Henry Ford Hospital welcomed 62 Wayne State University School of Medicine third-year students to their campus today to begin their clinical rotations. Under the new SOM Clinical Campus program, these students will complete all or most of their required clerkships at Henry Ford Hospital.

The students, who were chosen at random from over 80 students who asked to be part of the pilot program, were welcomed to campus today with an extensive group orientation.

Eric Scher, M.D., Director of Medical Education for the Henry Ford Health System personally welcomed the SOM students to the campus. “I want you to consider yourselves integral members of the team,” he said. “At Henry Ford, we will provide a good learning environment. We want you to have an outstanding clinical experience.”

The SOM Clinical Campus initiative is an important aspect of the education section of the Strategic Plan for the school, developed last year by Dean Robert Mentzer, M.D. The goal is to establish a number of Clinical Campuses in order to secure adequate clinical clerkship training sites for third and fourth-year students

The Henry Ford Clinical Campus is the initial pilot project of this concept for the 2008/2009 academic year. By 2009/2010, all third-year students will complete their rotations at a single hospital or healthcare system affiliated with the School of Medicine.

“It is our firm belief that the Clinical Campus program will assure our students the continued excellence in clinical education for which the Wayne State University School of Medicine has long been known,” said Thomas Roe, M.D., Associate Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education.

The School of Medicine will continue to work with its other affiliated hospitals toward the establishment of additional Clinical Campuses to ensure that every member of next year’s third-year class is guaranteed a spot at one of these campuses for their clinical rotations.