Silas Norman, Jr., MD, has been named assistant dean for admissions at the Wayne State University School of Medicine after serving on an interim basis since 2002. Dr. Norman is an assistant professor of internal medicine and community medicine, was vice president of Affiliated Internists Inc., and has served on WSU medical school admission committees and teams for more than 25 years.
A public health physician, civic-minded scholar, and advocate for the less fortunate, Dr. Norman understands the complex role of doctors in the modern world of health care. In considering candidates for admission to medical school, he evaluates them as people, not just academicians, he says.
"The Wayne State University School of Medicine has a well deserved reputation for excellence and inclusiveness. I welcome the opportunity to identify, encourage, prepare and recruit talented students to serve the medical needs of our diverse and deserving public," Dr. Norman said.
Managing the admissions process for the country's largest single-campus medical school is no small job, said Dr. Norman. Nationally, one of every 13 medical school applicants applied to Wayne State University in 2002 and there are currently 1,070 students enrolled, putting WSU just behind Illinois and Indiana in terms of total enrollment.
Dr. Norman earned a bachelor's degree from Paine College in Augusta, Ga., spent two years doing graduate work in biology and medical microbiology, and served as a second lieutenant in the United States Army.
He was admitted to the WSU School of Medicine through its innovative post baccalaureate program for talented minority students and received his medical degree in 1976. He completed internship and residency training at Detroit General Hospital and has remained committed to Wayne State University and the Detroit Medical Center through the duration of his career. He is a diplomat of the American Board of Internal Medicine and an advanced certified corrections health professional.
With a strong commitment to social and humanistic medicine, Dr. Norman has served as chief medical officer for the Michigan Department of Corrections, medical director for the Wayne County Jail and Jackson State Prison of Southern Michigan, and consultant to the Detroit Health Care for the Homeless project and to the Detroit Health Department. He is board chairman of the Community Health Awareness Group for people with HIV and a member of the advisory board of the HIV and Prisons Project of the National Minority AIDS Council.
He is regularly invited to give presentations about preventive medicine, public health, HIV/AIDS issues, African-American health disparities and contemporary health issues. In 2000, he was the recipient of three prestigious honors: the Alumni Achievement Award from the United Negro College Fund, the Alumni Achievement Award from the Wayne State University Organization of Black Alumni, and the ASTHO Vision Award from the Michigan Department of Community Health. In honor of his efforts for quality medical care for prison inmates, the Silas Norman, Jr., Emergency Room was dedicated at the Michigan Department of Corrections Jackson Clinical Complex in 1990.
An influential community and spiritual leader, Dr. Norman also is a deacon at Hartford Memorial Baptist Church and a member of the Brazeal Dennard Chorale.
With more than 1,000 medical students, WSU is among the nation's largest medical schools. Together with its clinical partner the Detroit Medical Center, the school is a leader in patient care and medical research in a number of areas, including cancer, genetics, the neurosciences and women's and children's health.