With COVID-19 putting an emphasis on frontline medical workers, more students are ready to put on a white coat themselves. Medical schools across the country report a spike in applications, especially from students of color.

At Georgetown Universitys medical school, applications are up 24% overall and 40% from underrepresented minorities. The University of Maryland along with Howard University have also seen a rising number of applicants.

Since the pandemic started, the passion I had has actually increased, said Eunice Odusanya, a senior at Howard University who recently applied to 16 medical schools.

Odusanya has dreamed of studying medicine since the first grade, when doctors helped her with asthma. She plans to go into surgical oncology. Odusanya lost her grandfather to cancer, and hopes to someday find a cure.

She also hopes to help communities of color, which have been hit hardest by COVID-19.

Who better to do it than us, when you see someone who looks like you, who has experienced the same thing that you have experienced? Odusanya said.

Dr. Hugh Mighty, dean of the Howard University College of Medicine, is uplifted to see a rise in applicants, especially from underrepresented groups. He said that many schools are doing virtual interviews, which makes it easier and more affordable for students to apply.

If you are a minority aspiring physician in this country, there is work to be done and you see that, Mighty said.

Odusanya was recently accepted into Howard Universitys medical school, but is still waiting to hear back from others before deciding. Wherever she ends up, shes certain that the pandemic has galvanized her passion.

It has actually motivated me to learn more, to grow more, and to be the best that I can be, Odusanya said. Because people are actually depending on my success.

Originally posted here:
More Students Applying to Medical School During the Pandemic, Universities Say - NBC4 Washington

An audience cheered the first 60 Washington State University members of the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine in August 2017. The future doctors in its inaugural class were cloaked in white coats during a ceremony at Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox.

This May likely absent a gathering WSU will graduate that first class of new MDs who then disperse to residency programs in this state and across the U.S. After an average of five years or so in that training, the hope is theyll return to this state to practice medicine.

Among them is Phoebe Tham, 29, who today can look from her downtown Spokane condo and see the theater where their collective journey began.

A little over 3 years ago now, we were all in the theater here for our white coat ceremony taking our oath before starting medical school, Tham said. The time has just flown by.

At that ceremony, the class also heard from Carmento Floyd, widow of the former WSU president for whom the medical school is named. She told them, You are and will be the most important class because you were first. That message has never been lost, Tham said.

Were all pretty close. I consider everyone a great classmate, a great friend and, really, a lifelong colleague. Its a very supportive group.

We all are part of this first class, and I think there is some pride in that and some pride in knowing we have a part in shaping what the future of the college of medicine looks like. I think weve all just embraced that opportunity whether thats working together, learning well and working well with the medical communities that were in.

Weve also had the privilege of kind of shaping what we want our legacy to be, to make improvements for future classes. To be able to work closely with the faculty and the community physicians has been a real privilege and something that I knew I would get as being part of the first class but didnt have the appreciation yet that I do now.

Tham has a goal to become an anesthesiologist, so shes applied to training programs that include two in the state, through the University of Washington as well as Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle. Another regional option is through Oregon Health & Science University in Portland.

On March 19, called match day among medical school graduates, she and others learn of their residency and fellowship training positions in the National Resident Matching Program. Shes keeping her fingers crossed that it will be a Northwest program, but, it could be anywhere.

Tham wants eventually to be in Washington either way.

When selected, all 60 of the medical students came from somewhere in the state, a move that college administrators said was purposeful to make a dent toward filling in future physician needs particularly for medically underserved areas.

That is one of the coolest things about being in this class is that I know in another four, five or six years, whenever were all done training, I would say most of the people I know have the goals of coming back to serve and be a physician in the state, Tham said.

Even though we are going into all different specialties whether that be surgery, family medicine or anesthesiology, just the thought that well all be back one day is really neat. I could be the anesthesiologist for one of my classmates who might be the surgeon.

There were a few bumps as the first class, she said, such as unknowns early on about what clinical rotations would look like, and they couldnt ask questions of an upper class of medical students.

But they instead received an abundance of support, she said, from Spokanes medical doctors going all out to mentor and train this first WSU group.

I think one of the things thats very much stood out to me is just how incredible the medical community in Spokane is. One of the things that Im most thankful for having the opportunity to do the clinicals here is just to see how much the doctors care for the patients and also how much theyre invested in training us as medical students.

We dont have a class above us being the first class, and Ive been able to find mentors and physicians who are so committed to our medical school journey. These are relationships that I very much treasure.

While she considers Washington home now, Tham has lived in three countries.

Her journey to WSU began with a childhood in Singapore, where she was born, until moving to Canada with her family at age 10. Tham later made Washington her permanent home moving to Seattle just before entering the University of Washington on a gymnastics scholarship.

Her mother studied in the U.S. for college, she said, and wanted to move Tham and her younger brother here. Thams mom, brother and stepdad now also live in the state.

Tham completed a biology major, then worked two years for a Seattle-area pain management practice, where she decided to pursue medicine. The clinic introduced her to working in clinical research and helping to take care of patients.

When applying to schools, it was the year that WSU had opened its medical college applications, and Tham wanted to stay in-state.

During their first two years here in Spokane, many of the medical students bonded over playing basketball, she said. Tham also joined classmates in forming Spokane Hoopfest teams.

Another favorite part of being here, Tham said, was enjoying the Spokane food scene and trying different restaurants as they opened.

For the third- and fourth-year training, she and classmates had opportunities at all regional hospitals, Sacred Heart, Deaconess and the VA doing some of our core rotations and then our specialty rotations all with the community physicians, for me, here in Spokane.

When she completes her anesthesiology residency training, Tham said that where in the state she ends up will depend on work opportunities. Some of her classmates have mentioned their plans to return to rural hometowns.

I know of some classmates who were born and raised in a more rural community in Washington and have full intentions of returning back there to provide health care for their communities, she said.

She and classmates also enjoyed watching as other classes of medical students arrived at WSU, she said. Theyve been able to do some mentoring for them as members of the first class.

I feel so fortunate and blessed to be in the position I am, that WSU opened the school to train new medical students and how grateful I am for the community physicians who have been willing to teach us and mentor us through becoming doctors.

The rest is here:
The first class: WSU's new medical school is graduating its first 60 students in the spring - The Spokesman-Review

With several cases of the highly infectious COVID-19 variant confirmed in Worcester, UMass Medical School researchers have doubled their efforts to track and trace the mutated infections in Central Massachusetts.

Their method? Genomic sequencing, which lets them determine the genetic makeup of virus samples that are collected through local testing efforts. The tracking project is being done in collaboration with the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The UMass researchers and their colleagues proposed the sequencing idea over the summer. They had done it before, originally as a way of trying to understand the role mutations played in the transmission of bacterial infections in hospitals.

We wanted to see how bacteria, such as MRSA, spreads in the hospital, said Dr. Richard Ellison, an epidemiologist at UMass Memorial Medical Center involved in the effort.

