34 Dartmouth Medicine Winter 2004

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Spielberg, who leads a busy life as thedean of Dartmouth Medical School, relaxes by playing the piano—here, a Mozart sonata.

Dartmouth Medicine 35Winter 2004

Great conductors get the best out of musi-cians and make them want to play,” said amusician during a recent National Public

Radio interview. Stephen Spielberg, M.D., Ph.D.,isn’t a conductor . . . exactly. But as the dean ofDartmouth Medical School, he knows how to getthe best out of his “musicians”—other deans, mem-bers of the faculty, students—and how to makethem want to “play.”

In fact, he is a musician—he has sung in a cap-pella groups at various times during his career andplays the piano regularly (in the privacy of hishome). So it’s no surprise that he turns to musicalmetaphors when asked to describe his job. The goalof a dean, he says, is “to prevent too much cacoph-ony around the edges.” But, he adds with a laugh,that “doesn’t always mean that you’re in absoluteharmony. I mean, you can have 12-tone and otherunusual composition styles thrown in. But [thepoint] is to somehow or another make sure that

there is a central focus on the needs of the whole,in the midst of all of the individual activities thatare going on.”

There are indeed a lot of activities at a medicalschool, and the dean needs to have at least a pass-ing familiarity with all of them—from facilitiesmanagement to curriculum; from budgets to the re-search enterprise; from student activities to facultyrecruitment; from governmental relations to pa-tient care. On top of all that, just like the conduc-tor of a major orchestra, the dean is very involvedin raising funds to ensure the institution’s future.Oh, yes, and Spielberg also keeps up with advancesin his field—pediatric pharmacology.

“The job description is endless, in a way,” helaughs. Laughing is something Spielberg does a lot,despite the demands on his time and energy. “Thereality of it,” he says of being a dean, “is that it’s ab-solutely undoable—except for the fact we’ve got

Dartmouth Medical

School’s dean keeps

a fast and furious

pace as he champions

DMS both internally

and externally.

And singing the

School’s praises is

something that he

does with passion.

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fabulous people who dedicate their focus and effortto each of these areas. The issue then is to help or-chestrate, to help bring them together, to help findpaths for synergy, to help find ways of getting morebang for the buck—recognizing the buck is harderto get—and to maximize the way we do businessamong all those aspects.”

So how does Spielberg manage to get everyoneworking together so well? He cajoles, coaches, andcheerleads. He exudes enthusiasm as he draws outall the attendees at a meeting, the way a conductordraws a full sound from, say, all the violins. In fact,Spielberg looks like a conductor, since he has a pen-chant for gesturing animatedly.

“He has an optimistic, jovial, pediatrician’s at-titude about life,” observes Joseph O’Donnell,M.D., DMS’s senior advising dean and director ofcommunity programs.

“I most enjoy his absolutely unharnessed opti-mism, enthusiasm, and excitement about the Med-

ical School being an excellent medical school,” saysDavid Nierenberg, M.D., senior associate dean formedical education. “In my area, he’s always beeneager to listen, absorb, think, and ask why. If weagree, he says, ‘Go for it.’”

The dean’s energy is infectious. “One cannothelp but share his enthusiasm and optimism aboutthe future of medicine,” says James Varnum, presi-dent of Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital.

Spielberg has another secret to success. “Thereare certain things that make the job doable,”he confides. One is the “opportunity to do

something meaningful.” The other is being “in asetting with like-minded people with similar agen-das—be it basic science, curriculum, delivery ofhealth care, or policy implementation.” He likesworking with people who are “infused with a greatdeal of passion and vision for the future. That’swhat gets you out of bed in the morning.”

While Spielberg says he’s “not an insomniac, upLaura Carter is the associate editor of Dartmouth Medicine.

e Appassionato

‘

By Laura Stephenson Carter

36 Dartmouth Medicine

at the Medical School, [the others] being Class Dayand Commencement.” He’s setting the tempo: up-beat, energetic. Just before he introduces Wright,he reminds all the students that he’s hosting a pic-nic for them that evening at the Dartmouth Skiway.“Dress casual,” he advises.

