President’s Message

This year’s sesquicentennial celebrations have given us a broad perspective on the dramatic changes that have occurred at the medical school. The present day reflects an acceleration of this process at Northwestern and for our country. This nation’s electorate demanded change last November, and health care will undoubtedly experience some changes these next several years. The national policies currently under debate are not insignificant: insurance coverage, reimbursement, delivery system reform, information technology adoption, workforce development. All are likely to undergo fundamental transformations. I am confident that Northwestern will adapt to meet these challenges and continue to provide our country with medical leadership. As alumni, we need to ensure that the medical school has the resources to offer a place for the best and brightest.

My own professional journey has provided me many opportunities for change. For a young man raised on the high plains of Wyoming, Northwestern provided a unique urban experience for learning. After postgraduate work on both coasts, I settled into a traditional internal medicine solo practice in Cody, Wyoming. I spent the following decade practicing with a multispecialty group in Billings, Montana, that later merged with the local hospital to form an integrated system with a regional presence. The call for leadership prompted me then to pursue a management degree and transition into a full-time administrative role.

After 27 years the medical landscape looks far different from when I entered medicine, yet some say the change is not enough. We don’t know exactly what the future holds in health care or specifically what shape it will take but, for whatever lies ahead, we are fortunate to have the tools for lifelong learning we obtained at Northwestern to guide us!

All the best,

F. Douglas Carr, MD ’78
President, Alumni Association