Distinction Track Program

The Distinction Track Program was created in 2010 to increase the number of students choosing a career in academic medicine and to provide students with opportunities to focus on areas in medicine for which they have a passion. There are four distinction tracks:  Business and Leadership (DIBL), Global Health (DIGH), Medical Education (DIME), and Research (DIR). All tracks ensure a faculty-student mentored longitudinal experience beginning in the students’ first or second year of medical school and culminating in a scholarly project (usually in the fourth year).

Ninety-eight first-year medical students attended the 2016 Distinction Track Program Lunch & Learn on January 5. For academic year 2014-15, 155 students were enrolled in the Distinction Track Program and student scholarship resulted in 101 accepted abstracts (poster/oral presentations) and 57 submitted manuscripts with 46 confirmed publications.

The Distinction Track Program is overseen by M. Ann Shaw, M.D., M.A., (vice dean for undergraduate medical education) and an advisory committee that includes directors of distinction tracks (Brad Sutton, M.D., M.B.A., and In Kim, M.D., M.B.A., for Business and Leadership; Bethany Hodge, M.D., M.P.H., and  Mary Carter, M.D., Ph.D., for Global Health; Jennifer Brueckner-Collins, Ph.D., Charles Kodner, M.D., and Pradip Patel, M.D., for Medical Education; and Dale Schuschke, Ph.D., and Russell Prough, Ph.D., for Research); UofL faculty and staff (Shelley Gibson, M.A., Susan Sawning, M.S.S.W., Michael Keibler, M.S., Robert Martin, M.D., Ph.D., Karen Miller, Ph.D., M.Ed., Michael Ostapchuk, M.D., M.S.Ed., Mary Jo White); Greater Louisville Medical Society representative (John Roth, M.D.); and student representatives from each distinction track (Jhalak Dholakia, Elayna Dush, Anna Thamann, and Katelyn Williams). Thanks to Dean Toni Ganzel, M.D., M.B.A., for her continued support of the Distinction Track Program. (Contact Shelley Gibson shelleybrook.gibson@louisville.edu 852-6424).

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