After several prominent strains of the COVID-19 emerged in different parts of the world, interest in the project grew. Last month, researchers began collecting COVID samples from routine PCR tests, sending them off to the Department of Public Health for sequencing. Those samples were previously flagged as suspicious by UMass researchers based on an analysis of the viruses genetic codes.

We use an instrument at UMass that looks for three different COVID genes, Ellison said. If you have the U.K. variant, a sample might test positive for two of the genes, but negative for another.

This pro-active targeting of available viral samples from Worcester residents led to the discovery of at least three cases of the B.1.1.7 COVID variant in Worcester, which first emerged in the United Kingdom in November. UMass researchers hope not only to continue identifying the mutated infections in the Worcester area, but work with local officials to determine if theyre clustered in a particular part of the city.

They can do this through contact tracing. Because viruses can pick up several mutations a week, epidemiologists can attempt to trace the samples that have identifiable changes back to the circumstances of transmission based on the likeness of their genome.

If one person gives the virus directly to another person, their sequences are essentially going to be identical, Ellison said.

As of Monday, there are at least 7 cases of B.1.1.7 in Massachusetts. The new strain is thought be caused by a mutation on the viruss spike protein, specifically the receptor-binding domain the part of the virus that docks onto the host cell. Experts believe that the vaccines are still effective, preventing the new variant from attaching to cells, injecting its genome and replicating.

But uncertainty lingers. Successful viral mutations may threaten the efficacy of the vaccines, and could potentially cause more severe illness, Ellison said.

Federal health officials on Monday reiterated that the U.K. mutation could become the dominant strain in the U.S. as early as March, a prediction based on CDC modeling. Genomic tracking efforts will ultimately be key to getting the pandemic under control, Ellison said.

But in the U.S., genomic sequencing capabilities have been lagging behind that of other countries, like the U.K.

The reason they could identify the variant in the U.K. was because they were routinely sequencing, Ellison said.

Its thanks to genomic sequencing that Broad Institute researchers and others discovered over the summer that more than 80 unique genomes of COVID-19 here in Massachusetts had been imported from other parts of the world. Researchers in that study also stated that the Biogen conference in Boston that took place at the onset of the pandemic was linked to tens of thousands of cases.

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UMass Medical School researchers are tracking COVID mutations in Worcester; Heres what theyre finding - MassLive.com

UC Davis is currently vaccinating patients 65 and older. To find out when they are eligible, patients can register for an account with MyUCDavisHealth

Having only worked at UC Davis for six months before the outbreak of COVID-19, Dr. Allison Brashear, the dean of the UC Davis School of Medicine, said that partnering with the UC Davis campus has been crucial when adjusting to the ever-changing conditions of the pandemic. On March 2, 2020, Brashear met with over 25 researchers and clinicians to discuss pandemic operations.

We had a call to action on March 2, with the campus and the School of Medicine on what are we going to do about the pandemic, clinical trials, developing, testing [and] improving patient care, Brashear said. And everybody jumped in with both feet in terms of getting research approved and moving forward developing testing and really working as one team.

Before coming to UC Davis, Brashear worked as the chair of the Department of Neurology at Wake Forest University for 15 years. Now, as the dean for UC Davis Health, she said that her role has evolved during the pandemic to focus on strategy and operations. She has also participated in new initiatives such as a Deans Call and a Deans Discuss Podcast in collaboration with the School of Veterinary Medicine.

Beginning on March 2, we developed a daily Deans Call which we did for almost two months, Brashear said. We still have those Deans Calls twice a week, where we actually real-time problem-solve issues about surge testing [or] vaccinations.

Less than two weeks after the meeting in early March, UC Davis Health developed its own internal rapid testing system where tests were run through an onsite machine instead of outsourced to a lab. The university also pioneered the saliva test on Nov. 10, 2020, and initiated clinical trials relating to the vaccine, the most recent in late Dec. 2020.

According to Brashear, she is most proud of UC Davis adaptability and swift development of testing and clinical trials.

Im particularly proud of the inclusion of research in our day-to-day clinical care, Brashear said. That goes from standing up a test in the middle of March to bringing clinical trials in record time to our patients at the bedside and in the clinics.

Since the development of different varieties of COVID-19 vaccines, UC Davis has administered over 17,000 vaccines in total and is currently vaccinating patients 65 and older.

As the vaccination rollout continues, Brashear said that she hopes for other vaccines to be approved in the near future to allow for more widespread vaccination.

There have been some challenges about the vaccine rollout, Brashear said. We are looking forward to additional vaccines being approved, including AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson. In general, one of the challenges has been lots of people that want the vaccine but not enough providers to deliver the vaccine.

According to her, UC Davis has thus far been a model in safety and in vaccination of its frontline healthcare workers.

Our goal is to really vaccinate our health care workers so that we can make sure that they are all safe, Brashear said. Our frontline workers are a priority. About 82% of our [health care workers] have been vaccinated with at least one shot.

Brashear stated that she is grateful overall for the work UC Davis Health has been able to accomplish, bolstered by a partnership with the campus.

Im really proud of the collaboration with main campus to really improve [the] health of our patients at UC Davis Health but also to move science forward, Brashear said. Its really been a team effort over the last 10 months.

To find more information about receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, patients can create an account with MyUCDavisHealth. Patients will be notified when they are eligible to be vaccinated.

Written by: Sophie Dewees features@theaggie.org

Excerpt from:
The dean of the UC Davis Medical School discusses the vaccination rollout, patient care - The Aggie

The Department of Internal Medicine is pleased to announce the following appointments and promotions to Professor of Medicine. Michael P. DiGiovanna, MD, PhD, and Emily Wang, MD, were promoted to Professor of Medicine. Robert Bona, MD, was newly recruited to Yale and appointed Professor of Medicine.

Co-Director, Pre-Clerkship CurriculumPharmacology Thread LeaderCo-Leader, Genes & Development Master CourseMD: Yale School of MedicinePhD: Yale School of Medicine Residency: Yale New Haven HospitalPostdoctoral Fellow: Yale School of MedicineFellowship: Yale New Haven Hospital

Michael P. DiGiovanna, MD, PhD, attended Yale School of Medicine earning an MD and a PhD in pharmacology. He completed his post-graduate training at Yale, with an internship and residency in internal medicine, a research post-doctoral fellowship, and a clinical fellowship in medical oncology. His clinical specialty is breast cancer oncology; he conducts both clinical and laboratory-based research into the treatment and of breast cancer. He has had a leadership role in medical education in the school, overseeing a large component of the medical student curriculum.

What does your promotion mean to you? The promotion is a much-appreciated acknowledgment from peers that the work one does is valued.

What was the first thing you did when you found out you were promoted to professor? I shared the good news with family.

What are you proud of most thus far in your career? Being able to contribute substantially in all three areas of the academic medical center mission: patient care, research, and education.

What is your favorite part of academia? Translating new research results into practice.

Tell us a fun fact about yousomething people may find surprising. I'm a highly trained musician. In college I double-majored in biochemistry and music. Also, I play mens league ice hockey two nights per week (when a pandemic doesnt result in rink closure).

