Honoring the spirit of medicine and the power of community, the inaugural Golden Keeper Banquet & Awards ceremony this month in downtown Wichita recognized medical students for all they have achieved, as well as faculty, resident physicians and staff, who have served as steadfast guides along students’ paths to becoming the most caring and compassionate physicians possible.

The ceremony was also a celebration of everyone who has contributed to creating a close-knit community at KU School of Medicine-Wichita.

It wasn’t Cupid’s arrow that made Ryan Weir lovestruck when he first met Autumn Smith during a Scholars in Health program for college undergraduates who plan to become doctors in Kansas.

It was a reflex hammer.

“She tapped her reflex hammer on my knee, and it was love at first sight,” said Ryan, laughing. 

Although One Day One KU results are still being tallied, KU School of Medicine-Wichita raised at least $143,000, part of the $5,137,966 that was raised for the University of Kansas overall on April 28-29. In Wichita, gifts came from many alumni, faculty, staff and friends, with several offering matches and contributions challenging others to show their support.

The Sedgwick County Commission proclaimed the second week in April as National Public Health Week and announced Elizabeth Ablah, Ph.D., MPH, CPH, professor in the Department of Population Health at KU School of Medicine-Wichita, as the 2026 recipient of the Doren Fredrickson Commitment to Public Health Award. The award has special meaning for Ablah, who previously worked with Fredrickson.

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Talking about the importance of good nutrition might be helpful, but actually introducing families to tasty, good-for-you food is likely to make a bigger impact. That was the thinking behind a nutrition education program that Elizabeth Lewis, M.D., clinical assistant professor for KU Wichita Pediatrics, and Krista Weaver, APRN, FNP-C, nurse practitioner with the KU Wichita Medical Practice Association, developed for the Haysville School District using a Hunger Free Kansas grant from the Kansas Leadership Center.

Have a spot on your skin you're concerned about? The Wichita Area Skin Cancer Screening Clinic returns this Saturday to KU School of Medicine-Wichita, with free skin cancer checks being offered to the community. The clinic is provided by Wichita-area dermatologists in partnership with the American Academy of Dermatology, KU School of Medicine-Wichita and the Medical Society of Sedgwick County.

KU Wichita Medical Practice Association had a great turnout this month during their booths at Open Streets ICT - WSU & Shocker Neighborhood, with more than 40 community members receiving free blood pressure checks and many more learning about local health resources and preventive care tips. 

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Award-winning research has been announced following the 34th annual Research Forum on April 23 at KU School of Medicine-Wichita. The Research Forum gives students, resident physicians and faculty members, as well as anyone interested in community health and medical research, an opportunity to present and discuss research projects and facilitate research collaboration.

Registration is open for the University of Kansas School of Pharmacy’s 2026 pharmacy summer camps, offering 11th and 12th grade students and incoming college freshmen an inside look at careers in pharmacy. The annual camp, now in its 29th year, provides hands-on activities, exposure to clinical pharmacy and opportunities to engage with current KU pharmacy students and faculty. KU will offer camps this summer on its Lawrence and Wichita campuses. 

Students and staff recently visited with therapy dogs from Love on a Leash in the courtyard at KU School of Medicine-Wichita. The visit with furry friends was part of Stress Awareness Month activities throughout the month of April coordinated by the George J. Farha Medical Library. Other activities provided by the library include relaxing games, snacks, book recommendations, building Lego microscopes, a book swap and more. 

Marilee McBoyle-Wiesner, M.D., and Ernesto Diaz, M.D. 

Marilee McBoyle-Wiesner, M.D., professor emerita in the Department of Surgery at KU School of Medicine-Wichita, was invited to be the keynote speaker during a Doctors' Day celebration March 30 at Newman Regional Health in Emporia. She reflected on her career as a surgeon and educator, and said she was thrilled to see former students and residents, including Ernesto Diaz, M.D.; Bradon Bitter, M.D.; and Pam Harrison, M.D.

Medical students from KU School of Medicine-Wichita were instrumental in helping organize the Café con Leche health fair, which took place on April 18 at Wichita East High School. About 160 people in the community received free health screenings during the event. 

"It was great to see students from KU Wichita involved in such an important community health outreach," said Samuel Ofei-Dodoo, Ph.D., MPA, M.A., CPH, assistant dean of medical education and associate professor in internal medicine at KU School of Medicine-Wichita, pictured above with students. "A participant told me she had never seen a group work so well and so efficiently, and she said this in the presence of a student, speaking to their character and how well they represent KU Wichita."

Numerous community partners attended, including KU School of Pharmacy, Ascension Via Christi, Baby Talk, GraceMed Health Clinic, the Sedgwick County Health Department, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and more.

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