Then Spielberg sits down in the front row andbeams proudly as assorted deans and administratorstake turns speaking. The mood is joyful, welcoming,nurturing. Lori Alvord, M.D., associate dean forstudent and multicultural affairs, says, “We’ll takecare of you.” Osborne reassures the first-years thatthey’re now part of the Dartmouth “family.”O’Donnell calls himself the students’ “dream-mak-er,” promising to help them realize their dreams inmedicine and in life. Spielberg has to hurry off toanother meeting before the show is over, but hisfellow deans have matters well in hand.

Thursday, September 23, 11:00 a.m.Main Rotunda at DHMCToday, several officials from the University of Ver-mont (UVM)—including the president, Daniel Fo-gel, Ph.D., and the dean of the medical school, JohnEvans, Ph.D.—are visiting DHMC. Spielberg andseveral other Dartmouth officials greet them in themain rotunda of the Medical Center. The first or-der of the day for the visitors is a tour of DHMC’snew Doctors’ Office Building and Cancer Centerlabs. As the group starts the tour, Spielberg andCharles Mannix, DMS’s chief operating officer, peeloff to hold a quick meeting.

After the tour, Spielberg and Mannix rejoin thegroup in a conference room at the Cancer Centerfor sandwiches, cookies, and soft drinks. Several dif-ferent conversations are in progress. Soon a moreformal dialogue begins. “The fun thing about work-ing in multiple environments [is] picking up differ-ent approaches,” Spielberg says. Since earning aPh.D. in pharmacology and an M.D. from the Uni-versity of Chicago, and training as a pediatrician, hehas worked at Boston Children’s Hospital, the Na-tional Institute of Child Health and Human De-velopment, Johns Hopkins, the University ofToronto, Merck Research Laboratories, Johnson &Johnson, and, as of July 2003, DMS.

Evans, Spielberg’s UVM counterpart, wants toknow what it was like working in the pharmaceu-tical industry. Everyone waits expectantly for theanswer. Spielberg jokes that there are lots of pedi-atricians at pharmaceutical companies because“they’re so good at dealing with childish behavior.”Everyone laughs.

Then he turns serious. Industry focuses on“putting teams together, rather than individualspursuing curiosity,” explains Spielberg. Industry also

at 4:00 a.m.,” he does keep long hours and also trav-els a lot. Here’s a sampling of some of the eventsduring the past few months that got Spielberg “outof bed in the morning.”

Monday, August 9, 8:30 a.m.Chilcott Auditorium at DMSIt’s the start of a new academic year for the MedicalSchool. Orientation week for the 84 first-year M.D.students begins this morning. Spielberg bustles intoChilcott and greets Nicholas Osborne, a fourth-year student who’s president of the DMS StudentGovernment, then reviews one last time the notesfor the talk he’s about to give. When DartmouthCollege President James Wright arrives, Spielberghas a smile and a handshake for him. A successionof faculty members who are also on the morning’sprogram file in, and Spielberg greets each one. Thefirst-year students—a happy, noisy horde—have bynow filled most of the seats in the auditorium.

Spielberg steps to the lectern. “Good morning,”he says. “This is one of the most exciting days here

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Spielberg’s UVM counterpart wants to know what it was likeworking in the pharmaceutical industry. Spielberg jokes thatthere are lots of pediatricians at pharmaceutical companiesbecause “they’re so good at dealing with childish behavior.”

Spielberg, center, and other DHMC officials greet a group of visitors from the Universityof Vermont who have come down for a tour of newly opened lab and clinical buildings atDHMC and for a discussion about possible areas of collaboration between the schools.

emphasizes applied science, and there’s a greatersense of urgency about getting results from research.

The group talks about the need to reengineerresearch in the academic environment. “We needscientists who can view molecules and cells and or-ganisms together,” Spielberg says. They also discusschanges in the way anatomy is being taught; hiringpolicies—the struggle to achieve a balance betweenbringing in senior faculty with a track record andsolid research funding, versus identifying promis-ing junior faculty; institutional e-mail systems andcomputing capacity; international partnerships;and the high cost of medical journals.

“We’ve asked our library about a consortiumwith Dartmouth [for] joint buying,” says Evans.That idea hasn’t been implemented yet, but UVMand DMS are cooperating in other areas. “This is atime for a lot of creativity in medicine,” Spielbergtells the visitors. “I’d love to come up and visit you.”