Director, SEICHE Center for Health and JusticeHealth Justice Lab research program leadCo-founder, Transitions Clinic NetworkMD: Duke University Medical Center Intern: University of California, San FranciscoResidency: University of California, San FranciscoMAS: University of California, San Francisco

Emily Wang, MD, directs the SEICHE Center for Health and Justice, a collaboration between Yale School of Medicine and Yale Law School. The Center works to stimulate community transformation by identifying the legal, policy, and practice levers that can improve the health of individuals and communities impacted by mass incarceration. She also leads the Health Justice Lab research program that investigates how incarceration influences chronic health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and opioid use disorder. As an internist, she cares for many individuals with a history of incarceration and is co-founder of the Transitions Clinic Network, a consortium of 40 community health centers nationwide employing community health workers with histories of incarceration. Wang recently co-chaired the National Academy of Sciences consensus report on decarcerating correctional facilities during COVID-19.

What does your promotion mean to you? I am hoping that students, residents, people starting out at Yale will see my promotion as a sign that a career grounded in social justice in an academic medical center is possible, rewarding, and joyful.

What was the first thing you did when you found out you were promoted to professor? I told my family.

What are you proud of most thus far in your career? am most proud when my team and community thrive: when patients who have been out of prison for a decade are meaningfully employed and reunited with family, when medical students go on to become physician leaders caring for justice-involved patients, when fellows land jobs in academia and the public sector contributing to the science and practice of decarceration, and when my team members succeed in changing the practices, policies, and culture of our institutions to support people impacted by mass incarceration.

What is your favorite part of academia? That I am able to work on something that I care so deeply about.

Fun fact about yousomething people may find surprising. Favorite song to karaoke: Livin on a Prayer

Director, Benign Hematology ProgramMedical Director, Hemophilia Treatment CenterMD: SUNY Upstate Medical Center Residency: Rhode Island Hospital, Brown UniversityFellowship: UConn School of Medicine

Originally from New York, Robert Bona, MD, and his wife, Georg'Ann, currently live in New Haven and are long-time residents of Connecticut where they raised their three children. Before to coming to Yale, Dr. Bona was a founding faculty member of the Frank H. Netter School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University. He previously was Professor of Medicine at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, where he served as the hematology oncology fellowship program director, chief of the division of hematology oncology, and hemophilia treatment center director. He has had a strong interest throughout his career, in medical education and clinical hemostasis and thrombosis.

What does your appointment mean to you? I'm humbled and honored to be appointed at this level at the Yale School of Medicine.

What was the first thing you did when you found out about your appointment? I told my wife who offered congratulations: That is really an accomplishment you should be proud of!

What are you proud of most thus far in your career? I think I have made a difference in the lives of patients and their families either through medical knowledge and application or by being present for them during times of need.

What is your favorite part of academia? Being a piece of the educational mission of a medical school has been extremely gratifying. I enjoy teaching and learning from students, residents, fellows, nurses, social workers and others involved in the care of patients. Career advising and being able to share some of my experiences with trainees in order for them to make decisions about their careers is also very gratifying.

Fun fact about yousomething people may find surprising. I'm trying to learn to play guitar. I started taking lessons a few years ago, which have been interrupted due to the COVID pandemic. Also, I coached my kids baseball/softball teams for almost 20 years--great fun!

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New Professors Within the Department of Internal Medicine - Yale School of Medicine

BALTIMORE, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, announced today that Jill RachBeisel, MD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, has been appointed to serve as the Chair of the Department of Psychiatry, effective immediately. Dr. RachBeisel has served as the Department's Interim Chair for the past two years and was previously Acting Chair and Vice Chair of the Department. A prominent leader at UMSOM, she has garnered tremendous support among faculty and staff for her efforts to forge partnerships among various entities in an effort to strengthen mental health services provided to patients and the community at large. Dr. RachBeisel will be named The Dr. Irving J. Taylor Endowed Professor and Chair, Department of Psychiatry, when she is invested March 18.

The appointment of Dr. RachBeisel was recommended by a Dean-appointed Review Committee led by Peter B. Crino, MD, PhD, Professor and Chair, Department of Neurology, and Rodney J. Taylor, MD, MPH, Professor and Chair, Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery. After extensive review, the committee unanimously recommended to Dean Reece that she be considered for the permanent chair position.

For more than 20 years, Dr. RachBeisel has played an increasing role in leading the Department's clinical and academic activities, and in leading the integration of the UMSOM's Department's academic programs with the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC), as well as with the State of Maryland and City of Baltimore.

"Dr. RachBeisel is a tremendous leader and has had an enormous impact on the department during her terms as Interim Chair, Acting Chair, and Vice Chair. She has built lasting bridges between UMSOM and UMMS/UMMC, as well as bridges between UMSOM and the community at large which have benefitted greatly from her efforts to expand mental health services to those in need, " said Dean Reece, who is also Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs and the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor. "She is highly respected across our academic community and has demonstrated unwavering and effective leadership throughout the years. Her gift for building partnerships between researchers and clinicians to create innovative and highly successful initiatives is remarkable and highly desirable."

Under her leadership as Interim Chair, Dr. RachBeisel has focused on building vital and lasting collaborations to strengthen the Department's infrastructure to support faculty growth and development, and the fusion of research and clinical agendas.

"Dr. RachBeisel is a phenomenally talented clinician, educator and mentor to our medical trainees and behavioral health specialists," said Bert W. O'Malley, Jr., MD, President and Chief Executive Officer of the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC). "She has been a guiding light and inspiration to our hospital staff during this stressful time of the global pandemic. Her passion for designing programs that span a spectrum of settings and for partnering with colleagues to provide integrated behavioral care expertise is invaluable."

The Department of Psychiatry received research and service grants totaling $43 million for fiscal year 2020 from the National Institutes of Health and elsewhere. Dr. RachBeisel worked with Dean Reece to establish the Vice Chair of Research and appointed Gloria Reeves, MD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, to serve in this role. Other successful efforts include the establishment of the "Foundation Academy" to assist faculty in learning the intricacies of working effectively and successfully with non-profit foundations and to help prepare successful grant submissions. A newly established and formalized Mentoring Program for all new and mid-level faculty was also implemented to enhance faculty growth, professional development, and promotion leading to enhanced clinical and research success.

Dr. RachBeisel is the first woman to chair the UMSOM Department of Psychiatry. Immediately after assuming the interim chair position, Dr. RachBeisel established the Department of Psychiatry's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee, chaired by Anique Forrester, MD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry. The committee has focused on developing a training curriculum and diversifying the hiring of faculty and staff. They also have collaborated on efforts to retain new hires and maintain momentum to facilitate change. With support from a highly engaged faculty and resident group, Dr. RachBeisel also created a DEI lecture series that began last fall and will run through FY21.

"I am proud and honored to be taking the permanent helm of this department with its devoted faculty and staff," said Dr. RachBeisel. "Together we have risen to the challenges of the past year and have worked as a united team to sustain our programs and meet the increased needs of our patients and the campus workforce during the pandemic and the movement against racial injustice."

