Peterson, associate dean for medical school candidate, focused on admissions
Dr. Stephen Peterson said for the new medical school to succeed, all programs must work for a common goal.
“We all need to succeed together,” he said.
Peterson interviewed at the second of three forums for associate dean of student affairs at Central Michigan University’s proposed medical school. He is currently the associate professor of Community Health and assistant dean of student affairs for the Medical School at Wright State University.
There he works with students on a variety of topics including admissions, financial aid, scheduling, student advising, and applications, many of the duties one would take on in the student affairs role at CMU.
Peterson said he would not accept the associate dean job until the dean of the medical school position was filled.
“I would have to feel confident that the dean could work with me,” Peterson said.
One point that came up during the forum was admissions. The associate dean of student affairs position would sit on the admissions board and Peterson said one focus is getting students in the school from more ignored, rural areas. He said the CMU medical school can do this by giving more “points” to these students in the application process.
“If you have two equally qualified applicants, one from a under-served area and one from an area that has many doctors, we should probably admit the (applicant from the under-served area),” said Peterson.
Six people attended the open forum Tuesday, which was held in the Lake Huron room at the Bovee University Center.
“His current position prepares him very well for this position,” said Bruce Roscoe, Dean of Students and chairman of the associate dean of student affairs for the medical school search committee.
Six people attended the forum including Kirk Yats, associate director of Scholarships and Financial Aid and member of the search committee, who said he was impressed with Peterson’s background in financial aid and his knowledge of the inner-workings of a medical school.
“He certainly has a lot of experience in student affair issues,” Yats said.
