Date June 12, 2023

A remarkable evolution: Voices from The Warren Alpert Medical School

To help mark 50 Years of Medicine at Brown, alumni and faculty reflect on the profound influence the Medical School has had on their own lives and on the quality of patient care for all.

A national leader in medical education and biomedical research, The Warren Alpert Medical School empowers its students to become catalysts for change within the field of medicine. Long after graduation, the impact of that education endures.

As the Medical School concludes its 15-month anniversary celebration, alumni and faculty reflect on the significance their Brown experience holds for them. Members of the Brown medical community, which includes graduates of The Warren Alpert Medical School as well as Brown graduates with degrees from other medical schools, shared their thoughts on the meaning and purpose they gain through their connection with Brown, the impact of the Medical School's 50-year journey on patient care, and the importance of laying a solid foundation for the next half-century.

On training humanistic physicians

So much has changed at the Medical School since I was a student, and yet so much is still the same. Brown remains a place that is community- and student-centered and where qualities of compassion, integrity, and ethics are emphasized as much as medical knowledge.

Sivan Hines ’84 MD’87 President-Elect, Brown Medical Alumni Association

On paying it forward for future generations

The past 50 years have been so rewarding as a Brown-educated physician and scientist, and I am incredibly proud that the Medical School has made tremendous progress and is consistently producing excellent physicians….I am part of a 2,000-plus-year-old profession that must continually reinvent itself. Brown educates a diverse cohort of new physicians each year who are poised to make significant positive impacts on our profession and the world. How could anyone not support such a meaningful program?

Glenn W. Mitchell '67 ScM'69 MD'75 RES'77

On looking forward to the next 50 years

I’ve been very fortunate that the 50 Years of Medicine at Brown celebration coincided with my first year as dean. Over the course of the anniversary, I've come to learn what transpired over this period is truly remarkable — 50 years of advancing medical and health care; 50 years of educating the next generation of doctors and scientists; 50 years of innovations that have changed the face of science and medicine locally and globally. Imagine what the next 50 years will bring!

Dr. Mukesh K. Jain Senior Vice President for Health Affairs, Dean of Medicine and Biological Sciences

On building a better future

Future graduates of Brown's medical school are the next generation of leaders in the community and in the field of medicine. Supporting them is my way of making this world a better place.

Alexes Hazen '87 MD'96, P'18 ScM'20

On learning from our predecessors

What’s amazing about the 50-year milestone is that we still have the opportunity to interact with members of the very first medical school class! Their stories illustrate not only how much our school has grown, but also how much the art of medicine has remained the same. I give to the Brown Medical Annual Fund with the hope that our school will continue to grow and flourish, and because we absolutely need to support the next generation of physicians. They will be the ones taking care of us in the future!

Sutchin R. Patel '00 MD'04 RES'09

On the advantages of a liberal medical education

Brown is such a new medical school, yet has accomplished so much. Looking at where the current graduating class will start their residency programs, one cannot help being impressed.

Medicine has dramatically changed over the past 50 years, and we need to continue to have diversity in our medical schools in terms of race, gender, ethnicity, and educational background. I love the fact that Brown focuses on liberal medical education, where not only the hard sciences are emphasized. I wouldn’t be where I am today without my Brown education.

Robert C. Pordy '79 MD'82

Engage, support, and shape the future of Brownmedicine

The Medical School has a myriad of ways to get involved in supporting its bright future:

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