Collaborating with experts from other disciplines and fields is an important advantage. We are fortunate to have great depth and breadth of expertise not only within the Medical School across our 26 departments, but also across the other 18 schools and colleges of the University. Collaboration is a core value and distinguishing feature of the University of Michigan, and it benefits all of our missions.
Teams of professionals care for patients in a coordinated fashion not achievable under many organizational structures. The Cancer Center and the Cardiovascular Center are two readily recognized clinical care centers where teams of physicians, nurses, social workers and other professionals provide optimal care to patients. Rather than the patient going from one specialist to the next, a team of providers comes together around the patient. This is not confined to cancer and cardiac care; similar teams care for patients with many hereditary and chronic diseases.
Our faculty members have a long history of collaborating on complex research questions crossing disciplinary boundaries. More than 300 current projects involve Medical School faculty working with faculty from other U-M schools and colleges. Michigan scientists also lead and work in research consortiums across the nation and the world, creating the future of medicine, from discovery to application, with global impact.
Our students will work in teams alongside other health professionals throughout their careers. More than 18 months ago, faculty from all the health science schools began collaborating to design a genuine cross-professional, team-based learning experience for all our students. This resulted in three pilot experiences involving students from medicine, public health, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry and social work.
In subsequent issues, we’ll explore some of the unique collaborations that are positioning our faculty, staff and students to create the future of health care.
Sincerely,
James O. Woolliscroft, M.D. (Residency 1980)
Dean, U-M Medical School