and interview with confidence.

Claudia Mikail, M.D., M.P.H.

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Heather Hoffmann, M.D.

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Maria Lofftus, J.D.

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Consulting with Kaplan since: 2005

Education: BA, Princeton; MD, Mount Sinai School of Medicine; MPH, Columbia University

Background: Private practice, Author of textbook; Instructor, UCLA Extension and USC Keck School of Medicine

At Kaplan, Claudia has enabled countless college students, nontraditional applicants, and repeat applicants to achieve admission to their top-choice schools. With experience as a Princeton Regional Alumni Interviewer, Claudia provides expert insights into the admissions process of highly selective programs, from what makes a powerful and polished personal statement to how to shine at your interview.

Consulting with Kaplan since: 2006

Education: MD from University of Louisville School of Medicine

Background: Former member of the Faculty-Student Liaison Committee, Interviewer for Medical School Admissions, Residency Program Director, University of Texas - Houston School of Medicine

Heather is a board-certified physician who interviewed for medical school admissions while she was a medical school professor. She has expertise developing a unique personal statement that clearly underscores the applicant's strengths for admission. She can provide feedback about what a physician reader will think about a personal statement. She teaches her clients the difference between writing for the personal statement and writing for the secondary essays. She has professional experience interviewing applicants for medical school and residency at the world's largest medical center. She has prepared applicants for many interview formats, including traditional, MMI, group, and panel.

Consulting with Kaplan since: 1998

Education: BS from University of Connecticut

Background:

Tom served as the chief admissions officer at several different medical schools including the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Hahnemann Medical College (now part of Drexel University), and the University of Iowa College of Medicine. He also served as Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Admissions at the Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine at the Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science.

Tom estimates that he has reviewed over 60,000 medical school applications and has read at least 200,000 letters of recommendation during his long career in admissions.

Consulting with Kaplan since: 1997

Education: Princeton University: MA & PhD

Background: Has advised more than 2,000 graduate school applicants, one-on-one, worldwide

Jesse R. Borges is Senior Graduate Admissions Consultant and Trainer with Kaplan. He has spent more than 25 years in the field of educational / professional advancement, is now beginning his 19th with Kaplan, and has personally advised 2,000 applicants of widely varying racial, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, from every geographic region of the U.S. and the world.

Education: BA from the University of California San Diego, JD from the University of San Diego

Background: Over 40 years of leadership experience in graduate education with the University of California, the Association of American Medical Colleges and Kaplan.

Maria has recently retired from a long and illustrious career in graduate education at the prestigious University of California, San Diego where she was both the Assistant Dean for Recruitment, Admissions and Financial Aid at the School of Medicine and the Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs and Special Initiatives at the Rady School of Management. She is a recognized expert in the areas of medical school admissions, higher education assessment, evaluation and accreditation. She also served on the AAMCs National Committee on Diversity and served as Chair of the National Committee on Admissions. While she enjoys working with all applicants, Maria says she has always found it most rewarding to work with the non-traditional student and reapplicant to achieve their goal of becoming a physician. As a life-long lover of writing, she also enjoys working with students to craft compelling personal statements and essays.

Mr. Luten has served as the Director of Student Affairs of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry where he coordinated recruitment activities, minority affairs, advising of all student organizations, financial aid, student residency and tutorial/retention services.

Educationally, Mr. Luten has completed all requirements, except the dissertation, for the PhD in Higher Education Administration from Michigan State University, and has achieved both the Bachelor's and Master's degrees from The Ohio State University. Most recently he is an Assistant Professor and Chair of the Admissions Committee of the Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry. His passions are graduate and professional school advising, - dental, law, MBA and medicine - with a particular interest in the oral health profession, diversity programs in health career education and student success.

Consulting with Kaplan since: 2013

Education: B.A. from Johns Hopkins University, M.S. from Georgetown University

Background: Trustee to the University of Vermont, serving on the Educational Policies and Institutional Resources Committee

During his first year of medical school, Raj was elected to the Board of Trustees at the University of Vermont, a position that allowed him to work directly with the Administration at the College of Medicine. This only added to his knowledge of the application and student selection processes. He used his knowledge to successfully assist prospective applicants gain admission to medical schools. He accomplished this by understanding that medical schools determine candidacy based on the concept of an applicant being the right "fit."

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Medical School Admissions Consulting | Kaplan Test Prep

Best Medical Schools in Illinois | Top Med Schools

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You will find the medical schools in Illinois exceedingly competitive with other state offerings. Applicants will need at least a bachelors degree if not a masters degree and an acceptable Medical College Admission Test, or MCAT, to be considered for med school. Students can expect the core to last 4 years with degrees being conferred as a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) or a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.). Following this phase, you will be assigned an internship and residency with approved medical facilities. Next, you will need to successfully pass the written and practical examinations before applying for licensure. Get additional information about the process to earn a degree in medicine on our med school degree page or the PreMed portal.The best med schools in Illinois are searchable with our tools or by using the list of top med schools below. Get the support and resources you need to find top rated med schools in Illinois or similar medical career paths in the field such as immunology, toxicology, cytotechnology, and genetics.

The Illinois medical schools listed below are accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, which is an organization that provides accreditation for medical education nationwide.

Schools are sorted by size with the largest medical schools first, based on the number of medical student graduates per year.

Visit the website for University of Illinois at Chicago at http://uic.edu/

Visit the website for Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science at http://www.rosalindfranklin.edu/

Visit the website for Northwestern University at http://www.northwestern.edu

Visit the website for Loyola University Chicago at http://www.luc.edu

Visit the website for Rush University at http://www.rushu.rush.edu/

The medical school is located on the Southern Illinois University Carbondale School of Medicine Campus in Springfield. Visit the website for Southern Illinois University Carbondale at http://www.siu.edu

Visit the website for University of Chicago at http://www.uchicago.edu

Physicians can work in many types of specialties which may cause a large range in salary expectations. Here is a list of average annual salaries for general practitioners working in major cities in Illinois.

+473% Above State Median Income

+492% Above National Median Income

Doctor's in Illinois take home an average 105.43 per hour. Annual earnings for Doctor's working in the State of Illinois average $219,280 which is 473% above the state median income and 492% above the national median income for all occupations. Employment for a Doctor makes up just 0.02% of the working population in Illinois and is limited due to the specific qualifications required along with the schooling involved in this career path. The increasing demand for qualified Doctors coupled with the educational barrier to enter the field is met with a steady supply of eager college graduates anxious to make a long-lasting impact in the lives of others in and around Illinois.

Notes: Tuition & fee amounts are for both Illinois in-state residents and out of state students, unless noted otherwise. The tuition information displayed is an estimate, which we calculated based on historical data and should be solely used for informational purposes only. Please contact the respective doctor school for information about the current school year.

Source: IPEDS Survey 2012-2015: Data obtained from the US Dept. of Education's Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). Data may vary depending on school and academic year.

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Best Medical Schools in Illinois | Top Med Schools

Tuition-free medical school: How the NYU School of …

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Going to medical school today takes more than ambition, good grades in biology in college, and an appetite for hard work. It takes a willingness to incur a crushing amount of debt. Student debt in general is in crisis in this country. All told, borrowers owe $1.5 trillion, more than people owe in credit card debt or car loans.

People have borrowed money to attend medical school for decades, but the scale of the debt has skyrocketed in recent years, along with just about every other cost in health care. The average medical student now graduates with a debt burden as big as a home mortgage.

Now, one of America's top medical schools, NYU in New York, has come up with a radical solution.

It's a tradition on the very first day of medical school, the so-called white coat ceremony, a rite of passage for 24-year-old Joe Babinski and his hundred classmates at New York University.

Joe Babinski: It's kinda this transition point where you go from being a potential student to a member of the medical community even if you're at the bottom rung of the ladder still.

Lesley Stahl: (LAUGH) Yeah.

Joe Babinski: And it's-- it's a pretty significant experience. It marks the beginning of your journey, so to say.

As he began that journey, Joe was expecting to take on a great burden.

Lesley Stahl: How much debt did you expect you'd be taking on?

Joe Babinski: I anticipated taking on about $200,000.

Lesley Stahl: I can't imagine starting life with that on your shoulders. But a lot of medical students, a lot of young doctors have that. Most?

Joe Babinski: I would say most.

Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel: Graduating medical school, 85, 86 percent of students have debt.

Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel is chair of medical ethics and health policy at the University of Pennsylvania. He says the prospect of so much debt prevents many people who could be great doctors from even applying to medical school.

Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel: Most of us think that it really deters people from-- middle class and lower income families. They look at 200,000. It seems like a huge mountain to climb. And it gets scary.

Lesley Stahl: And it compounds because you're not paying it off.

Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel: Correct. And--

Lesley Stahl: So the interest grows. It gets worse. And that's a burden. I would think it-- it--

Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel: Well--

Lesley Stahl: --diverts attention from medical school as well if you actually--

Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel: I think people are stressed by it.

Third-year NYU med student Elaine De Leon has felt that stress from day one.

