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Essential California: More questions about how USC handled its former med school dean – Los Angeles Times

Posted on July 31, 2017 by ev1

Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. Its Monday, July 31, and heres whats happening across California:

White Coat Ceremony Begins Medical School Journey | Michigan … – University of Michigan Health System News (press release)

Posted on July 31, 2017 by Fredricko

One hundred and seventy-seven newly minted medical students were presented with crisp white coats bearing the University of Michigan logo and shiny stethoscopes on Saturday, July 29. The ceremony, held in Hill Auditorium, marks the official start of their medical school journey. The keynote speaker for the event is John Del Valle, M.D., A.G.A.F., F.A.C.P., professor and director of the internal medicine residency program.

During the ceremonys calling of the class, students came up on stage, announced their hometowns and undergraduate institutions, and were then presented with short white coats a symbol of their future profession, emphasizing the trust, humanity, and responsibility that comes with becoming a physician.

Marschall S. Runge, M.D., Ph.D., executive vice president for medical affairs and dean of the medical school, noted that This is an incredible time to be entering medicine and to begin your medical training and education. Medicine is changing rapidly, and the advances that will be possible in your careers will be amazing.

Class selected from record number of applications

The class was selected from a pool of nearly 7,000 applicants, according toSteven Gay, M.D., M.S, assistant dean for admissions for the medical school, the highest number of applications the school has ever seen.

The diverse class is 54 percent female and 19 percent from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in medicine. The majority come to medical school after gaining experiences beyond college.

As our educational programs continue to evolve, this incoming class is truly remarkable for their potential to become leaders and change agents in health and science, says Rajesh Mangrulkar, M.D., associate dean for medical student education. This is the vision we have set for the new curriculum.

The incoming class will be immersed in the clinical care world of Michigan Medicine from the beginning. Theyll develop an understanding of the immense importance of teamwork while they engage in inter-professional education experiences with students enrolled in U-Ms other health professions schools. In addition, as the first class with a capstone project graduation requirement, they will receive enhanced training in leadership and have the opportunity to demonstrate their impact in medicine through one of eight scholarly concentrations, called Paths of Excellence.

Read one incoming medical students story about working alongside her U-M heart doctor dad.

For more about the curriculum, visithttps://medicine.umich.edu/medschool/education/md-program/curriculum (link is external).

More facts about this years incoming class:

To see the full 2017 entering class profile, visit https://medicine.umich.edu/medschool/education/md-program/our-community/students-faculty/admitted-class-profile.

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White Coat Ceremony Begins Medical School Journey | Michigan ... - University of Michigan Health System News (press release)

Psychiatry in All Its Splendor – Psychiatric Times

Posted on January 29, 2020 by Danzig

IN MEMORIAM

In recent decades, there has been a concern that psychiatry has been following a bio-bio-bio model rather than the traditional bio-psycho-social one. The passing of some elder psychiatrists in the past year demonstrate that loveand psychiatry and psychiatristscan be many splendored things, as the song goes. Here are some models to prove that point.

An Alter Ego: James Newman, MD

Although I did not know Dr Newman, even though he worked in my hometown of Chicago, I almost felt I was reading what my own obituary might be when I learned of his death at the age of 77 on November 1, 2019.

His career was devoted to community psychiatry and, in particular, he worked in the behemoth Cook County health system. He started, as I did, by going into military service after training, in his case the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana. After he came to Chicago, he tried to practice eclectically, the way I was trained too, using medication, psychoanalytic principles, and what is now called cognitive behavioral therapy. As research has always confirmed, he knew even without it that the therapeutic relationship came first.

Knowing the importance of community and the psychiatrist being active in the community, he was also an activist for social justice issues ranging from anti-war activities to more humane treatment of immigrants. Close to his death, he joined a rally for addressing climate instability.

The Criminalization of Persons With Mental Illness: H. Richard Lamb, MD

Dr Lamb is another community psychiatrist who died recently. He focused on different areas than Dr Newman, reflecting the diverse opportunities within community psychiatry. His career was mainly in academic psychiatry and, reflective of that, he was a prolific writer. He attemded Yale Medical School and became a Professor at the University of Southern California where I had my internship year.

He, early on, by the 1970s, recognized the unexpected negative major side effects of deinstitutionalization. He wrote and talked about the ensuing criminalization of persons with mental illness and homelessness due to inadequate resources in the community. For this work, he received many awards, including the Arnold L. Van Ameringen Award in Psychiatric Rehabilitation from the American Psychiatric Association in 1998.

A Protean Author: Theodore Isaac Rubin, MD

I only came to know the work of Dr Rubin a year ago when I was asked to edit the upcoming book on Anti-Semitism and Psychiatry for Springer International. In researching what previous psychiatrists had written, I found Dr Rubins book, Anti-Semitism: A Disease of the Mind - A Psychiatrist Explores the Psychodynamics of a Symbol Sickness (1990, Continuum). Nothing major was written about the subject in ensuing decades, probably because it was erroneously assumed Anti-Semitism had disappeared.

I later found out how wide-ranging his psychoanalytic interests and writings were. He definitely got up from his chair to go out into society. He wrote the novella Lise and David, which was adapted in an Academy Award-nominated movie about teenagers in love in a therapeutic school. He became a public figure on TV and wrote not only a variety of self-help books, but also about his own shortcomings, such as The Thin Book by a Formerly Fat Psychiatrist. So much for the old psychoanalytic recommendations to be anonymous! He died at the age of 95.

A Father of Psychopharmacology: Donald Klein, MD

We go from the psychoanalyst Dr Rubin to the psychopharmacologist Donald Klein, MD, who died at the age of 80 on August 7, 2019. Actually, Dr Klein appreciated psychodynamics too. Anti-Semitism came up in a different way in his life, reportedly limiting his possibilities to get into medical school. He first had to get into a graduate school for a year before being accepted. Perhaps that graduate program in biochemistry and physiology was a blessing in disguise, paving the way for his conclusion that some psychiatric problems could be treated with medication rather than the psychotherapy of the 1950s.

He recognized and appreciated the unexpected surprise that a so-called antidepressant could help anxiety. He then looked backward to see if the effectiveness of medications could be dissected into something common which underlined different symptoms. He wrote not only for other psychiatrists, but for the public and patients.

The Challenger: Richard Green, MD, JD

Dr Green was an early force for homosexual and transgender rights, in and outside of psychiatry. It was also a surprise to many that he did so though he was heterosexual. So much for the common assumption that it always takes one to one know one, whether that is in regard to sexuality, gender, ethnicity, or illness. No, it takes great empathy, curiosity, and a heart of compassion. He was one of the leaders to remove homosexuality from the APAs diagnostic manuals.

Later in his career he even added a law degree in order to help address adverse laws for those being discriminated against. (Given that my father and sister were both lawyers, I also toyed with the same idea, but never pulled it off.) He participated in a case against the Boy Scouts to bar a homosexual man from becoming an assistant scoutmaster; in a case to prove that lesbian mothers should have custody rights; and that gay men should be able to co-adopt children.

Dr Green extended child visitation rights to transgender people and he was an early advocate for them. I learned much from his work when I became a medical director for a clinic specializing in transgender patients. All these barriers and more that he attempted to remove were eventually torn down.

He was also a prolific writer in all his causes, culminating in his last book: Gay Rights, Trans Rights: A Psychiatrist/Lawyers 50-Year Battle (2018). He died on April 6, 2017 at the age of 82.