Tuesday, September 28, 10:00 a.m.New York CityThe dean is in New York to visit a donor and isscheduled to fly to Boston that afternoon so he candeliver grand rounds the next day at Children’sHospital. On the run, he calls Hanover to ask hisassistant, Didit Martinez, to hire a car to meet himat Boston’s Logan Airport so he won’t have to waitin the cab line. Martinez makes the arrangementsand calls him back. “Meet the driver on the upperlevel,” she tells him. They chat briefly about howthings have gone in New York. “So call if you needanything else,” Martinez says. As busy as he is,Spielberg has only one assistant to keep him orga-nized (compared to three or four for some of hiscounterparts elsewhere).

Monday, October 4, 5:30 p.m.Fuller Board Room at DHMCSpielberg and Mannix have been invited to attenda meeting of the DMS Student Government. Spiel-berg talks about an upcoming accreditation surveyand the possible overhaul of a first- and second-yearcourse called On Doctoring; feedback from studentswill be an essential part of that process, he remindsthe group. He asks if the students have any otherconcerns. They would like to have a student repre-sentative on the Committee on Student Perfor-mance and Conduct (CSPC). Spielberg promisesto discuss the matter with the other deans.

Wednesday, October 6, 9:00 a.m.Spaulding Auditorium at Dartmouth CollegeSpielberg is slated to welcome several hundred at-tendees at the annual Dartmouth Symposium forLife Sciences. “This has been an incredible week

in medicine,” Spielberg says, sotto voce, to De-partment of Medicine Chair Murray Korc, M.D., asthe speakers wait for the symposium to begin.Vioxx, a major anti-inflammatory, had just beenpulled off the market because it was found to in-crease the risk of cardiovascular events (see page 3for more on the Vioxx withdrawal). And Chiron, aBritish vaccine manufacturer, had shut down itsproduction of flu vaccine because of contaminationproblems. “Half the vaccine in the world has dis-appeared,” says Spielberg.

As the auditorium fills up, the audience’s chat-ter drowns out the conversation near the stage.Spielberg laughs loudly at something that Cardiol-ogy Chief Michael Simons, M.D., has said. Thetopic of today’s gathering is angiogenesis—thegrowth of new blood vessels, a process that hasmany promising therapeutic applications. It’s Si-mons’s research specialty, and he has assembled sev-eral world-class scientists to talk about the field.

Soon it’s time for Spielberg to step on stage.“Good morning,” he says. “Welcome. I’m Stephen

Dartmouth Medicine 37Winter 2004

Spielberg talks to the Student Government about an upcomingaccreditation survey and the possible overhaul of a first- andsecond-year course called On Doctoring; feedback from studentswill be an essential part of that process, he reminds the group.

The dean enjoys the ceremonial parts of hisjob—such as, clockwise from above, leadingthe academic procession at Class Day, hostingthe first-year student picnic, and chatting withalumni (here, Lee Gilliatt ’60) at reunions.

38 Dartmouth Medicine

spend the afternoon in the DHMC Emergency De-partment. He and neurologist James Bernat, M.D.,have been invited to lecture to a class being heldhere. Emergency physician Kevin Curtis, M.D.,who has designed a course for Dartmouth under-graduates on clinical biomedical research, meetsBernat and Spielberg in the old DHMC emergencyroom and escorts them to spacious new emergencyroom quarters due to open the following week.

“Wow!” Spielberg can hardly contain his en-thusiasm as he walks into the sparkling, unoccu-pied space. “Wow!”

He also bubbles with enthusiasm about thecourse itself—a collaboration between DMS andDartmouth College. “I want to congratulate you,”Spielberg tells the six undergraduates. “You are pi-oneers in this kind of course.” After his presenta-tion—about the ethics of pediatric clinical trials—one of the students stays after class to talk with him.Spielberg is clearly delighted. As everyone strollsout—through several sets of double doors, towardthe parking lot—the student and Spielberg are stilldeep in conversation.

Monday, October 11, 9:00 a.m.Derzon Courtyard at DMSOne of Spielberg’s chief priorities is to build new re-search facilities on the Lebanon campus—a trans-lational research building and a new home forCECS and the Department of Community andFamily Medicine. He also hopes to renovate someof the lab space on the Hanover campus. He in-tends to get input about the plans from the mem-bers of the DMS Board of Overseers, who are intown for one of their semiannual meetings, but firsthe wants them to see the existing facilities. So he’sarranged for them to tour both campuses—what helater calls “the good, the bad, and the ugly.”

