About the School of Medicine

Wake Forest University School of Medicine

Wake Forest University School of Medicine (WFUSM) occupies a firm position among the best medical schools in the United States. The desire to teach excellence in clinical medicine, promote strong clinical and basic research, render exemplary patient care, and stress service to the community has continued as an integral part of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

The Mission of the School of Medicine

Our mission is to improve the health and well-being of all people by cultivating the discovery, teaching and applications of biomedical knowledge.

The Vision of the School of Medicine

Our vision is to create a premier, dynamic academic environment that attracts and nurtures outstanding faculty, staff and students who are dedicated to our mission to promote health and cure disease.

Essential Values of the School of Medicine

WFUSM fulfills its vision by maintaining our essential values.

• Collegiality – Promoting an environment that fosters mutual respect and rewards collaboration
• Compassion – Being aware of, and responsive to, the physical, emotional, spiritual and  intellectual needs of others
• Diversity – Supporting and fostering an environment that enhances cross-cultural awareness and protects the dignity of all, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation or physical ability
• Excellence – Being committed to providing superior education, patient care and research
• Innovation – Discovering cutting-edge knowledge and developing new ideas for enhancing quality, efficiency and the most effective prevention, treatment and cure of disease
• Integrity – Demonstrating fairness, honesty, sincerity and a commitment to consistent adherence to our mission, vision and values
• Mentorship – Encouraging the open exchange of ideas and facilitating the growth and advancement of individuals

Guiding Principles of the School of Medicine

We are committed to excellence, innovation and the creation of synergy among the key components of our mission in education, research, and clinical care, placing preeminence upon the well-being of our patients in our decision making.

We are committed to the creation, discovery, delivery and dissemination of new biomedical knowledge. We measure our excellence against other outstanding academic medical centers with a similar tripartite mission.

We hold ourselves accountable for incorporating our mission, vision and values into all operational processes, decision making, partnerships and actions of the institution, especially acknowledging our major partnerships with North Carolina Baptist Hospital and Wake Forest University.

We are committed to enhancing the health, economic and overall well-being of our community. We exercise continuous and vigilant self-evaluation to assess our goals and our progress towards achieving those goals.

We are accountable for ensuring positive operating results in order to recruit and retain exceptional and innovative people, thereby securing our long-term success.

We recognize that it is outstanding, dedicated people working as a team, who make our mission, vision and principles a reality.

We hold that sustaining the institutional mission and vision supersedes the self-interest or self-promotion of any individual organizational unit.