Research and activity at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine are at an all-time high.

“This is an exciting time for us in research,” said Patricia Monteleone, M.D., dean of the School of Medicine.

Research expenditures at the school increased from $42 million to $62 million this year.

According to Monteleone, this $20 million increase will boost the ranking of the school, which was number 84 among the nation’s medical schools in fiscal year 2001.

“The amount of research expenditures is one of the best measures of research productivity by the faculty,” said Monteleone.

Monteleone added that, in addition to planning for a new research building, 43,000 square feet of the second floor of the Salus Center has been renovated for the center for Biomedical and Health Care Research, thus providing a badly needed efficient infrastructure and facility for clinical research.

Monteleone explained the new components:

SLUCOR, a new center committed to advancing outcomes research dedicated to informatics, quality improvement, medical economics and systems management.

SoLUtions, a clinical research organization dedicated to excellence in clinical trial planning, execution and management across the spectrum of investigational studies, accepting and implementing Phase I through IV trials.

SLUtest, a biomedical and procedural research unit that provides qualified research faculty with efficiency performed protocol driven procedures.

“We are also in the planning stages of a General Clinical Research Center (GCRC) and are applying for an National Institutes of Health grant for this center,” Monteleone continued. “We are very proud of this new center which will enhance our research endeavors in both efficiency and funding.”

“I very much applaud our school’s emphasis and our Dean’s commitment to continuously improve the quality of teaching and research,” said Dr. Raul Artal, professor and chair of the department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health.

“I would like to see our school being rated in the top 10 medical schools in the country,” Artal continued. “With the prospective building of the research tower we could eventually recruit leading researchers, which in turn could attract research funding to create the critical mass of research required to reach the top 10 status.”

Mary F. Ruh, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Pharmacological and Physiological Science. She has been a faculty member in the school since 1971.

Ruh believes that all private schools of medicine are under tremendous pressure to provide excellence in patient care, research and education during these economic times, and that with declining reimbursements from payers in health care, SLU’s School of Medicine continues to be recognized as an institution of excellence.

“We continue to attract significant extramural research funds, both in the basic sciences and clinical sciences,” Ruh said. “Our vaccine center is highly recognized and has brought prestige to the School of Medicine. We continue to attract excellent faculty and students. All this predicts continued growth and success for the school.”

SLUCare, which is the clinical practice of the physician faculty of the 14 clinical departments of the school, has had a major positive financial turn around in the past two years and is doing well, according to Monteleone.

“Many SLU faculty are nationally prominent and have substantial research funding,” said Monteleone.

Dr. Robert Belshe, Adorjan Professor of Internal Medicine, recently received an NIH grant of $17,959,068, the largest grant in the history of SLU.

U.S. News & World Report named seven SLU programs in the top 50 this year and “Best Doctors” named 72 physicians of the School of Medicine this year.

Other statistics fall below the school’s average.

In June 2001, sophomore students took Step. 1 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination and experienced a failure rate of approximately 20 percent, which was much higher than the school norm. All except three students passed on the future attempts.

“The cause of this is still debated,” said Monteleone. “Several changes occurred in 2001–a new curriculum, a more diverse class, a different board preparation course and method. However, both the class of 2000 and the class of 2001 experienced failure rates equal to the national mean. Thus, the performance of the 2001 class appears to be an anomaly. The pass rate on Step II remains at 97 percent.”

There is room for improvement in other areas of the school.

“Improvement in faculty morale is needed,” Ruh said. “Better communication between faculty and among departments, divisions, chairman, administrators, committees and faculty of the School of Medicine should be sought.”