S T A N F O R D M E D I C I N E

Volume 17 Number 3 FALL 2000

On the Cover

Admitting Women to Medical School for More than a Century. 

Cover illustration by Janet Woolley.

Stanford Medicine, published quarterly by Stanford University Medical Center, aims to keep readers informed about the education, research, clinical care and other goings on at the Medical Center.

 

  

For the special section for Alumni, click on the link below:
STANFORD
MD
 

from the alumni affairs dean

 

DR. BOB CODY, THE PRESIDENT OF THE STANFORD MEDICAL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION, and I had the opportunity to greet the new first-year medical students at the recent stethoscope presentation dinner, which took place during the medical school's orientation week.

As usual, they are a stellar group, full of energy and enthusiasm and definitely very talented. This year's entering class is composed of 44 women and 42 men. It is ethnically diverse, including 31 students of Asian or Pacific-Islander heritage, 5 African-Americans, 10 Latinos and 3 Native-Americans. Eighteen of the students are foreign born. The class clearly reflects the changing demographics of our nation's population.

Along with the 86 students starting medical school, 79 young men and women are entering into postgraduate training programs within the school, working towards master's and PhD degrees. We would like these master's and PhD students to feel included in the SMAA when they become alumni. Though in the past, the over 1,500 MS and PhD alumni have not played an active role in the association's activities (in fact many of these people feel excluded), the SMAA Board of Governors is looking to change this situation.

As a first step, we held focus groups during early October, meeting with two separate groups. The first included PhD graduates who work locally in the biotech industry and the second group was composed of alumni who are employed at Stanford. Working with a professional interviewer we structured the discussions to learn all we could about their Stanford training experience, including both the good and bad aspects. They were questioned about their attitudes toward the school and about what we as an alumni group could do to be of help to them during and after their time at Stanford. I will keep you apprised of what we learned and of any new programs that may result from these discussions.

 

Ross D. Bright, MD

ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR MEDICAL ALUMNI AFFAIRS

Stanford University School of Medicine