From left, William Elia, Dr. John OMahony, Samuel Goh and Vladimir Djedovic.Handout

A relationship the Sarnia Lambton Physician Recruitment Task Force formed with an overseas medical school could pay future dividends for the community.

Of six Visiting Elective Program spots this year matching fourth-year medical students with local family physicians, three are from the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland (RCSI) and have been spending four weeks this summer living in Sarnia observing and learning from Dr. John OMahony.

Recruiter Carly Cox said the task force actually awarded six visiting elective bursaries this year, but some of the students werent able to take part because of the pandemic.

Three of the recipients currently in the community are attending medical school in Ireland but are from the Toronto area, she said.

These are spots that are very difficult to come by because physicians do not get paid to train these individuals, Cox said.

Also, the program the visiting electives usually go at through at Western Universitys medical school was cancelled because of the pandemic.

We had our RCSI students reach out to us individually and say, Im still very interested in doing the elective. Can we do it privately?

Because the three students were already home from Ireland, restrictions preventing students from overseas travelling to Canada werent an obstacle.

Cox said the task force worked with the RCSI to ensure the students were able to still take part in the placement in Sarnia, where they have been able to observe many aspects of clinical practice, emergency medicine, nursing home care and obstetrics with OMahony

Sarnia Lambton has so much to offer from a lifestyle perspective and our amazing medical community, OMahony said. You would not be able to appreciate what Sarnia Lambton has to offer unless you spend time in the community meeting our citizens and working in our great hospital.

The program allows the task force to introduce medical students to Lambton as a potential place to live and set up practice in the future.

Its really important we expose them to what a lifestyle is like here because its so competitive, Cox said. If we make a connection with them in medical school, stay connected with them through their residency, we hope theyll practise here.

The fourth-year students taking part in the visiting elective program are at least three years away from beginning their practices, she said.

The RCSI students spending time in Sarnia this summer William Elia, Samuel Goh and Vladimir Djedovic indicated on their applications they had an interest in working in smaller communities and taking advantage of the wider scope they can offer a family practice.

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Irish medical school students learning about Sarnia area - Sarnia and Lambton County This Week

ANN ARBOR, MI Michigan Medicine has been recognized as one of the nations 20 best hospitals, according to rankings released Tuesday by U.S. News and World Report.

Michigan Medicine was No. 11 on the honor roll, which ranks the 20 best hospitals in the country for delivering exceptional treatment across multiple areas of care. The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, was No. 1, followed by Cleveland Clinic and Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Michigan Medicine also ranked in the top 10 in five specialties areas, including:

At Michigan Medicine, our commitment is to our patients, first and foremost, said Marschall Runge, executive vice president for medical affairs at the University of Michigan, chief executive officer of Michigan Medicine and dean of the UM Medical School. This honor is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our incredible team of health care providers.

Michigan Medicine also received rankings in a number of other areas, including:

In June, U.S. News and World Report named C.S. Mott Childrens Hospital the top-ranked childrens hospital in Michigan and the only hospital in the state to be nationally-ranked in all 10 pediatric specialties evaluated in the 2020-21 Best Childrens Hospital rankings.

C.S. Mott Childrens Hospital cited among nations best in U.S. News rankings

The hospital was also ranked No. 1 in the state. Beaumont Hospital-Royal Oak was the voted the second-best hospital in Michigan, while Beaumont Hospital-Grosse Pointe and Beaumont Hospital-Troy were tied for third. St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor Hospital was ranked No. 7 in Michigan.

According to a release from U.S. News and World Report, the data used in the 2020-21 best hospital rankings and ratings come from a period predating the COVID-19 pandemic and were not affected by the pandemics impact on hospitals.

Methodologies are largely based on objective measures such as risk-adjusted survival and discharge-to-home rates, volume, and quality of nursing, among other care-related indicators, the release said.

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Michigan hospital chosen as trial site for coronavirus vaccine, and its looking for volunteers

Ann Arbor hospitals to receive about $9 million in relief funding

51,000 Michiganders have recovered from the coronavirus. Hospitals havent, yet.

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Michigan Medicine named one of best 20 hospitals in U.S. News rankings - MLive.com

by Sharon Maeda

Cuba is one of many countries that has successfully addressed the COVID-19 coronavirus despite the U.S. embargo that prohibits the sale of ventilators and other medical equipment to Cuba.

Cuba is well known for its medical education and premiere medical school, the Latin American School of Medicine, commonly referred to as ELAM, and for sending medical teams to epidemic and disaster sites around the world. Cuban medical teams were dispatched to early COVID-19 hotspots, including China, Italy, and South Africa.

Cuba has reported only 2,555 COVID-19 infections total with a population of 11.4 million people. Here in the U.S., 4.43 million people have tested positive for COVID-19 out of a population of 328.2 million, an exponentially higher rate of infections compared with our neighboring island country. In some U.S. locales, like Washington States own Yakima County, some 25% of people getting tested for COVID-19 are testing positive and South King County is a potential new hotspot for an outbreak.

How did an island country, 90 miles south of the U.S., get on top of the COVID-19 pandemic so fast, while many places in the U.S., including Washington State, are having a resurgence of cases of the virus? First, Cuban health care is free, and theres no profit motive in medical care. Each neighborhood has a polyclinic staffed with doctors and nurses who usually live in that neighborhood. Primary care teams go door-to-door to see how families are doing. So, the infrastructure was already there and the people know and trust these providers. Providers did not wait for COVID-19 patients to show up in the ER. Rather, they were proactive and went looking for people with the virus, immediately placing positive-tested people in dedicated COVID hospitals and conducting immediate massive testing of those neighborhoods.

Cuba has also utilized an arsenal of drugs including interferon alpha-2b recombinant that helps build the immune system in some of the most severe cases of COVID-19. They also regularly employ preventative naturopathic medications that strengthen immune systems. They bring all of these to the countries that they have dispatched medical teams to around the world.

In a recent webinar, Confronting the COVID-19 pandemic, Cuba shows the way!, Dr. Xochitl Garcia provided a comparison between Cuba and Washington State. Dr. Garcia is a graduate of ELAMs free medical school. Originally from South Central Los Angeles, Dr. Garcia is now working for the Seattle-based Community Health Board Coalition.

Dr. Garcia pointed out a number of gaps here in Washington, and throughout the U.S.:

Lack of Access to Health Care: The lack of medical insurance and fear of prohibitive medical costs keeps many people from seeking preventive health care.

Disproportionality: BIPOC and low-income communities have higher incidences of medical conditions like diabetes that make people more susceptible to the virus.

Antiracist Protocols: The lack of systemic health care protocols that account for ethnic, religious, language, and other differences that impact delivery of appropriate medical care.

Human-Centered Vs. Healthcare as a Business: When the business profit motive is involved, the entire health care system leans away from human-centered care, not to mention the enormous time-consuming documentation and medical reimbursement process.

The webinar included a video of U.S. citizens who attend ELAM for their medical education discussing Cubas healthcare system, pandemic response, and their own contributions to the cause. YouTube also carries a number of other videos documenting Cubas response to the novel coronavirus.

The webinar was sponsored by Seattle/Cuba Friendship Committee, Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization (IFCO/Pastors for Peace) and the U.S. Women and Cuba Collaboration.

Sharon Maeda is Interim Managing Editor of the Emerald. Decades ago she was part of the team that created the application and vetting process for the first group of U.S. candidates for the free medical education at ELAM.

Featured image is a screen capture from a YouTube video titled ELAM Students Join Cubas Fight Against COVID19 posted by Jennifer Wager.

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What Cuba Can Teach the U.S. About Confronting the COVID-19 Pandemic - southseattleemerald.com

Grotesque side effects from unproven stem cell therapies are more common than we realized, reports a team of researchers led by UConn Health in Annals of Neurology on July 29. And despite the dangers, many neurologists feel ill-equipped to warn and educate their patients.

People who have suffered debilitating brain or spinal cord damage, or have been diagnosed with progressive neurological disease, are often frustrated by the lack of treatments available to help them. That frustration can make them easy targets for clinics that inject patients with stem cells. But most of these clinics are operating outside of the Food and Drug Administrations jurisdiction, and the treatments they offer are unproven. And pricey.

Its an unethical industry. They use fancy websites promising cures left and right, but which are nothing of the sort. They steal your money but give nothing in return, says Jaime Imitola, senior author of the paper and director of the comprehensive Multiple Sclerosis Center at UConn Health and the Laboratory of Neural Stem Cells and Functional Neurogenetics at UConn Health and a faculty member at the UConn School of Medicine.

Patients often pay $25,000 to $50,000 in cash for procedures that claim to cure everything from multiple sclerosis to paralysis, but have no evidence to back them up. The clinics, which can operate in the US but are more commonly found in Mexico, China, Russia and other countries with looser health regulations, entice patients to fly out for a week or two of spa-like treatment, physical therapy and injections of stem cells supposedly designed to cure multiple sclerosis, ALS, paralysis, or whatever other neurological impairment the person suffers from. The physical therapy often makes the patient feel better for a week or two. But sadly, there are no treatments that can reliably improve most of these diseases, and definitely none using stem cells. And anecdotal stories have begun popping up of patients who have had these stem cell procedures and then developed horrifying side effects, from hepatitis to nerve pain to bizarre spinal cord tumors.

