UNMC offers a great medical education.
That message came through loud and clear as I met with some of our College of Medicine alumni last week in Arizona as part of a series of events coordinated by the University of Nebraska Alumni Association and the University of Nebraska Foundation.
The group of alumni ranged from physicians who graduated in the 1950s to one who graduated last year. But, the theme was consistent. They all felt they had received an outstanding education at UNMC…one that prepared them exceedingly well for the challenges of medical practice.
You could feel the pride that these individuals felt for UNMC. They have been paying attention to what has been going on back at their alma mater.
They were well aware of the tremendous growth that had occurred at UNMC during Dr. Harold Maurer’s incredible 15-year tenure as chancellor. They recognized the explosion that had taken place in research funding as well as all the new buildings that had been constructed thanks to the support of generous donors.
Many commented that the campus had changed so much since they were there that they didn’t recognize it and found new campus buildings where their apartments, fraternities, and dormitories used to stand.
It has been an unprecedented era in the history of UNMC, and the momentum continues to build.
Our new chancellor, Dr. Jeffery P. Gold, attended several of the events and was the lead attraction. As you know, Dr. Gold just started on Feb. 1, so he’s still learning the lay of the land.
However, watching our new chancellor interact with alumni and listening to him present his vision for the future, it is clear that UNMC’s strong leadership in the chancellor’s office will continue.
This week I will be heading to China along with Dr. Mike Sitorius, the chair of the department of family medicine.
Dr. Sitorius and his faculty have been working very hard with two Chinese medical schools to bring the family medicine care model to China. It’s a huge undertaking and represents a paradigm shift for China that could literally take generations to implement.
The Chinese are learning that the family medicine care model is much more efficient and cost effective than their current model in which patients rely heavily on specialists and there is less emphasis on preventive health care.
During this visit we hope to improve and formalize this relationship to create a structured and enduring training program.
Reaching out to the world’s most populous country is indicative of what great universities do. In today’s global world, it’s vital to have an international presence, and UNMC is establishing itself as a real player….one that doesn’t just pay lip service but actually follows through and gets things done.
I look forward to seeing first-hand what is happening in China, and I’ll share my perspective in the next issue of InterCOM.