Brian Edwards, DMS’s director of space plan-ning, first leads the group through labs, classrooms,auditoriums, and offices in the aging Vail and Rem-sen buildings on the Hanover campus; some of thespaces have seen better days but some, like the ge-netics labs, have been recently renovated. Thenthey enter Strasenburgh—a cramped structure thatSpielberg likens to an upside-down submarine; builtas a dormitory in the 1960s, it now houses the of-fices of Dartmouth’s vaunted CECS program. “Thisis the seat of world-class thought,” Spielberg says asthe Overseers file through Strasenburgh’s narrow,dark hallways. “These people have a national rep-utation and this is [where they] have to work.”

Next, vans whisk the Overseers to DHMC.William Hickey, M.D., senior associate dean foracademic affairs, leads a tour of the new CancerCenter labs as well as of the 10-year-old labs in the

Spielberg, dean of the Medical School. No onewould argue [that] angiogenesis has become a cen-tral focus” in medicine. One of the nice aspects ofbeing a dean, he adds, is getting to host events likethis. “But one of the downsides is I have to go tomeetings. So I’ll be in and out.” Spielberg takes aseat in the front row and listens intently as KariKustaa Alitalo, M.D., Ph.D., from the University ofHelsinki, talks about lymphangiogenesis. When Al-italo concludes his presentation at 10:00 a.m.,Spielberg slips quietly up an outer aisle.

But early afternoon finds him back in Spauldingonce more, and he stays through presentations byspecialists from Scripps Research Institute andGenentech and by DMS’s Korc.

Thursday, October 7, 1:50 p.m.Emergency Department at DHMCSpielberg has spent the morning at the Lake MoreyInn in Fairlee, Vt., attending a Center for the Eval-uative Clinical Sciences (CECS) seminar on re-designing clinical microsystems. He’s about to

Winter 2004

Spielberg and his closest advisors talk frankly about a variety ofissues, including the feasibility of a request from the DMSStudent Government to have a student sit on the MedicalSchool’s Committee on Student Performance and Conduct.

Deans go to lots and lots of meetings, Spielberg often notes wryly. The one pictured aboveis his “kitchen cabinet”—the senior associate deans—which convenes weekly, usually atthis meeting table in the dean’s own office but once a month in a bigger conference room.

Borwell Research Building. Spielberg notes that theCancer Center’s open-lab concept and central atri-ums foster collaboration among the researchers.

“This is the type of architecture that we’re talk-ing about relative to the new building,” Hickey ex-plains, “not exactly laid out like this, but the openlaboratory model, no walls, accessible offices, andhaving natural light as much as possible.”

In the student lounge, Spielberg stops to admirea piano. “This is actually my favorite item,” he sayswith a smile. “This was Rad Tanzer’s piano.” Tanz-er “was a plastic surgeon who invented many of theprocedures that are used for children with birth de-fects.” His widow donated the piano to DMS afterhis death in 2003, Spielberg explains.

Tuesday, October 12, 5:30 p.m.Kellogg Auditorium at DMSToday, Spielberg is addressing a faculty meeting. Inhis typical, upbeat fashion, he brings the group upto date on various issues, including plans for thenew buildings. “We’re going to try to increase thelevel of communication around the School,” hetells them.

He brags that nearly 100 percent of Dartmouth’smedical students are involved in community ser-vice and that DMS was one of three finalists for anational community service award from the Asso-ciation of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).He crows about the fact that DMS was one of onlyeight schools worldwide invited to contribute arti-cles on medical education research to a special is-sue of the AAMC journal Academic Medicine. Hereports on several collaborations with Dartmouth’sundergraduate and professional schools. He notesthe steady increase in funding for research and acouple of recent fund-raising successes. He remindsthe faculty that DMS is the right size and in theright setting to effect real change in medicine.

Then the dean fields questions: about timelines,the reliability of funding for the building projects,and assorted other issues. Someone asks what av-enues will be used to communicate about the build-ing projects. Spielberg responds that information isbeing disseminated continuously to faculty andstaff—via meetings as well as through print andelectronic communications. But, he admits, “in anyorganization rumors start. Urban myths are de-structive.” With effective communication, he adds,he hopes to keep rumors and myths at bay.