Cant Help Falling in Love: Marta Muller, MD

As I was finishing these eulogies, I serendipitously, and unfortunately, heard of another, right here in my hometown of Milwaukee. Maybe that fit Dr Muller's early life, hiding and moving from one place to another as a child survivor of the Holocaust. She had a Jewish mother and Christian father.

She eventually came to Milwaukee to be one of the three women in the medical school class at Marquette, the predecessor to the Medical College of Wisconsin (where I spent the last part of my career).

Perhaps also not surprising, given her early years, she specialized in the treatment of trauma. Impressively, she focused on inner city youth well before this became a city-wide project in Milwaukee and other cities. Her goal was to desensitize these youth to help them cope. She also organized support groups for traumatized families, such as those of loved ones killed by Jeffrey Dahmer, and also worked to with the Milwaukee Bucks to reduce the stress of shooting free throws.

No wonder, too, that she died on Christmas Day, 2019, at the age of 78. At her memorial service, Elvis Presleys song, Cant Help Falling in Love is played.

Final thoughts

In these six portraits, we hopefully illustrate more of the many splendors of psychiatry and to love what these particular psychiatrists accomplished in their lifetimes. Of course, there are many others. Let us know if you come up with anyone else: Write us at [emailprotected].

Disclosures:

About the author

Dr Moffic is an editorial board member and regular contributor to Psychiatric Times. He was a tenured Professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin until he retired in 2012. Since then he has functioned as a private community psychiatrist providing pro bono services locally, nationally, and internationally. Currently, Dr Moffic is focused on four major advocacy initiatives: physician burnout, climate instability, Islamophobia, and Anti-Semitism. He is co-editor of Combating Physician Burnout: A Guide for Psychiatrists, with Sheila LoboPrabhu, Richard F. Summers, and Sheila Loboprabhu.

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How Indian Doctors Get a Medical License in the US – Voice of America

Posted on January 29, 2020 by Danzig

In India, it is quite an achievement to graduate from medical school, given that many students come from modest socio-economic backgrounds.

Its an even higher hurdle for foreign medical graduates to turn that degree into a license to practice medicine in the U.S.

For a [foreign medical graduate] to come to this country, they have to be among the best students in their native country, said Anupam B. Jena, an Indian American who is an associate professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School. Jena is also a physician at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

The standards for acceptance into a U.S. residency program are high for international applicants. An international medical graduate (IMG) describes a U.S. citizen or green card holder who obtained their degree outside the U.S., while a foreign medical graduate (FMG) describes a foreigner who completes a degree in their country of origin.

Indian FMGs in the U.S. are composed of Indias topmost students, Jena said.

So how does someone with a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) and a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) and a post-graduate degree from an Indian institution practice medicine in the U.S.?

It starts with gaining certification from the U.S. Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates, which measures whether FMGs are prepared for a residency program in the U.S.

Graduates must next complete the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). The exams determine an IMGs or FMGs medical knowledge and skills in line with standards and practices in the U.S. The USMLE website describes it as a three-step exam that evaluates an applicants basic medical and scientific knowledge, clinical knowledge and clinical skills. It takes years to achieve medical licensure, but must be accomplished within seven years.

Costs to attain medical licensure through the USMLE vary with each stage of the examination, but it totals about $4,000.

The biggest hurdle is getting admission into a U.S. residency training program, Jena said.

Many Indian medical students participate in internships, unpaid or paid, in the U.S., where they shadow physicians and learn more about U.S. health care and medicine, he said.

Jena urged Indian doctors to apply to at least 30 health care programs in the U.S., to ensure at least five to 10 interviews for employment.

Applicants travel to each hospital for in-person interviews, said Rachana Gavara, an Indian American obstetrician-gynecologist at New York-Presbyterian (NYP) Hospital who studied medicine in India and immigrated to the U.S. in 2000.

There are certain specialties which are much easier for foreign medical grads to get into like internal medicine, psychiatry, pediatrics, family medicine, Gavara said.

Some specialties, like the neurosurgery, dermatology, radiology orthopedics, burns and plastics are very competitive, said Gavara, who was a post-doctoral fellow at Cornell University for three years.

Medical licenses are issued on a state-by-state basis by a medical board, so a doctor would apply in the state in which they intend to work. Licenses must be renewed every two years.

With those milestones achieved, and after completing residency training in a U.S. program, medical practitioners can practice independently in the U.S.

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At Department of Medicine’s diversity and inclusion week, challenging conventional wisdom – Stanford Medical Center Report

Posted on February 12, 2020 by Danzig

Great minds think differently. If there was a unifying idea expressed by speakers at the Department of Medicines first diversity and inclusion week, it was probably that.

Hannah Valantine, MD, of the National Institutes of Health, said it first, when she opened the Jan. 29 sessions with her grand rounds presentation. Sonia Aranza, a global diversity and inclusion strategist, echoed these words when she spoke on multigenerational diversity later that day.

Both women, along with various other speakers, sought to challenge conventional wisdom about diversity, including the idea that representation and hiring diverse candidates is enough. Instead, they pushed the idea that, as Aranza put it, diversity just is, and the real challenge is making inclusion work, particularly at the institutional level.

The week, which began with a meeting of faculty on Jan. 27 and continued through a meditation session on Jan. 30, was designed to provide both faculty and staff in the department with opportunities to discuss diversity and inclusion. The faculty meeting also introduced the inaugural Department of Medicine Chair Diversity Investigator Awards four grants of $50,000 each that will go to instructors, clinical instructors, or assistant professors focused on research about diversity and disparity.

In her talk, Valantine, a former Stanford professor of cardiovascular medicine who now runs the NIHs scientific workforce diversity initiative, said individual approaches to diversity and inclusion are not enough.

Institutional transformation is crucial, and tools need to be developed for helping people.Diversity needs to be linked to our institutional values and reward systems, she said. She assured her audience that a diverse talent pool exists, and that they would find it if they looked, adding that diversity in leadership can promote diversity and representation at various institutional levels.

One encouraging sign? The Stanford School of Medicine leads its peers in the representation of women among department chairs: In 2018, 37% of the schools departments were led by women.

Investing in diversity is worthwhile, she said. Among other things, it leads to greater innovation and a broadening scope of inquiry, particularly into things like health disparities.

But all is not rosy. Stereotypes continue to plague science, Valantine said. For example,she cited a study in which more feminine looking women were assumed less likely to be scientists.

Following Valantines talk, Aranza gave a presentation on the multigenerational workplace, and Peter Poullos, MD, clinical associate professor of radiology, discussed disability.

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At Department of Medicine's diversity and inclusion week, challenging conventional wisdom - Stanford Medical Center Report

Wickenheiser working double duty with Maple Leafs, medical school – Official site of the Tampa Bay Lightning

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Danzig

Hayley Wickenheiser pushed herself to be the best as an athlete. She's still pushing herself, going into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Nov. 18 while going to medical school at the University of Calgary and working as an assistant director of player development for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

She knew the Hockey Hall of Fame would announce the Class of 2019 on June 25 but couldn't sit by the phone.

"I had stuff to do," she said with a laugh.

Hockey Hall of Fame officials couldn't reach her after her selection, because she was in a code blue simulation. In other words, she was practicing resuscitating someone in cardiopulmonary arrest. No phones allowed.

Eventually, she pulled out her phone, saw missed calls from the 416 Toronto area code and read text messages congratulating her. She called Hockey Hall of Fame chairman Lanny McDonald on her way home.

