Dean John Rock begins task of opening FIU medical school
On March 23, the board of governors of the State University System of Florida made a landmark decision proponents say will pave the way for new educational and employment opportunities and greater access to health care for residents of South Florida. The vote was to create a medical school at Florida International University.
The College of Medicine, as it is to be known, does not have a physical presence, but FIU has hired a dean and senior vice president for medical affairs to head the effort.
He is John Rock, one of the nation's most respected reproductive endocrinologists whose more than 25 years of experience at some of the nation's leading medical institutions has included a range of roles — from teacher to surgeon, researcher to author, clinician to administrator.
Most recently, Dr. Rock, 60, served as chancellor of health services of the Louisiana State University system immediately before coming to Miami.
He was interviewed on the FIU campus by Miami Today international editor Michael Hayes on Jan. 3 — his first official day as dean — as he prepared to recruit faculty and, among other tasks, seek provisional accreditation for the college, which is expected to graduate its first class by 2012.
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