The Mission to Teach and Guide The faculty members and administrators of the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine are renowned educators, scholars and experts in their respective medical specialties. Their primary mission is to teach and guide students as they enter the medical profession. Through an innovative curriculum that includes clinical experience and research opportunities, faculty members provide a foundation in the medical sciences that is critical for success. Faculty members are committed to preparing future physicians to enrich the field of medicine with advances and to practice with empathy and compassion. In a recent survey, 100 percent of our first-year students said the faculty had established a respectful learning environment that fosters collaborative learning.
For Dr. Kim Pham, one of the most impressive qualities of the School of Medicine is that from the first semester, students learn as much from patients as they do from textbooks. “I think that’s an amazing way to learn,” said Pham, associate professor of medical sciences and interim associate dean for student affairs. She and other faculty have invited people living with diseases—such as multiple sclerosis, Williams syndrome and cancer—into the classroom to share their experiences. During the first two years, students work alongside practicing physicians in the MeSH program for half a day each week. These interactions encourage students to see the human side of health care, focusing on the patient rather than the disease, even before entering clinical clerkships in the third year. “It’s always exciting to be involved in a new program, especially one as innovative as this,” said Pham. “The school attracts a very motivated, active and engaged type of learner.
The students are the biggest strength of our school.” In her student affairs role, Pham is proactive in connecting students with the resources they need to be academically successful. The office also assists student interest groups and student government. “I’m thrilled to be in a position to support students throughout their formal education and to work with them on all aspects of their development into well-rounded physicians,” said Pham, who earned her MD and MPH from Columbia University. In fact, faculty members have good relationships with students because most have an open-door policy, she said. “The students come by and we are happy to talk to them.” Pham has taken a special interest in reaching out to students who are veterans. Before joining Quinnipiac, she was a primary care physician at the Connecticut VA Healthcare System in West Haven. She continues to be the coordinating site principal investigator for an NIH-funded, multi-center diabetes trial at the VA.
F R A N K H . N E T T E R M D S C H O O L O F M E D I C I N E AT Q U I N N I P I A C U N I V E R S I T Y
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