Although the long hot days of summer can seem languid, activity in the department is brisk.
In June, we congratulated our graduating students, residents, and fellows, and recognized outstanding faculty – including lifetime achievement awards for Jim and Dave O’Dell. Just a few days later, on July 1, we marked the arrival of a new class of eager trainees. The department welcomed 37 new residents and 41 new subspecialty fellows.
In a few weeks, new medical students, both in Omaha and at the Kearney campus, will make their way into the classrooms and onto the clinical wards. We are truly privileged to help shape the next generation of caregivers.
In addition, 29 new faculty will join the department in the next several months and will bring new ideas and energy to how we teach, deliver healthcare and make discoveries. Our orientation program and bootcamp are poised to get new faculty up to speed quickly.
Despite incredibly trying and chaotic times, Internal Medicine faculty are receiving high scores on funding proposals and starting exciting and groundbreaking investigative projects. Similarly, on a nearly daily basis, faculty are having their work published in topflight medical journals.
Our Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, under the leadership of Dr. Cyrus Desouza, launched the Diabetes Center of Excellence and named Dr. Andjela Drincic as the Wahl Presidential Chair and inaugural director. Faculty in various divisions took on leadership roles on boards and committees for professional societies and foundations.
I am also pleased to report that the national search for the next permanent chair of the department is proceeding quickly, and the long list of highly accomplished candidates is being narrowed as finalists arrive on campus this month for a second round of interviews.
On a more somber note, we marked the death of Dr. Phil Smith and recognized his many contributions to the Infectious Diseases Division, UNMC and the broader medical community.
I hope as the summer winds down that everyone has been able to take some well-deserved vacation time with family and friends. However, do not mistake the long hot “dog days” of summer with departmental inactivity – the lights are on, and the wheels are turning.