In an effort to better understand the impact of this stem cell tourism, as the field calls it, a team of researchers lead by UConn Health conducted a nationwide survey of academic neurologists experiences in stem cell tourism complications. The survey also investigated the level of physician preparation to counsel and educate patients.

Imitola led the study with colleagues from the Ohio States Neuroscience Research Institute. The researchers know as well as anyone how far medicine is from any kind of stem cell treatment for these neurological diseases. And they have had patients come to them asking for permissionthe clinics call it clearanceto get the stem cell injection treatments.

The results of the survey show that bad outcomes from stem cell tourism are much more common than anyone had realized. Of the neurologists who responded to the survey, one in four had had a patient with complications related to stem cell therapy. Patients who had suffered infections, strokes, spinal tumors, seizures, and even deaths were all reported. And 73% of neurologists responding to the survey said they felt that having more educational tools to discuss the issue with patients would be helpful.

Stem cells hold the promise for patients, not just the desperate ones with terminal illnesses but also those who are looking for a natural solution where modern medicine has failed them. Anecdotally, I have spent many hours talking to patients about powerful new immunotherapies to prevent relapses of multiple sclerosis or neuromyelitis optica; but, when they ask if these therapies will help them walk or see again, I have to admit they wont, says Michael Levy, research director for the division of neuroimmunology and neuroinfectious disease at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, who was not involved in the study.

Levy says the paper by Imitola and his colleagues found that many neurologists are faced with these questions but most have no experience with stem cell therapies.

Patients as well as physicians are constantly looking for ways to maintain hope. So if a patient asks about it, the doctor may say I encourage them to look into it, says Dr. Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa, the William J. and Charles H. Mayo Professor and chair of neurologic surgery at the Mayo Clinic, who was also not involved in the study. We need to be careful how we as physicians find a balance between giving patients hope and maintaining scientific accuracy to the highest standards.

It is really shocking that only 28% of board-certified neurologists feel completely prepared to discuss this important issue with their patients, Imitola says. The International Society of Stem Cell Research has information available on their website, but Imitola and his colleagues say there is a need for regular educational sessions on stem cell tourism to be held at international and national neurology meetings as well.

The ultimate goal of this research is to be able to determine the extent of the complications and the readiness of neurologists to counsel patients. All of us are interested in bringing real stem cells to the clinic, but this process is arduous and requires a great level of rigor and reproducibility, Imitola said.

The team also plans on starting a national patient registry, where physicians can report complications from stem cell tourism procedures so that the medical world and regulators can get a better sense of the extent of the problem, and have more data with which to educate patients. These findings are more pressing now, when some stem cell clinics are even promoting cures for COVID-19 with stem cells. To help neurologists explain the risks, the researchers have prepared an evidence-based patient friendly handout summarizing the findings and have translated it into multiple languages. The handouts and additional information can be accessed at: https://www.imitolab.org/stem-cell-tourism-in-neurology.html.

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Stem Cell Therapy Injuries More Widespread Than We Knew - UConn Today

R-0 may be the most important scientific term youve never heard of when it comes to stopping the coronavirus pandemic. USA TODAY

Correction: A previous version of this story misstated the full name of the group that administers the MCAT. It is theAssociation of American Medical Colleges. The story also misstated the title of Dr. Arghavan Salles, who is a scholar in residence at Stanford University School of Medicine. In addition, the story has been updated to reflect that Stanford and the University of Minnesota have said they will make the MCAT optional for the rest of 2020.

Most facilities that offer standardizedtests have canceled test dates or offered remote testing as COVID-19 cases rise.Buttwo major tests are still offered onlyin-person.

The Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) and some states' bar exams require sit-down testing, even in coronavirus hot spots. In the case of the bar,rooms can have hundreds of people.

The exams serve as high-stakes gateways for two of the country's most prestigious, highest-pressure and lucrative fields: They determine who gets into medical school and whether law school graduates can be cleared to become attorneys.

Tests are typically held in-personto prevent cheating and protect the integrity of the exams. For test takers, in-person exams meana decisionbetween caution, as coronavirus cases in the USA surpass 4.1 million, and achieving what for some has been a lifelong dream.

During the pandemic, the Association of American Medical Colleges canceled MCATs scheduled for March, Apriland most of May. For tests since then, including one scheduled for Thursday, the AAMC shortened the test,making it available three times on each scheduled day, instead of once per day.This allowsincreased capacity and ensures that test centers will follow social distancing practices, the association said.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom laid out strict criteria Friday for school reopenings that makes it unlikely the vast majority of districts will have classroom instruction in the fall as the coronavirus pandemic surges. (July 17) AP Domestic

"Starting a test at 6 a.m., meaning one might have had to travel the night before or start driving very early in the morning, does not seem right,"said Dr. Arghavan Salles,a scholar in residence atStanford University School of Medicine."On the other hand, the last administration of the day ends at midnight, which is later than anyone should have to be taking a high-stakes exam."

Many students have little choice or recourse. The MCAT is used as the primaryindicator for somebody's readiness for medical school, said Sahil Mehta, a radiologist at Harvard Medical School and founder of MedSchoolCoach, amedical school admissions consultancy.

"It's nearly impossible for the AAMC to shift to an online test on the fly" because it's long more than seven hours compared witha typical Graduate Record Exam's four hours and has difficult material, Mehta said.

The solution, he said, lies in medical schools, which muststrongly considermaking the MCAToptional in this years' admissions.

Stanford Medical School, University of Minnesota Medical Schooland University of Washington School of Medicine have said the MCAT examwill be optional for the remainder of 2020, for those who have not taken the exam. At the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, MCAT exam waivers will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Students said the AAMC should do more to protectthem.

"How is it that the pandemic that required mass cancellations back in March is smaller than the pandemic that current test takers are facing?"wrote Students for Ethical Admissions, anorganization founded to address MCAT takers' coronavirus concerns, in a letter to the AAMC and medical colleges.

U.S. doctor shortage worsens: Efforts to recruit Black and Latino students stall

Dr. Karen Mitchell,AAMCsenior director of admissions testingservices, said the group made changes to address the pandemic's disruption. For instance, AAMC says most exams have no more than eight to 15 test takers in each room, and all rooms have social distancing protocols and are filled below capacity.

"We developed our health and safety standards ... in consultation with epidemiology and immunology expertsand following evidence-basedCDCguidelines," she said in a statement to USA TODAY.

The student group said some test sites didn't follow all the safety measures outlined by the AAMC.In some cases, testing sites didn't sanitize materials frequently used by test takers, require mask-wearing or take applicants' temperature, the group alleged.

The student group said on Twitter itreceived seven positive reports of COVID-19 in students who took their MCAT. These students could have either transmitted or contracted the virus at the testing center, the group said.

Some studentslive or are in close contact with others who would be at high risk for complications from COVID-19, Salles said. These studentshave to risk not only exposing themselvesbut their families and loved ones.

"These pressures likely disproportionately affect applicants in rural settings or with fewer resources exactly the type of applicant we need in medicine," she said.

Amid COVID-19,Trump administration keeps immigration courts open, putting judges, lawyers and immigrants at risk

In-person bar exams aremoving ahead in nearly half of states, despite concerns from law school students, who said the planned administrationis uncertain and unsafe given states' rapid increases in COVID-19 cases.

One such state is Arizona, whose highest court denied apetition July 1 to allow first-time test takers to skip the exam. The exam will proceed as scheduled July 28 and 29 at the Phoenix Convention Center.

Alexis Boumstein, one of three law school graduates who petitioned the court to amend its rules, told the Arizona Republic, a USA TODAY Network newspaper, thatsome graduates worry about catching the virus during the state's exam.Typically, more than 500 people take the Arizona bar over two days.

Othersfear that weeks of intensivestudy could be ruined if they get sick and cannot take the high-stakes test.

"Applicants should not be asked to choose between their health or sitting for the exam to receive their licensure," the petition said.

Other states changed their testing structures. The Florida Board of Bar Examiners canceled the state'sbar exam at the end of July, replacing it with an online test Aug. 18.

Moving the test online is "one less health risk," Cathren Page, a professor atMercer University School of Law in Macon, Georgia, told the Tallahassee Democrat, a USA TODAY Network paper.

I felt certain that someone I knew was probably going to die or become disabled as a result of this process ... or they would have to forgo the bar," she said.

Contributing: Anne Ryman, Arizona Republic;CD Davidson-Hiers, Tallahassee Democrat

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Becomes School of Medicines chief data scientist

Philip R.O. Payne, PhD, director of the Institute for Informatics at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has been named associate dean for health information and data science, and chief data scientist for the School of Medicine.

Philip R.O. Payne, PhD, director of the Institute for Informatics at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has been named associate dean for health information and data science, and chief data scientist for the School of Medicine.

Payne, also the Janet and Bernard Becker Professor, will provide strategic oversight of a portfolio of programs and activities focused on creating and operating a comprehensive data, information and knowledge enterprise that supports the School of Medicines research, education and clinical care missions. As associate dean, he will oversee the Institute for Informatics with its newly incorporated team from the Division of Biostatistics, as well as the Bernard Becker Medical Library and the Office of the Chief Research Information Officer. This represents an alignment of critical units across the School of Medicine that are integral to a modern health-care system and top-tier academic health center.