Wickenheiser had dueling dreams as a kid: to win the Stanley Cup with the Edmonton Oilers and go to Harvard Medical School. She was inspired by a neighborhood girl seriously injured in an accident.

"She ended up being OK, and I just remember that event being very life-changing for me, being in the hospital every day and seeing how the doctors and nurses treated her and just feeling like that's something I'd want to do," Wickenheiser said. "It's always sort of since then just really been something I thought I would see myself doing outside of being involved with hockey. It's something I could find that was close to what hockey would be like."

Wickenheiser is in her second of three years of med school. She's studying general medicine now but would like to specialize in emergency medicine.

Starting in January, she will spend six months doing electives in Toronto. She said she probably will end up doing her residency there too. But since the Maple Leafs hired her Aug. 28, 2018, she has been living in Calgary and commuting to Toronto four to 10 days per month.

Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas said Wickenheiser has been a massive resource for both players and staff, mostly with Toronto of the American Hockey League and Newfoundland of the ECHL. She watches video, goes on the ice and helps build development plans, providing the insight only a world-class player can.

Last season, a player was struggling. The Maple Leafs had Wickenheiser visit with the player and talk to the coaching staff.

"The thing that Hayley has about her is, she has a certain empathy and ability to understand people and where they're at, and then she also has the ability of understanding what it takes to operate at a very high level," Dubas said. "So it's connecting the two. I could go in and read a player the riot act, but I can't speak to what it's like to play in a gold medal game and be the best player in the world and make the types of sacrifice it takes to get there."

At development camp each summer, the Maple Leafs have a staff summit. One night, they have staff members make presentations. This year, Wickenheiser spoke about performing under the pressure of high expectations.

She once wore a maple leaf on her jersey. It was red instead of blue.

"I thought it was very poignant for all of our staff because of the market we play in and the different things that happen," Dubas said. "It's very interesting to hear the way she spoke about life with Team Canada, the expectation that you're going to win all the time, how you deal with it and how you use that energy.

"Rather than look at it as a burden, it should be looked at as something you've earned because of the work that you've put in. So you shouldn't shrink from it. You should be proud when you get to that point and be excited about it."

The 41-year-old carries weight with everyone, especially the Canadian players. She represented the country at the Olympics five times (1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014) and won four gold medals.

"I'm not sure that the young, young players know as much about me, but I generally say that the better the player, the higher the level, the less of an issue it is for me," she said. "Most, if not all, of the Leafs at some point have come up. We've chatted, or they've said, 'Congratulations on the Hall of Fame.' I think when I talk to them, there's a mutual respect."

Actually, Dubas used a stronger word.

"You never know how it's going to go, because you don't know if there's an underlying [attitude of], 'Yes, but she's a woman hockey player. She never played in the NHL. Women's hockey's different,' " Dubas said. "I'm not afraid to say it. You're worried about it at first.

"But then watching the way she carries herself when she walks in, the players, even our best players, there's a reverence that they have for Hayley when she arrives and she's in the building.

Top photo by Mark Blinch, Toronto Maple Leafs

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Sentry gives $2 million to Medical College of Wisconsin’s Wausau campus as it trains rural doctors – Stevens Point Journal

Posted on December 12, 2019 by Danzig

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Dr. Lisa Dodson (left), dean of the Medical College of Wisconsin Central Wisconsin Campus, receives an endowment medal from Sentry chairman, president and CEO Peter McPartland on Monday, December 9, 2019, at SentryWorld in Stevens Point, Wis. Sentry has pledged $2 million to the MCW Central Wisconsin Campus to provide an endowment for the deanship and expanding training programs for local medical students.Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin(Photo: Tork Mason, Tork Mason/USA Today NETWORK-Wisconsin)

Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify the number of students attending school at the medical college.

STEVENS POINT - The Medical College of Wisconsin has received a $2 million gift fromthe Sentry Insurance Foundation to help the school train more doctorsfor rural residents.

It's a gift Sentry hopes will inspire other local companies and leaders to support the work going on at the college's Wausau campus, whichistraining physicians and psychiatrists with a goal of keeping them in Wisconsin's less-urban areas where there'sa shortage of providers.

Leaders from Sentry and the college gathered at SentryWorld in Stevens Point on Monday to announce the gift,the largest ever given to the Medical College of Wisconsin-Central Wisconsin.The gift creates the Sentry Deanshipat the Medical College of Wisconsin's Wausau campus and aims to break down barriers in creating new physicians in non-urban areas.

The three-year-old medical campus graduated its first class of students earlier this year. The college admitted its first students in 2016 in Wausau, becoming the first medical school in the region.The 13 graduates have now been assignedtothree-year residencies, and seven of those doctors in training are from central Wisconsin.

Seventy-six students are now enrolled at the medical college's central Wisconsin campus. An additional nine people are training in the campus'psychiatry residency program at sitesthroughout central Wisconsin.

Ann Lucas, executive director of the Sentry Insurance Foundation, said the endowment signifies the start of a long-term partnership between the company and the college that may lay the groundwork for future joint efforts to address rural healthcare gaps.Lisa Dodson is the founding dean of the Medical College of WisconsinCentral Wisconsin campus and her deanship position was renamed after the insurance company.

"I think their whole model of integrating their medical students into the community is genius," Lucas said.

Dodson's endowed dean position is the institution's highest honor and is the first such position in the college's history, said Dr. John Raymond, Medical College of Wisconsin president and CEO.

The money will further the college's outreach efforts to recruit students in rural and underrepresented communities, especially in central Wisconsin, Dodson said. She said such work would involve more staff, time and resources dedicated to outreach and building community relationships.Her hope is to make access to the medical college easier andbreak down barriers for rural, first-generation college students, people of color and low-income students.

RELATED: Wausau med school's first class starts July

RELATED: Central Wisconsin's first medical students find out where they'll serve residencies

The college will also seek to help physicians overcome burnout, mental health struggles and other issues that threaten to end careers early by better connecting each step of a future doctor's education and making sure they have a support system, Dodson said.

The focus on training rural doctorscomes from the growing divide between urban and non-urban areas in the number of physicians practicing and the number of rural places available for them to train, she said. Where someone grows up and then where they trainto become a physician heavily influences where they will ultimately practice.

Anew article in Health Affairs, an academic journal, reports on a 15-year decline in rural medical students, withless than 5% of all incoming students in 2017 coming from rural areas. The phenomenon is worse among people of color with rural backgrounds.

"The closer to home you go to school, you maintain those community relationships, (and) the more likely you are to end up practicing in that community," Dodsonsaid.

The college's strategy translates to defining the career path for students early on while in high school or undergraduate studies and well after they're practicing in local communities, she said. The donation from Sentry will strengthen that plan.

"Part of this pipeline is setting people up with partnerships in rural areas, not throwing someone up in the Upper Peninsula (of Michigan) and saying, 'Good luck',"she said.

The structure of the endowment will allow the medical college creativity in bringing on community partners, health care systems and other partners in the future, Dodson said.

Sentry Insurance CEO Pete McPartland said in an interview with the Stevens Point Journal that the donation represents one of the best things the company's foundation hasdone because it invests in education, quality of life and workforce development in the Stevens Point and central Wisconsin area.

Dr. John Raymond (right), president and CEO of the Medical College of Wisconsin, shakes hands with Sentry chairman, president and CEO Peter McPartland on Monday, December 9, 2019, at SentryWorld in Stevens Point, Wis. Sentry has pledged $2 million to the MCW Central Campus to provide an endowment for the deanship and expanding training programs for local medical students.Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin(Photo: Tork Mason, Tork Mason/USA Today NETWORK-Wisconsin)

"We are extremely committed to this area," McPartland said. "This is where we have been for over 100 years and this is where well be."

