ALUMNI PROFILE
Connection. Collaboration. Scholarship.
A conversation with University Physician Michael Brown
Michigan State University College of Human Medicine graduate Michael Brown, MD (’86), MSc, is finding a rhythm as university physician.
Appointed in 2022 by former MSU President Samuel L. Stanley Jr., Brown is MSU’s chief public health officer and senior adviser to the president. Brown oversees programs and policies which impact the health and safety of the campus community, which includes planning and preparing for major public health issues.
While it’s a challenging role, Brown is no stranger to taking on hard work, driving toward excellence or overcoming obstacles. Brown has dedicated his career to connecting with others, as both an emergency medicine physician and academician.
“My goals are to learn more, build on existing knowledge and solve complicated problems for the people of MSU,” Brown added. “We may not be able to predict the next pandemic or major health event, but we can do our best to be as prepared as possible."
Dr. Brown has helped build a strong clinical research program at the college, and for over the last decade, has intentionally created an environment of inquiry and scholarship as founding chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine. Brown was named chair in 2013.
“My whole career has been built around academics, learning and teaching,” Brown said. “Nowhere else in the country do second-year medical students have the same opportunity to care for the undifferentiated patient as our Middle Clinical Experience (MCE) students do when they spend time in the emergency department (ED) seeing patients.”
Brown says the Shared Discovery Curriculum allowed this educational dream to materialize, where each MCE student provides direct patient care this early in their training; they connect with physicians in the community who supervise and teach them to work in the collaborative team environment.
Leading by example
Mentorship, Brown admits, has a been key to his success as a physician, and has hopes to provide similar opportunities for future Spartan MDs. While the role of department chair is to help faculty grow and advance their careers, one of the most fulfilling aspects for Brown has been working with students and residents in the challenging yet meaningful clinical environment of the ED.
“Profound learning happens, when students care for real patients with real challenges,” he added. “The value of mentorship for me has been immeasurable, so when I offer mentorship it’s not prescriptive; rather, it’s to guide others through career decisions and help them think through all of their options.”
And Brown has had some great mentors himself, including Gwen Hoffman, MD (’76), who was emergency medicine program director at Butterworth Hospital during Brown’s residency; Hoffman was also the second female president of the American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM) who pushed Brown to strive for excellence every day in the ED.
“We still keep in contact with one another, these are the best kind of relationships,” Brown said, smiling. “Dr. Hoffman knew I was a good resident who took care of my patients, yet she also recognized I had much more to give and had the potential to achieve much more.”
In addition to serving on many local and national boards—he is a past president of the Association of Academic Chairs of Emergency Medicine—Dr. Brown has received priceless advice and connection with colleagues and now serves as the editor of Cochrane Evidence Synthesis and Methods, a new scholarly publication primarily focused on meta-analysis and systematic reviews. Brown is passionate about summarizing evidence in a form useful to clinicians.
The value of scholarships
In conversation with Brown, it is evident that collaboration is one of his values which aligning with a group of fellow physicians at Emergency Care Specialists, who recently established the Michael D. Brown, MD, MSc Endowed Scholarship. The scholarship is supporting students that are considering pursuing emergency medicine as a specialty and who desire to provide care to underserved populations.
“What’s wonderful about the scholarship—which I was humbled and very excited to hear about—is that emergency medicine cares for everyone, no matter who walks in the door, which was an attraction and inspiration to me early on,” Brown added.
As an early recipient of the scholarship, Paige Heckel echoes a similar mindset.
“In emergency medicine, you get to see individuals from all walks of life who have many diverse experiences, meeting them in their most vulnerable moments and providing them with reassurance and much-needed treatment,” Heckel said. “Emergency medicine physicians need to be prepared for whatever may come through their doors next, and I have a strong desire to serve all members of my community in this unique capacity.”
Brown's true hope is for the scholarship to inspire others, which is already having a positive effect--not only on Heckel but also on rising third-year Kaleb Ramon. Ramon and Heckel are both first-generation medical students who openly express gratitude for scholarship support; Ramon says scholarships are not only monetary support but emotional as well.
“My tuition debt won’t vanish overnight and is frequently in the back of my mind, causing me immense amounts of stress,” Ramon says. “However, scholarships help to ease some of the stress and the relief allows me to better focus on my studies, so I can put more energy into becoming a compassionate and caring future physician.”
In addition to making himself available as a mentor to the Brown scholars, Dr. Brown is balancing his various roles—university physician, department chair, journal editor, husband, father—with the help of his family, mentors and colleagues.
“I also manage my own calendar,” Brown said lightheartedly.
Dr. Brown lives in Grand Rapids with his wife Jill. The Browns have two adult daughters.
By: Sarah Enlow