Pulse: A Message from Interim Dean Mark Pfeifer

It is a privilege to serve the University of Louisville School of Medicine as interim dean. I am proud of our past and excited about our future.

I recently had the opportunity to reflect on the similarities and differences in medical education since I was a student, and I have come to the conclusion that we are truly providing the best medical education -- both from the standpoint of academic quality and the student experience -- in our school's history.

We have developed strong educational programs offering an integrated curriculum that includes lectures, small groups, standardized patients and patient simulators along with ample clinical experiences. Students are exposed to clinical settings ranging from office-based primary care to state-of-the-art tertiary referral care.

Our entering class is the best-qualified in the school's history, with an average GPA of 3.77 and outstanding MCAT scores. As I continue to interact with students as a lecturer and preceptor, and sample their experience informally by joining them in their daily work, I am impressed not only with the academic quality of the students we have recruited but also their character.

The school continues a period of brisk growth, in both the size and the quality of our programs in education, research and clinical care.

Let me share a few examples:

We have created a new Department of Urology, led by Anthony Casale, M.D., who was recruited from Indiana University. This department will focus on programs new to our region.

We have recruited a new chair for the Department of Anesthesiology from Case Western University. Lindsey Henson, M.D., Ph.D., brings a wealth of experience in medical education, in addition to clinical expertise.

To help address the acute shortage of pediatric neurologists in our region, we have established a Division of Pediatric Neurology. The division's application to start a training program recently was approved by the American Council on Graduate Medical Education.

The School's National Institutes of Health research funding continues to grow at a record-setting pace, almost tripling since 2000. Nationally ranked departments include neurosurgery in the top 10, and ophthalmology and anesthesiology in the top 20. Anatomical sciences and neurobiology, and pediatrics round out the top 30. In 2005, we had the pleasure of announcing two NIH grants in excess of $10 million in addition to a $22 million grant for the Center for Predictive Medicine.

Our ability to create a diverse physician workforce has been enhanced by a major grant from the prestigious Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

This grant will support the Summer Medical and Dental Education Program to amplify our mission of producing physicians from all types of backgrounds for all of Kentucky. This includes underserved rural and urban communities through the creation of a competitive applicant pool that includes more disadvantaged and racially/culturally diverse students who are particularly prepared for the rigors of medical school.

Around campus, several construction projects are under way or nearing completion, including the Cardiovascular Innovation Institute and a new biomedical research building. Larry Cook, M.D., who is leading the Health Sciences Center expansion, notes in his column on Page 26 that we are growing our clinical enterprise to serve the region in unique ways.

The School of Medicine has a bright and exciting future, focused on strategic growth into new areas. Our environment -- a progressive university with excellent support and leadership -- and a talented body of students and faculty promise great things ahead. Thank you for joining us in this journey.

The momentum we have achieved at the School of Medicine is truly remarkable, and I look forward to sharing new discoveries, educational outcomes and further achievements that are just over the horizon.

Mark Pfeifer, M.D.
Interim Dean, School of Medicine