As the schools first chief data scientist, he will share oversight of data analytics and digital health initiatives that support Washington University Physicians, as well as data architecture, infrastructure and governance efforts that support School of Medicine operations. These new roles are designed to bring a comprehensive approach to data and data science in response to the changing landscape of health care and biomedical research.

In many ways, Philip and his team in the Institute for Informatics already have begun to realize this vision through their work creating models and using predictive analytics to better empower our clinical operations, research and public health initiatives in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, said David H.Perlmutter, MD, executive vice chancellor for medical affairs, the George and Carol Bauer Dean of the School of Medicine, and the Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Distinguished Professor.

The institutes Center for Population Health Informatics, led by Randi Foraker, PhD, has built geospatial maps detailing COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, including their distribution by race, showing that while Black citizens make up roughly 20% of the areas population, they account for 60% of COVID-positive patients. This information is critical to addressing the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on the community.

Philips wealth of knowledge in informatics and data science, deep experience in strategic planning, and great success in spurring invaluable collaborations make me extremely confident that informatics and data science will continue to play an increasingly key part in all aspects of the School of Medicine, Perlmutter said.

Payne was recruited to launch the Institute of Informatics in 2016. Since then, he has recruited more than a dozen core faculty members and numerous affiliated faculty members spanning 10 departments and three schools. He also has significantly expanded the schools educational portfolio with new certificate, masters and PhD programs in biomedical informatics and data science, as well as emerging international education programs that help to recruit talented students from across the globe. Further, the institute has developed valuable collaborations with the Institute for Public Health, Institute for Clinical and Translational Sciences, BJC HealthCare, Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, the Healthcare Innovation Lab, BioSTL, McDonnell International Scholars Academy, McKelvey School of Engineering, Brown School, and Olin School of Business.

Payne also has continued to forge his reputation asan internationally recognized leader in the fields of translational bioinformatics and clinical research informatics. His research is supported by grants and contracts from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, the National Library of Medicine and the National Cancer Institute, as well as a variety of awards from nonprofit and philanthropic organizations. In recognition of his contributions to the field of biomedical informatics, he has been elected a fellow of the American College of Medical Informatics and the American Medical Informatics Association.

He was recruited from The Ohio State University, where he was professor and chair of the Department of Biomedical Informatics and director of the Institute for Translational Data Analytics. He received his PhD with distinction in biomedical informatics from Columbia University, where his research focused on the use of knowledge engineering and human-computer interaction design principles to improve the efficiency of multisite clinical and translational research programs. Before pursuing his graduate training, he served in several technical and leadership roles at the University of California San Diegos Shiley Eye Institute and Moores Cancer Center.

Washington University School of Medicines 1,500 faculty physicians also are the medical staff of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Childrens hospitals. The School of Medicine is a leader in medical research, teaching and patient care, ranking among the top 10 medical schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Through its affiliations with Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Childrens hospitals, the School of Medicine is linked to BJC HealthCare.

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A Zimbabwe-born medical student living in London is filling in an important blind spot in the medical community: informing healthcare providers and patients how symptoms for a broad range of conditions appear on darker skin.

Its the kind of problem that feels shockingly outdated for the 21st century, but as 20-year-old St. George student Malone Mukwende recently told the Washington Post, the lack of teaching about darker skin tones, and how certain symptoms would present differently on nonwhite skin, was obvious by his first class at the University of London school.

It was clear to me that certain symptoms would not present the same on my own skin, Mukwende told The Post, referring to conditions like rashes, bruises, and blue lips. He quickly extrapolated that the same would be true of other people sharing similarly dark skin.

That realization led Mukwende to create a universal tool to help address the lack of training. With the support of St. George faculty, Mukwende, who recently completed his second year in medical school, is writing a guide for medical professionals: Mind the Gap: A Handbook of Clinical Signs in Black and Brown Skin.

The guide will contain images of how a wide variety of conditionsfrom psoriasis to COVID-19show up on dark skin, but Mukwende also took particular care with the language used to describe the symptoms.

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Its really about the words we use, Margot Turner, a senior lecturer in diversity and medical education who is assisting with the project, told The Post. We are looking to decolonize the curriculum and make sure the medical education is reflective of everyone.

Our methods of teaching were unfairly disadvantaging and othering students from black and minority ethnic groups, said Dr. Peter Tamony, who is also working on the guide and has been responsible for making sure St. Georges curriculum reflects greater diversity. The other issue is one of patient safety. Are we adequately training our students to be competent health-care professionals who can detect important clinical signs in all patient groups?

The name of the guide is inspired by the routine reminders given on London subway platforms, cautioning passengers to watch their step before they enter the car.

Mind the gap is a warning sign to alert you of a danger and if you dont do anything about it, there can be fatal consequences, said Mukwende. Similarly, if we dont do anything about addressing the issue at hand, people will continue being misdiagnosed.

Healthcare providers dont just risk misdiagnosing Black patients by not noticing symptoms or describing them in insensitive ways. Fraught and frustrating interactions with medical professionals have contributed to a lack of trust between Black communities and non-Black healthcare providers, resulting in a reluctance to seek care.

In the spirit of community input, the Mind The Gap team intends for the manual to be a live document, with ongoing contributions from patients, medical students and clinicians, the Post reports.

The input is crucial to the manuals mission. While other texts on how to assess medical symptoms on darker skin have been written, Mind the Gap aims to be unique in its accessibility and its ability to be responsive to the people who use it.

Dr. Minal Singh, the curriculum director at the School of Medical Sciences at the University of Manchester, told The Post the book identifies an absolute need in the medical community, one that centers Black and darker-skinned patients in a much-needed way.

Its not so much just the visual pictures that are important, said Singh, its understanding the story the patient has told.

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Mind the Gap: A 20-Year-Old Black Medical Student Is Writing a Guide Illustrating How Common Medical Symptom - The Root

You may know Elizabeth Williams as the shot-blocking extraordinaire for the Atlanta Dream, but did you know she has a live series where she talks to leading women in the healthcare field?

Since late April, Williams has hosted E Talks With Docs, a weekly Instagram Live series focused on women in healthcare.

Williams told Sports Are From Venus in Tuesdays media availability how she started the series.

It started during quarantine, I was talking to my agent a little bit about, one, content for athletes, because a lot of our content comes from playing and two, content showing something that I am interested in outside of basketball. One of my friends, shes in med school, and her sister is an anesthesiologist, and she was just talking about how she was dealing with COVID-19, so the combination of creating content and having a relationship with her is how it started. I think people are looking for more knowledge when it comes to COVID-19 and just hearing different stories and different perspectives. I think Ive learned that throughout this whole pandemic, healthcare workers really appreciate the extra love and support theyve gotten and its motivated them because obviously these times are unprecedented so I just want to continue having these conversations with people in health care.

Examples of guests on Williams show include Dr. Theresa Williamson, a Neurosurgical Fellow at Duke University Hospital, Dr. Sarah Cutter, an anesthesiologist in Boston, Seattle Childrens Hospital Pediatrics resident Dr. Valentine Esposito, and registered dietitian nutritionist Ashley Besecker.

During college at Duke, Williams was a psychology major and on the pre-medicine track. Her father is a doctor and her mother is a nurse, so healthcare is in her blood.

Dream head coach Nicki Collen told Sports Are From Venus about Williams history in the medical world.

Shes from a family of doctors, so shes kinda grown up that way. I think her ultimate goal is to go to medical school. I know that when I first became an assistant in Connecticut, Connecticut traded her to Atlanta. I really hadnt taken the job when that trade happened yet, but kinda knew of it going down, and some of that was fear of her not necessarily prioritizing basketball long term, which obviously has not been the case with her and Im certainly lucky to have her. There was always this perception that she might go right to medical school or play a couple of years and then go to medical school. Instead, she got super fit and has continued to become a better basketball player. But, I think there is still a big part of her with her Dad being a doctor and growing up in that world, and having the plans to potentially be in the medical field that shes super aligned in that area and the whole empowering of women is important today, so I think it is a pretty logical connection there for her to do what shes doing.

Fortunately for the Dream, Williams has stuck with her WNBA career and has excelled as one of the leagues top shot blockers.

For her career, Williams averages 9.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game. Since 2016, Williams has been in the top 5 leaders in blocks every season. In 2019, Williams tied for third in the WNBA in blocks averaging 1.7 per game.

Considering that Williams comes from a family of health care workers and has an interest in the medical world, it would not be surprising to see her go on to become a doctor after her basketball career.

It is amazing that Elizabeth Williams is using her basketball platform to help educate the public with professionals in the medical field.

In order to check out Williams show E Talks With Docs, follow her on Instagram or Twitter.

For more WNBA content from Sports Are From Venus,click here.

For more thoughts and opinions from Zachary Diamond, check out hisauthor pageorTwitter.

(photo credit: AP Images)

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Elizabeth Williams Talks Healthcare With Her Series "E Talks With Docs" - Jul 28, 2020 - Sports Are From Venus

Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine was selected as one of nine medical schools to offer a new scholarship for veterans pursuing a career in medicine.