Wednesday, October 13, 8:00 a.m.Faculty Conference Room at DMSThe first item on this morning’s schedule is a meet-ing of the senior associate deans. The group meetsweekly and once a month is joined by the rest of the

deanery. Present today are Nierenberg, Hickey,Mannix, Alvord, and Constance Brinckerhoff,Ph.D., who oversees the graduate programs. GeraldO’Connor, Sc.D., Ph.D., who oversees the CECSeducational programs, weighs in by speakerphone.Spielberg and his closest advisors talk frankly abouta variety of issues, including the feasibility of theStudent Government’s request to have a student siton the student disciplinary committee. “This hascome up in the context of trying to have studentsunderstand what we understand—that the CSPCprocesses are fair, for the good of the institution,not mysterious, not draconian,” says Spielberg.

After discussing the pros and cons of the pro-posal—including confidentiality concerns—thedeans decide to appoint two fourth-year students asvoting members of the committee, with one ofthem to attend any given meeting. “The ultimatemessage is students are partners in the process,”concludes Spielberg.

The deans move on to discuss diversity in theadmissions process and committee assignments;

Dartmouth Medicine 39Winter 2004

After his presentation—about the ethics of pediatric clinicaltrials—one of the undergraduates stays after class to talk with him. Spielberg is clearly delighted. As everyone strolls out, the student and Spielberg are still deep in conversation.

Between meetings, Spielberg fits in—clockwisefrom above—arranging his schedule with hisassistant, Didit Martinez; signing lots ofletters (he hand-signs every single offer ofadmission to applicants); and checking e-mail.

40 Dartmouth Medicine

explaining that angiogenesis concerns “how bloodvessels move into organs and provide nutrition.Critical for fetuses,” he adds, and for combatingcancer, too. “I had a ball,” he continues. “I learneda lot of developmental biology.”

There were lots of questions after he was done.One person wanted Spielberg’s take on a NationalPublic Radio story about a new breed of doctorswho are choosing specialties, like dermatology, thatare less likely to disrupt their lives.

“I heard the same report,” says Spielberg. “I’mstruck by our students and their dedication. A num-ber are going into surgery,” because they are inter-ested in the field and are influenced by their teach-ers. “I’m confident that the students we’ve [got],with ongoing dialogue, will make right choices.”

“Where’s the money coming from? What areyour challenges?” someone else asks.

“Tuition is less than 10 percent of the MedicalSchool budget,” responds Spielberg. “The MedicalSchool budget is $200 million this year. A greatportion comes from faculty in terms of grants. DMShas stayed ahead of the curve.” There has been agradual shift in recent years from individual to col-laborative research—and that’s what the NIH ismost likely to fund these days, he adds. “Right noweverybody is a born-again collaborator.” But atDMS, he says, there’s true collaboration. He citesDartmouth’s Advanced Imaging Center as an ex-ample. The Departments and Sections of Radiolo-gy, Psychiatry, Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Car-diology, plus the Cancer Center, are all active part-ners in the center’s funding, he says.

And, he reminds this group of longtime sup-porters, with a capital campaign about to launch,philanthropy will also be key. “Absolutely—spreadthe word about what you know,” chimes in BrianLally, vice president for development.

Thursday, October 21, 12:00 noonFuller Board Room at DHMCThe Dean’s Advisory Board—which includes theassociate and assistant deans as well as all the de-partment chairs, plus Spielberg’s counterparts at theHospital and Clinic—meets once a month. Today,Bill Hickey informs the group about the decision toadd a fourth-year medical student as a voting mem-ber of the student disciplinary committee. We feltthat “having that representation would be a wisemove at this point,” adds Spielberg.

After votes on a couple of personnel issues,Spielberg thanks Barry Smith, M.D., who is aboutto retire as chair of obstetrics and gynecology.

He also reports on the recent Board of Overseersfacilities tour. “We saw wonderful renovations ingenetics,” he says. “We also saw places in Vail and

nominations for the Dartmouth-wide MartinLuther King Social Justice Awards; improvementsto the quarters for Student Affairs; and plans forhandling flu shots for students, given the nation-wide shortage of flu vaccine.

