Training Tomorrow's Physicians
Being a good doctor is the goal of every medical student, resident and fellow. At the University of Maryland School of Medicine, they find what they need to become effective and compassionate physicians: dedicated, inspiring faculty who serve as role models and mentors, cutting-edge biomedical research, an excellent medical center and a clinical program that prepares them for the future.
And, in a purposeful and structured way, they learn the less tangible aspects of medicine—how to interact with patients, how to break bad news with compassion, how to provide comfort. Through the School of Medicine’s professionalism project, one of the most advanced of its kind among medical schools, the lessons start even before students begin their formal medical education. When first-year medical students put on their white coats during a special ceremony, they utter the Hippocratic Oath and reflect on the responsibility and privilege that come with the coats.
Our students also learn from each other. Comingfrom top undergraduate institutions and medical schools around the nation, they are not only bright and motivated, they also bring a variety of life experiences. There are students from inner-city Baltimore and from rural areas. There are students who come to us directly from college and others who are older. For the past few years, there have been more women than men, as well as growth in underrepresented minorities. This diversity adds valuable insight as students learn to diagnose, treat and communicate with patients.
| |
 |
To make sure our medical education is not limited to only those who can afford it—and with recent state-mandated tuition hikes, fewer students are able to afford it—we offer as many scholarships as possible. But with a limited endowment, we lag behind our peer institutions in providing scholarships—and we are losing top candidates to other institutions. After all, if given the choice between two equally excellent medical schools, what student wouldn’t choose the one that offers the better scholarship?
Today’s University of Maryland medical students leave here with as much debt as if they had just taken out a mortgage—an average of $89,000. That’s on top of any debt that has accumulated during the undergraduate years. Some of our graduating medical students have as much as $150,000 in debt when they start their residencies.
There’s no telling what impact a high debt load has on graduating medical students’ decision making. They may forgo what they’re most interested in—whether it’s family medicine or working at an AIDS clinic—and opt instead for a more lucrative subspecialty just so they can repay their debt.
With a stronger foundation of support for scholarships and fellowships, the School of Medicine will be able to attract more top students and offer students of all backgrounds access to a superior medical education. And because so many of our doctors-in-training stay in Maryland (more than half the state’s practicing physicians were educated or trained here), we ensure that the quality of medical care in the state remains among the best anywhere.
In the end, that is what remains most important: helping develop good doctors. Gary D. Plotnick, MD, professor of medicine and assistant dean for student affairs, echoes the sentiments of many at the school when he shares what inspires his pride. “I am most proud of training the kind of physicians that I would want my friends and family to see,” said the 1966 graduate, “keeping them excited about learning and helping them to become compassionate caregivers.”
Printer friendly
Email this page