Lesley Stahl: Could your family afford medical school?

Elaine De Leon: Definitely not. (LAUGH) Definitely not.

Her family is originally from the Dominican Republic. Her dad is a retired chef. Her mother died years ago. She agonized over her dream of being a doctor because of the cost.

Lesley Stahl: How much did you have to borrow for your first year?

Elaine De Leon: I borrowed $76,000 and if I were to pay that off in-- on a ten-year plan it would be $100,000 by the time I paid it off.

Lesley Stahl: Wow. And that's just your first year.

Elaine De Leon: That's just my first year.

Lesley Stahl: It's unfathomable.

Elaine De Leon: Yeah. But I think that ultimately, like, a life of serving is more important to me. And that's really-- what-- what, like, cinched it, that I-- I needed to pursue this despite the debt that I would be accruing.

Elaine's ambition is to be a primary-care doctor treating poor people, but she says that the debt burden forced her to consider a different choice.

Elaine De Leon: Of course you hear the, like, s-- prime specialties where you get paid the most so you hear dermatology, you hear surgery, you hear all of these things. And so it's easy when you're coming in to be, like, well, I paid a lot of money to be here, like, I should really get my money's worth and try to pursue these more lucrative specialties.

Lesley Stahl: Even if you're not interested.

Elaine De Leon: Exactly. Or at least consider them.

Dr. Rafael Rivera is dean of admissions at NYU Medical School.

Lesley Stahl: What are the better paying specialties?

Dr. Rafael Rivera: Generally speaking, some of the surgical specialties tend to pay well. Neurosurgery. You know, orthopedics pays well. The fields that tend to pay a little less are fields like pediatrics, and general internal medicine, family medicine. And--

Lesley Stahl: And those are the doctors we have lacking. We don't have enough of those doctors.

Dr. Rafael Rivera: By 2030, we'll have a shortage of up to 49,000 primary care docs.

That huge shortage, that distortion of the medical profession, is directly linked to the mountains of debt. And on the day of that white coat ceremony last August, NYU decided to do something about it. Something dramatic. After all the first-year students had filed back to their seats, Ken Langone, chairman of the board of trustees, and his wife Elaine, let everyone in on a secret.

Ken Langone: "As of this very moment, the NYU school of medicine is now a tuition-free medical school. All"

Joe Babinski was sitting in the front row, without a clue that was coming.

Joe Babinski: And they announce that they are supplying full-tuition scholarships for every student.

Lesley Stahl: Did you think you heard them right?

Joe Babinski: I-- I took a picture of the slide on my phone because I-- I didn't want them to remove it and take it away. (LAUGH) So I was like, "I'm-- I'm documenting that this is happening." (LAUGHTER)

Lesley Stahl: But did you get it right away? We were there. And there was a sense of, "Did I hear that right?" (LAUGH)

Joe Babinski: I-- I still don't think I get it.

Sitting a few rows away, joe's parents, a municipal employee and a retired cop, had a similar "Did he just say what I think he said?" reaction.

Joe's Father: "Oh My God"

This was the real-time reaction of another father.

DAD: "Oh My God Oh!"

Dr. Rafael Rivera: At first, I see students looking around at each other.

Lesley Stahl: Did I hear what he said?

Dr. Rafael Rivera: Yeah. There were-- there were gasps, there was some quiet, there was some screaming. And then all of a sudden, the chants started getting louder and louder. And before you knew it, the-- the audience had erupted into cheers of joy.

NYU's free tuition applies not just to first-year med students, but to every current student in every class. They do still have to pay their own room and board, but for these students, it's a gift worth more than $200,000 each.

Ken Langone: And these kids went nuts. One father yells out, "I told you you picked the right place!" (LAUGHTER)

Ken Langone made his fortune as a co-founder of home depot. He and Elaine donated $100 million toward the free tuition initiative, and he helped raise the additional $350 million needed to make it a reality.

Ken Langone: Well, that's my job here.

Lesley Stahl: To go out and ask other people for money

Ken Langone: Oh, I go out, and I look at somebody nice like you, and I grab you by your ankles, and I shake you.

Lesley Stahl: (LAUGH) The money comes out--

Ken Langone: And, when you promise me there's no more nickels, I turn you right side up. But seriously? I have two jobs here. I'm a cheerleader, and I'm a fundraiser.

Lesley Stahl: Tell us how this came about.

Ken Langone: Bob Grossman, when he became dean, I sat him down. I said, "All right, boss, what are we gonna do?" And he said to me, "One of the things I would love to have happen is for, one day, for us to be tuition-free." (UNINTEL)--

Lesley Stahl: He said that right in the beginning?

Ken Langone: Eleven years ago--

Lesley Stahl: When he first came? Ok.

Ken Langone: Eleven years ago. I said, "You know what, Bob? Let's do it."

It took more than a decade, but NYU now has the endowment to offer free tuition to every med student, in perpetuity.

Ken Langone: When we announced it, a mother, a pediatrician, came up to me, 30 years out of medical school, and she told me she was still paying off her medical school debt.

And she said, "This morning, when I woke up and I knew I was coming here," she said, "I was convinced I would be in debt when I died to help my son become a doctor." These are great people. So, we just say, "You know what? Let's do what we can to help make it easier for them."

Lesley Stahl: Do you think this is gonna make you a better doctor?

Joe Babinski: I think without a doubt it'll make me a better doctor.

Lesley Stahl: Really? How does it affect that?

Joe Babinski: For one, I won't be working while I'm in school. I can focus on learning the medicine and being good at it.

Lesley Stahl: And that pressure isn't on your shoulders.

Joe Babinski: There's none.

Ken Langone: I think about the mindset of a kid saying, "Somebody did something for me. Now, I've gotta do something for somebody." Okay? Think of that.

Lesley Stahl: Yeah.

Ken Langone: That's a big thing.

NYU's no-tuition model replaces what had been a patchwork system of scholarships and financial aid. Now, every med student is on full scholarship with absolutely no strings attached.

Lesley Stahl: This model says anybody who comes to NYU medical school will come tuition free as opposed to just the kids who need the money.

Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel: Right. I like the-- a model which I call forgivable loans. That you basically say to every student, "We're loaning you all of medical school. And if you go into primary care or one of these other specialties that needs doctors. Or you go practice in a rural community, like in South Dakota, or you go into an inner city community that's underserved, we're gonna forgive your loan. On the other hand, you decide you wanna go into one of those lucrative-- specialties, ophthalmology, or dermatology, or orthopedics, you're gonna have to pay it back with interest. And I think that's a more effective way of getting the goals society wants than giving everyone-- tuition free.

Whatever the model, changing the "face" of the medical profession is a huge challenge. Consider this: there are no more African-American men in medical school today than there were 40 years ago.

Right now, more than half of all medical students come from the richest 20 percent of American families, only about 5 percent from the poorest 20. This means that wealthy areas have lots of doctors, and lower income areas don't.

Lesley Stahl: I know of so many communities in-- in poor areas that don't have a doctor at all. No doctor. Is there anything in this program that encourages people to go out there?

Dr. Rafael Rivera: If you are from a rural background, you do tend to go back to practice in a rural setting more often than people who are not from a rural background. If you are from an underrepresented minority group, similarly, you also tend to go back to inner city underserved areas.

Since the announcement, applications to NYU have boomed, especially from minorities.

Elaine De Leon: I think just the idea that a lot of people who come from backgrounds like mine, low income, without parents who are able to afford medical school, I think that it's a huge draw. And I think that it's a needed draw for the patient population that's served by NYU students. I think that there's a lot of folks at Bellevue, where I work, this is just anecdotal but I would say at least 60 percent of the patients are Latinos and this is an excellent way to draw the right people to the right institution.

Lesley Stahl: How's your Spanish?

Elaine De Leon: Very good. (LAUGH)

Lesley Stahl: Excellent.

Elaine De Leon: Excellent.

Lesley Stahl: So they can-- you can really communicate with them.

Elaine De Leon: Yeah.

Elaine De Leon is in the final year of an accelerated three-year med school program, one year less than the norm. But when we saw her on the day of the announcement

Elaine the day of the announcement: "You're not going to believe the news that just came out."

calling her dad to give him the news, you wouldn't know she was saving just one year of tuition.

Elaine De Leon: Already I felt like one of the luckiest medical students in the country because I am in the three-year program, I'm already decided on primary care, I'm already going into this residency program here. And then all of a sudden it's, like, oh, and by the way, (LAUGH) like, your last year is free. And it's like, it was just this incredible feeling of freedom.

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Tuition-free medical school: How the NYU School of ...

WSIU InFocus: SIU Medical School Reinvents Doctor Training – WSIU

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Dozens of first-year medical students will receive their white coats in an official ceremony later this week at the SIU School of Medicine.

The schools curriculum has long been a leader in training doctors, and leaders recently took on the challenge of reinventing some aspects of that training to make the students stronger.

WSIU InFocus: SIU Medical School's New Third Year

Our third year was a traditional one, which looked like most of the other 154 medical schools in the United States.