Heralded for her clinical achievements, Dr. RachBeisel helped spearhead the 2019 opening of two new state-of-the-art units-an adult inpatient behavioral health unit and the adult day hospital program at the University of Maryland Medical Center Midtown Campus (MTC). The programs, designed to optimize patient experience and safety, are led byStephanie Knight, MD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Chief of Psychiatry at MTC. They are staffed by nurses, social workers, occupational and recreational therapists, addiction, counselors, and clinical nurse educators.

Dr. RachBeisel has also played a key role in developing a new partnership with other Baltimore area hospitals to strengthen and expand the crisis response infrastructure and community-based services to Baltimore City and its three surrounding counties. The Greater Baltimore Regional Integrated Crisis System (GBRICS) Partnership will enable UMMC to expand its Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) programs for adults and children, statewide tele-mental health program, and extensive addictions care program.

"Dr. RachBeisel has been instrumental in helping us develop and implement robust and evidence-based programs to provide expert, compassionate, team-based care for our community, including the citizens of West Baltimore, the City of Baltimore, and the region," said Alison Brown, MPH, President, University of Maryland Medical Center Midtown Campus. "We are so excited to have her continue permanently in this leadership role."

Serving as a faculty member in the Department of Psychiatry since 1989, Dr. RachBeisel began her career in the field of acute psychiatric care, emergency psychiatric interventions, and quality management in the hospital setting. She received her BS Degree in Chemistry and Mathematics from Carlow College in Pittsburgh, PA, and her RN Certification from the Western Pennsylvania School of Nursing. She then went on to complete her medical degree in 1985 from Pennsylvania State University School of Medicine. She completed her Psychiatric Residency Program at the University of Maryland Medical Center in 1989, serving as chief resident during her fourth year.

During her tenure at the UMSOM, Dr. RachBeisel has held numerous leadership positions at the Institute of Psychiatry and Human Behavior and served as the Division Director for Community Psychiatry at the University of Maryland Medical Center, overseeing 200 staff and physicians and providing a range of community mental health services. Through collaborations with the Division of Psychiatric Services Research, she became focused on the study of implementation of evidenced-based care for persons with a serious mental illness. In addition to her Division responsibilities, Dr. RachBeisel has been Chief of Clinical Services for the Department of Psychiatry since 2014, providing oversight of program development, performance improvement, and collaboration with the research divisions within the Department.

About the University of Maryland School of Medicine

Now in its third century, the University of Maryland School of Medicine was chartered in 1807 as the first public medical school in the United States. It continues today as one of the fastest growing, top-tier biomedical research enterprises in the world -- with 45 academic departments, centers, institutes, and programs; and a faculty of more than 3,000 physicians, scientists, and allied health professionals, including members of the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences, and a distinguished two-time winner of the Albert E. Lasker Award in Medical Research. With an operating budget of more than $1.2 billion, the School of Medicine works closely in partnership with the University of Maryland Medical Center and Medical System to provide research-intensive, academic and clinically based care for nearly 2 million patients each year. The School of Medicine has more than $563 million in extramural funding, with most of its academic departments highly ranked among all medical schools in the nation in research funding. As one of the seven professional schools that make up the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus, the School of Medicine has a total population of nearly 9,000 faculty and staff, including 2,500 students, trainees, residents, and fellows. The combined School of Medicine and Medical System ("University of Maryland Medicine") has an annual budget of nearly $6 billion and an economic impact more than $15 billion on the state and local community. The School of Medicine, which ranks as the 8th highest among public medical schools in research productivity, is an innovator in translational medicine, with 600 active patents and 24 start-up companies. The School of Medicine works locally, nationally, and globally, with research and treatment facilities in 36 countries around the world. Visit medschool.umaryland.edu

About the University of Maryland Medical Center

The University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) is comprised of two hospital campuses in Baltimore: the 800-bed flagship institution of the 14-hospital University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) -- and the 200-bed UMMC Midtown Campus, both academic medical centers training physicians and health professionals and pursuing research and innovation to improve health. UMMC's downtown campus is a national and regional referral center for trauma, cancer care, neurosciences, advanced cardiovascular care, women's and children's health, and has one of the largest solid organ transplant programs in the country. All physicians on staff at the downtown campus are clinical faculty physicians of the University of Maryland School of Medicine. The UMMC Midtown Campus medical staff is predominately faculty physicians specializing in diabetes, chronic diseases, behavioral health, long term acute care and an array of outpatient primary care and specialty services. UMMC Midtown has been a teaching hospital for 140 years and is located one mile away from the downtown campus. For more information, visit http://www.umm.edu.

This news release was issued on behalf of Newswise For more information, visit http://www.newswise.com

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dr-jill-rachbeisel-appointed-chair-of-the-department-of-psychiatry-at-the-um-school-of-medicine-301227492.html

SOURCE University of Maryland School of Medicine

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Dr. Jill Rachbeisel, Appointed Chair Of The Department Of Psychiatry At The UM School Of Medicine - Herald-Mail Media

This year there were nearly 3,500 applicants wanting to attend the school.

DULUTH, Minn. More people are filling out applications to attend the University of Minnesota Medical School campuses including in Duluth.

There are many factors that may play into the increase of applicants, but U of M Medical School officials say it is impressive knowing so many people are willing to dedicate to a career in healthcare.

In a typical year, the University of Minnesota Medical School Duluth Campus receives about 2000 applications.

This year there were nearly 3,500 applicants wanting to attend the school.

This is approximately an increase of more than 75% for the Duluth campus, which houses about 300 medical students.

Admission officials believe the pandemic is highlighting the value of healthcare for these applicants.

Theyre seeing the pandemic really impacting their lives, their families, their friends, and their communities. Its driving them to pursue a career in medicine that they may have been on the track for, but are really passionate about now because now is the time, said Dr. Kendra Nordgren, the assistant dean of admission at the U of M Medical School Duluth Campus.

In recent years, there has been a strong need for family physicians in rural and under-represented populations like the native community.

Leadership says the medical school has been on a mission to fill the gap for the last 50 years.

Now more than ever its so important that we see this uptick because it shows us that there are candidates out there and there are people that want to serve these communities, said Nordgren.

In 2019, the U of M Medical School Duluth Campus welcomed a record number of incoming Native American students on track to becoming physicians.

The Twin Cities campus has also seen about a 45% jump in the number of applications to the medical school.

Originally posted here:
U Of M Medical School Sees Increase In Student Applications - FOX 21 Online

Gabrielle Klaessig of Peterborough, a homeschooled high school junior who is attending early college classes at NHTI of Concord, is a Delegate to the Congress of Future Medical Leaders on March 20 and 21.

The Congress is an honors-only program for high school students who want to become physicians or go into medical research fields. The event is intended to honor, inspire, motivate and direct the top students in the country interested in medical careers and to provide resources to help them reach their goals.

