About

The MSU College of Human Medicine was founded as (and remains) a community-based school.  First- and second-year medical students receive their education in either East Lansing on the campus of Michigan State University, or at the Secchia Center in Grand Rapids. The entering class has 190 students, divided evenly between East Lansing and Grand Rapids.  Third- and fourth-year students receive their clinical education in the college’s eight community campuses throughout the state, incorporating ten primary teaching hospitals, 47 community hospitals, and hundreds of practices.

The department was founded in 1974, with Roy Gerard, MD, as its first chairperson. William C. Wadland, MD, MS, retired as chair in June 2013. Bengt B. Arnetz, MD, became the chair in September of 2015 until May of 2021. Julie Phillips, MD, is the current chair.

The success of the department is directly linked to the active role of its residency network. This network encompasses family medicine residency programs in Flint, Grand Blanc, Grand Rapids – Spectrum, Grand Rapids – Mercy Health, Henry Ford Health, Lansing, Marquette, Midland, Midland Medical Center—Gratiot, Southfield and Traverse City, with a total of 120 faculty members, approximately 194 resident physicians in training, and fellows in Sports Medicine and Geriatrics. These programs, in conjunction with the East Lansing and Grand Rapids campuses, all join in meeting the department’s mission.

All of our residency programs are fully accredited, and residency faculty participate in core activities of the college. Several of our faculty members are leading academic programs as assistant and associate deans in the community campuses.