Career ladder shows youth medical careers

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Middle school students interested in the medical field can learn about those professions as part of a career ladder at the medical school.

The Lebanon Health Career Ladder is a joint effort between the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific-Northwest, Linn-Benton Community College and Oregon State University.

Volunteers from each school come to COMP-Northwest to teach middle school students about health professions.

Jaime Servin, director of the program spoke about the career ladder at the Lebanon Rotary Clubs Aug. 22 meeting.

The students start their day listening to a guest speaker in the lecture hall with their parents, Servin said. After the speaker, kids split up into small groups to learn about health occupations called breakout sessions.

A cohort of sixth-grade students began the program last year.

Some of those students will return this year. The college will pick up a new cohort of middle-school students.

The program will start enrolling sixth-grade students, but any middle school student will be accepted into the first year of the program as long as there is room, Servin said.

Second-year students will do more hands-on activities, Servin said.

Volunteers from OSU and LBCC will show the kids different career paths in medicine.

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Harvard Dead Monkeys Make Top 10 List for Lab Violations

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By Patrick Cole - 2012-08-30T04:01:00Z

Harvard Medical School logged its latest lab-monkey death this past spring when a cotton-top tamarin monkey died of thirst for lack of a water bottle. Then 41 deer mice died in April at a Harvard facility after their water source got cut off.

As with the monkey, the U.S. Department of Agriculture gave the countrys oldest institution of higher learning an official warning. In less than two years, four monkeys have died in Harvard labs, including one left in a cage as it went through a mechanical washer.

When you see multiple incidents at the same facility over a period of time, thats when you realize that this is indicative of a system-wide problem, said Michael Budkie, executive director of the nonprofit Stop Animal Exploitation Now!, in a phone interview.

The Milford, Ohio-based SAEN has placed Harvard on its top- 10 list of animal-welfare violators for the first half of 2012. The existence of enough violators to glean a top 10 helps indicate the scope of lab-animal abuse nationally.

The Animal Welfare Act, enforced by the USDAs Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, requires labs to handle research animals as carefully as possible to prevent trauma, overheating, physical harm, behavioral stress or unnecessary discomfort.

TRS Labs Inc., based in Athens, Georgia, ranked first on SAENs list with 23 violations affecting about 70 animals, Budkie said. TRS was cited for housing cats in a room that was 88 to 89 degrees. It also failed to separate two gerbils that had been fighting in a cage and to protect dogs from suffering injuries, according to a USDA report.

Several calls to TRS executives seeking comment werent returned.

Santa Cruz Biotechnology Inc. in California, which researches antibodies and animal health-care products, ranked second on the SAEN list with 11 citations affecting 85 animals. In April, an Aphis inspector found a goat with a broken leg whose cast had come off, according to the USDA report. The attending veterinarian said she didnt have time to attend to the goat because of her work load.

This facility was basically understaffed and it couldnt offer good care, Budkie said. Santa Cruz Biotechnology officials didnt respond to a request for comment.

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Paging Dr. Tomorrow: U-M Medical Students Get Business Training

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Newswise ANN ARBOR, Mich. With American health care poised on the brink of its largest change in decades, 177 students started down the path to becoming doctors this month at the University of Michigan Medical School.

Chosen from nearly 5,400 applicants, and coming from 26 states, they all have a history of strong academic achievements. They now all have short white coats and new stethoscopes, given to them by alumni in the White Coat ceremony on their first day of medical school, an event steeped in tradition and symbolism.

But they also share something else: the potential to be leaders of the medical profession and health care community.

Through a new partnership with U-Ms Stephen M. Ross School of Business, all the new medical students will receive training that goes beyond anatomy, physiology and other traditional subjects. They will learn how to work with others to lead change, helping set them on a course that will continue through their careers.

U-M is the first medical school to give all its students this kind of training, which will prepare them to be the impactful change agents that American health care will need in the coming decades.

For more than 160 years, our school has graduated some of the highest-achieving physicians in the country, and many of our alumni have gone on to lead large practices and hospitals, medical schools, companies, professional societies, government agencies and major research initiatives, says Rajesh Mangrulkar, M.D., associate dean for medical student education at the U-M Medical School. But this new training, which will continue throughout their four years, will equip our students with the specific leadership skills that will help them achieve even more.

The new students kicked off their leadership training in a couple of unusual and lighthearted ways.

First, they began to understand their individual leadership tendencies, participating in a workshop on Competing Values by Jeff DeGraff, a clinical professor at the Ross School of Business. Then, the students were assigned into one of four teams, and engaged in a MedChef cooking contest, a competition to prepare meals (along with a marketing and communication strategy) that were then judged by faculty and alumni.

