From the editor: Alumni offer their time and wisdom

In February about a dozen alumni, as well as past and current faculty members, came together at New Haven’s Lawn Club for the inaugural meeting of Yale Medicine’s advisory board. The group spanned the decades and created some interesting juxtapositions as former students engaged their former teachers in a new forum. (One alumna later commented that it was the first time she’d seen the face of a surgeon who’d been her teacher—as a student she’d seen only his eyes peering out from above his mask in the operating room.)

The group owes its existence to our readers’ survey, which we completed last year. The feedback from the survey was resoundingly positive; we thought an advisory board would allow us to extend and maintain our links to our readership. We asked about 15 alumni and faculty members to gather twice a year to tell us what they like aboutYale Medicine, what they think could be better, and what they’d like to see in its pages. We also asked the members—several of whom are authors and whose numbers include a nationally recognized writer/physician, a leading cardiothoracic surgeon, and a former deputy dean—to serve as a sounding board and offer their advice in their respective areas of expertise.

At this first meeting the conversation continued more than half an hour past our allotted time; it was another half hour before everyone left. Members of the new advisory board bombarded us with topics and ideas for future articles inYale Medicine. We hope to see many of these ideas in the pages of the magazine or in our OnlineExtraedition. Thanks to all the board members who offered their time, expertise, and wisdom.