. Thursday, October 14, 12:00 noonFuller Board Room at DHMCAbout a dozen community leaders and key donorshave been invited to have lunch at DHMC. Spiel-berg works the room, chatting animatedly with peo-ple before the luncheon begins. As the dean beginshis formal presentation, the microphone makes afunny sound. “Doesn’t sound good at all,” Spielbergjokes. “I think it’s an F-sharp.”

Once the microphone is fixed, Spielberg dazzlesthe audience with anecdotes about the MedicalSchool, the terrific work of its researchers and clin-icians, DMS’s role as national leader, and its plansfor the future. He describes medical science in termsthat this lay audience can understand. “I went to aLife Sciences Symposium on angiogenesis,” he says,

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Spielberg has good news for the Dean’s Advisory Board: DMShas received “a wonderful donation from Dean LeBaron”—$5million to construct a commons space that will join the BorwellResearch Building with planned new research facilities.

The Dean’s Advisory Board—a body that includes the chairs of all the departments plusassorted other administrators—meets once a month, alternating between a conferenceroom at DMS on the Hanover campus and (here) one at DHMC on the Lebanon campus.

Remsen where rodents dare not tread.” And, hequips, Strasenburgh is “not for the claustrophobic.”

Then he turns to some good budget news. “Weclosed the year in balance,” he reports about the2003-04 fiscal year. And regarding National Insti-tutes of Health grants in the current fiscal year, headds, “we’re ahead on NIH funding.”

And there’s still more good news. Spielberg saysthat DMS has received “a wonderful donation fromDean LeBaron”—$5 million to construct a com-mons space that will join the Borwell ResearchBuilding on the DHMC campus with new researchfacilities that are on the drawing board (see page16 for more on this gift).

COO Mannix points out that a unified plan forboth campuses is being developed—the renovationof older buildings on the Hanover campus and theaddition of new buildings on the Lebanon cam-pus—and emphasizes the need for rumor control ifpiecemeal word of the plans gets out.

“We’re going to be doing a lot more [talkingabout the projects] in the next few months,” Spiel-berg assures everyone as he adjourns the meeting.

Spielberg and Mannix head to their next meet-ing, with Hospital President Jim Varnum and Ex-ecutive Vice President Paul Gardent. While wait-ing for Varnum and Gardent, Spielberg and Man-nix chat. Spielberg articulates a growing need forwhat he calls “integrative scientific leaders” and ex-presses concern at how long it takes to train M.D.-Ph.D.’s. He urges Mannix to tour some of the un-renovated spaces in Vail and Remsen. “It’s a warrenof little dominions. You gotta take a tour, Charlie.”

Gardent arrives and the conversation switchesto a faculty search that’s under way. “We’re lookingfor leadership who can foster the development ofyounger faculty,” says Spielberg.

When Varnum gets there they turn their atten-tion to the search for a new ob-gyn chair to replaceBarry Smith. They also discuss a proposed new planto evaluate department chairs. “A great part of theirjob is stewarding their department,” says Spielberg.And Varnum mentions the important role that thechairs play in institutional leadership.

Friday, October 22, 12:00 noonFuller Board Room at DHMCToday Spielberg is giving talk to the DMS AlumniCouncil. All the members are graduates of DMS,but some are also members of the DMS faculty orconnect with Spielberg in other ways. “I often speakto overlapping audiences,” says Spielberg, “so Ithink I’ll talk today about pharmacogenomics.” TheCouncilors, who’d expected a “state of the School”update from the dean, chuckle. “No, no, no,” Spiel-berg quickly continues, waving his hands. “But, ac-

tually, I never get to talk about pharmacogenomicsany more.” However, he goes on, he loves talkingabout the Medical School. In conclusion, he saysthat the students who come to DMS have the “rightheart and head combination.”

Friday, October 22, 2:50 p.m.Dean’s Office at DMSSpielberg is back in his office, catching up on e-mail at his computer. It’s a rare break in his day frommeetings. But not for long—in a few minutes he’sscheduled to participate in a conference call withother members of a national advisory board that heserves on, for an organization that fosters and pro-motes pediatric clinical research.

“Let’s see if there’s anything I need to knowabout,” he whispers to himself as he clicks throughhis e-mail and sips on a cup of coffee. “Ah, yes,” hewhispers.

