Contact:Kara Gavin, [email protected], or
Pete Barkey, [email protected], 734-764-2220
Genome project head Francis Collins to address U-M Medical School's 150th graduating class
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - The members of the University of Michigan Medical School's 150th graduating class will embark on their medical careers this Friday with the words of the nation's genetic research leader echoing in their ears.
Francis Collins, M.D., Ph.D., director of the National Human Genome Research Institute and leader of the national scientific drive to decode the entire human genome, will address the 170 graduates at 4 p.m. on June 9 in Hill Auditorium. Collins is currently on leave from the U-M Medical School, where he holds professorships in human genetics and internal medicine.
Collins' forward-looking speech, titled "The End of the Beginning," is expected to draw parallels between the students' experience at the end of their medical school training, and that of the Human Genome Project as it nears completion of the sequence of all human DNA. Collins will focus on the promise that today's medical research holds for the future. Appropriately, his speech comes during the Medical School's celebration of its 150 years of distinguished history and preparation for its future.
The Class of 2000's newly minted M.D.'s enter medicine at a time of challenge and change, as researchers finish the massive task of sequencing the human genome and begin to translate that knowledge into diagnostic tests and new medications - while confronting associated ethical issues. The graduates also launch their careers during a trying time in the health care industry, when many medical centers and private physicians are struggling to keep pace with increased demands and decreased reimbursement from government and private insurers.
This summer, the students will begin practicing medicine as residents at some of the nation's top hospitals. About a third of them will stay in Michigan. Roughly 53 percent of this year's class have chosen to specialize in primary care, including obstetrics and gynecology. Another 15 percent have chosen to train as surgeons.
The U-M Medical School is ranked among the top in the nation, both in academic excellence and research funding. Some statistics about the school 150 years ago and today follow.
Note to editors: Graduating students with exceptional personal stories are available for interviews. Please call 734-764-2220 for more information.
Education: 1850 vs. Today
Medical education has changed dramatically over 150 years, with U-M leading the way.
Did you know. . .
-- In 1850, all that students needed to know to be admitted was knowledge of Greek and enough Latin to read and write prescriptions. A high school diploma was not required. Today, a high school diploma, three years of college, MCAT scores and an interview are required.
-- Bodies for anatomical dissections were difficult to obtain in the 19th century. Today, U-M Medical School's plastination lab prepares and provides rubberized body parts with an indefinite shelf life to other schools and institutions internationally.
-- In 1850, the M.D. curriculum was all lectures - patients weren't seen until after graduation. Only 19 years later, the U-M led the way in establishing the first University-owned hospital for hands-on study.
-- It only took one year - a six-month lecture series repeated - and a three-year preceptorship to become a doctor. Today, the M.D. curriculum is four years, followed by residency training of three years or more.
-- The school began with five professors. Today, there are more than 1,800 faculty members.
-- In 1850, the student body was all white males. In 1870, the school began accepting women, but they had to take courses such as anatomy and gynecology separately. Faculty who taught separate sessions were paid an additional $500 per year.
-- The first female student graduated in 1871, and the first African-American student in 1874. Today, 45 percent of students are women, and 10 percent are minorities. The U-M ranks fifth among all U.S. medical schools in the number of minority physicians graduated.
-- Six students graduated in 1851. This year, a class of about 170 students graduated, raising the total number of M.D. graduates to more than 18,300.
-- In 1850, the cost of tuition was $5; today it is $18,205 for Michigan residents and $27,961 for non-residents.
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