One of the great joys of working at the University of Kansas Medical Center is the opportunity to meet the great students who come to 39th and Rainbow to study and learn. Their talents are many, their backgrounds are diverse and their gifts are amazing. In this issue - the Student Issue - we will share with you some of their stories.

As a university, we produce two extremely valuable commodities: good ideas and smart people. Education makes both possible.

We have invested a great deal in the last several years to make our educational offerings more relevant and accessible. Technology has been a valuable tool in the transformation of health care and the way health professionals are trained. The KU School of Medicine, under the leadership of Dean Barbara Atkinson, MD, embarked on a total redesign of the way we educate future doctors. Instead of teaching subjects in isolation, such as offering an anatomy course and a physiology course, the focus is now on entire organ groups, such as the study of the circulatory system or the respiratory system. Instead of large lecture classes, more students learn in small group settings using a problem-solving approach.

Our degree programs in nursing and allied health rank among the best in the nation. The two schools are leaders in distance education classes delivered over the Internet to expand access to much-needed programs. Under the leadership of Dean Karen Miller, RN, PhD, FAAN, the schools are crafting interdisciplinary approaches to education by recognizing that a patient is best served by a team of committed professionals.

The heroes of health care include those who choose to teach. And not just professors here at KU, but high school and elementary teachers who inspire students to consider careers in health and science. Their work is carried on in the minds and hands of those they train and countless lives are improved. The ability to heal, the discovery of a new cure, the inspiration to serve others - all blossom from seeds planted in a classroom. Those magical moments are what we celebrate in this issue.

While research discoveries and miraculous surgical procedures often make headlines, we never forget that at our heart we are an educational institution. And the soul of this institution has always been our students. Their hopes and dreams find root here as they challenge themselves to master the art and science of health. They inspire us with their curiosity, their compassion, their service and the depth of their intellect. I hope their stories inspire you too.







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