Doctor Jerry Kruse is Dean and Provost of the SIU School of Medicine.

In essence, it was divided by departments, and we had six clerkships that ranged anywhere from six to ten weeks.

But while that curriculum which included shadowing residents, attending lectures, and taking tests was producing competent doctors, Kruse and others wondered if they could do better particularly when it comes to making young physicians more comfortable in a clinical setting.

What we found out when we studied this, is that the students were actually only seeing patients two to three hours per day, were doing the lectures which we found were ineffective, and then were worrying about taking the test to get their grade and pass the second part of their boards.

And the test scores in the third year showed students werent gaining as much ground in making diagnoses and planning treatment protocols.

In year three, the clinical decision making skills of the residents didnt improve. We had predicted they would improve more in year three than year one and two, which were not heavy clinical years.

So, Kruse and his team went back to the drawing board. They developed a curriculum that gave students more one-on-one time with teachers and coaches, and increased the clinical training in the first two years of medical school.

And then, in year three, we would actually help them learn how to be a doctor, to socialize into medicine, and give them more opportunities to determine what their career path should be.

SIU has long been a leader in clinical training especially early in the academic career of its students.

Problem-based learning is a hallmark of the School of Medicines training and Kruse says that is only being made stronger.

We have a course called Introduction to Clinical Medicine in the first two years, which teaches them all of the nuts and bolts skills that they need to take care of patients, and do physical exams, take histories, write orders, and use electronic records, and all of those things.

In addition to that class, there is a virtual program where medical students are presented with twelve different complaints in twelve different scenarios a potential for 144 different diagnoses. The can share their thoughts, and get immediate feedback from experts.

Which leads them to the *new* third year.

So now, the new third year, instead of being six rotations that are six to ten weeks long, there are eight rotations in eight different specialties, that are four weeks long.

And inside those rotations, there are no longer lectures or tests. Just intensive one-on-one time with patients, under the guidance of doctors and teachers helping students reach the proper diagnosis and treatment.

Once the first set of rotations is complete, third year students spend five weeks studying medical humanities and taking the Senior CCX a test normally given to fourth year students.

So, the students did as well as they've ever done on that Senior CCX - even moving it up early into the third year. I think it might be the second highest score ever recorded. ~SIU School of Medicine Dean Dr. Jerry Kruse

They then spend 15 weeks in a more individualized program aimed at preparing students for their potential specializations.

Kruse says outcomes and feedback so far have been very positive better test scores, and more prepared students entering the medical field. He says while there is some criticism for removing some of the so-called Shelf tests previously given, he stands by the new way of doing things.

Many medical schools throughout the country have used the SHELF examinations as a grading mechanism, for their rotation they were never meant for that, ever. So Im glad were not doing those. I dont think theyre appropriate, anyway.

Kruse says the students are more confident, and more prepared for the future which is the goal.

They see twice as many patients, they get two to three times as many procedures, they do well on the tests, they feel better about getting into their career choice, they feel like theyve socialized into medicine better.

So now, Kruse is taking the new curriculum on the road. Hes visiting other medical schools, talking with faculty and administrators about what SIU is doing and the results theyve found.

Ive been asked three times. Two times, it was an astounding discussion. Just what youd want to have in an academic environment: pros, cons, ideas going back and forth, but really positive energy. In essence, its like a pat on the back. Thank you for thinking of this. This will make us rethink what were doing and get the discussion started. In one of them, it was a total negative reaction. One negative comment after another. But thats what you expect, too, when you bring new ideas, I think.

Kruse says hes taking comments from those presentations and discussions and using them to make SIUs program even stronger something he says will benefit this years incoming students as well as their future patients.

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WSIU InFocus: SIU Medical School Reinvents Doctor Training - WSIU

Vacant corner lot by new UB medical school drawing developers’ interest – Buffalo News

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A little vacant lot in the Allentown historic district that sits directly across from University at Buffalo's new medical school is becoming a magnet for offers from real estate developers.

The grassy plot at 942 Main St. which has an overgrown community garden, a bench and a decorative stone wall that proclaims "Allentown" is worth only $29,861, according to city property records.

But because of the uptick in developer interest surrounding the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus and nearby neighborhoods, an owner of the 32.5-foot-by-118-foot parcel says he's received offers hovering in the $500,000 range.

Dino Scouras, the co-owner of the Towne Restaurant in Allentown, co-owns the lot with his brother and sister.

In the last two months, the siblings have received three offers for the vacant lot, said Scouras.

"I'm not surprised by the interest," said Scouras, who owns it along with his brother Paul, and sister, Eleni Konstantopoulos. "That corner is jumping out at everybody."

Scouras said the family is open to offers on the parcel, along with another vacant corner lot it owns at Park and Allen streets which he can see kitty-corner through a window at the Towne restaurant, a 46-year neighborhood fixture at Allen and Elmwood Avenue.

"We're not sure if we'd want to build to suit, or sell the property outright," Scouras said of the 942 Main St. property. "We're open to offers."

Asked if the family would consider developing it for its own business interests, he said: "We're keeping all our options open."

For years, the corner lot has had four large, white stones to provide a unique, decorative element to the corner. The planting bed and decorative stone wall were created by University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning students, guided by professor Brad Wales.

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Vacant corner lot by new UB medical school drawing developers' interest - Buffalo News

Medical school without the ‘sage on a stage’ – Daily Republic – Fairfield Daily Republic

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When the University of Vermonts medical school opens for the year in the summer of 2019, it will be missing something that all but one of its peer institutions have: lectures.

The Larner College of Medicine is scheduled to become the first U.S. medical school to eliminate lectures from its curriculum two years from now, putting it at the leading edge of a trend that could change the way the next generation of physicians learn their profession. (The medical school at Case Western Reserve University also has a no-lecture curriculum, established when the school opened in 2004.)

As anyone who has fallen asleep during a three-hour lecture class can attest, taking notes from a sage on a stage isnt as effective as other ways to absorb information, and research confirms this. The main reason for the traditional method seems to be, well, tradition; medical professors and other teachers have been doing it this way for centuries.

Retention after a lecture is maybe 10 percent, said Charles G. Prober, senior associate dean for medical education at the Stanford University School of Medicine. If thats accurate, if its even in the ballpark of accurate, thats a problem.

Instead, medical schools across the country are experimenting with various forms of active learning dividing students into small groups and having them solve problems or answer questions. In addition to improving retention, the approach more closely mimics the way work is accomplished in the real world.

It creates a stickier learning environment where the information stays with you better and you have a better depth of understanding, said William Jeffries, senior associate dean for medical education at Vermonts Larner College of Medicine, who is leading the effort.

The trend at medical schools is just part of a reform movement in the teaching of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) that emphasizes active learning instead of lecturing. Research supports the approach. When a team of researchers analyzed 225 studies that compared active learning and lectures in these fields, they found that test scores improved about 6 percent for students in active learning classes and that students in lecture classes were about 1.5 times more likely to fail than their counterparts in active learning classes.

Their 2014 analysis, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, also found that active learning is effective in all class sizes, though best in smaller groups.

The Larner school has moved most quickly toward the new approach, funded by a $66 million gift from Robert Larner, who graduated from the medical school in 1942. The money will be used to build facilities more suitable for small group instruction and train faculty in the new approach, Jeffries said.

Under the Larner model, students do their homework the night before class, rather than after it. They study the material in texts and online before a class, then take a short quiz to gauge how well theyve learned it. After that, they break up into groups of six and attempt to solve a medical problem, then discuss their conclusions, led by a professor who acts as both a facilitator and an instructor, Jeffries said.

Youre expected to learn the information prior to attending (a class), he said. You do your homework first. Then you come and work, usually in groups, to solve a problem based on that knowledge.

The role change is not easy and sometimes it shows. Collin York, who will graduate from the school in 2020, said he strongly favors active learning. But the main complaint I have is when active learning sessions arent run particularly well, the atmosphere becomes a little chaotic. Classes can get noisy, and students attention shifts quickly from problem to problem. Instructors sometimes struggle to maintain control, he said.

If the class is run well, you genuinely do not have to revisit that material, he said.

York said he also feels a responsibility to learn material before each class so he wont let his classmates down when its time for problem solving. The real meat of these sessions, if you ask me, is really in the reasoning through different answers, he said.

With so much material including recordings of lectures now online, medical students are making the transition easier, Prober said.

When you go into a lecture in medical schools across the nation, you will find a minority of students actually present, he said. Medical students are adults. One generally believes that adults try to make decisions that are in their best interests. They have seemingly made the decision that it is not in the lectures.

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Medical school without the 'sage on a stage' - Daily Republic - Fairfield Daily Republic

Medical school without the ‘sage on a stage’ – Washington Post

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When the University of Vermont's medical school opens for the year in the summer of 2019, it will be missing something that all but one of its peer institutions have: lectures.

The Larner College of Medicine is scheduled to become the first U.S. medical school to eliminate lectures from its curriculum two years from now, putting it at the leading edge of a trend that could change the way the next generation of physicians learn their profession. (The medical school at Case Western Reserve University also has a no-lecture curriculum, established when the school opened in 2004.)

