School of Medicine

Founded in:

1837

Enrollment:

658 – includes students on LOA

National/State rankings:

73rd in research, 88th in primary care (U.S. News & World Report)

 

Accreditations:

http://louisville.edu/medicine/accreditation

Noteworthy programs based on national recognition, uniqueness or other criteria. (Limit three):

  • National pilot program for incorporating competencies published in 2014 by the Association of American Medical Colleges related to the provision of care for LGBT and DSD individuals.
  • Distinction tracks in research, medical education, global health, and business and leadership
  • Trover Rural Track program – nationally honored by the Association of American Medical Colleges

Community Service:

  • Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society
  • Fulbright-Fogarty Fellowships in Public Health (2 in one year)
  • Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges
  • The AMWA Glasgow-Rubin Certificates of Commendation for Academic Achievement
  • The Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award  (The Arnold P. Gold Foundation)

Student honors (external awards, scholarships, fellowships, etc.):

  • Gold Humanism Honor Society
  • Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society
  • Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges
  • The AMWA Glasgow-Rubin Certificates of Commendation for Academic Achievement
  • The Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award  (The Arnold P. Gold Foundation)

Prominent alumni recognized recently:

  • Samuel E. Adunyah, M.D. – Dr. Adunyah’s is professor and chair of the department of cancer biology at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee.  His research serves as a model to study molecular signal transduction mechanism which has the potential to aid in the clinical management of sickle cell diseases, thalassemia, prostate cancer, and myeloid dyplastic syndrome.
  • William Akers, M.D. – developed the SPF sun protection rating system.  He was head of dermatology research for Syntex Pharmaceutical Corporation in Palo Alto.  He also enjoyed a 25-year career in the Army and served as chief of dermatology research at the Letterman Army Institute of Research.
  • Anthony Atala, M.D, –  is the W.H. Boyce Professor and director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, and chair of the department of urology at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine in North Carolina.  Dr. Atala led the team that developed the first lab-grown organ, a bladder, to be implanted into a human.
  • Donald Baxter, M.D. – Dr. Baxter discovered the pyrogen-free solutions and equipment of IV presently incorporated in hospitals today.
  • William M. Christopherson, M.D. – Dr. Christopherson is a pioneer in the areas of uterine and cervical cancer and has served as president of the American Association for Cancer Education, the American Society of Cytology, the Arthur Purdy Stout Society of Surgical Pathologist and the International Academy of Pathology.  In 1986, Humana Inc. established a chair in pathology in his honor.
  • James W. Fisher, M.D. – Dr. Fisher is professor and chair of the department of pharmacology at Tulane University.  Dr. Fisher is known throughout the world for his research on erythroprotein (EPO).  EPO is approved for use as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of anemia in kidney dialysis and AIDS/HIV.
  • C. Ronald Kahn, M.D. – Dr. Kahn is the Mary K. Iacocca Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and the chief academic officer of the Joslin Diabetes Center.  He previously served as their president and research director.  He is an outstanding clinical investigator whose research interests are in insulin receptors and insulin action, insulin-like growth factors, diabetes mellitus, hypoglycemia and immunity, autoimmunity and viruses in endocrine disorders.
  • Brian Lukey, Ph.D. – Dr. Lukey is a colonel in the U.S. Army and an international authority in chemical warfare research, and currently directs research specializing in sustaining and enhancing the performance and long-term health of soldiers.
  • Mark Newman, MD – Dr. Newman has been chair of the Duke University Medical Center Department of Anesthesiology since 2001. He is known for his research to better understand and improve cognitive decline after cardiac surgery.
  • Maurice Rabb, Jr., M.D. – Dr. Rabb was an African-American ophthalmologist widely known for his pioneering work in cornea and retinal vascular diseases.  Dr. Rabb also was recognized for his efforts to expand opportunities for doctors from underrepresented communities through the National Medical Association.
  • Dorothy ‘Dot’ Richardson, M.D. –She is best known as leading the 1996 U.S. Olympic softball team to its first-ever gold medal over China during the Atlanta games.
  • Forest Shely, M.D. – He was a physician in Campbellsville, Kentucky and holds the distinction of serving as a trustee for Campbellsville University for 56-years.  This is the longest serving trustee for Campbellsville University.  Dr. Shely was the medical director of several area nursing homes and the first administrator of Taylor County Hospital.  He served as chairman of both the Taylor County and Lake Cumberland district boards of health.  He was a member of the Taylor County Mental Health Board, Taylor County Public Library Board, and the Campbellsville-Taylor County Rescue Advisory Board.  He was chairman of the board of Citizens Bank and Trust Company in Campbellsville.
  • Dixie Snider Jr., M.D., MPH – Dr. Snider is senior advisor at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  Prior to this he served as assistant surgeon general (rear admiral) and chief science officer at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  He has a long-standing reputation as an epidemiologist dedicated to the elimination of tuberculosis and other microbacterial diseases.
  • Loman C. Trover, M.D. – Dr. Trover spearheaded the founding of what is now known as Trover Foundation, which includes the Regional Medical Center and services Madisonville and the surrounding rural Kentucky counties. Today, it is the site of UofL’s unique rural track for medical students who choose to practice in rural communities after graduation.
  • Raymond L. Woosley, Jr., M.D. – Dr. Woosley has received numerous awards including the Food and Drug Administration Commissioner’s Special Citation for making the public and Congress aware of the dangers of the dietary supplement ephedrine.  Woosley’s research on the antihistamine, Seldane, guided the discovery of fatal abnormalities in heart rhythms as a potential side effect.  This research led to the discovery of fexofenadine, which is marketed under the name Allegra.

AMA Presidents

  • Irvin Abell, M.D. – He was a surgeon from Louisville and taught on the faculties of the Louisville Medical College and University of Louisville.  Dr. Abell was the first Grand Presiding Senior (president) of Phi Chi Medical Fraternity in 1897.  Dr. Abell also served as president of the American College of Surgeons and Southeastern Surgical Association.  During World War II, he headed the national committee that consulted with the Department of Defense on matters of public health.
  • Hoyt Gardner, M.D. – Dr. Gardner served as president of the AMA during a period of contentious debate about increased government involvement in the regulation of health care delivery.  He served as a delegate to the World Health Organization Conference where his strategies helped to develop the groundwork for modern health care quality concepts.  He also served as past national president of Delta Tau Delta Fraternity.  Under his leadership, the fraternity began addressing the mounting concerns surrounding alcohol problems with a pilot program in a way that respected an individual’s right to choose.