They may have looked like a couple of fun orientation-week events, but they were specifically designed to test the medical students organizational, leadership and management skills.

Erin McKean, M.D., who is helping direct the Leadership Initiative, says, In the first year, well be focusing on building productive teams,what it means to be a team member and respecting the skills and values that other people bring to the table. In phase two, well go on to health care systems, including health policy, economics and finance. In the last phase, students will be planning and executing change, which is something that health leaders do every day. McKean is a clinical assistant professor of otolaryngology and is just about to graduate with her MBA from Ross.

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Scientists identify new gene that influences survival in ALS

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Public release date: 26-Aug-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Jim Fessenden james.fessenden@umassmed.edu 508-856-2000 University of Massachusetts Medical School

WORCESTER, MA A team of scientists, including faculty at the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS), have discovered a gene that influences survival time in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease). The study, published today in Nature Medicine, describes how the loss of activity of a receptor called EphA4 substantially extends the lifespan of people with the disease. When coupled with a UMMS study published last month in Nature identifying a new ALS gene (profilin-1) that also works in conjunction with EphA4, these findings point to a new molecular pathway in neurons that is directly related to ALS susceptibility and severity.

"Taken together, these findings are particularly exciting because they suggest that suppression of EphA4 may be a new way to treat ALS," said Robert Brown, MD, DPhil, a co-author on the study and chair of neurology at UMass Medical School.

ALS is a progressive, neurodegenerative disorder affecting the motor neurons in the central nervous system. As motor neurons die, the brain's ability to send signals to the body's muscles is compromised. This leads to loss of voluntary muscle movement, paralysis and eventually respiratory failure. The cause of most cases of ALS is not known. Approximately 10 percent of cases are inherited. Though investigators at UMMS and elsewhere have identified several genes shown to cause inherited or familial ALS, almost 50 percent of these cases have an unknown genetic cause. There are no significant treatments for the disease.

Wim Robberecht, MD, PhD, lead investigator of the Nature Medicine study and a researcher at the University of Leuven in Belgium and the Vesalius Research Center, screened for genes in zebrafish that blunt the adverse effect of the ALS mutant gene SOD1. Through this process, his team identified EphA4 as an ALS modifier. Dr. Robberecht's team went on to show that when this gene is inactivated in mice with ALS, the mice live longer.

Dr. Robberecht then turned to UMass Medical School to confirm that turning off EphA4 in human ALS cells would slow the progression of the disease. Dr. Brown and his team identified two human ALS cases with mutations in the EphA4 gene which, like the zebrafish and the mice, had unusually long survival times. This suggests that blocking EphA4 in patients with ALS may be a potential therapeutic target in the future.

In an exciting, related development, a new ALS gene (profilin-1) identified last month by UMMS scientists works in conjunction with EphA4 in neurons to control outgrowth of motor nerve terminals. In effect, gene variants at both the top and the bottom of the same signaling pathway are shown to effect ALS progression. Together these discoveries highlight a new molecular pathway in neurons that is directly related to ALS susceptibility and severity and suggests that other components of the pathway may be implicated in ALS.

"It is exciting that these two studies identify the same pathway in ALS," said John Landers, PhD, associate professor of neurology and lead author of the PFN1 study. "Hopefully this discovery will accelerate efforts to finding a treatment for ALS."

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Make-A-Wish fulfills teenager's dream of attending Harvard Medical School

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Make-A-Wish, the organization known for making dreams come true for children with life-threatening medical conditions, has flown kids around the world, granted them shopping sprees and helped them meet their favorite celebrities.

Last week, the organization fulfilled one girls wish of attending Harvard Medical School.

My wish was inspired by my past medical problems, Gabrielle Samsock told FoxNews.com. When I went to Boston for surgeries, wed pass by Harvard and Id say, Daddy, Im going to go there when Im older.

Gabrielle, a 14-year-old high school freshman, who lives in Factoryville, Penn., was born with Shones syndrome, a rare congenital heart disease in which the valves on the left side of the heart are narrowed, and blood flow in and out of the heart is obstructed.

In March of 99, Gabrielle had a chronic respiratory infection, and her doctor did an X-ray to make sure she didnt have pneumonia, said Gabrielles mother, Melissa Samsock. He said her heart was too swollen for her body, and to make sure nothing was seriously wrong, he sent us to a cardiologist at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). That was when we found out about her condition.

Gabrielle underwent her first surgery as a 1-year-old at CHOP to repair her aorta. She and her parents were referred to an expert at Boston Childrens Hospital where she has had multiple surgeries to balloon her valves and put in three different stents.

