NEW DOCTORS: CMU's First Class of 64 to be Welcomed Aug. 4
July 25, 2013
By: Dave Rogers
The CMU College of Medicine Clinical Skills Program and Simulation Center is a 5,860 square foot state of the art training center featuring twelve standardized patient rooms and two high fidelity simulation suites.
Underserved and rural areas will soon have physicians trained by the new Central Michigan University College of Medicine.
The college welcomes its inaugural class of 64 students in an invitation-only convocation and white-coat ceremony on Sunday, Aug. 4 in Mt. Pleasant.
CMU's College of Medicine has affiliation and agreements for hospitals and practices from Saginaw to Midland to Mount Pleasant; from Pigeon to Houghton-Hancock and many locations in between. These community partners provide an essential context for the education and training for a new CMED physician.
"As the only medical school in Michigan training doctors to address the needs of residents and families living in more rural regions, we selected students with a passion for medically underserved communities," said Ernie Yoder, dean of CMU's College of Medicine.
Variations of white-coat ceremonies are performed at most medical schools. It's a tradition the CMU College of Medicine will embrace as it begins its mission of preparing physicians to serve central and northern Michigan with a ceremony at the CMU Events Center in McGuirk Arena.
Fifty-seven members of the first class are Michigan natives, including four from the Upper Peninsula. Eleven are CMU alumni.
Students, faculty and deans will be available to the press beginning about 1:30 p.m. in the atrium area of the CMU Events Center.
Mount Pleasant physicians Paul B. Simmons and Cara Anne Poland have joined CMU's College of Medicine clinical staff.
Dr. Simmons' internal medicine practice at 2891 Health Parkway in Mount Pleasant opened 10 years ago. Simmons has nearly 2,000 patients, and he adds 15 to 20 new patients each month. A University of Michigan School of Medicine graduate with 45 years of experience, Simmons has worked out of McLaren Central Michigan in Mount Pleasant since 2004.
"I'm looking forward to working with students, and I believe in the CMU College of Medicine's mission to improve access to quality physicians in the state," Simmons said. "I've worked in mid-Michigan for years, and we draw patients from multiple counties. I know first-hand the need that exists."
Dr. Poland was trained in internal medicine at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor and in addiction medicine at Boston Medical Center. She will bring both of her specialties to the CMU College of Medicine. She joined Simmons' practice on July 1 and is accepting new patients.
"I have a strong interest in educating physicians-in-training to improve care for patients with substance abuse disorders and general internal medicine," Poland said.
Simmons and Poland are part of the clinical faculty team located in Mount Pleasant working with the CMU College of Medicine. They join Dr. Sandra Howell, a general surgeon specializing in the treatment of breast diseases, and the physicians of University Health Services.
"I've known Dr. Simmons for some time through our work with McLaren Central Michigan, and his reputation as a knowledgeable, caring physician in the Mount Pleasant area is deserved," CMU College of Medicine Dean Ernie Yoder said. "We're excited that Dr. Simmons and Dr. Poland are part of our team."
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