Herman M. Finch served the University from 1948 to 1998 as a long-time leader and Chair of the Board of Trustees. In 1993, the board, acknowledging the strength of his leadership, renamed the university Finch University of Health Sciences/The Chicago Medical School.

Dr. William M. Scholl brought the nation to its feet with his empire of footcare products and services. The Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine, which joined the University in 2001, is the nation's top-ranked school in its specialty.

The 140,000-square-foot Health Sciences Building opened in October 2002, bringing together all four professional schools on the main University campus:

The Chicago Medical School
The College of Health Professions
The School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
The Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine

The clinical campus, including the University Clinics, is contiguous to the North Chicago Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and the medical facilities of the newly-expanded Great Lakes Naval Training Center, altogether, a major health complex developing in the area.

2003 saw the opening of the Education and Evaluation Center, dedicated to establishing the best standardized patient clinical assessment and evaluation center among all medical schools, and dedication of the newly remodeled multimedia gross anatomy lab as the John J. Sheinin, M.D., Ph.D., D.Sc., Gross Anatomy Laboratory, in honor of the former President and Dean of The Chicago Medical School.

Sharing the Vision
The mission of the University remains clear -- to serve the nation through the education of health professionals and the discovery of knowledge dedicated to improving the health of its people.

In December 2002, Dr. K. Michael Welch, a neurologist and world-renowned researcher, became President and CEO of the University.
Under his tutelage, the University has completed a broad-based strategic planning process which assessed the institution's various needs, analyzed current and potential resources and incorporated the concerns of all stakeholder groups.

The strategic plan sets forth a shared vision for the University's future to educate, treat, serve and discover. Based on the strategic plan, the University has undertaken new strategic initiatives and is building and creating new resources. As Dr. Welch stated, "change is refreshing, necessary and full of opportunity. But, above all, change must be strategic."

Alumni Across the Nation
The University maintains two active alumni associations: The Chicago Medical School Alumni Association and The Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine Alumni Association, governed by alumni boards and representing alumni throughout the country.

University alumni from each of our four professional schools currently hold positions as national healthcare association presidents, hospital administrators, private practitioners, and healthcare advocates. Alumni are continuously named to Top Doctor listings in publications such as Chicago Magazine and New York Magazine, and have been recognized in their respective fields for excellence and dedication.

The Chicago Medical School has granted 112 Distinguished Alumni Awards, and The Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine annually grants an Alumnus of the Year Award to an esteemed graduate of the College.

The University and its four professional schools have collectively graduated more than 14,000 alumni who have dedicated and continue to dedicate their careers to promoting the health and well-being of their patients.

Looking Toward the Future
Today, the University stands on the frontier of the new healthcare by educating the next generation of healthcare professionals, conducting leading-edge biomedical research, and serving the community in innovative ways.

History in the making? If the next 92 years are anything like the first, this is only the beginning.