Raymondsaid the donation emphasizes the importance of local communitiestaking ownership of the new medical school.

"The main purpose of the campus is our idea to use local talent and resources, which is in abundance. If we do that, and make medical education affordable, then we are going to deal with the severe maldistribution of physicians," Raymond said.

The donation, Dodson said, makes Stevens Point the first community outside of Wausau to embrace the Medical College of Wisconsin's central Wisconsin campus. Raymond said Sentry's stamp of approval on the school'swork is gratifying.

"To have an organization like Sentry back the efforts of the college is humbling and a sign that something is going well," Raymondsaid. "Its just been so gratifying tosee the community embrace this ideal and make it real."

Contact reporter Alan Hovorka at 715-345-2252 or ahovorka@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ajhovorka.

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Choices, trade-offs and accomplishments at the Women in Medicine and Science event – Scope

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Danzig

The path was rarely straight. The steps were neither easy nor obvious. Nonetheless Persis Drell, PhD, navigated the mostly male landscape of academic sciences to become Stanford's thirteenth provost. As the chief academic and chief budgetary officer, she holds a key position in setting university priorities and allocating funds to support them.

At the Stanford Medical Alumni Association's Women in Medicine and Science event, Drell, along with Stanford Medicine leaders, talked about her path to leadership -- a winding one that began as an undergraduate at Wellesley College.

"The smartest woman in every class was a woman," Drell said."You never asked, 'Do I belong?' Of course I belonged."

Graduate school, however, wasn't as welcoming. Studying physics at the University of California, Berkeley, Drell was the only woman in her class when she arrived as a student. Despite the challenges, Drell said she learned to be resilient. She built her own community and did her part to change the culture, celebrating small successes along the way, like creating the first gender neutral bathroom in the basement filled with research labs.

As Drell launched her academic career, well-meaning colleagues told her to wait until she had secured tenure before starting a family. Drell ignored the advice and interviewed at Cornell University with a six-week-old under her arm.

"Throughout your career," Drell told the room full of School of Medicine graduates and students. "You will have to make choices -- some of them will be difficult. For me, it was extremely important to chart a career path that allowed for family. That came with particular challenges and trade-offs but I owned those choices. They were my choices."

Drell loved teaching -- still does -- but along the way, she realized she liked serving in leadership positions too. "I discovered that I like to solve problems -- all kinds: structural, organizational and mission-related."

After 14 years at Cornell, Drell moved to Stanford into a laboratory leadership role, eventually becoming the director of the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. In 2014, she became dean of Stanford's School of Engineering and provost in 2017.

Drell's advice to the women in the room? Make the toughchoices, don't get discouraged, and build a strong network.

Mary Leonard, MD; Leslee Subak, MD; and Suzanne Pfeffer, PhD, who chair the pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, and biochemistry departments respectively, seconded Drell's advice.

Each told of their owns paths, which like Drell's, were not linear. They talked about the choices they made and the barriers they overcame -- which included at least one literal wall of men.

Subak told of her undergraduate studies at Dartmouth University, where her class was only the fifth to include women. In large lecture courses, the men would stand to create a physical barrier between the professor and the women. "When a woman raised her hand to ask a question," Subak said, "the men would stand around her so she couldn't be seen."

Undeterred, Subak graduated with a degree in earth sciences and economics. She found jobs as a geologist and in banking before a volunteer role at a health clinic inspired her to apply to medical school. She graduated from Stanford's School of Medicine in 1991.

During the question and answer session, the conversation turned to the perceptions of leaders and how men are often described as strong or forceful while women get tagged with less complimentary language. The department chairs also talked about the advantages they have as women in leading their departments.

"I could bringconsensus to a room," Pfeffer said. "I think we do that better than the guys."

Women are now the majority of students entering medical school nationally. A majority of bachelor's degrees earned in biological and biomedical sciences are earned by women. In medical schools, the future may, in fact, be female.

Recordings from the event will be available.

Photos by Steve Fisch

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Choices, trade-offs and accomplishments at the Women in Medicine and Science event - Scope

Electronic Medical Records, Burnout, And Mans 4th Best Hospital – Forbes

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Danzig

Overworked doctor trying to focus.

Graduating from medical school in 1978, I started my hellish internship while reading Samuel Shems classic, The House of G-d, a scathing indictment of medical education and the mercenary incentives in patient care. I found it shocking, crude at times and disillusioningbut at its core, absolutely correct about what was happening in medicine that was so wrong.

Thus it seems fitting that I received a review copy of Shems new book, Mans 4th Best Hospital, as my medical career is coming to a close. Once again, Shem nails where medical care has lost its way. Physician burnout and dissatisfaction are increasing in step with patients unhappiness.

Much of the blame can be attributed to two thingscorporate greed and electronic medical records, which are like conjoined twins. Theres no small irony that this is what is forcing many experienced physicians, like myself, out of practice prematurely, contributing to a waste of both talent and experience that is needless and costly.

Electronic Medical Records (EMRs)

Come with me as I describe some of the changes in my own career that are reflected in Shems writing.

In the olden days, for example, I used to graph out when each antibiotic wasstarted and stopped on the TPR sheetthe hand written graph the nurses charted the patients vital signs on with temperature, pulse and respiratory rate. Sometimes I noted a new medicine or a positive blood culture. This visual display of quantitative information was invaluable to me in following the course of my patients illnesses and puzzling things out when they didnt respond as expected to therapy. For example, you could regularly see that a new fever corresponded to the addition of a particular new medicine, rather than infection.

No more. Even the early EMRs eliminated such graphics, replacing them with rows of data. While some have a generic graphical display option, among the half dozen EMRs Ive had personal experience with, none could be annotated with what I need, as I did by hand.

That was decades ago. Back then, the lab would call doctors with critically abnormal labs. For me, the emphasis was on abnormal blood and spinal fluid cultures. EMRs are not without any redeeming qualities. Meditech, my first hospitals system, had one valuable module. I could readily see my patients positive cultures including those from previous admissions. They were flagged and easily visible. None of the other half dozen systems Ive used in the past decade has had that capability.

In mid-career, I conducted many clinical trials for pharmaceutical companies, working (primarily) to develop new antibiotics and other treatments for life-threatening sepsis. Electronic gadgets replaced people who actually measured a temperature, felt a patients pulse, or counted the respiratory rate. These mechanically generated results were often wildly inaccurate, but were recorded automatically and could not be readily edited. This made identifying patients for trials, or following their course accurately on the trial, nearly impossible. Shem had number of Laws of the House of G-d. The applicable one here was #10 If you dont take a temperature, you cant find a fever.

Those EMRs were problematic, but nothing like the new generation.

Epic and newer EMRs

HAMILTON, MA - JULY 2: The pop-up on this fictitious patient's electronic health record shows ... [+] drug-disease interactions. Dr. Hugh Taylor , with Family Medicine Associates, in Hamilton, talks about records, on Wednesday, July 2, 2014. (Photo by Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

EMRs have lost their way, along with the rest of medicine. The initial idea dating back to ~2008 was to have interoperability and to gather data, which could be used to improve care. What has happened to that more idealistic goal?

(Note, I will refer to Epic, since I have the most recent experience with it and it is named Best in Klas, but my current criticisms could be leveled against most, if not all, EMR systems).

