Dean and Senior Advisor to the President for Medical Affairs
The Wayne State University School of Medicine is guided by Robert M. Mentzer Jr., M.D., who in addition to serving as dean is the senior advisor to the president for medical affairs.
Dr. Mentzer, the 14th dean of the nation’s largest single-campus School of Medicine, is a nationally recognized cardiothoracic surgeon and medical school administrator with extensive experience in medical education, research and clinical care.
Dr. Mentzer, an accomplished heart transplant surgeon, assumed leadership of the Wayne State University School of Medicine in late 2005 after a distinguished career as the Frank C. Spencer Professor and Chairman of Surgery at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, and director of the University of Kentucky Transplant Center. For eight years, Dr. Mentzer, as president and chairman, led that college of medicine's faculty practice group, the Kentucky Medical Services Foundation. He was vice president of Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates, the state's organ procurement organization.
A skilled academic health center leader, Dr. Mentzer's leadership at the University of Kentucky saw the Department of Surgery emerge as a model for innovation, including rigorous interdisciplinary training and translational research initiatives, as well as renowned clinical programs.
Dr. Mentzer has further instilled that passion for innovation and clinical research at the Wayne State University School of Medicine, which is nationally and internationally known for medical research advancements.
Shortly after his arrival, Dr. Mentzer initiated “Vision 2011,” a strategic plan designed to expand and advance the mission of the School of Medicine as it transitions into the next decade. The plan, developed through a coalition of nearly 100 faculty, chairs/directors, deans, students and community partners, will strengthen the School of Medicine’s primary mission of providing the finest medical education, research and clinical care in the communities it serves throughout southeast Michigan while simultaneously positioning the school to seize opportunities and lead Michigan into the future of medicine and medical education.
For a comprehensive view of Dr. Mentzer's “Vision 2011,” the future of medical education in Michigan and the advancing mission of the Wayne State University School of Medicine, click here.