Medical degree in a may: U of U hosts inaugural Project Medical Education event to showcase process of medical education.

• Author: Melinda Rogers
• Position: TIMEOUT FOR HEALTH

John Valentine has always felt a certain connection to the medical field. A certified emergency medical technician, the Utah state senator and attorney has worked on dozens of search and rescue missions over the years as a volunteer in Utah County.

He watched his son attend medical school at Tulane University in New Orleans, before Hurricane Katrina in 2005 forced the younger Valentine to finish his fourth year of medical school at the University of Utah.

So when Valentine heard about an opportunity at the University of Utah School of Medicine to take part in a "Day in the Life of a Medical Student" event, he jumped at the chance.

"I said 'Sign me up,--said Valentine, who recently left his post in the senate behind to take the helm at the Utah State Tax Commission. "It's an honor to be able to understand what it's like to go through medical school."

Valentine was among several public officials and community leaders who spent a day on the University of Utah School of Medicine campus to get a taste of what it's like to experience several grueling years of medical training and residency.

From a mock white coat ceremony where "students" received a doctor's coat and stethoscope, to time spent studying lab specimens and patient diagnosis scenarios, the event was designed to educate the community on what it takes to transform medical students into the next generation of health care leaders.

"As an integrated health system, we're very much committed to fixing health care and we take very seriously our role in training the next generation of medical students, residents and fellows," said Vivian S. Lee, M.D., Ph.D. MBA, Senior Vice President for Health Sciences, Dean of the School of Medicine and CEO of University of Utah Health Care. "They will become part of a much better health care system that is more financially viable."

Formally called Project Medical Education, the one-day event stemmed from an idea launched by the American Association of Medical Colleges, a non-profit association representing all 141 accredited U.S. and 17 accredited Canadian medical schools and nearly 400 major teaching hospitals. The Utah event was a mix of hands-on activities and lectures from medical school faculty on the process of medical education, the benefits it provides, its complex funding mechanisms, and the essential role...