Message from the Dean

Degrees of Diversity

This May's graduating class was unique in that it included the first group of students to receive master's degrees in public health from IU. Two of this group of twenty-two simultaneously received degrees in medicine. In noting this remarkable achievement, Stephen Jay, MD '67, chairman of the Department of Public Health, who was pivotal in developing the program, notes one student will begin his residency in anesthesia and another in pediatrics at IU.

This group of individuals expands the diversity of our student body, adding to the forty-six masters of science students, the more than one-hundred forty doctoral degree students, as well as the thirty-eight students in the combined MD/PhD degree program.

The MD/PhD combined degree program recently benefited from the $105 million grant from Lilly Endowment for genomic education, training, and research at IU. The Indiana Genomics Initiative is providing full scholarships to five new MD/PhD students per year for six years in the Indiana Medical Scientist program. It also will provide scholarships for ten undergraduate students (eight at IUPUI and two at IU Bloomington) who have demonstrated an interest in the MD/PhD program or in health-related research.

Beginning this fall, we are partnering with the Kelley School of Business at IUPUI to offer an MBA/MD combined degree program for students interested in pursuing health policy and administration careers.

Providing opportunity for aspiring physicians and medical scientists is a critical component of a top medical school. This past spring, we received $550,487 from the Department of Health and Human Services to provide thirty-five full tuition and twenty tuition and living expense scholarships to financially disadvantaged scholars. In addition, we have received a $1,933,050 Primary Care Loan for the upcoming fiscal year to help students who are committed to primary care practice.

Our ability to do this is due to the success of one very dedicated financial advisor who has improved the lives of hundreds of our students and their families. Thank you, José Espada and the Department of Financial Aid for the service you provide to our students.

D. Craig Brater, MD
Dean, Indiana University School of Medicine
Walter J. Daly Professor