Under the leadership of Dean Donald E. Wilson, the medical school has made tremendous strides over the past ten
years in executing the mission of the institution. The Bulletin magazine highlights many of its achievements in education, research, and clinical affairs.

Dean Donald E. Wilson, MD, MACP

Dean’s Message
As the oldest public medical school in the United States, the University of Maryland School of Medicine has a long history of accomplishments. During the last decade, we have worked tirelessly to propel Maryland into the top tier of American medical schools.

I recently had the honor and duty of undergoing a decanal review. It was an honor because it signifies a decade as dean of the University of Maryland School of Medicine; it was a duty because it is a necessary exercise in assessing my effectiveness.

It was brought to my attention during the process that the origin of the word “dean” is the Latin decanus, which means “chief of 10.” As I look back over the last decade, the irony of that definition is striking. There were times when I was not sure if it was possible to be chief-like. The shifts and uncertainties in American academic medicine impacted every facet of our mission, and at every turn we appeared vulnerable.

I am aware that it is risky to introduce change, but aggressive change was the only way to confront our vulnerabilities. Ultimately, they became our strengths. Implicit in this approach is the need for the chief to be surrounded by strong associates who embrace a common vision. I am fortunate to work with President David J. Ramsay, DM, DPhil, who supports me tirelessly, whether we are trying to convince a generous Maryland legislature that we need more funds or notifying a worried faculty that tenure rules require amending. In 1999, he appointed me vice president for medical affairs, a new role at the University.

Likewise, our hospital partners at the University of Maryland Medical System and the Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center enrich and enhance our teaching and patient care mandates. Our alliances made it possible to strengthen numerous programs, most notably in trauma, the neurosciences, and oncology.

We helped redefine the business of academic health care in Maryland. The school’s executive team, faculty, students, and staff stood by our mission and saw the opportunities. We prepared and completed the school’s first strategic plan in 25 years, and we are in the implementation phase of another.

As we approach our bicentennial in 2007, we are fully aware of the school’s place as the genesis of the entire 11-campus University System of Maryland. The original teaching building, Davidge Hall, a National Historic Landmark, is the oldest continuously used facility for medical instruction in the United States. Against that backdrop it is especially gratifying that we now are an enterprise of 23 departments, six academic programs, and four organized research centers. I had the privilege of recruiting 17 chairs, or 70 percent of the total. They are a diverse group of men and women who have in common the determined leadership that allows them to excel.

We surpassed our bicentennial goal of $200 million in annual research funding six years early. Inherent in that accomplishment is the ability to attract and retain top researchers and faculty members, helped in part by construction of two major research facilities and renovation of our original laboratory and teaching spaces. The increased space and the energized faculty attract new funding because every agency we work with knows we are efficient. By the end of the decade we were fifth among all public medical schools in clinical research funding per clinical faculty member and ninth among our public peers in total research dollars.

It was clear early in my tenure that the school needed to rely on well-managed offices of development and public affairs, functions that did not exist when I arrived in 1991. The fund-raising effort implemented by the new development office helped increase our endowment by $82 million over the decade. In 1992, there were only six endowed faculty positions; since then, 12 chairs and eight professorships have been added. Likewise, the new public affairs office implemented a communications program encompassing media relations, publications, events planning, and Web development, all of which now tell our story to a vast audience in this country and abroad. The office of public affairs media relations program was recognized in 2000 with an American Association of Medical Colleges Award of Excellence.

In the midst of so much change came a revolution in the way we access and process information. Those technologies forced us to pause just long enough to determine that we needed to provide better systems in a more organized approach. We upgraded our entire information technology infrastructure and created an office of information services. For my part, the rewards are sometimes as surprising as the dilemmas. I do not believe there is another medical school dean in this country who can boast about an Academy Award. Our video production service brought home the Oscar in 2000 for best short subject documentary King Gimp.

Most rewarding for me were those numerous defining moments that validated our management style and direction. They made the dean’s role stronger so that the focus on our mission was easier.

A chief cannot lead without believing in the organization’s mission. It is the greatest management tool and the one thing that remains constant. My gratitude to the scores of people who reminded me of that every day of the last decade.

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