“Huh,” he grunts. “Flu clinic canceled,” he readshalf to himself.

At 3:00 p.m. sharp, he dials into the conference

Dartmouth Medicine 41Winter 2004

The dean articulates a need for what he calls “integrativescientific leaders.” Then the conversation switches to a facultysearch that’s under way. “We’re looking for leadership who canfoster the development of younger faculty,” says Spielberg.

The dean gets business done in informal one-on-one sessions as well as big meetings—here,clockwise from above, with College PresidentJim Wright; with Hospital President JimVarnum; and with Psychiatry Chair Alan Green.

42 Dartmouth Medicine

notes that big foundations like to give money forhigh-profile causes. “The problem is pediatrics is al-ways at the bottom of the heap,” he says.

The conversation continues, and at the close ofthe call Spielberg says to the director, “I thinkyou’ve done a spectacular job.”

Wednesday, November 3, 7:30 p.m.Cook Auditorium at Dartmouth CollegePaul Farmer, M.D., Ph.D., a noted physician, hu-manitarian, and medical anthropologist, has beeninvited to Dartmouth to give the annual HelmutSchumann Lecture.

Spielberg, dressed casually in a brown-and-olivestriped sweater, hurries in just as the lecture is aboutto begin. The room is packed, with people fillingthe aisles. Spielberg scoots down to the front of theauditorium and sits, cross-legged, on the floor.Farmer—who is the subject of a recent book by Tra-cy Kidder, Mountains Beyond Mountains—begins histalk. A few minutes into it, he suddenly notices thedean. “I know I’ve arrived when the dean will sit onthe floor to hear me speak,” Farmer jokes.

Saturday, November 13, 9:00 a.m.Roosevelt Hotel, New York CitySpielberg and his wife, Laurel, came down to NewYork yesterday to attend several Dartmouth Col-lege campaign kickoff events—a gala dinner lastnight and today a series of celebratory talks andpanel discussions. (See more about this event onpage 14.) Spielberg is slated to give closing remarksat a panel titled “Transforming Medicine,” after Su-san Dentzer, a Dartmouth graduate and a health re-porter on the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, has mod-erated a discussion between Mark Israel, M.D., di-rector of Dartmouth’s Cancer Center, and JohnWennberg, M.D., director of CECS.

“I think this is a truly special time,” Spielbergsays when it’s his turn. “Medicine can no longerwork in isolation—we need biology, chemistry,computer science, sociology. . . . Medicine is notgoing to succeed in a vacuum.” He also stresses theimportance of DMS working collaboratively withthe rest of Dartmouth. “It’s important for Dart-mouth College grads to understand” how science isintegrated everywhere in society, he says. “TheMedical School is a partner in the undergraduateexperience,” as well as with Dartmouth’s other pro-fessional schools—the Tuck School of Business andthe Thayer School of Engineering. Collaborativeinitiatives are flourishing at Dartmouth, he con-cludes, because “we are right-sized.”

It’s a refrain he’s delivered many times before.But, like the good musician that he is, he plays iteach time appassionato—with passion.

call. “What’s your pass code?” asks a female voice.Spielberg supplies the number.“Your name?”“Stephen Spielberg.”“You’re the first on,” she says.Spielberg resumes checking his e-mail while he

waits for the conversation to start. As others jointhe call, each one is announced.

“So, Steve, tell me, is it snowing up there yet?”someone asks.

“Aw, come on, it’s just past peak foliage,” Spiel-berg counters.

It’s not long before the discussion is in full swing,facilitated by the network’s scientific director. Theconversation ranges from studies under way to po-tential funding models. The director notes thatwith Spielberg’s help, a large corporation recentlygave the network $50,000.

Spielberg finishes his coffee and tosses the papercup into the trash. The director begins talkingabout public-private collaborations. “Of course, thedevil is in the details,” says the director. Spielberg

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The director mentions public-private collaborations, saying,“Of course, the devil is in the details.” Spielberg notes that bigfoundations like to give money for high-profile causes. “Theproblem is, pediatrics is always at the bottom of the heap.”

Time for reflection and writing is hard to come by, given Spielberg’s busy schedule. Thatsort of work gets done at home on evenings and weekends, “sometimes with music or TVin the background,” as well as on planes and, he admits, “in the shower in the morning.”