It’s hard to believe that I am beginning my sixth week at Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine. It’s flown by in a flurry of meetings, some in person but the majority via WebEx, Zoom, and the like. Many have commented that it must be hard to come in as dean at this time, where the opportunities to gather and meet are limited by the pandemic, and yes, that is true. Yet somehow, the moments to genuinely connect, as I look at the screen and see all of the faces that bring the Boonshoft School of Medicine's mission to life, do happen. I am enjoying getting to know all of my wonderful new colleagues and friends. It’s been a terrific start.
One of my first priorities has been to listen and to learn about BSOM’s strengths, the opportunities we have to course correct where needed, and to grow and take off in new directions. Two surveys were conducted – one for faculty and staff, and another for the student body. I will be sharing a summary of what I’ve learned at my second town hall this Thursday, December 10th at noon. I hope you can join me! I thought I’d give you a “sneak preview” of what I will share during the session.
What makes BSOM special? The above word cloud was generated from the comments provided in the free text responses to the question “What are BSOM’s strengths?” As you probably know, the larger the size of the word in the word cloud, the more times it was mentioned.
"The number one strength of BSOM is its people.”
Take a look at the cloud. What jumps out at you? As one respondent said, “The number one strength of BSOM is its people.” It made me happy to see that our students are represented in the largest word, sitting right smack dab in the middle of the cloud, exactly where they belong. Faculty and staff also made the top of the list. In short, the people of BSOM are what make it great. This most treasured resource, our people, who have shown incredible strength and resilience this year, are what makes this community so remarkable. I’ve said it before, and I will say it again, I’m proud of how BSOM has met these challenges and I’m excited for what we, working together, will do to create the future of BSOM.
My sincere thanks for all you do to make BSOM such a special place!
Valerie Weber, M.D., M.S.
Dean, Boonshoft School of Medicine
