Dean's Message

The OU College of Medicine, like all medical schools, continues to meet the challenges produced by the COVID-19 pandemic and the changes inherent to 21st century healthcare. Without a doubt, these are times of gratitude and admiration for our faculty, residents, students and staff and the ways they are shaping our profession.

In this issue of the magazine, you will read about many inspiring people and projects. Collectively, our students have contributed thousands of hours toward organizing and holding vaccination clinics for those on campus and for people in the community. Their efforts and ingenuity have allowed our faculty to remain dedicated to patient care. Without our students, we simply could not have vaccinated as many people as we did — more than 50,000 Oklahomans in 2021 alone.

You’ll also read about academic excellence in a story about a student receiving a national honor for his commitment to underserved populations, and in another story about a student recognized for her dedication to military service and her journey to becoming a physician. This academic year also brought good news about student satisfaction. In the annual survey conducted by the Association of American Medical Colleges, our students’ overall satisfaction rate is again above the 75th percentile. Of particular note, more than 70% of our courses and clerkships were ranked in the top quartile nationally, and 33% of those were above the 90th percentile.

Our research endeavors continue to flourish, which is reflected in impressive levels of grant funding and publications in high-impact journals. Research also continues to be highly collaborative as College of Medicine investigators seek out partnerships with their colleagues in other colleges on campus. You can read about our vision research program, a collaboration with Dean McGee Eye Institute, that received a $2.9 million renewal of a grant that funds several cores of specialized equipment. Another story details the years-long work by one of our clinician-scientists to take her research from an idea to a national clinical trial now underway.

In the patient care section, one of the stories you’ll see is about our Pediatric Psychology Program, in which psychologists are embedded with the care teams serving patients both at Oklahoma Children’s Hospital and in outpatient clinics. This type of care allows providers to collaborate to best meet the needs of each child and family.

In the OU-TU School of Community Medicine section, you’ll read about a new effort from the Office of Research Development and Scholarly Activity to incorporate more diverse participants into studies. In addition, the Department of Family and Community Medicine and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology have launched a new program to provide an extra layer of training in prenatal care to family medicine physicians on the obstetrics track.

The achievements and dedication you’ll read about in this issue are what make me excited about the future of the OU College of Medicine and the profession of medicine in general. Our faculty, students, residents and staff have been exceptionally resourceful during a time of uncertainty and change. Their steadfast compassion for those we serve, combined with their innovative ideas, assure me that the profession of medicine is in good hands.

John P. Zubialde, M.D. Executive Dean, OU College of Medicine