Message from the Dean
Give Them (Long) White-Coat Welcome
Four years ago, members of the Class of 2002 donned their first
white coats and took the physician's oath. They repeated the time-honored
oath this Mother's Day at the culmination of graduation at the RCA
Dome in Indianapolis. Please join me in welcoming the two hundred
and seventy-two physicians who have joined our ranks.
Many have learned the lessons of leadership and community service
by participating in programs organized through the Office of Medical
Service-Learning, which was established in 1996 to help create awareness
among medical students about the needs in the community and to provide
a sense of civic responsibility.
As have some of you, starting in 1991, many participated in this
year's Evening of the Arts to raise funds for medical supplies they
need to care for Indianapolis' homeless people. Others made a four-year
commitment to participate in the Community Leadership Mentor Program
sponsored by United Way.
They have organized and worked at health fairs and clinics in underserved
neighborhoods and have mentored both children and adults at community
centers through Laptop Kids & Community Computers. They've pulled
on their jeans and gloves to participate in Spring House Calls,
helping disadvantaged housebound and elderly residents clean up
their properties. Others participated in Doctor Camp, a two-day
summer camp, mentoring middle school, minority students and teaching
basic first-aid and rescue procedures.
Beyond the boundaries of our community, many of our Spanish-speaking
students participated in an outreach medical service program in
remote Calnali, Mexico. Motivated to help distant peers, our fourth-year
class joined with students from most of our nine campuses to collect
and send medical texts to two medical schools in Afghanistan to
replace the books destroyed during the Taliban regime.
The founder and assistant dean for medical service-learning is
Patricia Keener, MD, '68, honored this year by the American Association
for Higher Education for her contributions to professional service
and academic outreach. Her outstanding efforts have benefited our
students with the generous support of our faculty and by those of
you, who have founded and energized the many programs we now offer
to our students.
Many of our students chose the IU School of Medicine because of
its commitment to community service; they come to us with the passion
of serving others and leave with a realized sense of altruism. Please
welcome them, their ideas and spirit of service into your community.
D. Craig Brater, MD
Dean and Walter J. Daly Professor
|