EMRs no longer seem to even pretend to be about patient care. The goal is to optimize billing through upcoding. You do that, in part, by documenting more, through check boxes and screens that you cant skip. The more you upcode and the more quickly you get patients discharged, the more profits go to the corporate overlords.

Physicians now spend two hours on the computer documentation for every hour with the patient on site. Many have 2-3 more hours pajama time EMR work at home. Notes used to be concise and problem lists useful. Now there is needless bloat.

The EMR in fictionalized Mans 4th Best Hospital is HEAL, described by its President Krashinsky, For billingwe monetize.As protagonists Dr. Roy Basch and Berry reminisce,

The choice in medicine back then? The Fat Mans Dream or the Money. The money won. The money wins. Not just in medicine, in pretty much everything American now, and worldwide

UPMC case study

Shortly after UPMC bought Lancaster Regional Medical Center (LRMC), where I had been working, EPIC training began in late 2017. This was an extraordinarily time-consuming and expensive process. One physician told me the conversion cost $20 million; I am awaiting confirmation from the hospitals. Six months after the launch, Epic was upgraded, requiring additional training.

UPMC announced closure of LRMC in Dec 2018. More than 500 employees were affected, though it's unclear how many lost their jobs. Its also unclear how Lancaster General, the other hospital in town, can absorb the additional patientsas well ashow patients, particularly those who are poor, will manage to reach care in a different part of the city.

Most of the staff I worked with disliked Epic and felt it hurt patient care. I saw some instances where its rigidity hurt patients. Some physicians said they were retiring rather than learn such a complicated and time-consuming system. (For a bonus, humorous thread on Epic, see Eye Contact is Evil and EPICParodyEMR on Twitter.)

EMRs and physician burnout

This complaint, that EMRs are a huge time sink was not limited to Epic. At Susquehanna, some physicians complained that their EMR system, NextGen,lowered their productivity by a third. Since their pay was tied to performance, they were not happy about either pay cuts or angry administrators. By far the worst system I had to learn was the Armys AHLTA; I hear pretty good things about the VAs EMR.

A study from the Mayo Clinic found that over 50% of physicians experienced at least one symptom of burnout and that the frequency has been increasing.

As Dr. Atul Gawande stressed in Why Doctors Hate their Computers, Mayo found that one of the strongest predictors of burnout was how much time an individual spent tied up doing computer documentation.

Gawande observes, I began to see the insidious ways that the software changed how people work together. Theyd become more disconnected; less likely to see and help one another, and often less able to.

Man's 4th Best Hospital cover

Shem nails these problems with EMRs and money-driven medical care in spades, and more graphically than all the medical journal articles. He explained to me,

Its not burnout. Its placing doctors in a moral bind. Its like being in a war you dont believe in. That kind of thingIts abuse of doctors, simply put. Because we cant practice the way we want to. Were hirelings.

He stressed that electronic records are probably a pretty good thing. It is the way they are linked to money that is the problem.

Many physicians miss caring for patients. We are now regarded by many large health systems as interchangeable widgets and shift workers. EMRs have destroyed our relationship with patients, as we are forced to interact with the computer screen rather than our patient.

In this sequel, Shem emphasizes the danger of isolation from patients and coworkers and the healing power of good connections. He waxes more philosophical and Buddhist threads run through the narrative. Basch muses,

its our job, being with patients at the crucial times in their lives, yes, illness, old age, and deathwell suffer less, spread less suffering around andheal. Heal both ways. Us and them.

The Laws of the House of G-d were funny, cynical with apt insider jokes about medical training, like Law VIII. They can always hurt you more and XIII The delivery of good medical care is to do as much nothing as possible. EMRs, practice guidelines and fear of liability pushes towards doing more. We would be better if we remembered the Fat Mans mantra, that sometimes Less is more.

The Laws of Mans 4th arent as catchy, but reflect a wise maturity in how we should respond to the crisis in health care. II. Isolation is deadly; connection heals. VIII Squeeze the money out of the machines. IX. Put the human back in medicine.

About the School | Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple …

Posted on March 22, 2019 by Danzig

Founded in 1901 as Pennsylvanias first co-educational medical school, the Lewis Katz School of Medicine has attained a national reputation for training humanistic clinicians and biomedical scientists. The school attracts students and faculty committed to making a difference in patient care, research, education and public service at home and across the globe.

The School of Medicine and Temple University Hospital (TUH), its chief clinical training site, provide care for patients from throughout the region seeking advanced tertiary- and quaternary-level care. In addition, TUH serves one of the most vulnerable populations in the nation, providing more free and under-reimbursed care than any other hospital in Pennsylvania.

With clinical training sites that include other member hospitals and specialty centers of the Temple University Health System and educational affiliates of the School of Medicine, medical students gain experience in a variety of urban, suburban, and rural in- and out-patient settings. They learn to provide culturally competent, interprofessional care to a diverse population of patients with simple conditions as well as highly complex ones.

The Lewis Katz School of Medicine is a school that prizes not just technical excellence but diversity, equality and inclusion. It teaches the true art and science of doctoring. Moreover, its educational strategic plan, Improving Health Through Innovation in Medical Education, keeps pace with new medical knowledge and with emerging trends in care delivery.

The schools home base in Philadelphia is a spectacular 11-story, 480,000 square-foot medical education and research building that features state-of-the-art facilities and technologies for medical education and research. It opened in 2009. With specialized research centers focused on population health, metabolic disease, cancer, heart disease and other strategic priorities, the school conducts investigations to break new groundand trains future generations of researchers to follow suit.

On October 13, 2015, Temple's medical school was officially dedicated as the Lewis Katz School of Medicine ahistoric milestone in the schools history. Thousands of people participated in events celebrating this change which,Dean Dr. Larry Kaiser said, "joins our schools legacy to the values that Lewis lived by, and the values which we have always tried to instill in our students hard work, dedication, service."

The Lewis Katz School of Medicine is part of Temple University Health System, a $1.6 billion enterprise. It is one of seven schools of medicine in Pennsylvania and the ninthmost-applied-to medical school in the United States.

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Aaron Craft to retire at the end of Euro League season to enroll in medical school: Buckeye Breakfast – cleveland.com

Posted on October 26, 2019 by Danzig

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Former Ohio State basketball player Aaron Craft will reportedly be playing his final basketball season as a professional.

According to the Italian magazine Corriere della Sera, Craft will retire at the end of the EuroLeague season and will begin medical school at Ohio State. He currently plays for Trento, where he has competed in both the Euro Cup and the Lega Basket Serie A league in Italy. He has career averages of 8.5 points and 4.3 assists while playing for five teams since 2015.

The passion for medicine is something I have cultivated since I was a child, Craft said, after translation. "At the end of my life I want to be more than a player who has chased a ball. My goal is to help others and serve the society in which I live.

Craft also played for the Buckeyes alumni team Carmens Crew over the summer helping them win the $2 million cash prize for the first time. He played for the Buckeyes from 2010-14 compiling a 99-37 record 52-20 in the Big Ten and reaching the final four in 2012.

He averaged 9.8 points, 4.7 assists and 2.3 steals while starting in 113 of 148 games.

