Dear Carey Family,
It is my honor and privilege to welcome you to WCUCOM ! There has never been a better time to be a part of the Carey family. We are now entering into our 10th year since the COM was officially founded and at that time, a promise was made to Mississippi and the Osteopathic Profession. The promise of graduating primary care physicians and having them practice in Mississippi, a state that has historically ranked in the bottom of the country for access to care as well as other health related indices. A promise to improve the quality of care and increase graduate medical training in the state. A promise to innovate primary care and rural medicine.
I am pleased to share with you that we are realizing that promise and so much more. In the past year, approximately 80% percent of our graduates went into primary care which is among the highest in the Nation compared to US News and World Report data from the year prior. Carey has contributed to a significant increase in graduate medical education throughout the state; and hospitals in the state who participated have seen a greater quality of healthcare provided to those communities. Over a third of our graduates (200 or so) over the past seven classes have stayed in MS for residency training and practice. Many alumni are now coming back as faculty at WCUCOM and contributing as preceptors for our students.
In the past seven years Carey physicians and students have received significant recognition for innovative approaches to primary care and population health. This includes the development of ambulance drones, telemedical systems, and the use of augmented reality and virtual reality for education. This also includes award winning curriculum in the areas of Tobacco Prevention and clinical recognition of Interpersonal violence (Child Abuse, Spousal Abuse). Carey contributes to regional disaster planning and preparedness activities annually including Forrest County and Lamar County exercises.
So, as I said earlier, this is a great time to be at Carey! We have an exciting year ahead of us and I am pleased about where we have come and the promises we have delivered on. But I leave you with this challenge, ask yourself, what can you do to make a Carey difference? What can you do to shine that Carey light unto others' lives? For while we have come so far in such little time, we have so much more yet to accomplish.
We are Carey Strong!
Italo Subbarao DO, MBA
Dean, William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine
