Year of Change for School of Medicine

he USC School of Medicine saw significant positive changes in 2006. After 12 years of distinguished service, Larry R. Faulkner, MD, left his position as vice president for medical affairs and dean of the USC School of Medicine to take over as executive vice president and CEO at The American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Inc., in Chicago.

One of the longest tenured deans at USC, Faulkner oversaw a number of changes at the school, including the modernization of the medical student curriculum and the continuation of graduate medical education and continuing medical education programs.

He helped redefine the research mission of the school, bringing a renewed emphasis on critical investigations and on recruiting NIH-funded teams of researchers. He oversaw upgrades to both basic science and clinical facilities and helped establish the School of Medicine’s Alumni Association.

Since Faulkner’s departure, the school has been in the capable hands of Interim Dean Richard A. Hoppmann, MD who had previously served as associate dean for medical education and academic affairs and professor of medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine.

Dr. Hoppmann also played a critical role in fostering another momentous event at the school in 2006--the implementation of a vertical curriculum in ultrasonography in partnership with GE Healthcare. Through the arrangement, USC received several ultrasound units. The curriculum is introduced to first-year students and taught throughout the four years of medical school.

Periodically, students will provide feedback to GE about the utility of the units and engineers will use the information to make design changes to better accommodate clinical uses. GE will then provide newly minted machines to the school. The USC School of Medicine is one of two medical schools worldwide selected by GE Healthcare to participate in this program.

Janice Edwards, MS, an associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, hosted an international gathering of genetic counselors in England in the spring of 2006. She and her colleagues formed a new organization, Transnational Association of Genetic Counselors to facilitate consistency and standards in genetic counseling education. Edwards was elected president of the new organization. USC hosts its website, making the university the worldwide portal for genetic counseling education information and networking.

We held the 2nd annual Everett L. Dargan Minority Scholarship Fund Gala in October. More than 800 people turned out to honor Noble Cooper, Sr. DDS. The fund is on track to meets its $500,000 goal in five years. We also recently held our 6th annual Black Tie White Coat student fund raiser gala. Proceeds from the gala are split between the Alumni Scholarship Fund and the Columbia Free Medical Clinic. After this most recent event, proceeds exceeded the $200,000 mark resulting in more than $100,000 going to each organization over the past six years.