Message from the Dean

My last message in Indiana University Medicine is to welcome D. Craig Brater, MD, as dean of the IU School of Medicine, and to assure him that his faculty and staff are well prepared to work with him during his tenure.

Dr. Brater assumes the helm after ten years as chairman of the Department of Medicine. He is a graduate of Duke University Medical School and serves as president of three prestigious national organizations. Most important, he is a tireless advocate for high quality patient care, top-notch research and a superior medical education for every student. (A profile on Dr. Brater will appear in the fall issue.)

Serving as dean of this medical school gives a full measure of personal and professional satisfaction. It is an office that demands recognition of and attribution to its staunchest fans and critics - our more than 13,000 alumni, nearly 8,000 of whom live in Indiana. It is also an office that provides the unique luxury of surround sound - every endeavor addressed by the School, its faculty and its partners is amplified within its construct, to be played out by colleagues and confidants through their multitude of voices. This is an amazing process that must be nurtured and used wisely.

During the past nine months, School leaders have developed a plan outlining how we can best educate physicians and medical scientists, conduct research, and provide patient care to address the emerging needs of 21st-century Americans. I believe these recommendations acknowledge the provocative issues created when business and economic agendas seek an appropriate relationship with medical morals and ethics.

Once the faculty begins to act on the plan, the School likely will evolve in both structure and in function, reaffirming its role as a public institution of higher education, charged with providing for all citizens of Indiana.

In parting, I want to recognize the faculty for its extraordinary efforts to advance medicine through research and teaching and through its marvelous contributions to patient care. I wish to thank all of you, alumni and friends, for the encouragement and support you have given the faculty and me through generous contributions of time, gifts and new state funding. The School continues to attract quality leaders; I leave knowing that it's in capable hands.

Robert W. Holden, MD '63
Dean, Indiana University School of Medicine
Walter J. Daly Professor