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Welcome Message from the Dean
The mission of the University of Nebraska College of
Medicine is to improve the health of Nebraskans through premier
education programs, innovative research, the highest quality patient
care and outreach to underserved populations. We strive to be a regional
and national leader in the education of primary care health
professionals, in the application of information technology to health
care, and in research and clinical services related to cancer,
transplantation, neurosciences, cardiovascular disease, genetics, rural health and other major areas of healthcare need.
Health care in the U.S. is undergoing great change. The future must
comprise the underlying core values of excellence and innovation. Major
forces that will promote excellence and innovation are the personal
clinical relationship between the health professional and a patient, the
direct relationship between medical research and medical progress and
the education and dedication of the health professional. Our goal is to
prepare undergraduate, graduate and post graduate health profession
students to be at the forefront of medicine whether they choose careers
in medical practice, clinical or laboratory-based health research,
medical education or as public health servants. Moral integrity, high
ethical values, compassion for the sick and poor, and a deep sense of
commitment to lifelong dedicated service and self-directed learning are
personal characteristics and humanistic qualities expected of health
professionals. Intense professional and personal gratification is
derived from helping to restore health to the mind and body of patients,
by pursuing scientific and teaching excellence, and through the social
value of dedicated community service.
The College of Medicine enjoys a distinguished record of excellence in
medical education. Our innovative medical curriculum provides early
exposure to patient care. The spectrum of these clinical experiences are
carefully integrated into and correlated with basic medical sciences
subject matter in the first two years. Traditionally, in the past, these
two years of the curriculum have been dedicated almost exclusively to
basic science courses. Unique components of the integrated clinical
experience include clinical problem-based learning in small groups, the
use of "standardized" patients as case examples, a
longitudinal clinical experience assigned to a primary care physician
and a block clinical rotation in rural Nebraska. The integration of
subject matter continues in the last two years, but this time, basic
sciences are woven into the clinical clerkships to reinforce their
importance to the understanding of pathophysiology and therapeutics. A
few selected students might choose a combined M.D./Ph.D. program that
has a reputation of producing academic physicians and thus provides
opportunities for research education.
Our goal is for students to acquire the knowledge, skills and
experience, new roles and new behaviors that will be required in a reformed
health care system that emphasizes "customer" satisfaction,
practice efficiency, cost management, preventive medicine, teamwork and
a spirit of collaboration of health professionals. These are uniquely
exciting and rewarding times to enter the field of medicine. The
University of Nebraska College of Medicine is responsive to society's
needs as an academic leader shaping the future of healthcare education,
research and patient service. We welcome qualified, talented and highly
motivated applicants who view this challenge as their
"calling" to serve their fellow citizens.
John Gollan, M.D., Ph.D.
Dean, College of Medicine
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