Martin Opens Doors To Med School's Halls

Every year, the first-year students at Harvard Medical School (HMS) look forward to the "coating" ceremony, where the gift of white medical coats represents an invitation to join the medical community.

This year, the traditional ceremony had some new twists. The students listened to a new dean, who welcomed them not just figuratively but literally into the heart of HMS.

Joseph B. Martin, who replaced longtime Medical School Daniel C. Tosteson '44 this July, had the front doors of the central HMS building opened, and welcomed the first-year students inside.

Prior to the event, the doors had only been opened on Commencement.

"I thought it was important to symbolize that this building would be open to students in a way it hadn't been," Martin said in a recent interview, calling the ceremony "the highlight of the whole summer."

The summer was a busy one for the neurologist, who said that reacquainting himself with the Boston medical community after years in California was like "coming home in many ways."

Now that he is settled in, Martin has a clear agenda, one closing matching that of President Neil L. Rudenstine, who appointed Martin.

Diversity in higher education is at the top of the list, which also includes increasing information technology, expanding the "new pathways" educational system developed by Tosteson and exploring international medical issues.

"Information technology is a critical part of our future," Martin said. "It extends also into research. If you know 80,000 genes, 80,000 proteins, how do you deal with all that information?"

To that end, Martin said he plans to work with University initiatives, including the ADAPT initiative, to increase the technological capacity of the Medical School.

Martin also plans to extend the "new pathways" educational method, which is a case-based system, into the third- and fourth-year curriculum, when students move to hospital rotations.

"Managed care makes the hospitals there for the very sick," Martin said, noting that most doctors will be working in non-emergency situations and will need the diagnosis skills enriched by the "new pathways" system.

"I want to make [the system] even better. Students love it, and they come here because of it," Martin said.