Interview: James Weiss, Associate Dean for Admissions
When Hopkins Dean/CEO Ed Miller asked cardiologist Jim
Weiss to take over as associate dean for admissions, it seemed a natural fit.
Weiss, after all, had served on the admissions committee for nearly a decade,
and was no stranger to the demands of the job. As his predecessor Leon Gordis
noted, “He’s been part of the process so there won’t be any discontinuities, but
at the same time he’ll bring a lot of fresh ideas.” The editors of
Internist recently caught up with Weiss to ask him about those ideas,
admissions and his perspective after more than a year at the helm.
You’re a renowned cardiology researcher and clinician. Can
your new role be as stimulating?
 |
"Knowing how to use new knowledge is
helpful, too, because medicine is changing every five minutes"
|
Yes, because it’s so different from the other things that I
do, and also because it’s so important to our future. Our medical students
become house staff, become alumni, become faculty. So I feel a heavy
responsibility to maintain the quality of our future. That’s a real challenge,
but one that I love because it keeps life interesting.
In what way?
Admission work is a lot of fun, and the psychology and
sociology of the process are fascinating. We meet with students from many
different walks of life, from many different geographic areas. Last year’s
medical school class of 120 students represented 72 different colleges and
universities. We’ve had a professional harpist, an Alaskan fisherman, you name
it.
Is such diversity important?
Absolutely. Medical students become extremely close and
mutually supportive rather than competitive. They learn from each other. So
bringing students together from very diverse backgrounds opens minds.
What else do you look for?
Commitment to hard work and compassion for people. We need
to know their motivation for medicine, their values, their integrity. Knowing
how to use new knowledge is helpful, too, because medicine is changing every
five minutes. We’re now in the era of evidence-based medicine, and that
requires people to know what the evidence is. We look for people who are
leaders, too, because Hopkins sees itself correctly as producing the next
generation of leaders in medicine.
How are students selected?
 |
| "We need to recognize the value of
serving on the committee. Without it, there would be no admissions." |
Last fall, we began requiring students to file applications
from the American Medical College Application Service, the standard used by
virtually all U.S. medical schools. But the switch more than doubled our annual
applicant pool, from 3,000 to 6,500. Using a computer screen, we put aside
about 2,000 applicants with high-risk transcripts or test scores. Then, our
admissions committee reviews all of the applications over the course of a year
and selects some 750 for interviews. Out of those, 200 will be selected by
votes to create a class of 120 students.
Do current medical students vote?
Yes. Ten senior medical students, elected by their
classmates, sit on two admissions subcommittees. I gave them a preliminary vote
last year because I felt it was important that they be treated as the adults
they are.
Admissions sounds exhausting.
It is. Our senior faculty committee members spend 200 or
more hours each year doing this, and it’s completely uncompensated.
Anything you can do about that?
We’ve got some ideas, like academic recognition for
admissions service, and possible department compensation to relieve the pressure
on committee members. We need to recognize the value of serving on the
admissions committee. Without it, there would be no admissions.
So, what’s your greatest joy in this new role?
The gratification of playing a role in molding our future.
It’s seeing the students when they first come and watching their progress over
the years, their growth as they interact with faculty and each other. Some end
up on the house staff or faculty, and it’s very gratifying to see how critical
it is to bring great students here.
