On April 1, in the middle of a crisis unlike anything our country has faced in our lifetimes, Dr. Marc J. Kahn joined UNLV as the new dean of the UNLV School of Medicine. Every day since, he’s observed UNLV faculty physicians and residents on the front lines, providing direct patient care 24-7 to Nevadans stricken with the COVID-19 coronavirus. Seeing those in his profession run toward the most daunting challenges, not away from them, is not novel to him.
Nearly 15 years ago, Kahn was in the middle of another crisis — Hurricane Katrina. Then a senior associate dean and professor at the Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, he saw the medical school lose more than $900 million in assets, a loss that necessitated the borrowing of more than $100 million to stay solvent. The medical school survived. In two and a half weeks, the school temporarily was moved 350 miles to Houston, resumed classes, recruited a new class, and eventually celebrated a graduation. He says Katrina was a life-changing event that taught him and the people of New Orleans many things, including this valuable lesson — what had been the status quo wasn’t enough to build a better future.
Crises, Kahn observes, define people. He said what is done in the wake of the pandemic to improve the care of our entire community will never be forgotten. He argues that adversity needs to be turned into opportunity, including: expanding the notion of, and capabilities in, telehealth; focusing on primary care; utilizing even more technology in teaching the next generation of physicians; and generally becoming more nimble with change.
Recently, Kahn, whose training as a hematologist-oncologist has seen him diagnose, treat, and/or prevent blood diseases and cancers, sat down for an interview:
Do you think good health care should be a right for everyone?
Absolutely. The current pandemic reminds us of the moral issues stemming from disparities in health care in the U.S. Hopefully, one of the positive outcomes of the pandemic will be rethinking ways that we can provide health care to everyone.
How do you think this pandemic will affect the practice of medicine?
I think we will become more facile with telehealth to deliver better health care to more people. I also think we will reconsider the ways we cover health care costs to create new systems that are more inclusive. Finally, the pandemic underscores the very reason we exist at UNLV School of Medicine — namely to improve the care of our citizens.
Why do you want to lead the UNLV School of Medicine?
The opportunities here are unparalleled. To work to continue to improve the health care of the citizens of Southern Nevada with a new medical school and new academic health center is an opportunity that comes around very infrequently. Additionally, the opportunity to create new and novel programs with other schools of UNLV creates endless possibilities.
As a boy, were you always intrigued by science?
I was always fascinated with science and wanted to be a physician since I was a young teen. I thought there was nothing more interesting than understanding how the human body works.
What was your upbringing like?
I grew up in a small suburb of Philadelphia with a younger brother and younger sister. My dad was a teacher and my mom stayed home with us. From them, I learned the value of education, the importance of getting along with people, and the importance of working hard. I graduated from a high school with 450 graduates; only about 40 went to college. My high school did not give the SAT exams. I had to take them at a neighboring school. My dad had both a BA and an MS degree and later went back to school when I was in college to get his doctorate. In high school, my mom went back to school to get her BA, BSN, and later her MSN. I think we like to collect degrees.
What do you always remember about your K-12 years?
I had my first job at age 12 delivering papers. When I was 14, I lied about my age and got a job washing dishes in a restaurant. I was promoted to cook in a few weeks, and by age 16 managed the restaurant. They believed I had graduated high school. As a first management experience, I learned a lot. The dishwasher was 52-years-old and I was his boss. I learned how to manage and get along with people and learned the value of listening to people’s stories as a good way to know them.
You were born in Philadelphia, received your bachelor’s and MD degree at the University of Pennsylvania. How did the time there shape your life?
I loved my time at Penn. Part of my financial aid was work-study through which I was able to get a job working in a medical lab. I did experiments, presented my work, and wrote and published papers. I believe that experience led me to a career in academic medicine. At Penn I was the chief medical resident and was able to obtain an NIH (National Institutes of Health) grant to support my research.
Why did you specialize in hematology-oncology?
The last clinical experience I had in medical school was a hematology rotation. I loved the science and loved that it encompassed all of medicine. As residents, we talked about fields that would have the greatest advances in our lifetime. Hematology-oncology came out on top.
What are you most proud of accomplishing at Tulane?
At Tulane I won many teaching awards, became a full tenured professor with a named professorship (Peterman-Prosser), and obtained my MBA. In addition to my work as the internal medicine residency director — we increased our board pass rate from 37 percent to 100 percent — I was able to mentor nearly 5,000 students. I was also intimately involved in moving our school temporarily 350 miles to Houston following Hurricane Katrina. I believe this saved our school.
Are you living the dream?
I am. Having the opportunity to work with my team at UNLV is an exceptional honor.
