Dean Robert R. Frank has appointed Maryjean Schenk , M.D., M.P.H., as interim associate dean for academic and student programs. In this role, Dr. Schenk will be devoting her effort s to providing overall leadership to the School's undergraduate medical education enterprise, with a focus of leading the 2006 LCME accreditation process. During this time, Dr. Schenk also will continue to serve as chair of the Department of Family Medicine.
" I have full confidence that Dr. Schenk will do a fine job in this position -- one that is of the utmost importance to me -- while I continue to serve as interim dean," Dean Frank wrote in his announcement.
Dr. Schenk joined Wayne State University in 1991 and became chair of the Department of Family Medicine in 2001. She has been a leader in curriculum development here at the School of Medicine.
After joining the faculty, Dr. Schenk began work on designing and implementing a National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences-funded medical student curriculum on occupational and environmental health that has since been integrated into all four years of the medical school curriculum. As director of clinical curriculum development, she was responsible for the reorganization of the School's public health and preventive medicine course and implementation of the community clinic clerkship. She also served as director of the highly competitive Undergraduate Medical Education for the 21st Century academic award from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Bureau of Health Professions and played an integral role in the institutional self-study for the medical school's highly successful 1998 LCME accreditation.
As an alumna of the School of Medicine, Dr. Schenk holds master's degrees in health planning and administration and industrial health from the University of Michigan. Her research focuses on cancer epidemiology.
"I know you will join me in welcoming Dr. Schenk to this interim post and in providing cooperation and assistance as she leads the intensive reaccredidation effort," Dean Frank wrote.