Klaessigs nomination was signed by Dr. Mario Capecchi, winner of the Nobel Prize in Medicine and the Science Director of the National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists. Klaessig was nominated to represent New Hampshire based on her academic achievement, leadership potential and determination to serve humanity in the field of medicine.

During the two-day Congress, Klaessig will join students from across the country and hear Nobel Laureates and National Medal of Science winners talk about leading medical research; be given advice from top medical school deans on what to expect; witness stories told by patients whove benefitted from advanced medicine; be inspired by fellow teen medical science prodigies; and learn about cutting-edge advances and the future in medicine and medical technology.

Based in Washington, D.C. and with offices in Boston, The National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists was chartered as a nonpartisan, taxpaying institution to help address this need for physicians by working to identify, encourage and mentor students who wish to devote their lives to the service of humanity.

For more information visit http://www.FutureDocs.com or call 617-307-7425.

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Peterborough student nominated for The Congress of Future Medical Leaders - The Keene Sentinel

Photo by Mitchell Atencio | The State Press

"University officials credit the success to their transdisciplinary approach to major problems, claiming a different path of solutions than traditional research." Illustration published on Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021.

ASU has ranked 6th in the nation for research expenditures among universities without a medical school in the 2019 fiscal year.

The National Science Foundation recently released its annual Higher Education Research and Development rankings for research expenditures among universities nationwide.

In the 2019 fiscal year, ASU's expenditures totaled $639.6 million, almost $22 million more than the previous year.

A University press release said much of the funding has come from investments by federal agencies including NASA and the NSF as well as local grants and philanthropic contributions among others.

ASUs Knowledge Enterprise Executive Vice President Sally Morton said in the press release that ASU researchers are capable of solving major problems through their transdisciplinary approach. Morton began her new role Feb. 1 and is one of the successors of former lead Sethuraman Panchanathan, who is now the director of the NSF.

"I am confident we have the capabilities to discover impactful solutions to pandemics, climate change, cybersecurity and emerging health issues all of which will challenge humankind well into the future," Morton said in the release.

ASU's Biodesign Institute has also been at the forefront of COVID-19 research and testing in Arizona. The University has established over 100 testing sites across the state and developed a saliva-based test for faster results and more efficient testing.

COVID-19 research at the institute is led by Biodesign Director Joshua LaBaer. LaBaer said in the release that fast and easy testing is crucial for returning to in-person activities.

As we return to the workplace, schools and other daily activities, testing early and often is going to be the best way to help us prevent the spread of COVID-19, LaBaer said in the press release.

Another of the University's recent focal points is the Mastcam-Z. The camera system will provide visuals for Perseverance, the newest Mars rover, upon its landing this month.

The development of Mastcam-Z was led by researchers of the School of Earth and Space Exploration. The rover launched in July 2020 and will touch down on Mars later this month with Mastcam-Z at its head.

READ MORE: Mars 2020 Perseverance rover launches equipped with ASU-developed camera

The HERD rankings account for where and how much funding is spent at each university. In these rankings, ASU kept its No. 1 spot in expenditures for anthropology and rose to No. 1 in the fields of geographic and earth sciences as well as transdisciplinary sciences.

ASU also ranked fourth in social sciences and business management, 11th in psychology, 12th in electrical, electronic and communications engineering, and 14th in civil engineering.

The University also placed third among universities with NASA funding, 10th in health and human services funding, and 23rd for NSF funding.

Reach the reporter at gmlieber@asu.edu and follow @G_Mira_ on Twitter.

Like The State Press on Facebook and follow @statepress on Twitter.

Continue supporting student journalism and donate to The State Press today.

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ASU ranks 6th in research among US universities without a medical school - The State Press

As Minnesota students continue to go back to the classroom some after nearly a whole year of distance learning via Zoom an impassioned debate over how to safely open schools amid an ongoing pandemic has only intensified, mired in the politics of the statehouse, school districts and teachers unions.

Those who want kids back in school point out that remote learning is exacerbating achievement gaps already very present in Minnesotas education system. Others worry kids are suffering social, mental and learning setbacks as a result of staying home.

Advocates of continuing distance learning cite ongoing transmission of the COVID-19 virus, a shortage of vaccines that makes them unavailable to many teachers, and the need to keep both kids and their families at home safe.

What does the science say about whether its safe to resume in-person schooling?

These questions are coming to a head at the national level as the Biden administration prepares to release federal-level guidance on reopening schools as early as this week. In January, President Joe Biden set a goal to open most schools within his first 100 days in office (around mid-April). More recently, the administration lowered expectations, saying the goal would be to have more than half of schools have some in-person teaching at least one day a week by the hundredth day. Hes also proposed more than $130 billion funding to pay for increased school staffing, ventilation improvements and protective equipment.

Until recently, much of the research on the reopening of schools amid COVID-19 had come from overseas, conducted in countries that had a better handle on the pandemic than the U.S. (The U.S. accounts for less than 5 percent of the worlds population and 20 percent of its documented COVID-19 deaths to-date.)

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But theres a growing acknowledgment that schools may be able to reopen relatively safely in the U.S., even in spite of still-uncontrolled levels of COVID-19. Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association that suggests schools may pose little risk of COVID-19 transmission compared to their surrounding communities when following proper COVID-19 mitigation measures, such as the use of masks, distancing and keeping students in smaller groups.

The CDC tracked COVID-19 in 17 K-12 schools with 4,876 in-person students in rural Wood County, Wisconsin, between Aug. 31 and Nov. 29, 2020, a time that included massive escalation in Wisconsins statewide COVID-19 case rates. The schools used several mitigation strategies to reduce the likelihood of COVID-19 transmission: classes were limited to between 11 and 20 kids who stuck together throughout the school day; everyone maintained 6 feet of distance whenever possible and used masks (a grant helped buy students layered masks); and the school quarantined people who had been exposed to the virus.

During the study, 191 cases of COVID-19 were identified among the 4,876 students and 654 staff, seven of which (all students) were believed to have been tied to schools.

While students were not systematically tested for COVID-19, the rate of cases in schools was much lower than it was in the community at the time: 3,463 cases per 100,000 residents for people who were attending schools (which included cases among school-goers who got the disease in the community) versus 5,466 cases per 100,000 residents in the county at-large. That led the researchers to conclude that even in communities with high levels of COVID-19 transmission, students and staff may be more likely to pick up the virus in the community than in schools when proper mitigation strategies are used.

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Wisconsin was right in the middle of a community outbreak at that point in time, but they actually saw very little transmission in the school, said Dr. Beth Thielen, an infectious disease physician with the University of Minnesota Medical School and M Health Fairview.

Instead, the research found students and staff members much more often getting COVID-19 in the community and rarely spreading it in schools. That, to me, was very interesting because it showed even in a setting of community transmission you can actually contain the virus, Thielen said.

Thielen sees the mismatch between infection rates in the community and within schools as a suggestion that doubling down on infection control measures could help. People, she said, arent very good at assessing what activities are risky.

Dr. Beth Thielen

Of course, adherence to transmission-reducing mitigation strategies appears to be a significant factor in the level of spread in schools, Thielen said.

