Kevin Leon, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education at UAB, remembers an internship episode that made him decide to stay at the Birmingham institution. “It was my first night as an intern at the ER. At two o'clock in the morning, a patient came in with a rare disorder I had never encountered. I didn’t know what to do, so I called the attending doctor at home. He was here in 20 minutes and treated the patient,” Dr. Leon said. “That told me so much about the faculty here. I had applied to ten other fellowship programs around the country, but I chose UAB. It was the best decision I ever made.”
The Heersink School of Medicine at the University of Alabama in Birmingham ranks among the best academic medical centers for research, education, and clinical care. Besides the rankings and numbers and all of the accolades the medical school continues to amass, there is something else driving over 1000 students and residents every year to call UAB their home.
No one knows what that ‘Something’ is better than Dr. Leon. “UAB’s focus on education drew me to come here and then stay for further education, residency, medical school, and fellowship,” Dr. Leon said. “Now, I’ve been here since 1996, and I couldn’t be happier. We excel in research and clinical work like all other medical schools, but our emphasis on education pushes us ahead.”
At first, Dr. Leon dismissed UAB since it was in Alabama, a state he had never considered. “I am from the North East, and I attended Cornell for undergraduate studies. The thought of Alabama for medical school never crossed my mind. But UAB kept showing up in my research as one of the best medical schools in the country,” Dr. Leon said. “I interviewed for my residency in January of 1996 during a full blizzard that paralyzed Birmingham, so I spent a couple of extra days and noticed the collegial and supportive staff.”
The approach Dr. Leon takes, along with the rest of the faculty, encourages teamwork and engagement of the varied resources at the school. UAB’s wide range of colleges comprises over 1400 full-time faculty in 27 academic departments. The University is also the home to the Kirklin Clinic - a multi-disciplinary medical center, and University Hospital – one of the largest academic hospitals in the country. Numerous other departments are all within a few miles.
“The fact that all of these different medical disciplines are this close encourages inter-professional practices, which is one of the key reasons UAB is where it is today,” Dr. Leon said. “Most other medical schools you have to drive, sometimes to other cities. Here, it’s a short walk.” Dr. Leon appreciates that UAB is in Birmingham – Alabama, with a campus near parks, entertainment, and dining. The city is also close to Huntsville, Montgomery, and Tuscaloosa – all cities with medical clout, expanding practice in rural and unreached populations.
Shawn Galin is a Professor of Medicine at UAB. “I believe what makes UAB different is the opportunity the school provides its students. UAB has been generous to me with what I needed to develop professionally. It has pushed me to achieve even more,” Dr. Galin said.
Dr. Galin oversees a class where second-year students practice on volunteers pretending to be patients. “In this class, we allow 2nd-year medical students to practice in simulated clinic rooms. They perform a physical exam with the patient and take their history,” Dr. Galin said. “The patients are volunteers who pretend to have a medical issue, and the students have to diagnose it correctly.” In this setting, Galin explains that students are able to experience a real medical environment and learn how to apply the knowledge they have learned in the classroom.
“This class is terrific,” Dr. Leon concurred. “All of our classes teach our students to pursue and practice the best.” He paused for a few seconds, then smiled saying. “I feel like a proud father watching these students learn. I have over 1000 new students every year. They come already remarkable, and they stay to become more remarkable.”
Dr. Leon has many students who have become doctors all around the country and the world. “I keep in touch with many of my former students. Seeing them succeed as medical professionals confirms that UAB is an extraordinary place.”
For Kevin Galin, that two o'clock in the morning encounter when he was just an intern at UAB Medical School, turned out to be the beginning of a rewarding life journey at one of the country’s top medical schools.
