The Boonshoft School of Medicine has always been a dynamic place, full of ingenuity, with a passion for service. We continue our pace of steady, meaningful advancement. And our remarkable students, faculty, staff, and alumni are tackling some of the world’s toughest problems. You can see why I’m so excited for what the future may bring.
In more ways than one, we are charting new territory at the medical school. I hope you’ll get a sense of our momentum as you read this edition of Vital Signs.
Our cover story is about physician resiliency, a topic that is sometimes difficult to broach within our community. The expectation for generations of physicians, reinforced by patients and often doctors themselves, has been to deliver care with quiet reserve. Thankfully, things are beginning to change — doctors and other health care professionals are realizing that a stiff upper lip may belie hidden struggles with burnout or compassion fatigue, issues far more common than traditionally thought.
Hard data and personal experience have led many physicians to come together to tackle the issues that are inextricably linked to the physician shortage and the quality of patient care. The Boonshoft School of Medicine’s Remen Institute for the Study of Health and Illness is one entity leading the charge.
Elsewhere on the frontlines, our alumni are busy delivering medical care in disadvantaged third-world regions. They are at work battling the spread of diseases like ebola and cholera, and providing care to pediatric cancer patients in sub-Saharan Africa. One of our groundbreaking professors is also showing that women physicians can make time for family while maintaining their commitment to patient care.
As we continue to move forward, I want to thank you for your encouragement and support of the Boonshoft School of Medicine. Without the tireless work of the Wright State family and our alumni and friends, none of this would be possible.
-Margaret Dunn, M.D., M.B.A., FACS Dean
