For 50 Future Doctors, OU's Medical School Story Began Monday

On the first day of classes at the new William Beaumont School of Medicine, Brandon Luczak said he felt at home.

He meant that figuratively: As one of 50 students in the inaugural class at the school, Luczak spent the day meeting VIPs, making new friends and touring the place where he will learn, over the next four years, to be a physician.

He also meant that literally: Luczak grew up in Rochester, graduated from and, after being away at Kalamazoo College for four years, was happy to return to his hometown to continue his higher education.

"When I first heard that OU was creating a medical school, I thought it would be really cool if I could come back home," said Luczak, who attended his first class on professionalism in medicine Monday morning.

Luczak was one of 3,237 applicants for 50 spots at the school. (See By the Numbers: A Look at OU Medical School's Inaugural Class.) Plans call for the school to grow each year until total enrollment reaches 500 by 2017.

Most of the classes will take place for now at O'Dowd Hall on campus.

Robert Folberg, the school's founding dean, called the school a partnership between the university and the hospital system and said instruction will focus on ensuring the graduates are outstanding communicators who embody compassion and cultural awareness as well as medical knowledge.

"There's a patient at the end of every experiment," Folberg said.

The students come to the new medical school from nine states, including Michigan. Folberg said one of the key components of the learning experience –  community outreach programs – will be one that will keep them in Michigan, too. 

"If you place them in the community and they do something they enjoy, at the end of the four years, they will be likely to stay here," he said.

The medical school tudents could get involved with community organizations to give health screenings or conduct health training programs, for example. 

Luczak, who played football, basketball and baseball at Rochester High, said he is interested in sports medicine and orthopedics, though he is keeping an open mind.

"So far, this has been everything that I've expected," he said of his first day. "They seem to be very student centered, very accessible.

"This is the charter class, and I'm honored to be a part of it."