The Power of Re

Vikas P. Sukhatme, MD, ScD, Dean - Emory School of Medicine, Chief Academic Officer - Emory Healthcare

Reconnecting. Reclaiming. Reengaging. A lot of us have been grappling with these concepts as we move into a new world: one where COVID-19 and its variants are likely to be with us for awhile, even as other health threats are emerging. Medical research, clinical care, and public health efforts are more critical than ever.

I am proud that Emory Medicine and its partners are actively engaged in so many areas: studying long COVID, developing vaccines, leading clinical trials, inventing and repurposing drugs and other therapeutics, and reexamining medicine at every level to make it more inclusive.

The following pages are full of “The Power of Re.”

Reimagining, renewing, recalibrating.

You’ll see what Emory physicians recommend as the best ways to reclaim our resilience and find a personal path to wellness (p. 18). Why an Emory emergency physician recalibrated to also become a SWAT team member (p. 24). How physician assistants are reshaping the landscape of health care (p. 30). And how anatomical structures like heart tissue, joints, and tracheas are being produced by 3D printing (p. 36).

Also, we are revising our medical school curriculum for the first time since 2007. Our educational programs are highly ranked and widely known for producing outstanding clinicians and scientists. Now, we must ensure our curriculum is keeping up with addressing the complex health challenges we face. School of Medicine graduates will continue to be excellent clinicians and scientists, but in today’s environment they must also be able to lead change across health systems and communities.

“It’s part of an overall strategic effort to improve our ability to change the world,” says J. William Eley, executive associate dean for medical education and student affairs. To learn more or to contribute input, email TransformMedEd@emory.edu.

My motivating “re” word, by the way, is repurpose. What is yours?