Cassius Winston is the only consensus Preseason All-American in college basketball

Here is a look at the preseason Associated Press All-American team for the 2019-20 season:

Cassius Winston, Michigan State: 18.8 points, 3 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and one steal per game

Markus Howard, Marquette: 25.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.1 steals per game

Jordan Nwora, Louisville: 17.0 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game

Myles Powell, Seton Hall: 23.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.9 assists and two steals per game

James Wiseman, Memphis: 25.8 points, 14.8 rebounds, 5.5 blocks and 1.3 steals per game at Memphis East HS

A look at TCUs jerseys for its matchup with Texas on Saturday

Catch up on the latest Ohio State news

Imagining Urban Meyer as the coach of the Dallas Cowboys (or any other team)

What is Ohio State footballs level of Wisconsin worry, with Joel Klatt of Fox Sports: Buckeye Talk Podcast

If Ohio State football limits Jonathan Taylor, how else can Wisconsin attack?

Could other Ohio State football players enter the Heisman Trophy race? Heisman Watch

How Chris Olave bounced back from one of his worst games as an Ohio State football player

Ohio State vs. Wisconsin for football, tuition, academics, sports money and more, by the numbers

Why Ohio State is so effective on third down and its importance against Wisconsin

Scouting Ohio State football vs. Wisconsin: Q&A with Jeff Potrykus

How Wisconsins best running backs have fared against Ohio State from Ron Dayne to Jonathan Taylor

Urban Meyer says he wont be on the field for OSU-Wisconsin: Buckeye Breakfast

Key Dates

Ohio State vs. Wisconsin 2 days, Saturday, noon.

Ohio State at Michigan: 37 days, Nov. 30

Big Ten Championship: 44 days, Dec. 7

College Football Playoff Semifinal: 65 days, Dec. 28

College Football Playoff National Championship: 82 days, Jan. 13, 2020

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Aaron Craft to retire at the end of Euro League season to enroll in medical school: Buckeye Breakfast - cleveland.com

Acupuncturist hoping to make mark in county – Times Herald-Record

Posted on October 28, 2019 by Danzig

FRANKFORD - An internship led a Newton High School graduate to the field of acupuncture, and she has brought her skills to Sussex County with the opening of her second office location.

Kayleigh Kovonuk is the owner of Lifestyle Acupuncture of New Jersey, which opened on Route 206 in Augusta earlier this year as an addition to its other location in Rockaway.

Kovonuk said that acupuncture is based on traditional Chinese medicine, which focuses on providing nutrients to cells in the body and taking out waste. As such, her practice treats physical pain as well as mental health and a variety of other ailments by addressing different pressure points.

The basic premise of (acupuncture) is that, whenever there's imbalance or disease in the body, it's due to stagnation or a lack of flow of energy in blood, Kovonuk said. The reality of it in the physiological sense is that it's basically moving oxygen in the body, it's moving blood, it's getting circulation and cells to the areas that need help, and it's helping the body heal itself.

Kovonuk, who graduated with a degree in psychology from The College of New Jersey, had no knowledge of acupuncture prior to interning at a substance abuse center for teenagers in her senior year. There, she began to seek out ways to treat the patients other than what the center normally described.

Basically these 15, 16-year-olds were just given medications that were so similar to their drugs of abuse that they were just replacing one addiction with another, Kovonuk said. I was looking into alternative ways to help people from psychological conditions, whether it be addiction, anxiety, depression, and I looked into acupuncture.

Incidentally, the husband of Kovonuks medical director at the internship was an acupuncturist and was able to provide more information on the field. Before long, Kovonuk was enrolled at New England School of Acupuncture, where she studied for two years before transferring to Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in New York City to focus on orthopedic and sports medicine.

Kovonuk worked at a Morristown practice during and after medical school, where she performed a variety of behind the scenes work that helped her learn the ins and outs of the industry. With plenty of experience under her belt, she partnered with a colleague to open Lifestyle Acupuncture in Rockaway in May 2016.

While her business was thriving, Kovonuk, a Newton High School graduate, always knew she wanted to move back where she grew up to practice acupuncture. She obtained the lease for the Augusta building, a former massage office, last November and opened the facility in February.

Lifestyle Acupunctures two main specialties, according to Kovonuk, are pain and emotional treatment, with new partner Arik Cohen specializing in stroke rehabilitation. The practice also treats pediatric patients, a demographic often overlooked in the field.

Since I've had kids, that part of my practice has grown a lot, Kovonuk said. As I go further, I kind of want to focus more on emotional health, women's health and pediatrics because there's so much going on in today's society, especially with kids.

Kovonuk now lives in Frankford with her husband Evan, daughter Scarlett, 5, and son Austin, 1. For her practice, she joked that her long-term plan is to "take over Sussex County," possibly by adding another practice in Sparta when the time is right.

More to the point, Kovonuks goal is to be the go-to place for acupuncture in Sussex County, rather than splitting her week between Augusta and Rockaway like she does now. Having built up a family-like atmosphere among her clientele in the past three years, she is ready to focus it in the community she knows best.

I really eventually just want to be up here, Kovonuk said. This is just the beginning. I have lots of ideas, but they all are going to be in Sussex County because once you live up here, you just don't want to leave.

Lifestyle Acupuncture of New Jersey is located at 47 Route 206 in Augusta. Its hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday and Saturday, and 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday.

For more information, call the office at 973-300-3180 or visit http://www.lifestyleacupuncturenj.com.

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Acupuncturist hoping to make mark in county - Times Herald-Record

Madison doctor headed to new Idaho medical school – Rexburg Standard Journal

Posted on July 31, 2017 by Danzig

REXBURG A local doctor has been chosen to help head Idahos first medical school.

Dr. Rodney Bates, a former hospitalist at Madison Memorial Hospital, will become the chair of the Primary Clinical Department at the Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine.

In an interview with Madison Memorial Hospital public relations specialist Lucas Handy, Bates said he was excited for the opportunity to join the medical school.

Its a neat opportunity for Idaho to serve the students and work with them, he said.

Bates first moved to Rexburg with his family 12 years ago after finishing his residency. He said when he moved to Rexburg, he didnt expect to find the family atmosphere that he will miss when he leaves.

It just feels like a big family, especially the (hospital) staff, he said. As far as Rexburg goes, thanks for letting me be a part of your lives.

Bates added that working at the hospital has been a great training opportunity for me.

They call it a medical practice for a reason, he said.

Bates' absence at Madison Memorial Hospital was not unplanned for. Stepping in for Bates will be Jack Clark, M.D. Clark attended medical school at the University of Utah School of Medicine and completed his residency at Penn State University Hershey Medical Center in Pennsylvania.

Doug McBride, head of Madison Memorial Hospital public relations, said Bates will be missed.

We are really excited for this new adventure hell be going on, McBride said, but well be sorry that hes gone. Hes been a wonderful asset to the hospital. We couldnt be more happy for what hes done.

McBride said Bates encouraged focusing on patients while at the hospital and hopes that Bates will take that mindset with him to the new medical school.

His whole philosophy is patient-oriented. If he can train those students to be anything like he is, well have a really good thing going, he said.

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Madison doctor headed to new Idaho medical school - Rexburg Standard Journal

Primary Care Physician Secaucus NJ Family and Internal …

Posted on November 20, 2017 by ev1

Our practice, operating in the heart of Secaucus, NJ, with an on site lab, is nationally recognized as a Patient Centered Medical Home because we have some of the top primary care physicians Secaucus has to offer. As leading primary care doctors, Riverside Medical Group provides patients with exceptional care thanks to our family physicians and attentive staff. As internal medicine doctors, our general and family practitioners build meaningful community relationships with patients while upholding the principles of adult medicine.

Our Practice Approach

Unlike any other Secaucus PCP center, we practice a highly focused approach to adult and geriatric carewhich means internal medicine patient education is highly important to us. This honest-and-true approach reflects everything we do here. Our mission at Riverside Medical Group of Secaucus is to bridge patient concerns with the best physicians to manage patient healthcare.