As of Thursday, Minnesota had listed 71 schools with COVID-19 outbreaks, meaning they had five or more cases among students or staff who spent time in the school building while they were infectious during a two-week period. That doesnt mean those cases were necessarily picked up in school.

The Wisconsin data, which differs from early studies done across the world in that it seems pretty much as close as you can get to Minnesota, Thielen said, suggests it might be possible to do in-person school safely.

The Wisconsin study cited several limitations to its data, among them that mask-wearing data was obtained through an unscientific survey; the study didnt explore a causal relationship between the mitigation strategies and low disease spread; it did not collect data on ventilation; did not track asymptomatic spread through screening (though research through blood tests has found spread among young children, symptomatic or not, to be minimal).

The Wisconsin study isnt the only one in the U.S. to find that cases in schools, with proper measures in place, can be lower than in the community. A study by Duke University and the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, released in January, found that in a given period among 100,000 K-12 students and staff in 11 districts in North Carolina, there were 773 community-acquired infections and 32 school-acquired ones.

Other studies have suggested certain conditions should be met before schools reopen.

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A Tulane University study based on national data that was published in December found that when new COVID-19 hospitalizations were at lower levels, between 36 per 100,000 residents and 44 per 100,000 residents per week, the opening of schools did not have a discernible effect on COVID-19 hospitalizations. When hospitalizations were at higher levels, though, the effect of opening schools was less clear. The researchers have been keeping data updated and as of the last week of data, the most recent update, all of Minnesotas counties but one, Olmsted, were below the hospitalization range cited as low level in the study.

A study on Michigan and Washington schools, likewise, found that where transmission was low, the opening of schools didnt seem to have an effect.

Another study, from Florida, found that COVID-19 infections increased among high school students after schools reopened (there is evidence that younger children are less likely to transmit the virus as compared to older ones).

But while the U.S.-based research is starting to coalesce around conditions under which it might be safe to reopen schools, theres one big caveat: We dont yet know what new variants of COVID-19 that have emerged and are expected to begin circulating more widely in the U.S. mean for all this schools research, which is predicated on plain old COVID-19.

Still, as research piles up, officials at the top levels of government are articulating that it might be time to open schools, under the right conditions. On Thursday, CBS News reported that a draft summary of forthcoming CDC recommendations includes phased reopening based on community transmission levels. And Dr. Anthony Fauci has supported getting students back in the classroom based on CDC findings.

I would back the CDC recommendations because that is really based on data, Fauci said in an interview in January after the release of the findings. We didnt fully appreciate that early on but the fact is that when you look at a community and look at the penetrance of the virus in the community and its spread at the community level compared to the school in that community, its less likely for a child to get infected in a school setting than if they were in the community.

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More Minnesota students are heading back to school. What does the science say about the safety of reopening? - MinnPost

Now that a major, 17-year-old medical licensing exam is gone, educators and students are feeling their way forward.

The daylong, in-person Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS) test designed to assess aspiring doctors communication and physical exam techniques was put on hold last March in response to the pandemic. Then, in a shift that shocked many observers, the exams sponsors the Federation of State Medical Boards and the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) announced on Jan. 26 that they were no longer exploring how to revive it.

The fact that this segment of the three-part United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) is no longer has elicited varied responses, from utter dismay to sheer delight.

Most students are completely overjoyed, says Alex Lindqwister, past board chair of the AAMCs Organization of Student Representatives. They saw it as a source of stress with little actual value.

But many educators mourn the loss. We need to be able to say that our students are qualified in these incredibly foundational skills, notes Toshi Uchida, MD, medical director of the Clinical Education Center at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. Were not going to have that nationwide measure now.

Most students are completely overjoyed.

Alex LindqwisterPast board chair of the AAMCs Organization of Student Representatives

In response, leaders in academic medicine are looking for new ways to assess the skills the test covered: taking a patients medical history, performing a physical exam, formulating possible diagnoses, and communicating effectively with patients and providers.

Meanwhile, what comes next remains unclear.

We have an obligation to the public to make sure that critical skills are appropriately and uniformly assessed for basic competence, says AAMC Chief Medical Education Officer Alison Whelan, MD. I dont yet know the best way to do that, but we have a duty to figure it out. Still, Im confident the medical education community schools, licensing and accreditation bodies, and learners will tackle this thoughtfully.

Taking the USMLE Step exams is a major rite of passage, and all three exams are required for medical licensure in the United States. U.S. medical students usually tackle the daylong Step 1 exam, which covers the basics of medical practice and principles, at the end of their second year or during their third year. Step 2 Clinical Knowledge, also a daylong test, assesses applying medical knowledge and skills to patient care. Most students take that exam as well as Step 2 CS during their third or fourth year. Step 3, a two-day undertaking that evaluates ones ability to practice medicine without supervision, usually gets handled during residency.

Almost as soon as it was created in 2004, Step 2 CS began drawing criticism.

High on the list of complaints was the tests price tag, most recently set at $1,300. The cost of the test alone could be your entire monthly budget as a medical student, notes Zach St. Clair, a fourth-year student at University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Medicine. Some students also invested in fairly pricey study materials, he adds.

Other complaints involved some of the exams structure which required working through several encounters with laypersons trained to portray patients including that aspects of it felt artificial.

The number of test sites also drew fire: just six across the whole country. That meant many students were adding airfare and hotel to their test-related tabs in addition to possibly missing three days of school.

And critics felt that all the effort ultimately offered little value given that the test was pass/fail and so many examinees passed on their first try. In 2019, for example, 95% of test-takers from U.S. and Canadian MD-granting schools succeeded on their first attempt.

When COVID-19 made the in-person exam impossible, the USMLE took the opportunity to explore revamping the test, which approximately 35,000 examinees took last year.

We specifically stated that our goal was to deliver an exam that was appreciably better. Now, we need to consider innovative alternatives.

Chris Feddock, MDExecutive director of the Clinical Skills Evaluation Collaboration

As they began to tackle concerns, USMLE teams hosted focus groups, launched surveys, and conferred with a range of stakeholders from educators to examinees.

One option that the USMLE pursued but ultimately rejected was an online test. For one, going online would erase the physical exam component. There were also potential Wi-Fi connectivity issues, remote proctoring logistics, and difficulties expanding exam access broadly and fairly. Plus, it wouldnt even lower exam costs much, partly due to the expense of building and maintaining a secure online platform.

We specifically stated that our goal was to deliver an exam that was appreciably better, says Chris Feddock, MD, executive director of the Clinical Skills Evaluation Collaboration, a collaboration between the NBME and the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG), which certifies international medical graduates for training in the United States. There were definitely barriers in moving to a virtual platform in being able to demonstrate that the next version would be appreciably better. Now, we need to consider innovative alternatives.

While many students are thrilled that the travel and expense of the exam are gone, not all will celebrate its removal, experts say.

In that group are those who didnt pass and now wont have the chance to retake the test. At this point, the USMLE is reporting failures on test transcripts but adding a note to explain these unusual circumstances, says Feddock.