The Veterans Affairs Mission Act of 2018 created several programs to assist veterans in paying for medical school through scholarships and loan repayments, including the Veterans Healing Veterans Medical Access and Scholarship Program (VHVMASP).

Beginning with the incoming class of students in 2020, Marshall University was selected to award up to two scholarships per year to qualifying veterans. To qualify for VHVMASP, applicants must have completed their military service no more than 10 years from the time of application. They cannot receive the GI Bill or Vocational Rehabilitation funding while receiving the scholarship.

The scholarship is renewable for up to four years and covers tuition, fees, equipment and books; a stipend; and costs for two rotations at a Veterans Affairs (VA) facility during the senior year of medical school. In return, recipients must meet several obligations, including agreeing to complete residency training in a specialty that is applicable to the VA and become board-eligible in their specialty. They must also agree to become a full-time clinical provider at a VA facility for at least four years after their training.

"As a state medical school, we are always working to identify mechanisms for recruiting students from diverse backgrounds or with unique life experiences," said Bobby L. Miller, M.D., vice dean of medical education at the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine. "This scholarship provides us the opportunity to recognize individuals who have served our country while continuing to demonstrate our strong ties to the VA, upon which our medical school was founded."

Matthew W. Werhoff Jr., an entering first-year medical student, is the first recipient of the scholarship at Marshall University. Werhoff is a native of Martinsburg, West Virginia. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Exercise Physiology from West Virginia University in Morgantown. He joined the United States Army immediately following high school graduation in 2011 and served until 2019 as a member of the Military Police Corps.

The Marshall School of Medicine was established in 1977 through federal legislation, known as the Teague-Cranston Act, that authorized the creation of five new medical schools in conjunction with existing VA hospitals. Marshall maintains its partnership with the VA through pre-clinical and clinical learning opportunities for medical students.

Other schools of medicine participating in the WHVMASP include the Texas A&M College of Medicine, University of South Carolina College of Medicine, Boonshoft School of Medicine at Wright State University, Quillen College of Medicine at East Tennessee State University, Howard University School of Medicine, Meharry Medical College, Drew University of Medicine and Science, Morehouse School of Medicine.

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School of Medicine one of nine schools to offer Mission Act scholarships to veterans - HNN Huntingtonnews.net

RIC alumnaRuth Feliz-Lima '20

On May 16 Ruth Feliz-Lima '20, a biology major with a minor in neuroscience and chemistry, sat in front of her computer at 9 a.m. to attend her virtual graduation.

For the last five years, she had been a student at Rhode Island College. As a young girl growing up in the Dominican Republic, she visited family in the United States but never thought she might live here someday. Eventually, her parents decided to move here, which was not an easy transition for her.

"I was born, raised and went to school in Santo Domingo [the country's capital city]," Feliz-Lima says. There she was able to finish her first year of medical school, before moving to Rhode Island. Looking back, she says, "When I came to RIC it was a totally difficult transition. I didn't even know where I was standing. "

Although Feliz-Lima could manage with the English she learned in her home country, she didn't feel capable or confident enough to speak it here, much less to take college courses in English. So, she decided to join Project ExCEL, a support program at RIC for multilingual students that offers English as a Second Language (ESL) courses in academic reading and writing.

"I enrolled in Project ExCEL without knowing what it was," she recalls. "But it went quite well for me. It helped me to adapt and to write essays. I had no idea how those kind of things were done. It was a good class for transitioning between regular English and academic English."

In her first year at RIC, Feliz-Lima became the first and only assistant of Shlynn Riel-Osorio, former coordinator/director of Project ExCEL, who was also an ESL teacher.

"My first day of class I met this teacher with a Hispanic surname Mrs. Riel-Osorio. I thought that because of her last name, she spoke Spanish, but that first day a Caucasian lady came to class. It ended up being her husband's last name," Feliz-Lima explains. "Mrs. Riel-Osorio was very nice to me. She helped me a lot in the transition process and guided me to find all the resources that I needed to succeed in college. She helped me apply for financial aid, state and federal scholarships and even student loans"

In 2017 Feliz-Lima met Laura Faria-Tancinco, the new coordinator of the ESL Intensive Program and Project ExCEL. "Laura is the sweetest and most hard-working person ever, which motivated me to continue working for Project ExCEL until graduation, assisting more English language learners with their needs," she says.

Thanks to Project Excel, Feliz-Lima obtained a state scholarship, which she calls "a gift from heaven," in the middle of her first semester at RIC. Later, she had to apply for student loans. Now, she feels confident that with her knowledge and hard work she will be able to find a good job and pay back her loans.

Feliz-Lima still intends to follow her dream of going to medical school. "There are many requirements to enter any graduate program. If it is related to health care, there are even more," she says. "You need to be well prepared and to wait with patience to be accepted."

Despite her early battles with language and other obstacles, including the underrepresentation of Latinos in her field, Feliz-Lima is eager to step forward and accomplish her childhood dream.

"With persistence, everything is possible. Everything requires hard work, but with effort and determination, you can achieve it," she affirms. "Just because I might need to work harder than my neighbor, doesn't mean I cannot do it."

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News | From ESL to Medical School, RIC Grad Overcomes Obstacles in Pursuit of Her Dreams - Rhode Island College News

California Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine's first cohort of 81 students recently had an orientation. Image via CHSU

published on July 28, 2020 - 4:06 PMWritten by The Business Journal Staff

California Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine (CHSU-COM) in Clovis has officially welcomed its first cohort of medical students.

On July 21, these inaugural students began the journey to become physicians at the Valleys new medical school during orientation. The cohort is comprised of 81 students, 36% of which are from the Central Valley and 83% of which are from California.

Today is a historic moment for the Valley, said Dr. John Graneto, dean of the COM. It is my distinct pleasure to welcome inaugural class of 2024 to California Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine.

During the 2019-20 admissions cycle, the admissions team received nearly 4,000 applications and invited 7% of those candidates to an in-person interview session.

The CHSU-COM admissions team seeks to admit students who possess the academic, professional and personal qualities necessary to become exemplary osteopathic physicians, Graneto said.

According to a CHSU press statement, there are 27 different languages spoken among the students, with 38% of them speaking Spanish.

A White Coat Ceremony is planned for October 20204, when the cohort will enter the medical profession.

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Med students make history in Clovis - The Business Journal

Facebook/Dr. Stella ImmanuelDr. Stella Immanuel pictured on her Facebook page.

Dr. Stella Immanuel is the Houston doctor who is advocating the use of hydroxychloroquine as a cure for coronavirus. Immanuel, 55, went viral after championing the use of the drug in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on July 27 as part of the Americas Frontline Doctors Summit.

On her Facebook page, Immanuel refers to herself as a Physician, Author, Speaker, Entrepreneur, Deliverance Minister, Gods battle axe and weapon of war. On that page, Immanuel says that she was born in Bali, Cameroon.

Immanuel studied medicine in Nigeria between 1984 and 1990. In November 1998, Immanuel began working as a pediatrician in Alexandria, Louisiana, and shes been a physician at the Rehoboth Medical Center since October 2019. Immanuel is the founder of Fire Power Ministries, which was founded in 2002. Immanuel lists herself as being based in Houston, Texas. In her Family and Relationships section, Immanuel says that she is single and lists three daughters as her children.

Heres what you need to know about Dr. Stella Immanuel:

Immanuel studied medicine at the University of Calabar in Calabar in southeastern Nigeria. Immanuel attended the school between 1984 and 1990. According to listings on the U.S. News & World Report website of Immanuels background that were available on the morning of July 28, she completed her residency in pediatrics at the Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center. The listings appeared to have been removed from the site by late morning on July 28. A Nigerian news article indicated that Immanuel interned under Dr. Babatunde Dosu, a Dallas-based Nigerian pediatrician. It also stated that she holds medical licenses in Texas, Louisiana and Kentucky.

Since October 2019, Immanuel has been a physician at the Rehoboth Medical Center in Houston. In November 1998, Immanuel began working as a pediatrician at Southern Pediatric Clinic in Alexandria, Louisiana. She is sometimes listed as a physician with the last name Immanuel (Gwandiku-Ambe).

In videos of her speech at the July 27 summit in Washington, D.C., Immanuel introduced herself: Im Dr Stella Immanuel. Im a primary care physician in Houston, Texas. I went to medical school in West Africa, Nigeria, where I took care of malaria patients, treated them with hydroxychloroquine and stuff like that. So Im used to these medications.

A lengthy bio on Immanuels Details section on Facebook calls the doctor a prophet of God to the nations. One sentence in the profile reads, Her attitude toward demonic forces has been described as cut-throat, a warrior to the core. Immanuel is also a wealth transfer coach. Immanuel believes you can be saved anointed, fire brand and wealthy too. The Fire Power Ministry website indicates that Immanuel is a true daughter of Dr D.K. Olukoya of Mountain of Fire and Miracles ministries.

The Facebook bio continues, Dr. Stella, has established a Christian resource center which supplies books, videos, CDs & other teaching materials to residents in her birthplace of Bali, Cameroon. Immanuel is also credited with crusades, health fairs, raising money for orphanages, providing funding for small businesses and being the host of a radio and television show, Fire Power. The bio opens with, I shoot first and ask questions later and ends with Immanuels favorite quotation, Lord teach my hands to war and my fingers to fight.

