Dear colleague: 

On Friday, the School of Medicine held the Matriculation Ceremony for the Class of 2020, welcoming more than 180 new MD students, bestowing on them fresh white coats and new stethoscopes purchased for them with donations from the Medical Alumni Association. The sun was shining brightly and our new students looked rested and ready for School as they gathered with friends and family on Boettcher Commons. The class includes a wide range of talented people – a music major from University of Maryland, a French and Francophone Studies specialist from Bryn Mawr College, and English major for Colorado State University, more than a few Integrative Physiology majors from CU Boulder (as Assistant Dean for Student Life Jeffrey Druck, MD, who read all the names and majors of the new students during the ceremony, can attest to), and others from all across the country. 

Shanta Zimmer, MD, associate dean for diversity and inclusion, offered the keynote address and put the students on notice that when they round with her or present a case to her at some future date, she expects them to know their patients’ occupations. “It reminds me that our patients are people, not diseases or symptoms,” Shanta said. “Know your patients as people. The reward will be great.” She urged them to fulfill “the call within the calling,” offer patient-centered care and she ended her talk with a boost of confidence: “Congratulations. Welcome to the profession of medicine. You got this.” 

In addition to welcoming the new class on Friday, we also recognized faculty and current students for their dedication to professionalism. The awardees of the annual Faculty Professionalism Award were Maureen Garrity, PhD, associate dean for student life, and Wendy Madigosky, MD, MSPH, director of the Foundations of Doctoring Curriculum and director of interprofessional education and development. Maureen was honored as a dedicated leader, advocate and mentor to students and colleagues and Wendy for working across the professions with respect, integrity, and commitment to excellence. The School’s Gold Humanism Honor Society inducted 29 student members into the group in recognition of their excellence in clinical care, leadership, compassion and dedication to service. Congratulations to all. 

Congratulations to Jonathan Bowser, MS, director of the Child Health Associate/Physician Assistant (CHAPA) Program and the entire CHAPA team, who last week received notification from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant that our program has received full accreditation through September 2026. This reaccreditation is the culmination of a three-year self-study and application process and hours of diligent, hard work by Jonathan and everyone else at CHAPA.

Max Gomez, PhD, a well-known medical journalist for CBS News who has received nine Emmy Awards for his work, was the keynote speaker for the Gates Center Summer Internship Program last Friday afternoon. Max discussed “Cells Without Borders: How Cells Will Cure Autoimmune Diseases, Help Us Live Past 100 and Revolutionize Medicine.” Max’s discussion was the culmination of a program that brings highly qualified undergraduates to the Anschutz Medical Campus to work fulltime for 11 weeks. The interns later in the day presented posters and held a reception. Thanks to the team at the Gates Center for Regenerative Medicine for organizing the program and hosting the recognition event. 

Ernest Moore, MD, vice chair of trauma and clinical care research in the Department of Surgery and editor of the Journal of Trauma, was awarded an honorary Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland late last month. Congratulations. 

Iñigo San Millán, PhD, assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation and director of the Sports Performance Department and Physiology Lab at the CU Sports Medicine and Performance Center in Boulder, is featured in an interview in the latest issue of CU Connections. Iñigo has been conducting cutting-edge research on athletic performance and metabolism and has worked with elite athletes from around the world. The articleis a good read, but it might be work checking it out just for the photos of Iñigo participating in the running of the bulls. 

The School of Medicine’s communications office provides a weekly round-up of media coverage of faculty, staff, students and sundries. For the past 18 months, the report has been emailed to senior leadership of the University and School, to department chairs and center directors, friends and staff and to anyone who asked to be on the mailing list. At the request of the Office of Clinical Affairs, the School is now posting online its Weekly Media Reports. If you would like to receive the report by email (usually on Friday mornings), contact mark.couch@ucdenver.edu. 

A reminder: The Tuesday, Aug. 16, meetings of the School of Medicine Executive Committee and the University Physicians, Inc., Board and Executive Committee have been cancelled. The next meetings are scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 20. 

Have a good week,

John J. Reilly, Jr., MD
Richard D. Krugman Endowed Chair
Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs and
Dean, School of Medicine