School of Medicine holds No. 2 spot in 'U.S. News' rankings

For the 12th consecutive year, the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine has been recognized as one of the top two medical schools in the nation in U.S. News & World Report's annual ranking. Of the country's 125 accredited medical schools, only Harvard outscored Hopkins, coming in No. 1 with an overall score of 100. Hopkins scored 94.

The magazine's Best Graduate Schools 2003 edition goes on sale today, April 8.

Hopkins again takes the No. 1 spot in internal medicine (tied with Harvard) and in biomedical engineering, No. 2 in AIDS, No. 3 in pediatrics and No. 4 in geriatrics and women's health (tied with Duke in the latter category). Primary care is up to 11 from 17 last year.

In Ph.D. programs, Hopkins tied for fifth place with Stanford in the overall category of biological sciences and was ranked fourth in neuroscience, microbiology and biochemistry; fifth in molecular biology; and sixth in cell biology. In engineering, Hopkins moved up to 24 from 27 overall and to 5 from 6 in environmental/environmental health.

For the complete list and methodology, go to www.usnews.com.

Musical spaces for parkers at Homewood this week

Two events being held this week at Homewood will necessitate some parkers having to shift their cars to other lots.

On Wednesday, April 10, 200 of the 250 staff and student spaces in P-lot, near Garland, will be reserved for accepted high-school students and their families attending an Admissions open house. On Friday, April 12, 100 of the spaces will be reserved for homecoming activities. Remaining parking spaces will be available on a first-come basis.

Other drivers should use G-lot or R-lot on Wyman Park Drive or the valley lot (formerly known as U-lot) on San Martin Drive. The valley lot will be served by a shuttle to Shriver Hall on Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Friday from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. and from 3 to 6 p.m.

Friends hosts Peabody Library fund-raiser with Robert Parker

The Friends of the Johns Hopkins Libraries are planning "An Evening With Robert Parker," a wine tasting and auction to raise funds for the restoration of the historic George Peabody Library, one of Baltimore's architectural treasures. The event will be held in the library from 6 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, April 24, and will include hors d'oeuvres.

Considered one of the world's greatest authorities on wine, Parker will discuss his wine selections for the occasion and also will sign books he has written. The auction includes many unique items and vacation getaways at homes donated by Hopkins trustees and members of the Friends Advisory Council. Tickets are $175 per person ($150 tax-deductible) with proceeds to benefit the Peabody Library, one of the university's Sheridan Libraries.

To order tickets, contact Cheryl Wagner at 410-516-8328 or cwagner@jhu.edu. Bids are now being accepted on auction items, which are listed at www.library.jhu.edu/development/whatsnew/friends/ events.html.

East Baltimore block to be closed at night through May 31

Beginning today, April 8, the 1700 block of East Madison Street in East Baltimore will be closed from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. through May 31. This closure is needed to facilitate the construction of the new Broadway Research Building. Traffic will be detoured down Rutland Avenue to Ashland, back to Broadway. Any questions should be directed to Richard H. Sebour Jr., director of support services for the School of Medicine, at 410-955-0880.

Levering-Olin pedestrian path to be closed about six weeks

The Homewood campus pedestrian path from Levering Hall to Olin Hall is being closed for about six weeks, beginning this week. The closure will allow crews to build a roadway to tie the new road behind Clark Hall to the existing road on the back side of Levering. This connecting roadway will, in effect, create a new service road along the western edge of campus. This availability of a service road is critical to this summer's installation of a new car-free pedestrian plaza from the new Hodson Hall east to Latrobe and from Latrobe north to Gilman.

A new pedestrian path from Levering to Olin will open--in the same area as the current path--when the roadway is completed, about May 19. Meanwhile, signs will be installed to detour pedestrians along the alternate route. That route will take walkers from just north of Clark Hall down the stairway to San Martin Drive and from there along the sidewalk to Olin.

Ludmerer to give special Dean's Lecture at School of Medicine

Kenneth Ludmerer, the Alpha Omega Alpha Visiting Professor at the School of Medicine, will deliver a special Dean's Lecture at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, April 9, in East Baltimore's Hurd Hall.

Ludmerer, a graduate of the school, has written extensively on medical education and the history of medicine. His most recent book, Time to Heal (1999), is an examination of the evolution of American medical education from the turn of the century to the present era of managed care. Reviewers have cited this publication as "a masterpiece of great national importance" and "the most important work in medical education since the Flexner report."

Correction

The phone number for the new offices of the Fund for Johns Hopkins is 410-516-6800. The number given mistakenly in last week's issue is for a fax machine.