As anyone who has fallen asleep during a three-hour lecture class can attest, taking notes from a sage on a stage isn't as effective as other ways to absorb information, and research confirms this. The main reason for the traditional method seems to be, well, tradition; medical professors and other teachers have been doing it this way for centuries.

Retention after a lecture is maybe 10 percent, said Charles G. Prober, senior associate dean for medical education at the Stanford University School of Medicine. If thats accurate, if its even in the ballpark of accurate, thats a problem.

[First year doctors will be allowed to work 24-hour shifts]

Instead, medical schools across the country are experimenting with various forms of active learning" dividing students into small groups and having them solve problems or answer questions. In addition to improving retention, the approach more closely mimics the way work is accomplished in the real world.

It creates a stickier learning environment where the information stays with you better and you have a better depth of understanding, said William Jeffries, senior associate dean for medical education at Vermont's Larner College of Medicine, who is leading the effort.

The trend at medical schools is just part of a reform movement in the teaching of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) that emphasizes active learning instead of lecturing. Research supports the approach. When a team of researchers analyzed 225 studies that compared active learning and lectures in these fields, they found that test scores improved about 6 percent for students in active learning classes and that students in lecture classes were about 1.5 times more likely to fail than their counterparts in active learning classes.

[Heart doctors are listening for clues to the future of their stethoscopes]

Their 2014 analysis, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, also found that active learning is effective in all class sizes, though best in smaller groups.

The Larner school has moved most quickly toward the new approach, funded by a $66 million gift from Robert Larner, who graduated from the medical school in 1942. The money will be used to build facilities more suitable for small group instruction and train faculty in the new approach, Jeffries said.

Under the Larner model, students do their homework the night before class, rather than after it. They study the material in texts and online before a class, then take a short quiz to gauge how well they've learned it. After that, they break up into groups of six and attempt to solve a medical problem, then discuss their conclusions, led by a professor who acts as both a facilitator and an instructor, Jeffries said.

You're expected to learn the information prior to attending [a class]," he said. You do your homework first. Then you come and work, usually in groups, to solve a problem based on that knowledge.

The role change is not easy and sometimes it shows. Collin York, who will graduate from the school in 2020, said he strongly favors active learning. But the main complaint I have is when active learning sessions arent run particularly well, the atmosphere becomes a little chaotic. Classes can get noisy, and students' attention shifts quickly from problem to problem. Instructors sometimes struggle to maintain control, he said.

If the class is run well, you genuinely do not have to revisit that material, he said.

York said he also feels a responsibility to learn material before each class so he won't let his classmates down when it's time for problem solving. The real meat of these sessions, if you ask me, is really in the reasoning through different answers, he said.

With so much material including recordings of lectures now online, medical students are making the transition easier, Prober said.

When you go into a lecture in medical schools across the nation, you will find a minority of students actually present, he said. Medical students are adults. One generally believes that adults try to make decisions that are in their best interests. They have seemingly made the decision that it is not in the lectures.

See the original post here:
Medical school without the 'sage on a stage' - Washington Post

Complaints of drinking, abusive behavior dogged USC medical school dean for years – Los Angeles Times

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USC faced a choice five years ago: Keep Dr. Carmen Puliafito at the helm of the Keck School of Medicine or replace him.

As dean, Puliafito had brought in star researchers, raised hundreds of millions of dollars and boosted the schools national ranking all critical steps in USCs plan to become an elite research institution.

But what might have been an easy decision to renew his appointment was complicated by a groundswell of opposition from the medical schools faculty and staff.

Keck employees had complained repeatedly about what they considered Puliafitos hair-trigger temper, public humiliation of colleagues and perceived drinking problem, and many were adamant he be removed, according to current and former university employees as well as four letters of complaint reviewed by The Times.

Thomas Meredith / For The Times

USC President C. L. Max Nikias reappointed Puliafito to a second term in 2012.

USC President C. L. Max Nikias reappointed Puliafito to a second term in 2012. (Thomas Meredith / For The Times)

The people who spoke to The Times include a former USC administrator who handled personnel grievances, the medical schools former human resources director and prominent faculty members.

As a representative of USC, the Dean is an embarrassment to our School and the University, one Keck professor wrote in a March 2012 letter to the university provost.

Still, USC President C.L. Max Nikias opted to reappoint Puliafito, giving him a new five-year term with an annual salary of more than $1 million.

Puliafitos problems escalated. As The Times has reported, he partied with a circle of addicts, prostitutes and other criminals who said he used drugs with them, including on campus.

Late Friday, hours after the newspaper informed USC it was preparing to publish this story, Nikias sent a letter to the campus community acknowledging that the university received various complaints about Dr. Puliafitos behavior during his nearly decade-long tenure as dean.

Rebecca Sapp / WireImage

Then-Dean Carmen A. Puliafito, left, Dr. Inderbir Gill, actress Shirley MacLaine, actress Annette Bening and actor Warren Beatty at a USC event at the Montage Beverly Hills hotel in May 2009.

Then-Dean Carmen A. Puliafito, left, Dr. Inderbir Gill, actress Shirley MacLaine, actress Annette Bening and actor Warren Beatty at a USC event at the Montage Beverly Hills hotel in May 2009. (Rebecca Sapp / WireImage)

Nikias didnt provide details of the complaints but wrote that the university took disciplinary action against Puliafito and provided him professional development coaching. He didnt specify when.

The president also offered his first public account of the circumstances of Puliafitos abrupt resignation in the middle of the spring 2016 term, writing that he stepped down after Provost Michael Quick confronted him with new complaints about his behavior.

Do you have information about USC's former med school dean? We want to hear from you

Puliafito, now 66, was allowed to continue representing USC at official functions and remained on the faculty and hospital staff.

Nikias said Friday that at the time of the deans resignation, no university leader was aware of any illegal or illicit activities, which would have led to a review of his clinical responsibilities.

Over the last two weeks, Nikias and other university leaders have said they were stunned by the revelations about the former dean.

But interviews with two dozen of Puliafitos former colleagues suggest that complaints about his behavior were widespread and that at least some reached USCs upper management. The colleagues said Puliafitos conduct hurt morale and posed a risk to the schools reputation.

There were complaints about his demeanor, behavior and manner, said Jody Shipper, who headed USCs equity and diversity office for more than a decade. She left in 2015.

James Lynch, who was the medical schools human resources director for five years, said employees came to him fairly regularly about misbehavior by Puliafito, including rudeness and suspected drunk driving.

Many of the people who worked for him complained about the difficulty of just being around him, Lynch said.

Current Keck dean Dr. Rohit Varma told a gathering of medical school students this month that Puliafito had received treatment for alcoholism.

Puliafito did not respond to a request for comment. He previously told The Times he resigned of his own accord to pursue a job in private industry.

Concerns about him were contained in lengthy written evaluations in 2012 that were assembled to help determine Puliafitos fitness for a second term.

Everybody I knew trashed him, and he still got [re]hired, said former USC ophthalmology professor Dr. Kenneth L. Lu, who moved to UCLA in 2014.

Many faculty members and staff agreed to speak about Puliafito on the condition of anonymity, citing concerns over their careers. Since The Times report, USC has hired a crisis management firm to handle press inquiries and instructed employees at Keck not to speak to the media. The school also asked that doctors at an affiliate, Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles, refer all Times inquiries about Puliafito back to the university.

Several interviewed said they were speaking out of a desire to help the institution they loved. Most expressed shock at reports of the former deans drug use.

Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times

Faculty and staff members at the USC Keck School of Medicine complained repeatedly about Puliafito's behavior during his tenure as dean, a Times review found.

Faculty and staff members at the USC Keck School of Medicine complained repeatedly about Puliafito's behavior during his tenure as dean, a Times review found. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

In 2007, then-Provost Nikias, who became president three years later, chaired the committee that selected Puliafito, a renowned ophthalmologist, as medical dean. Many of his new colleagues initially found him brilliant and noted his easy rapport with patients and students. He struck them as extremely hardworking and committed to elevating Kecks national profile.

In my mind, anytime I saw him, he wanted to make this school grow, said Bill Watson, a former vice president for development who worked with the dean from 2010 to 2013.

He was prone to anger, however, many former colleagues said. Minor inconveniences sent him into screaming, red-faced rages at staff meetings, they said.

The F-word was in every other sentence, said one former professor. She said she heard a high-ranking Keck administrator vomit in the ladies room after one dressing-down by the dean.

Lynch, the former human resources director, confirmed that Puliafito upbraided that administrator on several occasions. It was certainly challenging, and she ultimately left, he said. Reached by The Times, the woman declined to comment.

One Keck physician said some on Puliafitos support staff consulted her professionally to cope with how the dean treated them.

I literally put people on medical leave for stress related to working with him, the physician recalled.

Others were concerned that he was drinking too much at USC events.

The dean was a heavy drinker, Lynch recalled. He was fond of martinis. He would have several.

