GORDON COPPOC introduced Jay Hess, M.D., Dean of the IU School of Medicine. 
Dr. Hess began with the School of Medicine mission statement, which is similar to the mission statement of Rotary. He said there were a record number of applicants this year and those admitted have the highest grand point average ever. In addition to good grades, they like to see warm, enthusiastic people, who make good physicians. This year’s class is involved in many community activities, plus a student run clinic in Indianapolis, which has received recognition by the Governor.
The IU School of Medicine is the second largest in the United States. It has nine campuses across the state. The new building at Purdue is a welcomed addition plus there are expanding opportunities. The collaboration between IU and PU is strong in the sciences, benefiting both research and robotics.
While answering many good questions, he said that they are addressing the shortage of physicians by increasing the class size and expanding the residency program. More scholarships are being offered to encourage primary care physicians. The current students are split 50/50 male to female and 80% are from Indiana. Global health and infectious diseases will become more important and the need to contain them will create challenges. As a medical student, Hess was astonished by the number of patients and the amount of paperwork in a primary care physicians office. More support is needed. When asked about the Affordable Care Act (the name he prefers), he said it provides more access to health care for poor people. He supports most of what is in the act and knows that tweaking some parts is necessary.
