Washington, D.C., May 7, 2003 - In recognition of his longstanding commitment to the nation's medical schools and teaching hospitals, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) honored Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) today with the first "Champion of Medical Education Award." The award, bestowed by the AAMC's Project Medical Education program, recognizes a national policymaker who has amassed an exceptional record as an advocate for undergraduate and graduate medical education.

"Throughout his distinguished career, Senator Kennedy has been a tireless champion for academic medicine, ensuring Congressional support for the education of tomorrow's doctors, for the health of our teaching hospitals, and for the progress of the medical research enterprise. He has certainly earned this tribute today, and the heartfelt respect and gratitude that goes along with it," said AAMC President Jordan J. Cohen, M.D. today as Senator Kennedy was presented with the Champion of Medical Education Award at a ceremony on Capitol Hill. The Senator was also presented with a white coat, a ritual normally reserved for first-year medical students, which symbolizes the entry into the field of medicine and the acceptance of the societal responsibilities included in the profession.

AAMC Chair Theresa Bischoff noted Senator Kennedy's involvement with nearly every major piece of healthcare legislation brought before the Senate in the past 40 years. As Chairman and Ranking Minority Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Senator Kennedy has supported legislation establishing student aid programs that make medical education a viable option for low-income students, and introduced legislation in 1970 establishing the National Health Service Corps. He continues to support funding for federal programs that train health professionals working in the country's urban and rural underserved areas.

Leaders of the nation's teaching hospitals also credit Senator Kennedy for leading efforts to obtain relief from federal reimbursement payment reductions resulting from the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. Committed to increasing the nation's investment in biomedical research, the Senator was also active in efforts to double the operating budget for the National Institutes of Health.

Currently, Senator Kennedy is working to protect the nation's investment in homeland security by ensuring that medical schools and teaching hospitals receive adequate support to prepare current and future generations of physicians and researchers to deal with the threat of bioterrorism.

Project Medical Education (PME) is the AAMC's effort to build greater understanding in Congress about the importance of the mission of America's medical schools and teaching hospitals. Formed in 1998 by a coalition of major medical institutions, PME organizes educational programs at academic medical centers across the country. Over the course of two days, members of Congress and their staff become medical students, then residents, and then junior research faculty, experiencing what it takes to become a doctor in today's healthcare environment. To date, more than 35 academic institutions have hosted a PME program, with Congressional participants from over 20 states in attendance.

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The Association of American Medical Colleges is a not-for-profit association representing all 129 accredited U.S. and 17 accredited Canadian medical schools; nearly 400 major teaching hospitals and health systems, including 68 Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers; and 94 academic and scientific societies. Through these institutions and organizations, the AAMC represents 109,000 faculty members, 67,000 medical students, and 104,000 resident physicians. Additional information about the AAMC and U.S. medical schools and teaching hospitals is available at www.aamc.org/newsroom.

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