Perhaps most affected are international medical graduates (IMGs), who relied on the test to prove they can make it in the U.S. health care system. This population is no small slice of trainees: Nearly 1 in 4 residents and fellows are IMGs, according to ECFMG President and CEO William Pinsky, MD.

Thats why the ECFMG quickly built alternative pathways to certification last spring. Requirements include passing the Occupational English Testa patient communication and English language exam created specifically for doctors. Although some IMG students have called it unfair, the ECFMG says the test works well.

Meanwhile, the ECFMG has certified 2,600 applicants using its new approach.We have an obligation to provide U.S. residency programs with a pool of IMG applicants that is ample, diverse, and highly qualified, says Pinsky. We feel these new pathways have been successful in ensuring that.

Step 2 CS was created as a tool for licensing doctors, and state licensing boards are filling the gap in their own ways, according to Feddock. But medical educators have also come to rely on the test as they train tens of thousands of learners each year.

For residency program directors, the exams elimination isnt terribly impactful given its high first-try pass rate. Still, for programs that receive 100 applications per slot, the test served as one bar, however low. And directors may bemoan the loss more starting in 2022, when another component of the USMLE series, Step 1, switches from a numeric score to pass/fail.

Each year, it seems we get more applications and less information, says Jessica Kovach, MD, director of the psychiatry residency program at Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University in Philadelphia. Some schools haveeven gonepass/fail for their course grades in recent years. I hope the education community will now come together to find a standardized way for medical schools to provide information that programs need to better evaluate candidates.

Well have to take back the responsibility for a high-stakes assessment. As we do that, we have to be careful because schools can suffer from the phenomenon of failure to fail their own students.

Rachel Yudkowsky, MD Director of graduate studies at the University of Illinois College of Medicine

Meanwhile, medical schools are grappling with their own CS-related issues.

Most concerning to some experts is the potential impact on curricula. Assessment drives learning, argues Northwesterns Uchida, who also serves as the president of Directors of Clinical Skills Courses, an international consortium of educators. Having a high-stakes, rigorous licensing exam thats required for everyone really pushed medical schools to increase their focus on clinical skills. Now, she worries that some schools will cut back on the costly endeavor.

Another issue is whether schools that relied on Step 2 CS may need to ramp up their own assessments to ensure that students have the requisite skills to graduate, says Rachel Yudkowsky, MD, director of graduate studies in the Department of Medical Education at the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago.

Well have to take back the responsibility for a high-stakes assessment, and we have to make sure that its valid and reliable, she says. As we do that, we have to be careful because schools can suffer from the phenomenon of failure to fail their own students.

She highlights one positive of the discontinuation of Step 2 CS: the flexibility to assess a wide variety of students clinical skills, rather than mirroring the tests format.

We can now explore all kinds of other skills, Yudkowsky says. Can students get informed consent, counsel someone for smoking cessation, handle end-of-life issues with a patient? she says. This move has really freed us up to experiment.

Although Step 2 CS is no more, USMLE leaders are contemplating other approaches to assessing clinical skills. Students and educators are also mulling over what they think might work.

At the USMLE, the next step is to spend several months sorting through priorities and stakeholder feedback as well as insights garnered from its aborted attempt to shift the test online.

We have no plans at this time to replace the prior exam with another stand-alone, full-day exam, says Feddock. We dont have any preconceived notions of the most ideal direction, he adds.

Meanwhile, some argue that schools should assume the entire responsibility for assessing students clinical skills.

I think it should fall to schools to ensure that our abilities are sufficient for graduation, says Robbie Daulton, a fourth-year UC student. We have a strong accreditation process that confirms the quality of medical schools. If accreditation includes a rigorous assessment of schools ability to assess clinical skills, then there's no need for a national clinical exam. If schools do take over this role, experts suggest they could do so with a recognized rubric created with the input of faculty, USMLE leaders, and other experts.

Whatever lies ahead, students look forward to contributing to discussions.

Now is a great time for students to be involved in pushing the conversation forward, says Joseph Geraghty, a seventh-year MD-PhD student at the University of Illinois College of Medicine and the AAMCs student liaison to the NBME. Its a great time to share bold, innovative ideas about how to improve clinical skills assessment.

Continued here:
What the elimination of a major medical licensing exam Step 2 CS means for students and schools - AAMC

HARLINGEN, Texas (KVEO) There was once a law school in the Rio Grande Valley, and now there is a push by lawmakers to bring it back.

This legislation pretty much allows any institution to create a law school down here in theRioGrandeValley, saidState Representative Armando Martinez, Texas House District 39.

Representative Martinez said other places in the state have access to law schools, and he wants to bring the opportunity to the Rio Grande Valley.

Many different people have reached out and called and asked about a law school and they would love to go if they were granted that opportunity,said Representative Martinez.

When students do not have the opportunity, Martinez said the Rio Grande Valley loses.

When you provide an opportunity to students who no longer have to travel outside the Valley, you retain all your smart hardworking students, that do not end up in SanAntonio,said Representative Martinez.

Compared to other cities, Martinez said the Rio Grande Valley is underrepresented.

There are over 800 people per attorney here in theRio Grande Valley. When you go to other parts of the state maybe 300 or 400 halfof that, so the disparity is large,said Representative Martinez.

At least one other RGV lawmaker has a different priority.

In the Rio Grande Valley, the medical school is the priority, doctors, nurses, medical technicians, and not lawyers. Recently manylaw schools throughout the state and the nation have reduced class sizes because of the economy,said Senator Juan Chuy Hinojosa, Texas Senate District 20.

Hinojosa said the medical school could be an economic driver, as the Medical Center in San Antonio.

Now San Antoniois a$30 billioneconomic driver, taking care of healthcare for the San Antonio area. We anticipate and expect the same results from the medical school in the Valley, said Hinojosa.

Representative Terry Canales said he supports a full law school program, but a hybrid program could be a creative solution for now.

Idont know if we could support afull-blownlaw school, but I think a hybrid is something that would benefit people,said Representative Terry Canales, Texas House District 40.

While Martinez is certain a Valley Law School would flourish, deciding to create one is not no certain.

We are always open, into looking at educational opportunities, so a law school is one of those, but theres a lot of studying that has to be done. said Veronica Gonzalez, Vice President for Governmental and Community Relations, UTRGV. They are very expensive to operate. We have to look at the need and the student demand. Is there enough demand in the Rio Grande Valley for it? What would it cost? Where would we find the money to do it.?

Despite the challenges, Martinez says he will continue to fight for a law school.

Absolutely, were going to try again, and were not going to stop until it gets done,said Representative Martinez.

If House Bill 695 were to get approved, state funding to form a school would not be available until 2027.

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Lawmakers wish to bring a law school back to the RGV - KGBT-TV

ALTON - Anastasia Reinier is the Art Fahrner-Edward Jones Remarkable Redbird of the Month.

Anastasia, an Alton High junior, is very active student and devoted Redbird. She is involved in a number of extracurricular activities at school as well as within the Riverbend and St Louis area communities.