As the Daily Beast pointed out, some of Immanuels sermons posted to her website have strange medical claims, including one in which she claims that certain medical issues like endometriosis, cysts, infertility and impotence are the result of sex with spirit husbands and spirit wives, which Immanuel described as having sex in dreams with witches and demons.

We call them all kinds of names endometriosis, we call them molar pregnancies, we call them fibroids, we call them cysts, but most of them are evil deposits from the spirit husband, she said.

Immanuel has also written several books about faith in a series called The Occupying Force Series, which includes titles such as Keys to Effective Spiritual Warfare and I Trust God As My Commander in Chief.

On July 27, Immanuels remarks on the use of hydroxychloroquine went viral and clips of her speaking were shared and retweeted by President Donald Trump as well as Donald Trump Jr. However, Immanuel has been a vocal supporter of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19 patients for months now, posting about it frequently on her social media pages. On May 21, she wrote, I treat patients with covid19 and Hydroxychloroquine with zinc works. They get betterin 24 hours. I have not lost a patient yet. My family and I take it for prevention. Many doctors and nurses take it.

Immanuel has posted her support for Trump. In the wake of Trumps acquittal during the 2020 impeachment trial, Immanuel posteda photo of Trump with the caption, Acquitted. Trump has been advocating the use of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for coronavirus since April 2020. In May 2020, the president said he had been taking the drug.

In April, Immanuel wrote a piece in Physician Outlook in which she promoted the use of hydroxychloroquine and questioned why its use had been discouraged. She wrote, For political reasons, licensed physicians will take to the media to scare the public from taking something that could potentially help them.

The Fire Power Ministries website Beliefs section states they are against unmarried couples living together, homosexuality, bestiality, polygamy, etc.

Immanuel has listed a Deliverance Prayer against Homosexuality and Sexual Perversion on her website. She also posted through her Fire Power Ministries Facebook page in December 2016 about her belief that practicing and celebrating [homosexuality] will take you to hell.

On February 13, Immanuel reposted a post from Dr. Luana Stines on Facebook. The photo showed former Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg embracing his husband, Chasten. The post begins with the words, Has the MORAL COMPASS of America tipped its scale so far into the pit of hell that homosexuality has become the norm? Another section of the post reads, If we dont STAND AGAINST SUCH VILE WICKEDNESS, sodomy will overtake the next generation!

Baylor UniversityMima Fondong in a Baylor University photo.

Immanuels daughter, Mima Fondong, is a graduate of Baylor University and the University of Westminster in London. According to her LinkedIn page, Fondong is based in Houston, Texas. A Rotary Club newsletter from Shreveport, Louisiana, says that Fondong received a $26,000 scholarship to study in London, where she studied global health and nutrition with a focus on disease prevention and treatment.

In an interview with Baylor University, Fondong said she grew up surrounded by people with careers in health care and wanted to be a doctor from a young age. She said, What sealed the deal for my attending Baylor was when I visited the University toward the end of my senior year in high school. After arriving on campus and being greeted with an endless supply of smiles, hospitality and most importantly, the apparent love of Jesus Christ, immediately I knew Baylor was where I belong. I could not picture myself at any other university.

During her time at Baylor, Fondong was a contestant in the schools Miss Green and Gold pageant. She was also the president of the African Student Association, the Baylor Lariat reported. At an event, she shared that it was difficult growing up in America because her parents did not understand the difficulty of growing up in a different country and a small town without many people from other countries or cultures around them.

Immanuel is also the mother of Bernette, who began attending the University of Houston in 2017. Bernette and Mima have both recently posted about the nightmare that was their experiences growing up as Black girls in Alexandria, Louisiana. One wrote, I didnt realize I was a victim of deep social & systemic abuse.

READ NEXT: Teenage Porn Star Controversy Rocks California High School

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Dr. Stella Immanuel: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know - Heavy.com

In 2008 or early 2009, Dr. Olcese and another chief resident shared concerns about Dr. Desai with their supervisors senior physicians and faculty at Duke during discussions about whether to promote him to the next year of residency. It is unclear what the faculty members discussed during their private deliberations, but ultimately, Dr. Desai was moved up. A Duke spokeswoman would confirm only his time there.

After his residency, Dr. Desai obtained an M.B.A. in three months from Western Governors University, an online university based in Salt Lake City, the school confirmed. Then, after starting a vascular surgery fellowship at the University of Texas at Houston, he ran into trouble. He had so antagonized some supervisors that they asked the department chairman to expel him, said Dr. Hazim Safi, who was then in that role.

Some of the attending staff didnt like his behavior, and didnt want him to graduate, Dr. Safi said in an interview.

While Dr. Safi said that Dr. Desai could be abrasive, he had worked on papers with the younger physician and was convinced the complaints were driven by personality differences and professional jealousy, not substantive deficiencies in surgical skill or patient care. Instead of failing him, he said, he gave Dr. Desai an opportunity to work on his professionalism and interpersonal skills.

I intervened and he graduated, the former chairman said.

At Dr. Desais most recent post at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights, Ill., he became involved in at least four medical malpractice cases that are still pending, including three filed in 2019.

Those suits include a claim that he failed to properly perform surgery to restore circulation to an accident victims leg, which later required partial amputation. Another alleges that negligent treatment by Dr. Desai and other doctors resulted in the removal of a substantial portion of a patients bowel.

Updated July 27, 2020

The earlier case against the hospital contends that Dr. Desai performed surgery in 2016 to remove plaque buildup from a 60-year-old mans carotid artery, then failed to report to the hospital after the patient developed swelling in his neck that caused difficulty swallowing and breathing. The patient later died.

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The Doctor Behind the Disputed Covid Data - The New York Times

And a medical education association is warning that the US must control the pandemic now, or risk seeing deaths skyrocket "well into the multiple hundreds of thousands."

"Decisive, coordinated action is urgently needed to save lives, end the pandemic, restore America's economy, and return our lives to normalcy," Dr. David Skorton, AAMC president and CEO, said Wednesday.

Disease trends are mixed: Deaths are increasing and hospitalizations are at or near peak levels, though new, daily reported infections are declining slightly.

But health experts have warned the death rate likely would rise as it is now, as a lagging consequence of a large spike in cases weeks earlier especially in the South and West.

Infectious disease experts say the country is now at a critical juncture, as the debate about how and whether to reopen schools for in-person learning rumbles on.

Case rates rose as businesses reopened and distancing rules relaxed in late spring, and those wanting more normalcy soon should get more disciplined now by wearing masks, limiting outdoor dining and social gatherings, and closing bars, Dr. Anthony Fauci said.

"It's not going to spontaneously come down," Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Tuesday in a call with several governors about the pandemic.

Some key figures about the pandemic in the US:

More than 1,240 deaths were reported Tuesday -- the most in a day since May 27, according to Johns Hopkins figures.

The seven-day average of daily deaths rose above 1,000 Tuesday -- the first first time since June 2.

In 29 states, average daily deaths were at least 10% higher over the previous week, according to Johns Hopkins data.

Rates of new infections are falling. The seven-day average for new daily cases was 64,684 Tuesday -- about 3% lower than a week ago.

Group: Take these steps, or see deaths skyrocket

It did not say when this tally might be reached, or forecast the number more precisely.

It urges the Trump administration to invoke the Defense Production Act, or determine other means, to solve critical shortages in Covid-19 testing supplies and personal protective equipment; and to set targets for stockpiling supplies.

It also suggests ramping up Covid-19 testing capacity to more than 2 million a day and reducing the turnaround time for test results.

And it calls for "national standards on face coverings to stop the spread, especially by asymptomatic individuals, and make them mandatory in areas of growing community spread."

The document also advocates "establishing and enforcing national criteria for local stay-at-home orders and reopening protocols."

The AAMC says it represents all accredited medical schools in the United States and 17 in Canada, as well as 400 teaching hospitals.

Reopening schools will provide insight into virus

With schools closed since March and April, a knowledge gap has persisted around how young children experience and spread the virus, Fauci, the United States' top infectious disease doctor, said.

"Though this may sound a little scary and harsh -- I don't mean it to be that way -- is that you're going to be actually part of the experiment of the learning curve of what we need to know," Fauci said during a discussion with Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers.

"We don't know the full impact," he said. "We don't have the total database of knowing what there is to expect."

Some states have begun to put plans in place to make in-person learning safer and online learning more effective. Tennessee announced testing and contact-tracing measures within schools, Oregon set restrictions for schools that can allow students back and Connecticut is investing $43.5 million in providing digital devices to help students learn remotely.

Although Fauci said that there is no "uni-dimensional answer" to how schools should reopen he reiterated that the "default position should be that we should try to the best of our ability to get the children back to school."

"I feel with some cautious optimism that it is a reasonable statement to make that by December we're going to have a safe and effective vaccine."

Drug rumors distracting from 'most powerful weapon'

But the drug has not been shown to be effective against coronavirus, and can even produce harmful side effects, former US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy told CNN's Wolf Blitzer Tuesday.

"All the time that we often end up spending dispelling these myths around hydroxychloroquine is time that we are not spending working on solving the actual problem in front of us," Murthy said.