He said he never saw Puliafito do anything particularly outrageous but fielded multiple complaints from a female staffer disturbed that he was driving home from the events at which hed been drinking.

She was concerned he might get in an accident and hurt himself or someone else, Lynch said. He didnt want to confront the dean because he thought it would be counterproductive, he said, but he told the woman, If you are concerned, why dont you mention it to him?

Lynch, who was human resources director from 2009 to 2014, said he encouraged faculty and staff to complain directly to Puliafito themselves and did not pass on Keck employees complaints to the university administration.

It never occurred to me to do it, he said.

While Puliafitos personal behavior was distasteful, Lynch said, he was an absolute genius who was improving the medical school.

Hes kind of a pain in the ass, but he gets results, he said, adding that he felt administrators shared that view.

One senior faculty member said he phoned the provosts office after an encounter in which Puliafito seemed to be intoxicated.

An administrator in the office who took down his complaint, he said, thanked him for making the report and assured him it would be reviewed at the highest level.

He said he was not told the outcome and assumed it was being handled confidentially.

Puliafitos behavior caused some of his colleagues to leave. The medical schools admissions dean, Erin Quinn, who had been at USC since the early 1980s, stepped down from a position that I loved in 2011 because I couldn't work under Dr. Puliafitos leadership team.

It had changed from previous deans and compromised my values, she said.

When Puliafitos first term was nearing an end, then-Provost Elizabeth Garrett asked Keck faculty to complete written evaluations of his tenure a standard university practice and, in the provosts words, a crucial part of our evaluation of a deans effectiveness in leading the school.

Puliafito submitted a 19-page self-evaluation in which he listed myriad accomplishments. He noted that he had raised more than $500 million in contributions, recruited prominent researchers from Harvard, Stanford and other prestigious schools and pushed Kecks ranking in U.S. News & World Report up five spots to No. 34.

Professors were given the option of completing an anonymous online survey or writing letters. Some wrote lengthy responses filled with specific examples of Puliafitos shortcomings and urged the administration to replace him, according to interviews.

The Times reviewed four of these evaluations.

His presence has created a very negative atmosphere at KSOM which has alienated a large number of faculty and chairs and created a siege mentality, in which faculty and staff are constantly worried about their welfare and ability to maintain a productive environment in which to work, one professor wrote.

Another longtime faculty member described the dean as unpredictable and given to erratic behavior.

A major, overarching problem at the KSOM is that the Deans lack of effective and collegial leadership have resulted in a very low level of faculty morale, the professor wrote.

A USC employee who has seen the faculty evaluations filed in 2012 said a large number were highly negative and detailed in their criticism of Puliafito. Many of the others highlighted his strengths and weaknesses. The overall feedback showed that he was a polarizing figure at the school, the employee said.

When Garrett announced in June 2012 that Nikias had rehired Puliafito, no one could believe it, another senior faculty member recalled.

In a letter to the faculty and staff, Garrett said she had discussed employees feedback with the dean, including the matters on which some of you believe he could pay additional attention or that may require a different approach.

I am certain he will move forward with your suggestions firmly in mind, she wrote.

Nikias declined to speak about the complaints made against Puliafito. Garrett left USC to become the president of Cornell University in 2015; she died last year.

Puliafitos conduct became even more troubling in his second term.

The Times investigation published earlier this month found that the dean spent long hours partying with a group of younger addicts, prostitutes and other criminals in 2015 and 2016, and brought some to his Keck office in the middle of the night.

USC colleagues recalled that, during the same period, Puliafito was often absent during working hours.

His staff would say, I dont know where the dean is. I will try to call his cellphone, said a university administrator who regularly had business with Puliafito.

Los Angeles Times

In a Friday night letter to the USC community, Nikias said Puliafito was put "on notice for being disengaged from his leadership duties" in November 2015.

In a Friday night letter to the USC community, Nikias said Puliafito was put "on notice for being disengaged from his leadership duties" in November 2015. (Los Angeles Times)

In November 2015, Provost Quick put Puliafito on notice for being disengaged from his leadership duties, Nikias wrote in his letter to the university community Friday.

In March 2016, the dean was with a 21-year-old woman in a Pasadena hotel room when she overdosed. The woman, Sarah Warren, told The Times she and Puliafito resumed using drugs as soon as she was released from the hospital.

A witness to the overdose phoned Nikias office March 14 and threatened to go to the press if the school didnt take action against the dean.

Nikias said in his Friday letter that two receptionists who spoke to the witness did not find the report credible and did not pass it on to supervisors.

Just a few days earlier, Nikias said, two university employees had come forward with separate complaints about the dean. They told Quick that Puliafito seemed further removed from his duties and expressed concerns about his behavior.

The Provost consulted with me promptly and, as a result, confronted Dr. Puliafito. He chose to resign his position on March 24, 2016, and was placed on sabbatical leave, the president wrote.

On the Keck campus, the timing of Puliafitos resignation on a Thursday in the middle of the school term with no advance notice seemed suspicious.

Everybody read it as cover story, said one senior faculty member. But, he added, there was a sense of relief.

Nikias and top USC officials honored Puliafito and praised his leadership a few months later at a campus reception. He continued to practice medicine at USC clinics.

In his Friday night letter, Nikias wrote that school officials didnt hear about the overdose until they received an unsubstantiated tip months after Puliafito stepped down as dean.

When we approached Dr. Puliafito about the incident, he stated a friends daughter had overdosed at a Pasadena hotel and he had accompanied her to the hospital, he wrote.

The president also said that in March, The Times did provide the university with detailed questions about, and a copy of a 911 recording from the Pasadena hotel incident. The recording was immediately referred to the Hospital Medical Staff, a committee that assesses clinical competency, Nikias said. In the 911 call, Puliafito describes himself as a doctor and the woman who had the overdose as his girlfriend.

The clinical competency committee determined that there were no existing patient care complaints and no known clinical issues, the president said.

It wasnt until The Times published its report that the school barred Puliafito from seeing patients and the state medical board launched an investigation of him.

On Friday, USCs crisis management firm released a letter from the chairs of 23 Keck departments. Addressed to USCs board of trustees, it affirmed their support for Nikias and Quick.

harriet.ryan@latimes.com

paul.pringle@latimes.com

matt.hamilton@latimes.com

sarah.parvini@latimes.com

adam.elmahrek@latimes.com

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USC received more than a year of questions about former medical school dean's conduct before scandal broke

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Complaints of drinking, abusive behavior dogged USC medical school dean for years - Los Angeles Times

Essential California: More questions about how USC handled its former med school dean – Los Angeles Times

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Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. Its Monday, July 31, and heres whats happening across California:

TOP STORIES

Complaints of drinking, abusive behavior dogged USC medical school dean

Doctors and other employees at USCs Keck School of Medicine complained repeatedly about what they considered then-dean Dr. Carmen Puliafitos hair-trigger temper, public humiliation of colleagues and drinking problem. When Puliafito came up for reappointment in 2012, many were adamant he be removed, according to current and former university employees as well as four letters of complaint reviewed by The Times. USC chose to keep him as dean. Los Angeles Times

Netflix has big debts along with big subscriber numbers

Netflix has 104 million subscribers worldwide, up 25% from last year and almost quadruple from five years ago. Its series and movies account for more than a third of all prime-time download Internet traffic in North America. Its more than 50 original shows garnered 91 Emmy Award nominations this year, second only to premium cable service HBO. But theres another set of numbers that could spell trouble for the companys breakneck growth. Netflix has accumulated a hefty $20.54 billion in long- and short-term debt in its effort to produce more original content. Los Angeles Times

The mystery woman in Pacific Palisades

Times columnist Steve Lopez tells the remarkable story of the Pacific Palisades communitys quest to learn the identity of a homeless woman in the upscale area. The tale spans from the Pacific Ocean to Northern Europe. Los Angeles Times

L.A. City Hall promised reforms; then the movement stalled

As an election loomed this year, Los Angeles politicians were eager to prove that moneyed interests had not bought City Hall. Five City Council members called for a ban on campaign contributions from real estate developers seeking city approvals, saying it would address the perception that L.A. engages in pay-to-play politics. But that crusade appears to have stalled. Los Angeles Times

L.A. STORIES

On again: A state appeals court judge ruled Saturday that Southern California Gas Co. can resume operations at its Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility, the source of the biggest methane leak in the countrys history. Los Angeles Times

Taking sides: Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar is speaking out against vandalism and race-based tactics being used against art galleries and a coffee shop in Boyle Heights amid gentrification concerns, saying the actions were unacceptable and would not be tolerated. Los Angeles Times

Mall survival: So what should the luxury South Coast Plaza mall do with the Sears store? Some ideas might surprise you. A car dealership, anyone? Orange County Register

Traffic alert: If youre making an evening run to Los Angeles International Airport in the next three weeks, its best to avoid parts of the 405 Freeway. Lanes on the busy freeway that many drivers use to get to and from the airport will be fully or partially closed at night for 15 weekdays. Los Angeles Times

