Ten years after returning to KU School of Medicine-Wichita — where he had done his residency — to practice with the KU Medical Practice Association and teach with the Department of Internal Medicine, Georges Elhomsy, M.D., is giving back to the school.

Elhomsy has created an endowed fund for the Department of Internal Medicine, with the funds being used to support the educational and research pursuits of internal medicine residents, medical students and faculty, particularly those with an interest in endocrinology, diabetes and weight management.

“It’s really a payback for how supportive they have been,” said Elhomsy of the gift. “They were very supportive when I wanted to start my own practice.”

Elhomsy, who earned his medical degree from Lebanese University in 2006, completed his residency with KU School of Medicine-Wichita in 2011. He returned to Wichita in 2013 to practice with KU School of Medicine-Wichita endocrinology, after finishing a two-year fellowship in diabetes endocrinology and metabolism at St. Louis University.

Elhomsy left to create Wichita Diabetes and Endocrinology in 2018. He continues to help the department as a volunteer faculty member.

Another reason for his donation is the dire need for endocrinologists as diabetes numbers continue to increase.

“It’s predicted that by 2050, 30% of the U.S. population is going to be diabetic. That’s a catastrophic number,” Elhomsy said.

A new modeling study, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, forecasts that by 2060 as many as 526,000 people under age 20 may have diabetes, compared to 213,000 in 2017.

For Elhomsy, endocrinology is a fascinating field.

“One little hormone can affect your whole life. It’s a small thing that can have a huge impact on your well-being. That’s powerful.”

Elhomsy is a “shining example” of a former graduate with “a willingness to commit to teaching and also a willingness to give back for the education of students and residents through philanthropy,” said William Salyers, M.D., who has chaired the internal medicine department for the past five years. He also directs the residency program for internal medicine.

The first award from the fund will be used to support residents’ board review materials in the next academic year, Salyers said.

To contribute to Dr. Elhomsy’s fund or to start one of your own, please contact Brad Rukes, KU Endowment development director for the Wichita campus, at 316-293-2641 or brukes@kuendowment.org.