And measures already in place to combat the virus' spread could be the key to solving the problem, the US Centers of Disease Control and Prevention's Director Dr. Robert Redfield said Tuesday in an interview with ABC news.

"We have the most powerful weapon in our hands right now, I mean it's an enormously powerful weapon. It's just a simple, flimsy mask," Redfield said. "This virus can be defeated if people just wear a mask."

Numbers on the decline after face mask requirements

Although some states continue to see surges and set records in the numbers of coronavirus cases and hospitalizations, Tuesday's total of new cases across the nation stood at 61,660, slightly lower than at this point last week.

Kentucky, a state that is among the at least 41 to require masks, reported 532 new cases Tuesday and a 5.08% positivity rate, which has gone down for the first time in four days, Gov. Andy Beshear said.

"Again, too early to draw conclusions, but I hope I've said, I hope that this is us starting to see, because the time period is right, where the facial covering requirement is starting to kick in and help," Beshear added.

Fauci reiterated advice to states still seeing surges Tuesday: wear masks, social distance, close bars where spread is high, wash hands and reopen economies in phases.

CNN's Brandon Miller, Andrea Kane, Annie Grayer, Maggie Fox, Rebekah Riess and Steve Almasy contributed to this report.

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As US nears 150,000 coronavirus deaths, group warns of hundreds of thousands more without action - CNN

Scientists have created candidate vaccines, which eventually could protect billions of people from COVID-19, with astonishing speed, compressing scientific efforts that usually take years into months. But the leader of a key drug trial said Tuesday that the blistering research pace has nonetheless been too slow to catch the coronavirus.

We are now five months into it, and a large-scale phase 3 trial launched yesterday, which is remarkable, said Lindsey Baden, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School (HMS). He also is a principal investigator of the first U.S. vaccine to enter such trials, some of which will happen at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Womens Hospital. It is fast, but we need to be as fast as this virus is. With four million infections, 150,000 deaths in this country alone, we have to move faster.

Baden is a principal investigator for the Brighams trial of a messenger RNA-based vaccine, whose promising early results in 45 volunteers prompted federal officials to approve it for large-scale trials. The trials of the vaccine from Moderna Inc. and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases will involve 30,000 people at 89 locations around the country. Early results showed that the vaccine was well-tolerated by subjects receiving it though there were passing side effects such as chills, headaches, and injection-site pain and it induced an immune response in volunteers.

The new trial will test that immune response on many more healthy subjects, seeing whether the vaccine protects from infection, and, as secondary goals, lessens severity of illness and reduces chances of death. The study will also probe the duration of any protection the vaccine provides.

Baden and others involved in developing and testing other vaccine candidates said getting one approved for wide use is unlikely before early next year. Dan Barouch, the William Bosworth Castle Professor of Medicine and professor of immunology at HMS and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, said a candidate vaccine could be ready for emergency authorization by late fall, but only if everything goes as well as possible between now and then. Barouchs adenovirus-based vaccine is being developed and tested in conjunction with Johnson & Johnson.

Trials of other promising vaccines are underway at the University of Oxford and in China.

Baden and Barouch spoke at an online public briefing on vaccine progress by the Massachusetts Consortium on Pathogen Readiness, or MassCPR, an HMS-led, multi-institution collaboration aimed at better understanding the SARS-CoV-2 virus and developing treatments and vaccines to protect against COVID-19.

The briefing included a discussion of how the human immune response works, of the challenges faced by high-risk communities, and of three major vaccine development efforts, along with a Q&A session.

HMS Dean George Daley, who hosted the briefing, said the rapid development of several vaccine candidates a process that typically takes three to nine years was made possible by countless unglamorous hours in the lab over earlier years and was evidence of the importance of supporting basic research. Despite the speed at which progress has been made toward a COVID-19 vaccine, he pointed out that globally in just seven months, some 15 million people have been infected and 600,000 have died.

As the pandemic has caused grave human suffering, scientists have been working tirelessly to crack the biology and the behavior of the virus and develop treatments and vaccines, Daley said. Theyve done so with unprecedented speed and a true spirit of international cooperation and collaboration.

Bisola Ojikutu, assistant professor of medicine and of global health and social medicine at HMS, said trials should include significant numbers of members of minority groups and, whenever a vaccine is ready, distribution efforts should ensure that the communities most at risk arent in the background. Ojikutu said that hospitalizations, a measure of severe COVID-19, are 4.6 times higher among Latinx Americans than among whites, while those among Blacks and Indigenous people are 4.7 times and 5.3 times higher, respectively.

Ojikutu said that efforts to tend to high-risk communities have hurdles to clear that include historical incidents of abuse, such as the Tuskegee syphilis study, in which 600 Black men with latent disease were observed without informed consent and never offered treatment when the disease became active. Other concerns include a vaccines safety, cost, and side effects.

Ojikutu said a lack of trust is reflected in a recent Associated Press study that asked respondents whether they would agree to get a COVID vaccine. While 56 percent of white respondents said yes, only 37 percent of Latinx respondents did, and just 25 percent of Blacks. Ojikutu said experts are looking to successful public health campaigns for other conditions, such as the HIV Vaccine Trials Network, which increased minority participation in trials from 17 percent between 1988 and 2002 to 33 percent between 2002 and 2016.

Strategies for recruiting minorities into trials include first acknowledging there is a trust problem, Ojikutu said, but also actively engaging the community, partnering with community health centers, holding virtual town halls and other informational outreach, and increasing the diversity of those working on the effort.

Quite honestly, diversity in clinical trials is both scientific common sense and promotes social justice, Ojikutu said.

The experts also discussed Barouchs adenovirus vaccine, which uses an altered cold virus to present the immune system with SARS-CoV-2s characteristic spike protein and generate an immune response. They also discussed another effort, supported by the Gates Foundation, that seeks to generate an immune response using a protein from part of the spike. That protein-based vaccine, according to Nicole Frahm of the Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute, would be cheaper to produce and distribute and so better able to reach disadvantaged countries and populations.

Though much has been learned in the months since SARS-CoV-2 exploded globally, many important questions remain, participants said. One key question is how durable immunity is. Barouch said that trials in nonhuman primates showed that the immune response can be both robust and lasting, but evidence also has emerged in humans to cast doubt onto how lasting the immunity gained from infection will be. Questions remain about how long any immunity received from a vaccine will last, which is something the trials, coupled with the passage of time, should illuminate.

We believe that vaccines should proceed in parallel, since it is not yet clear which vaccine will be most protective and most deployable, Barouch said. There are 7 billion people in this world. Therefore we need multiple vaccines to be successful.

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Vaccines may arrive in record time, but the virus has been faster - Harvard Gazette

Medicine has become a profession accessible mainly to the rich. Just look at the price tag for medical school.

In the 1960s, the four years of medical education needed to earn an M.D. in the United States could be had for about $40,000 in todays dollars. The price is now $300,000, a 750% increase. About 70% of students take out loans to pay for medical school, graduating with an average of $200,000 in debt. One in five graduates who finance their medical education with loans accumulate more than $300,000 of debt. That average debt is increasingly concentrated in fewer people who individually owe more.

Thats not the right direction to be going in at a time when the U.S. aims to make the medical profession more inclusive. Clinician diversity improves patient care, and access to high-status professional roles in society should be available for all.

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Those dollar amounts, however, reflect only the price of medical school. Reducing the price has been the focus of many efforts to put a career in medicine within broader reach. Scholarships supported by philanthropy can lower it, for example, as they have at New York University and Weill Cornell Medicine.

But as we argued recently in the New England Journal of Medicine, price is not the same thing as cost.

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Trying to bring down the price of medical education tackles the issue from the wrong end. What we should really target is a reduction in the actual cost of producing a physician: the faculty time, course materials, classrooms, and administrative time. If we can lower the cost of medical education, we can lower its price and redirect the philanthropy behind those scholarships to other needed areas.

The Covid-19 pandemic is pointing to ways to do that.

Early in the pandemic, medical instruction that used to happen in physical classrooms went online. In March, medical students at the nearly 200 U.S. medical schools began learning subjects like reproductive endocrinology through Zoom or another virtual platform. Couldnt they all use the same lectures?

Undergraduate teaching across the U.S. also went online in March, but the issues arent identical. Yes, the same lectures might run across the nation, reducing costs. But the point of college is only partly about learning Shakespeare and chemistry, which can largely be delivered online, and mostly about growing up and developing independence, which requires more presence. In the first few years of medical school, the ratio is reversed: Its mostly about learning reproductive endocrinology, then later developing into an independent doctor.

In fact, many medical schools have long put online their preclinical courses, the period before students spend much time with patients. Few students even show up for the in-person sessions, viewing them on their own time and often at twice the speed, compressing an hour of lecture into 30 minutes of instruction. Why recreate that instruction 200 times each year at 200 medical schools?

Sharing lectures is just one way to lower the cost of producing doctors. Another is to shorten medical school from four years to three, as schools like NYU, Wisconsin, Duke, and others already strive toward, saving the cost of that instruction (paid by future doctors) by $160,000 to $230,000. That reflects one less year of tuition, an additional year of earning, and adding a years medical practice for the community.