Adding up: Sticker shock for Jewish parents in Los Angeles. Los Angeles Times

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

A low-key style: California Treasurer John Chiang has won three statewide elections, yet remains nowhere near as well-known as his gubernatorial rivals Gavin Newsom and Antonio Villaraigosa. Los Angeles Times

Something missing: After Novembers supersized ballot, which sparked the most expensive ballot measure election in California history, the political arena where initiatives are crafted has been in a summer of stagnation. Thats surprising, given the short time frame left for organizing an effort to get on the ballot in 2018. Los Angeles Times

A lesson from above? Amid a desperate housing crisis from San Diego to San Francisco, what can California learn about development from Vancouver? Quartz

Plus: The national implications of Venice Beachs weird scene being evicted amid rising property values. The Atlantic

And: So how long can Marin County wall itself off from the realities of housing and population growth? CalMatters

Crazy in love: If you can stomach it, check out what could be Beyonc and Jay-Zs new $90-million spread in Bel-Air. Los Angeles Times

CRIME AND COURTS

Van crash: At least eight people were injured Sunday afternoon when a two-car collision sent a van hurtling into a group of people dining at a popular local restaurant in the Mid-Wilshire neighborhood of Los Angeles, police said. Los Angeles Times

Sentence stirs anger: One of the Los Angeles Police Departments top investigators sharply criticized a plea deal given to an off-duty city firefighter who choked a man unconscious, and he asked a judge to view video of the violence before sparing the defendant jail time, according to court records. Los Angeles Times

LAPD responds to Trump: President Trumps comments encouraging law enforcement officers to be rough with people they arrest have met with concern and some outrage from Los Angeles law enforcement, which has been working for decades to end that type of behavior. Los Angeles Times

Long reach: A look at how the Mexican Mafia controls its turf from inside prison. San Diego Union-Tribune

ICE intrigue: In Hayward, immigration agents came looking for one man but ended up arresting two others. Mercury News

THE ENVIRONMENT

Lights out: In Joshua Tree, an effort to make the Milky Way much clearer by clamping down on light pollution. Los Angeles Times

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

No joy in Spudville tonight: Californians are flocking to Idaho, where some locals arent exactly rolling out the welcome wagon. Sacramento Bee

In control: One of Americas hottest and more secretive painters does his work from a sprawling Echo Park studio. Hes probably an artist whos in more demand today than any other, said collector Alberto Mugrabi. Hes so good that he controls everything. He controls when galleries make shows, he controls who they sell a painting to hes on top. New York Times

Speaking out: For decades, Louise Steinman has taken the short trip from her Silver Lake home to the central Los Angeles Public Library, where she runs the acclaimed Aloud program. The city has changed much, but the library, designed with a whisper from ancient Egypt, remains an elegant landmark bordered by skid row and high-rise architecture preening against the skyline. Steinman thinks a lot about how such contrasts echo through the citys cultural and intellectual life. Los Angeles Times

China pivot: After a much-hyped march into the movie business, Dalian Wanda Group is in retreat from Hollywood. Los Angeles Times

Grim tale: Panhandling on San Franciscos Market Street, with a newborn child. San Francisco Chronicle

In Riverside: Another California imam has drawn criticism after delivering a sermon laced with inflammatory remarks about Jews. Los Angeles Times

Small but big: For Teslas new affordable car, less could be more. Wall Street Journal

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

Los Angeles area: sunny and 84. San Diego: mostly sunny and 77. San Francisco area: mostly sunny and 68. Sacramento: sunny and 101. More weather is here.

AND FINALLY

This weeks birthdays for those who made a mark in California: former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (July 30, 1947), Treasurer John Chiang (July 31, 1962), Angels owner Arte Moreno (Aug. 1, 1946), state Sen. Toni Atkins (Aug. 1, 1962), former L.A. Dist. Atty. Gil Garcetti (Aug. 5, 1941).

If you have a memory or story about the Golden State, share it with us. Send us an email to let us know what you love or fondly remember about our state. (Please keep your story to 100 words.)

Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints and ideas to Benjamin Oreskes and Shelby Grad. Also follow them on Twitter @boreskes and @shelbygrad.

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Essential California: More questions about how USC handled its former med school dean - Los Angeles Times

White Coat Ceremony Begins Medical School Journey | Michigan … – University of Michigan Health System News (press release)

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One hundred and seventy-seven newly minted medical students were presented with crisp white coats bearing the University of Michigan logo and shiny stethoscopes on Saturday, July 29. The ceremony, held in Hill Auditorium, marks the official start of their medical school journey. The keynote speaker for the event is John Del Valle, M.D., A.G.A.F., F.A.C.P., professor and director of the internal medicine residency program.

During the ceremonys calling of the class, students came up on stage, announced their hometowns and undergraduate institutions, and were then presented with short white coats a symbol of their future profession, emphasizing the trust, humanity, and responsibility that comes with becoming a physician.

Marschall S. Runge, M.D., Ph.D., executive vice president for medical affairs and dean of the medical school, noted that This is an incredible time to be entering medicine and to begin your medical training and education. Medicine is changing rapidly, and the advances that will be possible in your careers will be amazing.

Class selected from record number of applications

The class was selected from a pool of nearly 7,000 applicants, according toSteven Gay, M.D., M.S, assistant dean for admissions for the medical school, the highest number of applications the school has ever seen.

The diverse class is 54 percent female and 19 percent from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in medicine. The majority come to medical school after gaining experiences beyond college.

As our educational programs continue to evolve, this incoming class is truly remarkable for their potential to become leaders and change agents in health and science, says Rajesh Mangrulkar, M.D., associate dean for medical student education. This is the vision we have set for the new curriculum.

The incoming class will be immersed in the clinical care world of Michigan Medicine from the beginning. Theyll develop an understanding of the immense importance of teamwork while they engage in inter-professional education experiences with students enrolled in U-Ms other health professions schools. In addition, as the first class with a capstone project graduation requirement, they will receive enhanced training in leadership and have the opportunity to demonstrate their impact in medicine through one of eight scholarly concentrations, called Paths of Excellence.

Read one incoming medical students story about working alongside her U-M heart doctor dad.

For more about the curriculum, visithttps://medicine.umich.edu/medschool/education/md-program/curriculum (link is external).

More facts about this years incoming class:

To see the full 2017 entering class profile, visit https://medicine.umich.edu/medschool/education/md-program/our-community/students-faculty/admitted-class-profile.

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White Coat Ceremony Begins Medical School Journey | Michigan ... - University of Michigan Health System News (press release)

Psychiatry in All Its Splendor – Psychiatric Times

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IN MEMORIAM

In recent decades, there has been a concern that psychiatry has been following a bio-bio-bio model rather than the traditional bio-psycho-social one. The passing of some elder psychiatrists in the past year demonstrate that loveand psychiatry and psychiatristscan be many splendored things, as the song goes. Here are some models to prove that point.

An Alter Ego: James Newman, MD

Although I did not know Dr Newman, even though he worked in my hometown of Chicago, I almost felt I was reading what my own obituary might be when I learned of his death at the age of 77 on November 1, 2019.

His career was devoted to community psychiatry and, in particular, he worked in the behemoth Cook County health system. He started, as I did, by going into military service after training, in his case the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana. After he came to Chicago, he tried to practice eclectically, the way I was trained too, using medication, psychoanalytic principles, and what is now called cognitive behavioral therapy. As research has always confirmed, he knew even without it that the therapeutic relationship came first.

Knowing the importance of community and the psychiatrist being active in the community, he was also an activist for social justice issues ranging from anti-war activities to more humane treatment of immigrants. Close to his death, he joined a rally for addressing climate instability.

The Criminalization of Persons With Mental Illness: H. Richard Lamb, MD

Dr Lamb is another community psychiatrist who died recently. He focused on different areas than Dr Newman, reflecting the diverse opportunities within community psychiatry. His career was mainly in academic psychiatry and, reflective of that, he was a prolific writer. He attemded Yale Medical School and became a Professor at the University of Southern California where I had my internship year.

He, early on, by the 1970s, recognized the unexpected negative major side effects of deinstitutionalization. He wrote and talked about the ensuing criminalization of persons with mental illness and homelessness due to inadequate resources in the community. For this work, he received many awards, including the Arnold L. Van Ameringen Award in Psychiatric Rehabilitation from the American Psychiatric Association in 1998.

A Protean Author: Theodore Isaac Rubin, MD

I only came to know the work of Dr Rubin a year ago when I was asked to edit the upcoming book on Anti-Semitism and Psychiatry for Springer International. In researching what previous psychiatrists had written, I found Dr Rubins book, Anti-Semitism: A Disease of the Mind - A Psychiatrist Explores the Psychodynamics of a Symbol Sickness (1990, Continuum). Nothing major was written about the subject in ensuing decades, probably because it was erroneously assumed Anti-Semitism had disappeared.

