The Wayne State University School of Medicine has carried a tradition of excellence through its nearly 150 years. Wayne State Warriors have continued to set the example of what it means to serve the community, practice medicine with compassion and provide leadership in the field of health care. Since the university launched Pivotal Moments: Our Campaign for Wayne State University, School of Medicine alumni and friends have exemplified the Warrior Medicine tradition by contributing more than $153 million toward its $190 million goal as of August 2017.

Donations to the School of Medicine through the Pivotal Moments campaign advance strategic initiatives that prioritize student success and achievement, academic excellence and faculty advancement, research innovation and discovery, and community health and wellness.

Leading through Legacy: A History of Caring

Each contribution to the campaign highlights the legacy of leadership, impact and quality clinical care established by the school in 1868.

First known as the Detroit Medical College, the School of Medicine was founded by five patient-focused physicians who were appalled at the medical treatment individuals received on Civil War battlefields.

In the years since 1868, the founders' original vision of caring for the community has not changed. Throughout the campaign, donors have established scholarships to lower the economic barriers to medical education, financially supported student programming and curricular initiatives, invested in talented faculty through awards and recognition, created means for ongoing medical research and enhanced robust facilities.

Gifts to the School of Medicine have a lasting impact. Researchers discover leading-edge advancements in health care. Students engage with the community in clinical settings. Patients receive healing, treatment and intervention from their physicians. And behind every one of these pivotal moments exists the financial support that bolsters the phrase Warrior Medicine.

Warrior Medicine: Generations of Pioneers

To those invested in the School of Medicine, the phrase Warrior Medicine has come to mean something powerful because it represents something more than the individual: Warrior Medicine represents a group of diverse thinkers committed to service and clinical excellence.

Generations of physicians carry with them their experiences from the Wayne State University School of Medicine. And though the reason for dedication to the school differs for everyone, in each instance the marrow of one's dedication lies beneath some life-changing experience, some Pivotal Moment during the individual's time at the School of Medicine. These moments are the epicenter of what the $153 million raised to date supports.

The impact of the funds raised through the entirety of the Pivotal Moments campaign will not end when the campaign concludes in 2018. The dollars gained through the campaign allow the School of Medicine to continue to enhance its legacy through the next 150 years. As the university approaches the sesquicentennial, every School of Medicine stakeholder can look optimistically to the future of Warrior Medicine.

There is still time to get involved. To learn more about Pivotal Moments and the School of Medicine's role in the campaign, click here. To learn more about how you can get involved with the School of Medicine, contact Lori Robitaille, senior director of Major Gifts, by calling 313-993-4070 or emailing lrobitai@med.wayne.edu.