During this past year, teams of faculty, staff, and leadership formed a new strategic plan for BSOM. As part of that process, a group pondered our vision and mission statements. That group’s goal was to communicate BSOM’s purpose in a succinct way that would capture who we are and what we strive to do.
I think the result, reflecting many hours of work and deliberation, captures our mission as a school and who we strive to be.
“We transform lives through our commitment to outstanding education, innovative research, community partnerships, and exemplary clinical care. We amplify diversity and belonging as we advance health in Ohio’s communities and beyond.”
I especially like that we start with the phrase “we transform lives.” That really is the essence of our work. Young people with aspirations to be physicians come to BSOM and, through all they experience with us every day, are transformed into outstanding clinicians. We also transform the lives of patients, whether it be through clinical care or research and discovery. The very presence of BSOM as an institution transforms the Miami Valley area as we provide the unique value a community-based medical school brings to a region.
Recently, I heard a great story from Dr. Gregory Toussaint, who leads our Skills Assessment and Training Center, that illustrates the impact of what we do. One of Dr. Toussiant’s students encountered a patient who had not received a diagnosis despite three visits with the same complaint—hand pain and numbness. The student took her history, completed a physical exam, then arrived at a possible diagnosis—carpal tunnel. He remembered to perform the Phalen and Tinel tests. Both were positive, and thus the student had helped the team make the correct diagnosis. The student concluded that the patient “had been miserable with it and chasing a diagnosis for months. Her description of symptoms and language barrier had made it difficult to tease out … it was such a rewarding experience, to know that, as a medical student, I did something different, and of value, from everyone who had seen her previously.”
Two lives were transformed in this brief encounter. The patient’s, who can now obtain relief from her symptoms and improve her quality of life, and the student’s, who now fully appreciates the valuable tools he acquired during his clinical skills training and has seen what can be accomplished by slowing down, listening to a patient, and examining them fully. In the future, that student will remember this valuable lesson and will continue to transform lives over and over again.
This is why we are here. Thank you for your impactful contributions as we work to create the future healthcare workforce for our region.
Valerie
