Like the rest of the world, I was devastated when I learned about the scope of Larry Nassar’s criminal activities. Yet I am inspired by the raw courage displayed by the survivors of his abuse as they came forward and faced him in two separate courtrooms. Words cannot begin to express my admiration for their bravery in bringing a predator to justice, which I hope will assist in their healing process.
As interim dean of the MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine (COM), I am deeply, personally invested in this healing.
We must pursue the truth, no matter what, in light of allegations of sexual harassment against my predecessor, Dr. William Strampel.
While our pain cannot begin to approach that which the survivors are enduring, we are profoundly hurt that Nassar and Strampel have also harmed the reputation of our college, our alumni, our students and our very profession.
As for our path forward, I met with students, faculty and staff at all three of our sites, listened to their questions, and took to heart the pain and concern they’d expressed.
I promised that we’d listen and take action on what we learned. I also encouraged them to hold me accountable and on task to introduce real, substantive changes.
I recently convened a task force of faculty, staff and students to address how we could begin moving forward. This group facilitated additional listening sessions, and our students conducted their own survey about sexual assault education.
In this vein, we have recently contracted with a consulting firm to guide us through a climate review of our college.
This external review will provide us with an unfiltered look at our most serious challenges and help us confidently embark upon the difficult task of repairing broken trust and moving our college into a brighter future.
We are working alongside our partners in MSU’s colleges of Nursing and Human Medicine, as well as the MSU HealthTeam, to implement new patient-care policies for students, athletes and the public.
We’re also examining our curriculum for opportunities to enhance education around difficult conversations—whether they’re related to sexual assault, harassment or other topics that might be hard to broach with a patient, a peer or a supervisor.
While challenging, we hope these efforts will continue to honor the courage of the survivors as we take the first steps toward our future.
The COM is just beginning this journey. We have a lot of work to do. But as long as we remember that we’re striving to build a better future, we will emerge as a stronger institution, known for training, and graduating, world-class physicians who will help define us as a premier medical school.
Dr. Andrea Amalfitano, ’84, ’89, ’90, is now dean of the MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine. He penned this in 2018 when he was interim dean. It has been edited for length.
