I am off for a few weeks, but in my absence, I’ve asked Doug Girod, MD, Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs, to write a column for this edition of Checking In.

Last month, the KU School of Medicine welcomed the 176 students of the class of 2014. On July 30, the School’s faculty presented the new students with their jackets at the White Coat ceremony, signifying the beginning of their journey through medical education. I was reminded of starting my own journey 30 years ago and just how much education in the art and science of medicine has transformed over the years.

The most obvious change has been the dizzying barrage of new technology and medications. At the School of Medicine, we are committed to making sure our students have access to the latest medical equipment and become proficient in all the newest diagnostic and treatment approaches to medicine.

But the integration of high-tech equipment into medical training is not the only major adjustment we have had to make. To help our future doctors navigate the country’s rapidly changing health care delivery system, students are now learning more about managed care, legal and business issues. Public health and prevention have also become a major part of medical training as health care costs continue to rise and millions of Americans remain uninsured or underinsured.

Today’s physicians must also learn how to work as part of a team. Medicine has become so complex that treating a single patient can involve several doctors, specialists, nurses, a pharmacist, ancillary service providers such as physical and respiratory therapy, social workers and sometimes even attorneys. Training medical professionals to operate as a well-coordinated team enhances patient safety and improves quality and outcomes, so we make sure our students are well-versed in teamwork-related knowledge, skills, and attitudes.

The faculty at the School of Medicine takes great pride in the comprehensive cutting-edge education we are providing our students. We are confident that we are helping to produce physicians with the necessary skills and insight to treat patients now and well into the future.

Kudos

For the first time in the history of the University of Kansas Medical Center, funding for research has surpassed $100 million. With private, state and federal research grant awards of $100.7 million during fiscal year 2010, KUMC increased its funding from those revenue streams by at least $10 million over 2009’s total of $89.5 million. Awards from the National Institutes of Health were also at an all-time high of $64.1 million annually, a 13.5 percent increase from last year. Part of the increase is due to funds made available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. To date, scientists at the University of Kansas Medical Center have competed for and received $15.9 million in federal stimulus money for research projects in Kansas City and Wichita. Read more here.

Katherine Seymour, a student at the School of Medicine, has been awarded a 2010 AMA Foundation Physicians of Tomorrow Scholarship. Each year, the AMA recognizes 20 fourth-year medical students based upon their academic standing, community involvement and financial status. Each student receives a $10,000 scholarship to help defray medical school expenses.

Kimberly Engelman, PhD, an associate professor of preventive medicine and public health, is being honored as part of Fearless Women Day. The event is being held to mark the 90th anniversary of ratification of the 19th amendment and is sponsored by the eWomenNetwork. Dr. Engelmen is being recognized for her work as an educator and researcher at the School of Medicine and for the key role she played in getting Lexie's Law passed in Kansas this year. The law sets up stricter regulations for day care providers.