Anastasia had planned to run track as a Redbird in the 2019-2020 school year and was practicing to participate in the 200-meter and 400-meter runs, but the season never started last year due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. She remains hopeful that there will be a track and field season yet this year.

Anastasia is involved in singing with a Christian based high school group called Encounter, a group that is known for performing concerts at churches across the area. Encounter represents over 30 churches in the Alton area and is dedicated to sharing through the ministries of music, service, fellowship and participation in the life of the church. Anastasia is also involved in FCCLA (Family, Career and Community Leaders of America) and participated in a number of community service projects including feeding the homeless, raising awareness around domestic violence, cancer awareness and also Operation Snowball, an organization that focuses on leadership development to encourage young people to avoid taking drugs.

Anastasia has also represented Alton High School at FCCLA state competition where she received a gold medal and a Most Outstanding Award for all her achievements.

She is devoted to her community and also worked on a project to bring hygiene bags to the Oasis Center, a shelter for abused women in downtown Alton and even compiled a recipe book to help families in the community. Additionally, Anastasia has also done volunteer work and bell ringing for the Salvation Army and has also assisted in fund raising for the Ronald McDonald house.

Upon completion of her career at Alton High, Anastasia's goal is to complete her undergraduate college degree and continue to medical school. She hopes to become a doctor with a focus on pediatric surgery.

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Art Fahrner-Edward Jones Alton High School Remarkable Redbird of the Month: Anastasia Reinier - RiverBender.com

As a medical student, do you ever wonder what its like to specialize in preventive medicine? Meet AMA member Ricardo Correa, MD, an endocrinologist and a featured physician in the AMAsShadow Me Specialty Series, which offers advice directly from physicians about life in their specialties. Check out his insights to help determine whether a career in endocrinology might be a good fit for you.

The AMA'sSpecialty Guidesimplifies medical students' specialty selection process, highlights major specialties, details training information, and provides access to related association information. It is produced byFREIDA, the AMA Residency & Fellowship Database, which allows you to search for a residency or fellowship from more than 12,000 programsall accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.

Learn more with the AMA about themedical specialty of endocrinology.

Shadowing Dr. Correa (@drricardocorrea)

Specialty: Endocrinology.

Practice setting: Academic and VA hospital.

Employment type:Employed by a university and veteran hospital in Phoenix.

Years in practice:Five.

A typical day and week in my practice: My typical day starts with walking early in the morning as part of my daily exercise. Then I go to work where I divide my time into clinical, research activities and education (between staffing trainees, giving lectures to medical student and the administration of the fellowship program). Then I go back home to have some organizational meetings and spend the rest of my time with my family and relax.

In a typical week, I usually have some days where I have my own clinic and staff the fellows clinic other days. There is part of my week that I dedicate to my research and write grants and manuscripts. In addition, I dedicate between 1.52 days for the fellowship program, my activities to diversity and inclusion and an extra half day to teach medical students. During the weekend, I volunteer some hours in an underserved clinic where I worked as the medical director. One weekend a month, I also go to my military drill as per my U.S. Army Reserve responsibilities.

The most challenging and rewarding aspects of endocrinology: Endocrinology is the perfect combination between science and medicine. Many of our patients, if we find out that they have a hormonal abnormality, we are able to replace them and help the patient feel excellent. The most challenging aspect of my patient population is that we deal with chronic conditions like diabetes and sometimes patients dont like to follow our recommendation, so we need to increase medication. Another challenging thing is that diabetic medication is expensive, and some patients cannot afford them. You feel frustrated when this happens.

The most rewarding aspect of endocrinology is many things. Seeing how you can change the life of a patient because you are treating their condition has no price. Dealing with underrepresented minorities and making them feel good and providing them the best care for their chronic condition is very special for me. Discovering new ways to manage patients through research is also very rewarding in my life.

How life inendocrinology has been affected by the global pandemic: We moved to telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic. There has been a positive and negative aspect of this. The positive is that the patients who have a chronic condition like diabetes and obesity are more compliant with the appointment. This translates to us seeing them more frequently, plus they are compliant with the medication.

The negative side is that more complex conditions that need to be seen in person sometimes are not coming in and we dont do a full physical exam. In the area of teaching, the learning has changed because the fellows dont have the opportunity to see all the patients face-to-face.

The long-term impact the pandemic will have onendocrinology: The impact is that we are now doing telemedicine. I always see the good part of everything and for us, having telemedicine is very beneficial for the patients with diabetes and obesity because they are more compliant with the appointment and the treatment. Also, some of the social determinants of health can be addressed during the telemedicine visit and we are doing that. I see that the future will be a mix of telemedicine and face-to-face visits.

Three adjectives to describe the typical endocrinologist: Creative, passionate and caring.

How my lifestyle matches, or differs from, what I had envisioned: The life that I have as an endocrinologist, scientist and educator is what I envisioned when I was in medical school. I have time to make change not only for my patients but also to the population near my area, in the country and to the next generation of physicians. My work-life balance is fine because I have time that I dedicate to my family. I am very happy because I am doing what I really like and that makes my work very easy.

Skills every physician in training should have for endocrinology but wont be tested for on the board exam: The most important skill that trainees should have for this specialty is being creative. It is about always trying to find the answer to a problem as well as correlating symptoms with laboratory and imaging work, making a diagnosis and finally giving them the most appropriate treatment. Hormonal world is not an easy world. There are many things that are difficult to make a diagnosis and many symptoms that overlap. Being creative and always thinking outside the box will need to be a must for the ones that are thinking about endocrinology.

One question physicians in training should ask themselves before pursuing endocrinology: The questions that you should ask yourself if you are planning to come to endocrinology are:

If you answer yes to the questions above, you are ready to become an endocrinologist.

Books every medical student interested in endocrinology should be reading: The two most important books of endocrinology cover the basic concept of endocrinology:

The online resource students interested in endocrinology should follow: Endotextit is an online book that covers the entire endocrine world and is free. I always look for any of the common conditions in the best evidence-based medicine source which is Dynamed. Many of the answers for endocrinology can be found there. The amazing thing is that everything that comes from research has been appraised and they give you the level of evidence.

On social media, there are several accounts including @ypsendo, @endojournalclub and @medscapeendo that provide information about endocrinology. Finally, I follow the Endocrine Society, Endocrine News, American Association of Clinical Endocrinology, American Diabetes Association, American Thyroid Association, and American Society for Bone and Mineral Research on social media because they all really care about education and promote endocrine learning.

Quick insights I would give students who are considering endocrinology: Endocrinology is a fascinating world. You can achieve many goals in your life. You can be an expert clinician, an amazing scientist and an outstanding educator. You can discover things that will change the future of medicine. I really recommend everyone that has an interest in endocrinology to explore the possibility. We need a lot more people like all of you. If you have any questions, I am available to talk to all of you about this.

Mantra or song to describe life in endocrinology: Puedes llegar, (You can make it) by Gloria Stefan.

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What it's like to specialize in endocrinology: Shadowing Dr. Correa - American Medical Association