I later found out how wide-ranging his psychoanalytic interests and writings were. He definitely got up from his chair to go out into society. He wrote the novella Lise and David, which was adapted in an Academy Award-nominated movie about teenagers in love in a therapeutic school. He became a public figure on TV and wrote not only a variety of self-help books, but also about his own shortcomings, such as The Thin Book by a Formerly Fat Psychiatrist. So much for the old psychoanalytic recommendations to be anonymous! He died at the age of 95.

A Father of Psychopharmacology: Donald Klein, MD

We go from the psychoanalyst Dr Rubin to the psychopharmacologist Donald Klein, MD, who died at the age of 80 on August 7, 2019. Actually, Dr Klein appreciated psychodynamics too. Anti-Semitism came up in a different way in his life, reportedly limiting his possibilities to get into medical school. He first had to get into a graduate school for a year before being accepted. Perhaps that graduate program in biochemistry and physiology was a blessing in disguise, paving the way for his conclusion that some psychiatric problems could be treated with medication rather than the psychotherapy of the 1950s.

He recognized and appreciated the unexpected surprise that a so-called antidepressant could help anxiety. He then looked backward to see if the effectiveness of medications could be dissected into something common which underlined different symptoms. He wrote not only for other psychiatrists, but for the public and patients.

The Challenger: Richard Green, MD, JD

Dr Green was an early force for homosexual and transgender rights, in and outside of psychiatry. It was also a surprise to many that he did so though he was heterosexual. So much for the common assumption that it always takes one to one know one, whether that is in regard to sexuality, gender, ethnicity, or illness. No, it takes great empathy, curiosity, and a heart of compassion. He was one of the leaders to remove homosexuality from the APAs diagnostic manuals.

Later in his career he even added a law degree in order to help address adverse laws for those being discriminated against. (Given that my father and sister were both lawyers, I also toyed with the same idea, but never pulled it off.) He participated in a case against the Boy Scouts to bar a homosexual man from becoming an assistant scoutmaster; in a case to prove that lesbian mothers should have custody rights; and that gay men should be able to co-adopt children.

Dr Green extended child visitation rights to transgender people and he was an early advocate for them. I learned much from his work when I became a medical director for a clinic specializing in transgender patients. All these barriers and more that he attempted to remove were eventually torn down.

He was also a prolific writer in all his causes, culminating in his last book: Gay Rights, Trans Rights: A Psychiatrist/Lawyers 50-Year Battle (2018). He died on April 6, 2017 at the age of 82.

Cant Help Falling in Love: Marta Muller, MD

As I was finishing these eulogies, I serendipitously, and unfortunately, heard of another, right here in my hometown of Milwaukee. Maybe that fit Dr Muller's early life, hiding and moving from one place to another as a child survivor of the Holocaust. She had a Jewish mother and Christian father.

She eventually came to Milwaukee to be one of the three women in the medical school class at Marquette, the predecessor to the Medical College of Wisconsin (where I spent the last part of my career).

Perhaps also not surprising, given her early years, she specialized in the treatment of trauma. Impressively, she focused on inner city youth well before this became a city-wide project in Milwaukee and other cities. Her goal was to desensitize these youth to help them cope. She also organized support groups for traumatized families, such as those of loved ones killed by Jeffrey Dahmer, and also worked to with the Milwaukee Bucks to reduce the stress of shooting free throws.

No wonder, too, that she died on Christmas Day, 2019, at the age of 78. At her memorial service, Elvis Presleys song, Cant Help Falling in Love is played.

Final thoughts

In these six portraits, we hopefully illustrate more of the many splendors of psychiatry and to love what these particular psychiatrists accomplished in their lifetimes. Of course, there are many others. Let us know if you come up with anyone else: Write us at [emailprotected].

Disclosures:

About the author

Dr Moffic is an editorial board member and regular contributor to Psychiatric Times. He was a tenured Professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin until he retired in 2012. Since then he has functioned as a private community psychiatrist providing pro bono services locally, nationally, and internationally. Currently, Dr Moffic is focused on four major advocacy initiatives: physician burnout, climate instability, Islamophobia, and Anti-Semitism. He is co-editor of Combating Physician Burnout: A Guide for Psychiatrists, with Sheila LoboPrabhu, Richard F. Summers, and Sheila Loboprabhu.

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How Indian Doctors Get a Medical License in the US – Voice of America

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In India, it is quite an achievement to graduate from medical school, given that many students come from modest socio-economic backgrounds.

Its an even higher hurdle for foreign medical graduates to turn that degree into a license to practice medicine in the U.S.

For a [foreign medical graduate] to come to this country, they have to be among the best students in their native country, said Anupam B. Jena, an Indian American who is an associate professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School. Jena is also a physician at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

The standards for acceptance into a U.S. residency program are high for international applicants. An international medical graduate (IMG) describes a U.S. citizen or green card holder who obtained their degree outside the U.S., while a foreign medical graduate (FMG) describes a foreigner who completes a degree in their country of origin.

Indian FMGs in the U.S. are composed of Indias topmost students, Jena said.

So how does someone with a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) and a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) and a post-graduate degree from an Indian institution practice medicine in the U.S.?

It starts with gaining certification from the U.S. Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates, which measures whether FMGs are prepared for a residency program in the U.S.

Graduates must next complete the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). The exams determine an IMGs or FMGs medical knowledge and skills in line with standards and practices in the U.S. The USMLE website describes it as a three-step exam that evaluates an applicants basic medical and scientific knowledge, clinical knowledge and clinical skills. It takes years to achieve medical licensure, but must be accomplished within seven years.

Costs to attain medical licensure through the USMLE vary with each stage of the examination, but it totals about $4,000.

The biggest hurdle is getting admission into a U.S. residency training program, Jena said.

Many Indian medical students participate in internships, unpaid or paid, in the U.S., where they shadow physicians and learn more about U.S. health care and medicine, he said.

Jena urged Indian doctors to apply to at least 30 health care programs in the U.S., to ensure at least five to 10 interviews for employment.

Applicants travel to each hospital for in-person interviews, said Rachana Gavara, an Indian American obstetrician-gynecologist at New York-Presbyterian (NYP) Hospital who studied medicine in India and immigrated to the U.S. in 2000.

There are certain specialties which are much easier for foreign medical grads to get into like internal medicine, psychiatry, pediatrics, family medicine, Gavara said.

Some specialties, like the neurosurgery, dermatology, radiology orthopedics, burns and plastics are very competitive, said Gavara, who was a post-doctoral fellow at Cornell University for three years.

Medical licenses are issued on a state-by-state basis by a medical board, so a doctor would apply in the state in which they intend to work. Licenses must be renewed every two years.

With those milestones achieved, and after completing residency training in a U.S. program, medical practitioners can practice independently in the U.S.

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At Department of Medicine’s diversity and inclusion week, challenging conventional wisdom – Stanford Medical Center Report

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Great minds think differently. If there was a unifying idea expressed by speakers at the Department of Medicines first diversity and inclusion week, it was probably that.

Hannah Valantine, MD, of the National Institutes of Health, said it first, when she opened the Jan. 29 sessions with her grand rounds presentation. Sonia Aranza, a global diversity and inclusion strategist, echoed these words when she spoke on multigenerational diversity later that day.

Both women, along with various other speakers, sought to challenge conventional wisdom about diversity, including the idea that representation and hiring diverse candidates is enough. Instead, they pushed the idea that, as Aranza put it, diversity just is, and the real challenge is making inclusion work, particularly at the institutional level.

The week, which began with a meeting of faculty on Jan. 27 and continued through a meditation session on Jan. 30, was designed to provide both faculty and staff in the department with opportunities to discuss diversity and inclusion. The faculty meeting also introduced the inaugural Department of Medicine Chair Diversity Investigator Awards four grants of $50,000 each that will go to instructors, clinical instructors, or assistant professors focused on research about diversity and disparity.

In her talk, Valantine, a former Stanford professor of cardiovascular medicine who now runs the NIHs scientific workforce diversity initiative, said individual approaches to diversity and inclusion are not enough.

Institutional transformation is crucial, and tools need to be developed for helping people.Diversity needs to be linked to our institutional values and reward systems, she said. She assured her audience that a diverse talent pool exists, and that they would find it if they looked, adding that diversity in leadership can promote diversity and representation at various institutional levels.

One encouraging sign? The Stanford School of Medicine leads its peers in the representation of women among department chairs: In 2018, 37% of the schools departments were led by women.

Investing in diversity is worthwhile, she said. Among other things, it leads to greater innovation and a broadening scope of inquiry, particularly into things like health disparities.

But all is not rosy. Stereotypes continue to plague science, Valantine said. For example,she cited a study in which more feminine looking women were assumed less likely to be scientists.

Following Valantines talk, Aranza gave a presentation on the multigenerational workplace, and Peter Poullos, MD, clinical associate professor of radiology, discussed disability.

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Wickenheiser working double duty with Maple Leafs, medical school – Official site of the Tampa Bay Lightning

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Hayley Wickenheiser pushed herself to be the best as an athlete. She's still pushing herself, going into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Nov. 18 while going to medical school at the University of Calgary and working as an assistant director of player development for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

She knew the Hockey Hall of Fame would announce the Class of 2019 on June 25 but couldn't sit by the phone.

