From the Dean

H1N1 influenza, foreclosures and economic turmoil, global political events: sobering news, all. In the face of these realities we must keep a laser focus on creating the future of health care. In this issue we reunite with four students we met last summer upon their admission to medical school. Year one now behind them, these young women and men — the future of medicine — give us a glimpse into the lives of those who will carry on the legacy of medicine at Michigan, and how we are educating them today. The realities we now face may well pale against the challenges these future physicians will confront. As we lay the very best foundation for careers in medicine and biomedical research, we also train our students to be leaders in the Michigan tradition.

Discovery research is central to creating the future of health care. Collaborative scientific inquiry fuels our understandings of health and disease and moves medicine ever-forward. With the recent acquisition of the former Pfizer Pharmaceutical facilities adjacent to north campus, we’ve taken a bold step to transform the U-M research landscape. Bringing together faculty from different schools and disciplines to work on complex problems, creating new educational programs, and establishing public-private partnerships are but some of the opportunities presented by this purchase.

The new beginnings represented by our talented students and our greatly expanded research infrastructure offer hope for a future of the very best in health care and scientific discovery. It is a journey we take together, for the benefit of those who follow.

Sincerely,

James O. Woolliscroft, M.D. (Residency 1980)
Dean, U-M Medical School