Dear Colleagues,

To be the Nation’s leading public school of medicine is not just a lofty statement. It is a very real promise to our students and the people of North Carolina.

I would like to applaud our students for an extraordinary showing on the national USMLE Step 1 board exam this year. We had a 98 percent pass rate, while the national pass rate for first-time takers was 93 percent. Our pass rate has increased five percentage points from just four years ago. Our mean total score was 224 (SD 19), and the national mean total score was 217 (SD 23). Another notable statistic:  our student pass rate increased from 96 percent last year to 98 percent this year.

We are extremely proud of both the laudable teaching effort that our professors make in our clinics and lecture halls, as well as the hard work our students put in to their academic study and clinical skills each and every day.

As teachers and clinicians, our faculty and staff are clearly preparing our students for a lifetime of achievement. I want to thank them for their knowledge and for providing our students with the tools they need to succeed and become excellent doctors.

I commend you for exemplifying our Vision and Values – making them a real promise and commitment to our students, our patients and our state.

Sincerely,
William L. Roper, MD, MPH
Dean, School of Medicine
Vice Chancellor for Medical Affairs
CEO, UNC Health Care System

Contact Information:
4030 Bondurant Hall
CB# 7000
Chapel Hill, NC 27599
(919) 966-4161