The high prices of medical education and the high costs of medical education are both important. High prices have been linked to doctors avoiding lower-paying specialties, like primary care, where they may be needed most. High prices also partly explain why 73% to 79% of students entering medical school between 1988 and 2017 came from households in the top two income quintiles.

If it were less costly to produce doctors, it would be less pricey to become one. Philanthropic scholarships remain essential for a diverse workforce because its unlikely that the cost of medical education will fall low enough to eliminate its effectively exclusionary pricing. But by insulating students from the price of medical education, scholarships inadvertently insulate schools from the cost of medical education and risk perpetuating old ways.

The way we produce doctors is expensive, and we all benefit if we can do it at lower cost. The costly production of doctors is part of the reason what doctors do is so expensive. It is part of the reason a more diverse population doesnt enter medicine. It is part of the reason that philanthropy going to making medical school less pricey isnt available for making cancer care better.

And so, while we are achieving some success in lowering the price of medical education, we need to put more effort toward reducing its cost.

David A. Asch is an internist, executive director of the Center for Health Care Innovation, and professor at the Perelman School of Medicine and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Justin Grischkan is an internal medicine resident physician at Massachusetts General Hospital and a clinical fellow in medicine at Harvard Medical School. Sean Nicholson is a professor and director of the Sloan Program in Health Administration at Cornell University.

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Medical schools need to lower the cost of producing doctors - STAT - STAT

OWASSO One of Emaud Tripletts heroes has always been his mother, Shelley.

The matriarch of the Triplett family served in the Navy for a decade and currently works as a nurse practitioner while pursuing her doctorate. So when the Owasso senior linebacker found an opportunity to follow in his moms footsteps in the medical field and still continue his football career, Triplett jumped at the chance.

In early June, the Rams standout announced on his Twitter page he had committed to play football at Army.

Before I had dreams of playing football, I wanted to go to medical school and be a pediatrician. I always wanted to be like my mom, Triplett said. So when the Army said they would pay for (my medical school), that just blew my mom away.

Before he heads to West Point, Triplett and fellow senior linebacker Brenden Dye hope to put a bow on their high school careers, which already include a pair of state championships. Both Triplett and Dye are candidates at linebacker in the 2020 All World Preseason Football Contest presented by Bill Knight Automotive.

The contest allows readers to vote for their favorite players at each of eight positions. Candidates were chosen on the basis of past performance, projected 2020 accomplishments and college potential. Players from all grades are eligible and may only be selected at one position.

Readers may vote once per day per device. Voting will run through 3 p.m., Aug. 13, and the winners will be announced in the Tulsa World and at OKPrepsExtra.com in late August. Go to OKPrepsExtra.com for weekly updates on who is in the lead.

Triplett led all of Class 6AI with 140 total tackles a year ago. The 5-foot-11, 210-pounder tallied eight sacks and eight tackles for loss and was a World player of the year finalist following his junior season. He is No. 1 in the Worlds preseason linebacker rankings and Dye is No. 4.

Triplett will be a three-year starter at linebacker. He also has been deployed at running back, including in last years state championship game against Jenks. Triplett scored a touchdown on a 2-yard run that helped the Rams to a 14-6 win and capped off the programs first unbeaten season.

Owasso head coach Bill Blankenship attributed some of Tripletts success at linebacker to his snaps with the offense.

Emaud benefits from having running back eyes and the experience of being a running back, Blankenship said. He sees holes, hits holes. Thats what linebackers do.

Dye will also be a three-year starter. The 6-2, 225-pounder collected 112 tackles, including seven sacks, a season ago.

In last years state semifinal win over Broken Arrow, Dye tallied 11 tackles, two sacks and a fumble recovery.

Blankenship touted his linebacker tandem as good as anybody anywhere and said both will shoulder significant loads this season after graduation losses in the secondary and a shakeup in the coaching staff.

They are, without a doubt, the heart of the defense, Blankenship said. Everything defensively starts with those two inside linebackers. Theyve got to be run stoppers and theyve got to help with the pass. They are the tone-setters for toughness. They are everything.

Vote Now: Here are the 2020 All World linebackers. You pick the best.

Owasso 5-11210Sr.

Committed to Army. The only returning All World football player of the year finalist. In 2019, led the Rams' defense with 140 tackles, including 48 solos, with eight sacks. Produced 18 tackles each against Mustang and Moore. In the regular season against Broken Arrow, had 15 tackles and a 65-yard interception return. Filled in at running back after injuries depleted that position in the playoffs and had 23 carries for 110 yards, including the Rams' second and last TD in a 14-6 win over Jenks in the 6AI state final.

Click here to vote for Emaud

Broken Arrow 6-2225Sr.

Had 95 tackles and two sacks to help the Tigers reach the 6AI semifinals last season. Recorded 16 tackles with nine solos and a key fumble recovery in a 17-15 win over Jenks. Was involved in four first-half sacks in a 35-13 win over Norman. Had five rushing TDs as a freshman for Victory Christian in 2017 before moving to Broken Arrow and helping the Tigers win a state title in a reserve role in 2018.

Click here to vote for Darryan

Metro Christian 6-1170Sr.

Shared District 2A-4 defensive player of the year honors with teammate Price Allman last year. Had 135 tackles with seven sacks and four fumble recoveries to help the Patriots post a 15-0 record and win the 2A state title. Caught a 22-yard TD pass in a playoff game against Kiefer. Had 12 tackles plus two touches for 29 yards in a season-opening win over Broken Bow. Had 87 tackles with two sacks as a sophomore in 2018.

Click here to vote for Cade

Owasso 6-2225Sr.

Had 112 tackles with seven sacks for the Rams last season. Recorded 18 tackles in a 24-10 win over Mustang. Produced 11 tackles with four for losses in a 6AI semifinal victory over Broken Arrow. Scored on a blocked punt return in the opener against Bentonville West. Had a sack or an interception in the last five games. In 2018, had 54 tackles in eight games.

Click here to vote for Brenden

Jenks 6-0190Sr.

Had 85 tackles in his first season with the Trojans helping them reach the 6AI state final. Was involved in 20 tackles against Edmond Santa Fe. The only returnee from last summer's linebacker rankings. Moved from Lincoln Christian, where he had 253 tackles over the 2017 and '18 seasons. Had 17 tackles against a 2018 3A playoff opener. In 2017, had a career-high 21 tackles against Seminole.

Click here to vote for Tyson

Stillwater 6-2220Jr.

Produced 126 tackles and three takeaways last season. Had 39 tackles in the playoffs, including nine solos in the 6AII final against Bixby. Recorded season-highs of 14 tackles against Norman and in the semifinals against Choctaw. Scored on a fumble return against Southmoore.

Click here to vote for Gabe

Bartlesville 6-2235Sr.

In 2019, had 126 tackles with seven sacks, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Was named a team captain as a junior. Has a 4.59 time in the 40. Had 87 tackles in 2018, including 16 against 6AII semifinalist Booker T. Washington and 15 against 5A semifinalist Collinsville. Also used a tight end/fullback.

Click here to vote for Braeden

Bixby 5-9200Sr.

In 2019, had 76 tackles, including 8 1/2 for losses, with three sacks and five quarterback hurries to help the undefeated Spartans win the 6AII state title. Had a season-high 11 tackles and a sack in a semifinal win over Del City. Was involved in eight tackles and had a fumble recovery against 6AI runner-up Jenks. Produced 17 tackles in a reserve role for the Spartans' 2018 state champions.

Click here to vote for Nick

Wagoner 5-8200Sr.

Led the Bulldogs defense with 143 tackles and 16 sacks. Also recovered three fumbles and had an interception. Recorded 16 tackles with a school-record six sacks in a 21-14 win at Bethany in the 4A quarterfinals. Wagoner coach Dale Condict said Gause was "dominant" and "had a breakthrough year."

Click here to vote for Trey

Lincoln Christian 5-9160Sr.

Recorded 116 tackles with three sacks to help the undefeated Bulldogs win the 3A state title last year. Had a season-high 13 tackles, including eight solos, and scored on an interception return against Stigler. Had 10 tackles with two for losses against Inola in a playoff opener. Produced 11 tackles each in the semifinals and final. Had 52 tackles in 2018.

Click here to vote for Daymon

Click here to vote on the best running back

All World defensive backs: Recruiters didn't miss B.T. Washington standout Keuan Parker

The 2020 All-World Preseason Football Contest presented by Bill Knight Automotive is underway, giving readers the chance throughout the summer

The rest is here:

All World football: For Owasso's Emaud Triplett, Army and medical school are in his future, but first another 6AI title run - Tulsa World

In 2019, the Association of American Medical Colleges published data stating the United States will see a physician shortage of nearly 122,000 physicians. This reflects the need for physicians in both primary and specialty care.

The US physician shortage is a hot topic of conversation not only among healthcare workers but also in the general population. It arises whenever there are discussions of the increasing need for healthcare services in this country. Both the rise of chronic disease as well as the increasing demands for preventive services are drivers of this need. In addition, given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare workers, it is likely that the problem will only get worse.

In reality, the term physician shortage is a misnomer. It is a veil used to hide the cracks in the system. We believe that there is no physician shortage. Rather, there is a training of physician shortage. Let us explain.

