Q: Does an Illustrious Faculty Have Time for Students?

First, a comment on that word "illustrious," just so you don't think we use such expressions lightly. The fact is that on most gauges of medical excellence-from research funding, to numbers of citations in scholarly journals, to ratings by other physicians, an unusually high number of Hopkins faculty do come out shining stars. Not uncommonly the teachers arriving in your classrooms, the mentors in your labs, the physicians guiding you on rounds will be men and women whose work is cited by others in their field the world over.

'A Badge of Honor'

So, you're right to wonder how much energy such people can devote to teaching. To put your mind at rest, we turned to Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery Ben Carson, M.D. By any definition, Carson is a star. His pioneering operations to separate Siamese twins and his dramatic brain surgeries on children with incurable seizures have won him worldwide recognition. His books about his climb from inner-city poverty to the pinnacle of his profession have made him a best-selling inspirational author and a sought-after speaker for academic colleagues, civic groups and young people around the country. Here's what Carson has to say about the teaching part of his medical school appointment. "It's just sort of ingrained in you here. If you've been in the Hopkins culture for any period of time, it becomes a badge of honor to teach medical students, to get good feedback from them and to take pleasure in watching these students grow into clinicians."

Teaching is part of Hopkins' fiber, and it has been since the school's inception. Like Carson, most faculty never lose sight of this part of their School of Medicine mission. They know that today's Hopkins students represent tomorrow's medicine. As one of those students, you will be able to count on receiving individualized assistance from classroom teachers and clinical and laboratory mentors. And because the medical school's classes have remained at a steady 120 as the number of full-time faculty has grown-by nearly a third in the 1990s alone-you'll find close interaction with your teachers woven into almost everything you undertake.

Hopkins' Shining Lights

According to a recent Gallup Poll, an amazing one-in-three Americans say they would be likely to consider traveling to Baltimore to be treated at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. Only one ingredient can give an academic medical center that kind of reputation-its faculty. In fact, Johns Hopkins' teachers are its shining light. Throughout the '90s, scientists here received more research funding from the National Institutes of Health than those at any other institution. And on a recent list of researchers who had been most frequently cited by their colleagues in scientific journals, three of the top 10 were Hopkins scientists. As a medical student, you'll learn from these distinguished scholars and a dedicated group of residents, who love working with students.