"I had stuff to do," she said with a laugh.

Hockey Hall of Fame officials couldn't reach her after her selection, because she was in a code blue simulation. In other words, she was practicing resuscitating someone in cardiopulmonary arrest. No phones allowed.

Eventually, she pulled out her phone, saw missed calls from the 416 Toronto area code and read text messages congratulating her. She called Hockey Hall of Fame chairman Lanny McDonald on her way home.

Wickenheiser had dueling dreams as a kid: to win the Stanley Cup with the Edmonton Oilers and go to Harvard Medical School. She was inspired by a neighborhood girl seriously injured in an accident.

"She ended up being OK, and I just remember that event being very life-changing for me, being in the hospital every day and seeing how the doctors and nurses treated her and just feeling like that's something I'd want to do," Wickenheiser said. "It's always sort of since then just really been something I thought I would see myself doing outside of being involved with hockey. It's something I could find that was close to what hockey would be like."

Wickenheiser is in her second of three years of med school. She's studying general medicine now but would like to specialize in emergency medicine.

Starting in January, she will spend six months doing electives in Toronto. She said she probably will end up doing her residency there too. But since the Maple Leafs hired her Aug. 28, 2018, she has been living in Calgary and commuting to Toronto four to 10 days per month.

Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas said Wickenheiser has been a massive resource for both players and staff, mostly with Toronto of the American Hockey League and Newfoundland of the ECHL. She watches video, goes on the ice and helps build development plans, providing the insight only a world-class player can.

Last season, a player was struggling. The Maple Leafs had Wickenheiser visit with the player and talk to the coaching staff.

"The thing that Hayley has about her is, she has a certain empathy and ability to understand people and where they're at, and then she also has the ability of understanding what it takes to operate at a very high level," Dubas said. "So it's connecting the two. I could go in and read a player the riot act, but I can't speak to what it's like to play in a gold medal game and be the best player in the world and make the types of sacrifice it takes to get there."

At development camp each summer, the Maple Leafs have a staff summit. One night, they have staff members make presentations. This year, Wickenheiser spoke about performing under the pressure of high expectations.

She once wore a maple leaf on her jersey. It was red instead of blue.

"I thought it was very poignant for all of our staff because of the market we play in and the different things that happen," Dubas said. "It's very interesting to hear the way she spoke about life with Team Canada, the expectation that you're going to win all the time, how you deal with it and how you use that energy.

"Rather than look at it as a burden, it should be looked at as something you've earned because of the work that you've put in. So you shouldn't shrink from it. You should be proud when you get to that point and be excited about it."

The 41-year-old carries weight with everyone, especially the Canadian players. She represented the country at the Olympics five times (1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014) and won four gold medals.

"I'm not sure that the young, young players know as much about me, but I generally say that the better the player, the higher the level, the less of an issue it is for me," she said. "Most, if not all, of the Leafs at some point have come up. We've chatted, or they've said, 'Congratulations on the Hall of Fame.' I think when I talk to them, there's a mutual respect."

Actually, Dubas used a stronger word.

"You never know how it's going to go, because you don't know if there's an underlying [attitude of], 'Yes, but she's a woman hockey player. She never played in the NHL. Women's hockey's different,' " Dubas said. "I'm not afraid to say it. You're worried about it at first.

"But then watching the way she carries herself when she walks in, the players, even our best players, there's a reverence that they have for Hayley when she arrives and she's in the building.

Top photo by Mark Blinch, Toronto Maple Leafs

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Sentry gives $2 million to Medical College of Wisconsin’s Wausau campus as it trains rural doctors – Stevens Point Journal

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Dr. Lisa Dodson (left), dean of the Medical College of Wisconsin Central Wisconsin Campus, receives an endowment medal from Sentry chairman, president and CEO Peter McPartland on Monday, December 9, 2019, at SentryWorld in Stevens Point, Wis. Sentry has pledged $2 million to the MCW Central Wisconsin Campus to provide an endowment for the deanship and expanding training programs for local medical students.Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin(Photo: Tork Mason, Tork Mason/USA Today NETWORK-Wisconsin)

Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify the number of students attending school at the medical college.

STEVENS POINT - The Medical College of Wisconsin has received a $2 million gift fromthe Sentry Insurance Foundation to help the school train more doctorsfor rural residents.

It's a gift Sentry hopes will inspire other local companies and leaders to support the work going on at the college's Wausau campus, whichistraining physicians and psychiatrists with a goal of keeping them in Wisconsin's less-urban areas where there'sa shortage of providers.

Leaders from Sentry and the college gathered at SentryWorld in Stevens Point on Monday to announce the gift,the largest ever given to the Medical College of Wisconsin-Central Wisconsin.The gift creates the Sentry Deanshipat the Medical College of Wisconsin's Wausau campus and aims to break down barriers in creating new physicians in non-urban areas.

The three-year-old medical campus graduated its first class of students earlier this year. The college admitted its first students in 2016 in Wausau, becoming the first medical school in the region.The 13 graduates have now been assignedtothree-year residencies, and seven of those doctors in training are from central Wisconsin.

Seventy-six students are now enrolled at the medical college's central Wisconsin campus. An additional nine people are training in the campus'psychiatry residency program at sitesthroughout central Wisconsin.

Ann Lucas, executive director of the Sentry Insurance Foundation, said the endowment signifies the start of a long-term partnership between the company and the college that may lay the groundwork for future joint efforts to address rural healthcare gaps.Lisa Dodson is the founding dean of the Medical College of WisconsinCentral Wisconsin campus and her deanship position was renamed after the insurance company.

"I think their whole model of integrating their medical students into the community is genius," Lucas said.

Dodson's endowed dean position is the institution's highest honor and is the first such position in the college's history, said Dr. John Raymond, Medical College of Wisconsin president and CEO.

The money will further the college's outreach efforts to recruit students in rural and underrepresented communities, especially in central Wisconsin, Dodson said. She said such work would involve more staff, time and resources dedicated to outreach and building community relationships.Her hope is to make access to the medical college easier andbreak down barriers for rural, first-generation college students, people of color and low-income students.

RELATED: Wausau med school's first class starts July

RELATED: Central Wisconsin's first medical students find out where they'll serve residencies

The college will also seek to help physicians overcome burnout, mental health struggles and other issues that threaten to end careers early by better connecting each step of a future doctor's education and making sure they have a support system, Dodson said.

The focus on training rural doctorscomes from the growing divide between urban and non-urban areas in the number of physicians practicing and the number of rural places available for them to train, she said. Where someone grows up and then where they trainto become a physician heavily influences where they will ultimately practice.

Anew article in Health Affairs, an academic journal, reports on a 15-year decline in rural medical students, withless than 5% of all incoming students in 2017 coming from rural areas. The phenomenon is worse among people of color with rural backgrounds.

"The closer to home you go to school, you maintain those community relationships, (and) the more likely you are to end up practicing in that community," Dodsonsaid.

The college's strategy translates to defining the career path for students early on while in high school or undergraduate studies and well after they're practicing in local communities, she said. The donation from Sentry will strengthen that plan.

"Part of this pipeline is setting people up with partnerships in rural areas, not throwing someone up in the Upper Peninsula (of Michigan) and saying, 'Good luck',"she said.

The structure of the endowment will allow the medical college creativity in bringing on community partners, health care systems and other partners in the future, Dodson said.

Sentry Insurance CEO Pete McPartland said in an interview with the Stevens Point Journal that the donation represents one of the best things the company's foundation hasdone because it invests in education, quality of life and workforce development in the Stevens Point and central Wisconsin area.

Dr. John Raymond (right), president and CEO of the Medical College of Wisconsin, shakes hands with Sentry chairman, president and CEO Peter McPartland on Monday, December 9, 2019, at SentryWorld in Stevens Point, Wis. Sentry has pledged $2 million to the MCW Central Campus to provide an endowment for the deanship and expanding training programs for local medical students.Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin(Photo: Tork Mason, Tork Mason/USA Today NETWORK-Wisconsin)

"We are extremely committed to this area," McPartland said. "This is where we have been for over 100 years and this is where well be."

Raymondsaid the donation emphasizes the importance of local communitiestaking ownership of the new medical school.

"The main purpose of the campus is our idea to use local talent and resources, which is in abundance. If we do that, and make medical education affordable, then we are going to deal with the severe maldistribution of physicians," Raymond said.

The donation, Dodson said, makes Stevens Point the first community outside of Wausau to embrace the Medical College of Wisconsin's central Wisconsin campus. Raymond said Sentry's stamp of approval on the school'swork is gratifying.

"To have an organization like Sentry back the efforts of the college is humbling and a sign that something is going well," Raymondsaid. "Its just been so gratifying tosee the community embrace this ideal and make it real."

Contact reporter Alan Hovorka at 715-345-2252 or ahovorka@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ajhovorka.

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