Serving all ages from newborns and up, our general and family practitioners at Riverside Medical Group of Secaucus have trained at some of the best schools and institutions in the country. We have a strong commitment to the wellness of each and every patient. We strive to create an atmosphere that is comfortable and friendly to help relieve the anxiety that often encompasses a visit to the doctor. You can be assured that, as a patient in our practice, you will be seen and cared for by a doctor, who knows you and treats you like a person, not a number.

Importance of Picking the Right Practice

At Riverside Medical Group of Secaucus we pride ourselves on being a part of the neighborhood for over 35 years and continually having the best interest of our patients at heart. Whether a patient is long-standing or new, we know the importance of picking a trusted practice that is the right fit for you. Walk-ins and new patients are kindly welcomed and we offer same day appointments, with all insurances accepted. EMR access and medical records access is right at your fingertips when needed via MyChart for patients. We welcome you to contact us with any questions. To set up an appointment please call 201-865-2050. We look forward to seeing you soon, neighbor!

Adult MedicineProviders:

Iyad Baker, MDNagarani Ramasubramaniam, MDAdam Atoot, MDMabel Trigoura, APNOffice Manager:Korene Chung-WhiteSpecialties:Preventive HealthChronic CareOther Services Offered:Comprehensive and free birthing/prenatal classesPhysical therapyENTPodiatryPediatricsAddress:714 Tenth StreetSecaucus, NJ 07094Get directionsContact:Phone: 201-865-2050Fax: 201-865-0015Adult Medicine Hours:Monday Sunday: 7am to 12am

365 Days a Year

Riverside Medical Group

info@riversidemedgroup.com(201) 865-2050

714 10th St.

Seacaucus, NJ. 07094

Board Certified in Pediatrics

714 Tenth StreetSecaucus,New jersey07094

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714 Tenth StreetSecaucusNew jersey07094(201) 865-2050http://www.riversidemedgroup.com/primary-care-physician-secaucus-nj

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Primary Care Physician Secaucus NJ Family and Internal ...

Medical School – University of Buckingham

Posted on January 26, 2019 by Danzig

Welcome to the University of Buckingham Medical School

Applications for our January 2020 intake are now open. Click here to apply.

The University of Buckingham Medical School is the UK's first independent not-for-profit Medical School. Our guiding philosophy is to produce highly ethical, honest and compassionate doctors who will put the patient first.

Our curriculum is derived from a well-established MB ChB programme that has been refined over 20 years to provide optimum learning experience. Every aspect of it has been engineered to fully equip our students with the skills necessary to start their journey as medical practioners.

The Medical School embraces The University of Buckingham ethos of focusing on student experience. This has allowed the University to lead the National Student Survey for Student Satisfaction for the past eight years.

MB ChB Course

Please use the diagram below to navigate through the MB ChB Course:

Please click on the diagram below to get more general information about the MB ChB at Buckingham

(Please note that this clickable diagram needs a minimum monitor resolution of 1200px width with the browser in full screen to work correctly. You can also use the navigation on the left hand side if you experience any problems)

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Medical School - University of Buckingham

UI med school appoints 2 Carle doctors as clinical directors – Champaign/Urbana News-Gazette

Posted on July 7, 2017 by ev1

Photo by: Carle Illinois College of Medicine

Jarrod Almaroad

Image

URBANA The new Carle Illinois College of Medicine is rounding out its executive team, appointing two physicians to direct the clinical side of the operation.

The college announced Thursday that Dr. Blair Rowitz will be associate dean for clinical affairs, after serving in the job on an interim basis since November.

Dr. Jarrod Almaroad, a Carle anesthesiologist and associate medical director of perioperative services, will be the first permanent director of clinical science for the engineering-based college of medicine.

Rowitz will oversee clinical partnerships to allow the integration of the college's research and academic activities into the patient-care side of the operation. The role is crucial to the college's goal of transforming regional health care delivery and innovation, officials said in announcing the news.

Almaroad will be the principal administrative officer for clinical science, guiding it into an academic department within the college. He will manage the clinical side of the engineering-based M.D. degree curriculum, including students' experiences working with physicians and patients in clinical settings and the involvement of physician-educators.

"Dr. Rowitz and Dr. Almaroad have the right expertise to oversee these crucial areas for the Carle Illinois College of Medicine," said Dr. Matthew Gibb, chief medical officer for the Carle health system.

Gibb called Rowitz "a skilled clinician, a valued administrator and trusted mentor to many." And Almaroad has a unique perspective as a physician and provider directly involved with many disciplines of care, he said.

Rowitz, a Carle surgeon, researcher and UI faculty member, holds faculty appointments in the Department of Nutritional Sciences and the UI College of Medicine's regional campus in Champaign-Urbana. He is also medical director of surgical services at Carle.

King Li, dean for the new medical school, said their leadership will be "critical to training the first generation of physician-innovators who will re-engineer the delivery of health care."

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UI med school appoints 2 Carle doctors as clinical directors - Champaign/Urbana News-Gazette

Taking time off in medical school – Scope (blog)

Posted on July 8, 2017 by Fredricko

Like many of my classmates, I took the last year off from medical school. Some of us enrolled in different graduate programs to pursue a dual degree while others did a research year. The trend is becoming more common the proportion of students who take more than four years to graduate and the number in dual degree programs are at all-time highs.

Over the past few months, several students have asked me about my experience and whether I would recommend they do the same. While the short answer is, It depends, I think there are three questions worth thinking about while deciding whether towalk away from medical school for a year.

What do you want to get out of taking time off?

This first question sounds obvious but goes unanswered surprisingly often. Anecdotally, many people take time off because everyone else is doing it. A majority of Stanford med students take 5+ years to graduate, creating a social norm around taking an additional year.

Its important to pause and consider what exactly you want to achieve during this time. In my case, I wanted to develop new skills and obtain a degree that would serve my professional interests. Other commonly cited reasons include increasing competitiveness for residency or personal factors.

Of course, its possible to develop skills, build a competitive residency application, and more in the traditional four years of medical school. Most schools (including Stanford) also provide a substantial amount of elective time during the fourth year. We can use this time for the same type of personal development that many students prioritize during a year off. Its therefore helpful to articulate how you will be different at the end of your time off compared to when you started.

What is the best way to achieve your goals?

If youve decided that you have compelling reasons to take time off, the next question is how to achieve your goals. I think there are two critical decisions. The first is whether to do a degree program (e.g. MBA, MPH, etc.) or to work full-time (with work meaning research, an internship, or starting an organization, among other possibilities). A degree carries the advantage of formal teaching and would offer an additional credential. But at the same time, it requires you to spend a certain amount of time going to classes and doing homework and that time might be better spent elsewhere.

The second decision is whether you want to take just one year off or are willing to step away from med school for multiple years. This choice affects what options are available. For example, some degrees can be completed with one additional year of school while others require multiple (e.g. PhD, some Masters degrees). Similarly, some projects can be completed quickly while others have multi-year time horizons. All those considerations must be taken into account.

How will you stay connected to the medical school during your time away?

Finally, its important to reflect on the relationship you will have with medicine during your time off. In some cases, it is easy to stay engaged with the medical school many students doing clinical research work with the same physician mentors and continue to interact with patients on a regular basis. But students who leave the medical school environment (e.g. to do an MD/MBA, work in an external job, etc.) must think about how to stay connected, whether it is through ongoing research projects, a continuity clinic, or something else.

