Greetings from the Dean

Welcome to the University of North Texas Health Science Center's Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, where we are 'Educating the Physician and Physician Assistant of Tomorrow Through the Quest For Knowledge Today.'

It is an exciting time in health care: a time in which the human genome has been translated; clinical decisions are becoming 'outcomes' based; and the focus on maintaining the health of an individual is paramount.

Here at Fort Worth s medical school, we continue a tradition of educating our students in an atmosphere that is steeped in a culture of holistic caring for patients, with a focus on both prevention and wellness. In addition, our students learn from renowned physicians, scientists, and physician assistants in an environment of cutting-edge clinical practice, scientific discovery, computer aided instruction and scholarly activity.

Our health science center campus is a unique setting, bringing together our medical school with the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, the School of Public Health and the School for Health Professions. This setting fosters a milieu for collaboration and scientific investigation. The campus continues to grow, with the opening of our Center for BioHealth in 2004. This center provides for novel research into the diseases that have afflicted mankind for millennia. Leading research on our campus includes studies into the spread of tuberculosis; Alzheimer's disease and aging; diabetes and metabolic disorders; health disparities issues; musculoskeletal and manipulative medicine; and many more. The National Osteopathic Research Center was established on our campus in 2002. Since that time, our researchers have played a pivotal role in coordinating national studies, as well as performing specific studies into the distinctive osteopathic philosophy of healthcare and prevention that has played an important part in American medicine for over 130 years.

We are fortunate to have affiliated hospital partners that offer a state-of-the-art environment for clinical education. These leaders in 21^st century health care include John Peter Smith Hospital, Plaza Medical Center, Cook Children s Medical Center, Harris Methodist Medical Center Fort Worth, Baylor All Saints Medical Center, Texas Tech University Hospital-Odessa, University of Texas Health Center-Tyler, the Methodist System in Dallas, the Christus Spohn Health System, Bay Area Medical Center, the Driscoll Children s Hospital, to name a few.

The Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine continues to educate physicians to practice all medical specialties, from neurosurgery, anesthesiology, and radiology, to family medicine and internal medicine. However, we are proud of our tradition of training excellent primary care physicians and physician assistants. We have been recognized yearly for our excellence in graduating students who provide primary care service to the underserved of Texas. I am also quite proud that our commitment to excellence has been recognized for the past five years by being named 'One of the Top Medical Schools' in the nation for primary care by US News and World Report.

Having entered the 21^st century, there has never been a more exciting time to be involved in health care. The advances that have occurred in the last decade, and those we are currently exploring, will make the preservation of health and the treatment of disease more sophisticated and successful. Our D.O. and P.A. programs will continue to be national leaders in the training of excellent physicians and physician assistants due to the brilliance and dedication of our students and faculty.

Marc B. Hahn, DO