As he takes time to reflect on all that was accomplished at WMed in 2017, Dr. Hal B. Jenson finds himself also looking ahead to 2018 and anticipating the important milestones the new year holds for the medical school.
“2018, in many ways, is a pinnacle year for all of us,” Dr. Jenson said. “It is the culmination and a celebration of all of the work and success we’ve experienced together since that day in 2014 when our first medical students walked through the doors and began their journey with us.”
Indeed, much of what is to come next year surrounds the class of 2018. The students who make up WMed’s inaugural class are three months from Match Day, which will be held on March 16. Then, on May 13, the students will graduate from WMed and depart for residency training at programs in Kalamazoo and throughout the country.
All that is to come in the next few months, Dr. Jenson said, evokes in him a strong sense of satisfaction with the progress of the medical school. He has been the leader of the medical school since 2011, his first day on the job coinciding with the announcement of a $100 million donation that served as the foundation funding for WMed. He’s guided the institution through its infancy and was there in August of 2014 when the members of the class of 2018 arrived.
He’s watched, he said, as the institution has grown and is set to enter what he describes as its adolescence.
None of what he has witnessed, none of what he has been a part of, and none of what has been accomplished, Dr. Jenson said, would have been possible without the work of the “WMed family” that starts with our corporate “parents” – WMU, Borgess, and Bronson - and includes our faculty, staff, students, residents and fellows, and the Board of Directors, as well as support from donors and the Kalamazoo community.
“There is much to be thankful for and much that makes me proud,” Dr. Jenson said. “Together, our stakeholders – both internally and externally – have each played a role in making WMed a reality. Their continued work and support will be key to our future growth and success. I am blessed to be a part of this journey with them.”
Dr. Jenson said faculty at the medical school each day work tirelessly to teach and train students, residents and fellows. That commitment, he said, is matched only by their investment in improving the lives of their patients.
He said he’s also mindful of the work of the residents and fellows at the medical school who are devoted to their training and learning each day what it takes to be the best physicians they can be.
The more than 260 medical and graduate students at WMed, Dr. Jenson said, have impressed him immeasurably with their investment in lifelong learning and the way they are bringing WMed’s mission to life through their hard work. He said he is equally in awe of the staff members at the medical school who work as a team with the shared goal of improving the lives of learners and patients, as well as their colleagues.
As he works each day as the leader of WMed, Dr. Jenson said he is grateful too for the input, guidance, and advice he receives from the medical school’s Board of Directors. In 2017, former WMU President Dr. John M. Dunn retired after 10 years at the helm of WMU. His retirement brought to a close Dr. Dunn’s service as Chair of the Board of Directors at WMed, a role now filled by new WMU President Dr. Edward Montgomery.
Additionally, Dr. Jenson said he is inspired by the continued and strong support from the medical school’s clinical affiliates, as well as the Kalamazoo community and the many donors who have invested in WMed and the medical school’s mission through their charitable giving.
In fact, in 2017, WMed secured $28.5 million in donations from 351 individual donors.
“I can’t say enough about the generosity, collaboration, and continued support of the community and our donors,” Dr. Jenson said. “Their belief in – and commitment to – our medical students, residents and fellows, and the medical school’s mission is unparalleled and so appreciated.”
Lastly, Dr. Jenson said the WMed family – each and every member – has never been more important to him as the end of 2017 brought with it an unexpected tragedy for him and his family. The support he has received from everyone at WMed, Dr. Jenson said, has buoyed him and his family during what has been a difficult and trying time.
“The outpouring of compassion from the WMed community – our WMed family – has been overwhelming,” Dr. Jenson said. “Thank you to everyone who has reached out by phone, by e-mail, by text, or with a note of support. To each of you, I am forever grateful.”