Emporians Scott and Julie Smiley are donating a lot of money to the University of Kansas School of Medicine in Wichita.
The couple has pledged $1 million to support the school’s internal medicine program and create student scholarships.
The Smileys’ gift will establish three funds in their names, with one benefiting the Internal Medicine Department as a whole, one supporting residents in the program and one for scholarships with a funding preference for internal medicine students.
Scott Smiley, MD, a Newton native, specializes in internal medicine with his practice in Emporia. He is an alum of the KU School of Medicine in Wichita, but he received his undergraduate and graduate degrees in microbiology from K-State — which is where he met Julie, a native of Warren, Pennsylvania, a veterinary medicine graduate and now the co-owner of East Emporia Veterinary Clinic.
The Smileys donated to KU’s Wichita campus in part because of Scott Smiley’s experiences and the small-group learning opportunities.
“I appreciated the community worked together to educate students, particularly the volunteer faculty,” Smiley said. “They understand the investment it takes to educate doctors.”
Dean of the School of Medicine Garold Minns, MD, says the Smileys’ decision was “inspiring.”
“We appreciate how it will give the department flexibility and assist residents and medical students interested in internal medicine,” Minns said.