The ability to take time off and pursue other interests during medical school is a privilege. But before acting on it, students should give careful thought to how to make the most of the opportunity.

Stanford Medicine Unplugged is a forum for students to chronicle their experiences in medical school. The student-penned entries appear on Scope once a week; the entire blog series can be found in the Stanford Medicine Unpluggedcategory.

Akhilesh Pathipati is a fourth-year MD/MBA student at Stanford. He is interested in issues in health care delivery.

Photo by Pixabay

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Taking time off in medical school - Scope (blog)

Trauma course added to medical school curriculum – News from Tulane

Posted on July 31, 2017 by Fredricko

Tulane University School of Medicine third-year students in surgery rotations practice bleeding-control techniques as part of a new trauma course. (Photo from Tulane School of Medicine)

When a gunman attacked members of Congress at a baseball practice in June, a lawmaker who served in Iraq was able to deliver critical aid to victims before emergency responders arrived. The veteran had learned bleeding-control techniques designed to save the lives of those critically wounded on the battlefield.

Now all third-year students at Tulane University School of Medicine will get similar training thanks to a new program launched by trauma surgeons. Students will be required to complete a "Stop the Bleed" course, designed by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma, during their surgery rotation.

"We want to make sure anybody who graduates knows how to stop bleeding whether they have seen it in real life or not," said Dr. Rebecca Schroll, assistant professor of trauma and critical care, who is leading the program. "To our knowledge, we are the first medical school in the country to incorporate this course into the standard medical student curriculum."

The Stop the Bleed program was designed to teach police and first responders how to use tourniquets and other techniques to stop bleeding from gunshot wounds or other life-threatening injuries after an active-shooter or mass-casualty event. The idea to train first responders in trauma care was championed by legendary Tulane trauma surgeonDr. Norman McSwain.

Schroll hopes that students will pass the knowledge on to others after they graduate by becoming certified instructors.

"Our intention is that all Tulane graduates will be competent in bleeding-control techniques and can comprise a network of qualified instructors who can go out into communities to educate an exponentially expanding number of the lay public, who will be able to stop life-threatening bleeding and save lives.

Like this article? Keep reading: TUPD learns skills to save lives in active shooter events

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Trauma course added to medical school curriculum - News from Tulane

UIW Osteopathic Medical School Wins Mental Health Grant – Texas Public Radio

Posted on July 7, 2017 by Danzig

The Hogg Foundation for Mental Health is awarding San Antonios newest medical school a grant of more than $400,000. The University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine will use the money to tackle mental health issues on the citys south side.

Physical illness isnt eliminated with simple clinical intervention. Thats the philosophy of UIWs new osteopathic medical school, which plans to send its students into the community to work with families in District 3, the south side where the campus is located.

Director of Public Health for the School, Anil Mangla, MS, Ph.D., MPH, FRSPH, said these future doctors will be addressing depression, stress and anxiety as well as blood sugar levels and amputation risk. "And if we can assist patients in getting their mental health in control, that indirectly may also help their chronic health," he added.

Osteopathic doctors embrace a holistic approach to health. Life expectancy in south San Antonio is years less than on the north side of the city.

Mangla says his school is on a mission to make an impact on this glaring disparity.

"Economically, theres a large amount of poverty," Mangla pointed out. "Its almost 70 to 75 percent Hispanic. And so thats the population that is at highest risk when we look at data on diabetes."

Construction crews manning Bobcats and backhoes continue work on the campus at Brooks. 162 students will come to the new campus for orientation later this month. Classes start August 1, 2017.

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UIW Osteopathic Medical School Wins Mental Health Grant - Texas Public Radio

Lifeguarding leads to medical school – Fairborn Daily Herald

Posted on July 7, 2017 by Danzig

FAIRBORN Justin Kelley is a fourth-year medical student at the Wright State Boonshoft School of Medicine.

When Justin Kelley was 16, he became a lifeguard at his hometown YMCA. He never dreamed that lifeguarding would lead him to medical school.

I wanted a job, and I thought being a lifeguard was cool, said Kelley, a fourth-year medical student at the Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine. Lifeguarding was rewarding, exciting and full of responsibility.

At 17, he became a lifeguarding instructor. I found something that filled my life with purpose and meaning, said Kelley, who is from Washington Court House, Ohio. My work as a lifeguard and instructing health and safety courses for the American Red Cross led me to medicine.

After graduating from high school, Kelley attended Wright State University, where he earned a bachelor of science in biological sciences in 2013. He enjoyed studying biology and participating in the University Honors Program, where he was a University Honors Scholar. During his undergraduate thesis project, he learned about the M.D./M.P.H. dual-degree program at Wright State.

When I explored the master of public health degree, it seemed like a perfect fit, Kelley said. In lifeguarding, the focus is on prevention. You strive to prevent drownings and injuries. I was already in public health. I knew I had to pursue the M.D./M.P.H. dual degree.

Through his undergraduate courses, he learned about the Boonshoft School of Medicine and took a few classes in White Hall.

The Boonshoft School of Medicine professors also taught some of my undergraduate courses, he said. I thought they were excellent teachers.

He applied to the Boonshoft School of Medicine.

I was happy and excited to be accepted to the Boonshoft School of Medicine, Kelley said. I feel I have benefited from connections and opportunities at the Boonshoft School of Medicine that I would not have had at other schools.

Scholarships have eased the burden of paying for his undergraduate and medical education. He is the first person in his family to pursue a medical degree. His mother and stepfather are small business owners.

Neither my family nor I have the resources to pay for medical school, let alone a dual-degree, Kelley said. I am grateful for the scholarships I have received throughout my years as an undergraduate student at Wright State and now as a medical student at the Boonshoft School of Medicine.

After his first two years of medical school, Kelley took a year to earn his M.P.H. degree through the Physician Leadership Development Program (PLDP), a dual-degree program in which medical students obtain a masters degree in public health or business while pursuing their medical degree over five years.

As part of his M.P.H. experience, Kelley worked closely with local and state public health professionals on reducing the diabetes burden in the Dayton area. He developed a continuing medical education activity for physicians to increase referral to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Diabetes Prevention Program.

My ultimate life goal is to work with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Kelley said. I believe that my involvement with the PLDP and work in public health training taught me leadership skills and gave me extensive experience in planning programs and systems thinking that will serve me well as I pursue a medical career in health policy and management.

During his M.P.H. year, he promoted LGBTQA health as president of Boonshoft Pride. He partnered with university and community advisory boards, created a human sexuality curriculum for the second-year reproduction course and presented a poster on improving sexual health competency at the Ohio Public Health Combined Conference.

I have worked to integrate my clinical and public health knowledge to address health disparities and improve health statuses of all individuals, Kelley said.

Kelley has started his fourth year of medical school and will graduate in May 2018. He plans to apply for a residency in pathology.

Pathology combines my interests and preferences, including problem solving, analytical thinking and collaboration, he said.

However, public health will be a fundamental part of his profession.

As a physician, you are limited to the patients under your care, he said. As a public health professional, you impact the lives of the entire population and future generations.

Kelley believes public health is where he can do the most good.

I want to keep the population healthy and well, prevent illnesses and injuries, and enable healthy lifestyles, he said. The Physician Leadership Development Program, the Boonshoft School of Medicine and the scholarships have enabled my journey.

Justin Kelley

http://www.fairborndailyherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_Kelley.jpgJustin Kelley

Story courtesy of Heather Maurer and Wright State University.

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