Leadership

A Message from Dean Mark Cohen

It is my honor and privilege to join the University of Illinois in partnership with Carle Health as dean of the Carle Illinois College of Medicine. This is a dream come true for me, and I am thrilled to join such a forward-thinking and incredible school and work with the amazing group of faculty, staff, and students who are proving each day that innovation is a critical pillar of the future of medicine.

Our core values are Compassion, Competence, Diversity, Curiosity, Creativity, and Collaboration. These are not just words here, but principles that guide our missions and bring us together to train physician-innovators who will have an incredible impact not just on their communities but on the future of medicine around the world.

Advances at the intersection of technology and medicine are growing exponentially each year, and the unique and thoughtful approach here at Carle Illinois that seamlessly integrates engineering design and problem-solving principles with the sciences and humanities of medicine is both forward-thinking and incredibly valuable.

Such a truly innovative curriculum is producing a diverse group of competent, compassionate, innovative, and collaborative physicians who will have profound impact not just on their patients and communities, but on the practice of medicine. I am reminded of one of my favorite quotes from an old proverb: “When the winds of change blow, some people build walls and others build windmills.” It also reminds me that one of the best ways to truly define, predict, and adapt to the future is to build it.

On behalf of the amazing team here at Carle Illinois, we truly welcome you to join us and be a part of the future of medicine. Here the intersection of innovation, patient-oriented design, compassion, diversity of thought, and collaboration is producing outstanding physicians and leaders who will be prepared to take on the complexities that the future of medicine will bring and to lead teams that will be key to solving its many new challenges.