We had much to celebrate this year at the Wayne State University School of Medicine, from anniversaries to graduations, history launches, new research-driven offices and more. Here are our eight great moments of 2019!
30 years of Reach out to Youth
More than 100 children got a leg up on what it takes to become a doctor or medical researcher at the Wayne State University School of Medicine during the 30th annual Reach Out to Youth event on Feb. 2. Presented by the School of Medicine's Black Medical Association chapter, Reach Out to Youth introduces children ages 7 to 11 in underrepresented populations to the possibility of careers in science and medicine. Students explore each field through hands-on workshops and activities run by faculty and medical students like Kristina Hart. "Reach Out to Youth sparks the interest of medicine in young minds. I myself attended Reach Out to Youth when I was a young girl and today I am living my dream of becoming a physician here at Wayne State School of Medicine,” she said. “It is essential for young Detroiters to see doctors of color here at Wayne State. Representation matters, and it shows the kids that they too can become doctors."
WSU School of Medicine graduates Carolyn King, M.D. '93, and Donald Tynes, M.D. '95, created Reach Out to Youth while at WSU.
Residency Match Day
The Match Day celebration for the Wayne State University School of Medicine Class of 2019 was held March 15 in a sprawling ballroom within Detroit’s iconic Renaissance Center. This was the penultimate celebration for nearly 300 physicians in training who graduated in June and started their residencies a month later. Of the entire class, 98.16 percent matched with a residency program.
Nation’s HIV/AIDS advocates descend on Wayne
National health leaders selected the Wayne State University School of Medicine to unveil new initiatives to fight the virus that claimed more than 6,000 lives a mere three years ago and end the HIV epidemic in the United States by 2030. The result, “Ending the HIV Epidemic in Detroit: A Discussion with Rear Admiral Sylvia Trent-Adams,” was held May 9 in the School of Medicine’s Margherio Family Conference Center.
Steven Young of the Health Resources and Services Administration, a federal agency, presented testimonials from his organization. “This is the right time, and Detroit is the right place to make a difference,” Young said.
Out of 700 to 800 new cases of HIV diagnosed in Michigan annually, one-third are diagnosed in Detroit.
Class of 2019 M.D. graduation
Despite June 4 being a day at least four years in the making, members of the Class of 2019 gathered outside the Fox Theatre in Detroit were calm about what lay ahead. Inside, only two hours later, 271 classmates received their medical degrees at the 151st Commencement and Hooding Ceremony of the Wayne State University School of Medicine. Family and friends applauded, cheered and even shouted their loved ones’ names.
“I don’t know when it’s going to settle in, but maybe after this,” said Class of 2019 President Erika Etnyre, M.D.
White Coat Ceremony welcomes new students
No matter where they’re from or how they got here, the members of the Wayne State University School of Medicine freshmen Class of 2023 knew the school’s reputation for providing a high-quality medical education and were prepared to hit the ground running.
“One of the best things about being at Wayne State is the opportunity to go out in the community and help people. It’s something you can’t get anywhere else because they don’t have the Detroit community at their fingertips,” said Mitchell Naveh, a native of New Jersey.
He and his 289 classmates officially became members of the newest class during the School of Medicine’s annual White Coat Ceremony, held July 26 at the Detroit Opera. During the ceremony, the new students received their short white coats, which signal they are physicians-in-training at WSU.
Historical book on School of Medicine published
In August, a hardcover book detailing the 150-year history of the Wayne State University School of Medicine was published. Written by Professor Emeritus of Surgery Larry Stephenson, M.D., to commemorate the 150th anniversary of our founding, “Wayne State University School of Medicine: 150 Years, 1868-2018,” is the complete history of the school, its faculty and leadership, and its role in the history of medicine in Detroit and Michigan.
“Our history parallels the growth of our city and state. We played a significant role in creating and writing a far larger history as well, from our role in the foundation of diabetes treatment that continues today, to developing methods critical to blood-clotting treatments on the battlefields of World War II,” said Dean Jack D. Sobel, M.D.
The history describes how and why the School of Medicine was founded, the people and personalities who changed the face of medicine and medical research, and those who worked to overturn segregation in the field of medicine and in Detroit’s hospitals. Copies are available for purchase here and in the Alumni Affairs Office, 1369 Scott Hall.
Wayne State and Henry Ford Health System net $4 million for opioid use disorder
The National Institutes of Health launched the “Helping to End Addiction Long-term Initiative” in 2018 to improve prevention and treatment strategies for opioid misuse and addiction and to enhance pain management. In September, a team of researchers led by Wayne State University received one of 375 grant awards across 41 states made by the National Institutes of Health in fiscal year 2019 to apply scientific solutions to reverse the national opioid crisis.
This $4 million award, “Dual-orexin antagonism as a mechanism for improving sleep and drug abstinence in opioid use disorder,” brought together a research team from Wayne State University and Henry Ford Health System to investigate a rigorous treatment method that may offer a new therapeutic approach to reduce opioid use disorder relapse.
The Office of Women’s Health debuts
Wayne State University launched on Dec. 3 its new Office of Women’s Health to improve the health of women overall through a deep dive into medical research affecting more than half the population of Michigan and the nation, a segment often unintentionally overlooked in research.
The office is led by Sonia Hassan, M.D., associate vice president and founder of the Office of Women’s Health and a professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology. “We will employ a trans-disciplinary approach to women’s health throughout the university,” Dr. Hassan said.
The office works to improve the health of women to maximize the opportunity for families to thrive and achieve economic security. It will empower all women to lead their healthiest lives through all stages of life by implementing five core pillars: education outreach, research and development, the implementation of science, working to place more women in scientific research and helping to develop policy.