This is pretty random. I am a graduating senior medical student and just matched in anesthesia at University of Chicago. I'm incredibly excited! Basically, in my future career I would really like to get involved in medical school administration, especially like Associate Dean of Student Affairs. However, I am pretty lost on how to get into this role. I will have my M.D. degree, but should I get some other degree like an MPH? Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks.
Becoming a Dean of Students
- Thread starter Rgaude
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First, congrats! Love Hyde Park and U of C.
The folks I know well who got to these positions all have very different "adjunct" degrees. One has her masters in education (she is now a vice dean at our international medical school), our vice dean for students has an M.B.A.-- an MPH with a policy/management concentration may be helpful, but another degree is not a requirement. There are plenty of people who aspire to be administrators who are just plain old MDs, Ph.Ds-- I suggest that when you get to residency and have time (there won't be much) you get involved administratively however you can-- helping with residency program selection/recruitment, volunteering to have medical students follow you around on their anesthesia rotations once you get seasoned and comfortable enough (usually end of CA-1, and CA-2 year on)-- good idea to chat with program director early on about how you can be involved. Being chief resident is also a nice segue into this type of thing, lots of administrative stuff involved there. If there is someone in your department who is involved administratively in the medical school, get to know them, go talk to them, start to chart out your "path".
If you decide during residency that you want to pursue another degree and you can get the funding and time to do so, go for it-- but not because you have to-- because you think it will enhance your overall skill base to get where you want to go. Good luck! Go Hyde Park!
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Congrats on U of C! I did residency there and was very happy. One of the things that is great about U of C was that there was an emphasis (and enough flexibility in the workflow to support an emphasis) on parts of your career other than the clinical (as important as that is). Some, like myself, did research. Others got involved in ASA at pretty high levels (one was president of the resident component).
As far as deanships go, there are a LOT of different deanships and administrative positions within medical schools, from proper DEANs of students or of medical schools, to all these minor deanships, to ombudsmen, program directors, admissions committees, GME leadership, IRB members/chairs, etc. I think people who become higher-level deans DO have special qualifications and experience, but there are a lot of other positions, as above. The thing I'd encourage you to do is to decide that this is your path, and get involved early and seek out mentorship. At U of C, get on the GMEC committee and volunteer for program reviews. Seek the mentorship of Jerry Klafta, who is the medical school's new ombudsman and others in the department (like Bill McDade) who have other administrative posts.
What I've noticed is that people who get these positions didn't just decide at some point they wanted them and applied for them. Their whole careers and many of their choices lead them to it, and they had people whispering their names in the ears of decision-makers. So, again, make choices that move you into those realms and seek the mentorship of those IN those positions or in other positions of influence.
As far as deanships go, there are a LOT of different deanships and administrative positions within medical schools, from proper DEANs of students or of medical schools, to all these minor deanships, to ombudsmen, program directors, admissions committees, GME leadership, IRB members/chairs, etc. I think people who become higher-level deans DO have special qualifications and experience, but there are a lot of other positions, as above. The thing I'd encourage you to do is to decide that this is your path, and get involved early and seek out mentorship. At U of C, get on the GMEC committee and volunteer for program reviews. Seek the mentorship of Jerry Klafta, who is the medical school's new ombudsman and others in the department (like Bill McDade) who have other administrative posts.
What I've noticed is that people who get these positions didn't just decide at some point they wanted them and applied for them. Their whole careers and many of their choices lead them to it, and they had people whispering their names in the ears of decision-makers. So, again, make choices that move you into those realms and seek the mentorship of those IN those positions or in other positions of influence.