To practice medicine in the United States, one must first get accepted to medical school which is no easy feat. And then complete four (or more) years of medical school two preclinical and two clinical. Afterward, medical school graduates must try to land a residency spot in their chosen specialty.

Graphic created by the authors from information in reference.

In 1997, when there was a predicted surplus of physicians, Congress put a cap on residency spots by introducing the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. Twenty years later, that predicted surplus morphed into an evident shortage of trained physicians.

To apply for residency, candidates pay thousands of dollars for licensing exams (USMLEs), application fees, and registration to participate in the annual residency match. This is the only way to obtain a residency position in the U.S.

Graphic created by the authors from data in reference .

In 2019, the average number of applications sent per US medical graduate was 65. For International Medical Graduates (IMGs), it was 137. Even after all of this, candidates can still end up without a residency position.

Graphic, modified by authors, from NRMP Main Residency Match 2020 Results, page iv, reference .

While the number of residency positions has increased, it does not yet address the thousands of applicants that go unmatched each year. For example:

After the main Match, candidates have one last shot at a Residency position. It is called the Supplemental Offers and Acceptance Program or SOAP. In the 2020 Match, there were11,816applicants scrambling for1,897spots available in SOAP.

So what happens to the ~10,000 applicants that dont get a spot at the end of the cycle? From March September, unmatched graduates have to do the following, at a minimum:

This leads to qualified doctors working minimum wage jobs and paying thousands of dollars to third party companies for clinical experience to fill the gaps. Many are also actively searching for open residency spots.

Post Match and SOAP, there are few ways to search for open Residency positions. All of them require payment of a fee. In May 2020, a new Family Medicine Residency program opened up. Within 48hrs received 2,000 applications for 8 spots.

For the thousands of medical graduates who remain unmatched, there are simply no other opportunities to obtain a license to practice. That means the talents and skills of these doctors are not being used.

Related content: Osmosis: Revolutionizing Medical Education One Video at a Time

A number of things have been done to decrease the shortage of physicians. This includes establishing a goal of increasing medical school enrollment by 30%. This target was reached in 2018.

This was the same year that the Association of American Medical College surveyed the 151 accredited medical schools in the United States. At that time, they found that 44% of deans voiced concerns about their students ability to find residencies[8].

While the number of medical school graduates have increased exponentially, there has only been an increase of 1% per year in residency spots[8]. And, there has been little to no movement in removing the cause of the problem.

The Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2019 (S.348 / H.R.1763) was introduced in March of 2019 to remove the cap and increase residency spots. 186 members of Congress and 17 Senators have co-sponsored the bill. The problem is 218 are needed to pass it in Congress, and 51 in the Senate..

Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners have also gained full authority to practice. However, medical graduates who have completed thousands of clinical hours and completed licensing exams are unable to practice.

In Missouri, Utah, Arkansas, and Florida the Assistant Physician License has been adopted to allow these medical graduates to practice in underserved areas under the supervision of a licensed physician. Providing this license across all 50 states could help reduce the physician shortage and allow unmatched medical graduates a pathway to licensed practice outside of residency.

Every year, thousands of medical graduates fail to obtain a residency position. As a result, they are forced to work in jobs that dont take advantage of their knowledge and skills. Furthermore, they must wait a year before applying again. This is unacceptable, particularly in this time of crisis, when physicians skills are so badly needed.

More here:

Does the US Have a Physician Shortage or a Physician Training Shortage? - The Doctor Weighs In

(CNN) Super Bowl champion Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, the first practicing medical doctor to play in the NFL, has decided to opt out of playing in the upcoming season due to the coronavirus pandemic.

This is one of the most difficult decisions I have had to make in my life but I must follow my convictions and do what I believe is right for me personally, the 29-year-old Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman said in a Twitter post. That is why I have decided to take the Opt Out Option negotiated by the League and the NFLPA and officially opt out of the 2020 NFL season.

Being at the frontline during this offseason has given me a different perspective on this pandemic and the stress it puts on individuals and our healthcare system. I cannot allow myself to potentially transmit the virus in our communities simply to play the sport that I love. If I am to take risks, I will do it caring for patients.

Duvernay-Tardif is the first NFL player to opt out of the 2020 season because of the pandemic. According toESPN, Duvernay-Tardif was set to earn $2.75 million this season. By opting out, he will get $150,000 instead as a result of a Friday agreement struck between the union and the league.

Duvernay-Tardif, who earned his medical degree from McGill University in Canada in 2018, plays right guard on the Chiefs offensive line. He played in the biggest game of his life in February, helping the Chiefs win their firstSuper Bowlin 50 years.

In an April story he did forSports Illustrated, Duvernay-Tardif wrote about working at a long-term care facility near Montreal.

Duvernay-Tardif was in his third year of medical school when the Chiefs drafted him in the sixth round in 2014. He continued his studies and returned to Montreal in the offseason to fulfill his clinical rotations in pediatrics, obstetrics, geriatrics and his preferred specialization, emergency medicine. On May 29, 2018, he received his medical doctorate after eight years.

With updated information from the Indiana Department of Health on July 24, this timeline reflects updated tallies of deaths and positive tests prior to that date.

Read this article:

First practicing medical doctor to play in the NFL opts out of the 2020 season - WISHTV.com

Editors note: This essay was a winner of the 2020 Lasker Foundation Essay Contest and has been lightly edited from the original. The opinions expressed by the author donot necessarily reflect the opinions of the AAMC or its members.

One year into medical school, my current skill set includes an assortment of physiology and microbiology factoids and the ability to perform a well-patient exam, skills that unfortunately leave me just as helpless as the average American who waits on edge as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolds. Early in the pandemic, the dozens of news cameras positioned outside my medical school, reporters lining up to speak about the first case of community spread in the country, should have alerted me that we were entering into uncharted territory. As industries have slowed to a crawl, many Americans, including myself, have turned to leaders for guidance in particular, 2007 Lasker Laureate Dr. Anthony Fauci.

As the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Fauci has appeared at nearly all the White House briefings next to President Trump. His measured Brooklyn rasp and tell-it-to-me-straight demeanor have garnered the admiration of the country and even inspired fan merchandise (Fauci t-shirts in Gucci-style fonts), as well as generated vitriol from online conspiracy theorists (see: #FauciFraud).

Through the past 40 years, Dr. Fauci has led efforts against epidemics as both a scientist and public figure. In todays pandemic, his devotion to tempering too-rosy predictions and fearlessness in calling out testing efforts as failing have earned him the rarest resource of public trust. When Dr. Fauci missed one White House briefing, tweets began flying, asking, Where is Dr. Fauci?

Dr. Fauci represents a role of physicians and scientists that has diminished in recent years: a voice of reason, a representative of truth and facts. Historically, physicians were community keystones they provided your care from birth to death, and that of your family and friends, too. In this way, physicians and researchers have always been public figures. With the modernization and subsequent specialization of physicians and scientists, science began to be practiced in isolated and sterile environments, such as research done in the ivory tower or 15-minute appointments with a doctor your insurance assigned to you a depersonalization and erosion of trust. Dr. Faucis appearance in media, particularly web content, brings us closer to the days of knowing your physician or knowing the faces of scientists and cultivating a relationship of respect. Moreover, Dr. Fauci highlights another crucial role of science, not just in times of pandemic: the essential need for scientists to speak with politicians, even when you have to say things one, two, three, four times.

The argument remains that the role of a scientist is to be quiet and do the work. Dr. Fauci has certainly done the work as a leading HIV/AIDS researcher with more than 1,100 publications. But he has also leveraged his expertise into a role as a public servant, advising several presidents and designing the international health program PEPFAR for HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention, among other government programs. His advocacy helped funnel funds into implementing the interventions and research he helped discover and fostering real world change.

In his 2007 Lasker Awards Ceremony acceptance remarks, Dr. Fauci said, I realized early on that when you deal in the heady company of presidents, cabinet secretaries and members of Congress and are asked for advice, you must be prepared to disappoint people with the truth and risk never getting asked back into the inner circle. I accepted that concept. Science is truth, and as a scientist I told the truth.

Prior to medical school, I considered careers in print journalism and clinical research, seemingly disparate fields, but to me, both centering around truth-seeking. Dr. Fauci reminds me that truth-seeking is not absent from medicine either. It is central to it. In Albert Camus The Plague, the protagonist Dr. Rieux asks Tarrou, a community member, why he is so willing to risk his life and volunteer to fight the plague. Tarrou answers: My code of morals comprehension. Only by telling the truth as we know it, rooted in science and research, can we give the public and policymakers the knowledge they need to make educated decisions about their health and the health of others and, hopefully, inspire them to make the right choices.

More than ever, we need science communication education in our medical school and graduate school curriculums. It is not enough to just do the work. We need to know how to advocate for truth, how to navigate the machinations of politics, and how to build relationships with policymakers, stakeholders, and the public. In the words of Dr. Fauci, we all have to keep pushing for policy changes that focus on preventing pandemics and chronic disease, and for research advances to benefit patients in ways that are truly accessible. More than ever, our country and our patients depend on it.

Samantha Wong is a second-year medical student at the University of California, Davis, School of Medicine.

Continued here:

Anthony Fauci, MD: Science as a voice of reason - AAMC