Overview
Since its establishment in 1927, the Department of Medicine has been the prototype of a clinically active academic program in general medicine and the subspecialties. The Department is staffed by nearly 300 full-time faculty members. Because of the diverse interests of the faculty, the Department is organized into the following subspecialty sections with each represented by nationally recognized leaders in their fields:
- Cardiology
- Dermatology
- Emergency Medicine
- Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
- Gastroenterology
- General Internal Medicine
- Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine
- Genetic Medicine
- Hematology/Oncology
- Hospital Medicine
- Infectious Disease and Global Health
- Nephrology
- Pulmonary/Critical Care
- Rheumatology
The faculty is supported by nearly 600 full-time staff members who provide a range of administrative, research, clinical, clerical, and information systems support.
Research Accomplishments
The Department of Medicine has a long tradition of conducting original and rigorous biomedical and clinical research of fundamental significance. The Department receives nearly $130 million in total cost research awards with the vast majority of research dollars derived from the National Institutes of Health to support its diverse and exciting research initiatives. In fact, the Department of Medicine ranked #15 in NIH funding for 2011.
Diversity of Faculty and Housestaff
Diversity in the Department of Medicine is a major priority as we seek to build a workforce that reflects the racial and ethnic makeup of the patients that we serve. The Department is highly active in promoting diversity, community based research and understanding toward eliminating health care disparities. With outstanding leadership from our Diversity Committee, the Department of Medicine has enjoyed success in the recruitment of a diverse Housestaff while significantly expanding the number of minority faculty in the Department. In addition, the Department has created a visiting clerkship program, and has initiated several important programs for under represented minority college students in the Chicagoland area.
Education and Training
The Department of Medicine offers four residency training programs in internal medicine, medicine-pediatrics, emergency medicine and dermatology. The Department also offers thirteen subspecialty fellowships in cardiology, clinical medical ethics, dermatopathology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, geriatrics, geriatric-oncology, hematology-oncology, infectious diseases, nephrology, pulmonary and critical care medicine, sleep and rheumatology. Six of these fellowships are supported by NIH training grants and one is supported through private foundation support. The Department of Medicine provides training to approximately 180 residents and 120 fellows each year.
Recognition for Patient Care
Department of Medicine received prestigious rankings in the highly regarded U.S. News and World Report, Best Hospitals 2011 edition. GI ranks in the top ten, with three subspecialities in the top 25, and the remaining 3 in the top 35.
- GI, ranked #9 in the country
- Cancer, ranked #14
- Pulmonary ranked #19
- Endocrinology, ranked #23
- Nephrology, ranked #28
- Geriatrics, ranked #34
- Cardiology, ranked #35
The Department of Medicine admits approximately 9800 patients to its inpatient services and sees nearly 240,000 patients in its outpatient clinics each year. Each section in the Department of Medicine has its own subspecialty clinic and consultation service. Subspecialty training and clinical services are distinctive in that the Sections of Cardiology, Gastroenterology and Hematology-Oncology each operate discrete inpatient services. The other sections admit patients to the combined General Medicine Services. The Section of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine directs a 16-bed intensive care unit.