Her condition is not fatal, but she still needs a valve transplant surgery, which should ultimately fix her heart, her mother explained.

Gabrielle said all her time spent as a patient in the hospital fueled her desire to be on the other side of the situation as a doctor. Specifically, she hopes to one day become a pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon.

I was 8 years old when I decided I wanted to be a doctor, Gabrielle said. My parents laughed and were like, OK. I was little, and little kids always say those things, like I want to be a firefighter, or I want to be a policeman. But when I brought it up to Make-A-Wish, they were like, Wow, this is what you really want to do.

According to Gabrielle, when she told representatives from Make-A-Wish she wanted to attend medical school, Their jaws just dropped. They were so shocked. They said my wish was so unique and personal. I was just very excited to start my life.

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Regents discuss medical school, bonuses for admins

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University of Texas System Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa noted progress on the projects slated to directly impact South Texas including a regional medical school and independent UTB at a UT System meeting Thursday.

The UT System Board of Regents heard the first annual report on the plan Cigarroa presented one year ago. The Rio Grande Valley figures significantly in several components of UT Systems extensive undertaking known as A Framework for Advancing Excellence.

The UT System board also approved an incentive plan for university presidents, including University of Texas at Brownsville President Juliet V. Garcia.

The futures of our children and our grandchildren are at stake, Cigarroa wrote in his letter opening the progress report. How do we make higher education more accessible and affordable to an increasing number of students? How do we produce more doctors, nurses and health professionals and improve the quality of health care in Texas?

Part of the answer, Cigarroa wrote, is a team effort that includes not only UT System campuses, but experts and consultants, too.

Incentive plan

How well UTB transitions into an independent university could be a factor in a potential bonus for President Garcia based on the incentive plan the UT regents approved Wednesday. Administration executive officers also fall under the plan.

In 2011, Garcias salary was $304,179, and within that contract she also received a one-time merit award of $32,272.

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Austin Experts Weigh in on Medical School Job, Economic Predictions

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Is a forecast of 15,000 jobs and $2 billion in economic activity a year too sunny for a medical school, teaching hospital and research facility in Austin? Or is it on the money?

State Sen. Kirk Watson has touted those numbers for much of the past year and spotlighted them at a news conference Thursday, releasing a six-page report prepared by Jon Hockenyos, president of an economic analysis and consulting firm in Austin. Hockenyos said his research is the genesis of those numbers, and he came up with them about two years ago.

"We have the opportunity to truly be a contender ... in competition with regions from Houston to Hong Kong," Watson, D-Austin, said at Austin Community College's Eastview campus. He was referring to the biotechnology and life-science industries -- which can include pharmaceutical and medical device firms -- that he expects to spin off from a medical school in Austin.

But economic development experts said having a medical school, teaching hospital and research center is no guarantee that Austin would see that amount of new jobs and economic benefit.

"It depends on the size of the medical school and teaching hospital" and how much public funding they attract for research, said Ross DeVol, chief research officer at the Milken Institute, a Santa Monica, Calif.-based company that does a variety of economic analyses. "It does take decades to have that type of return on a medical school and teaching hospital."

Joe Cortright, president of Portland, Ore.-based Impresa, which specializes in regional economic analysis, innovation and industry clusters, thinks the public should take the numbers Watson trumpets with a heavy dose of skepticism. Most of the nation's largest cities have a medical school, teaching hospital and research facility, but only nine areas have sparked enough economic growth to become biotechnology/life-science hubs, he said. They are Boston; Los Angeles; New York; Philadelphia; Raleigh-Durham, N.C.; San Diego; San Francisco; Seattle; and Washington/Baltimore.

"These nine areas account for more than three-fifths of all (National Institutes of Health) spending on research and for slightly less than two-thirds of all biotechnology-related patents," a 2002 report he co-wrote says.

"Austin is coming awful late to this dance," he said Thursday.

Hockenyos, who attended the news conference but didn't speak to the crowd, said he acknowledges it could take 15 to 20 years for the economic benefits he estimates to be realized.

But, he added, "I think this is the greatest economic development thing in this community in a long time."

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Penn amps up role in Coursera online-education effort

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One is bioethicist Ezekiel Emanuel, whose just-completed Health Policy and the Affordable Care Act class attracted more than 30,000 students - about 5,000 more than the Penn student body.

Emanuel's class is being outdrawn by Wharton School professor Kevin Werbach's Gamification, which starts Aug. 27 and will apply game-design techniques to business problems. Its 50,000 sign-ups top the Penn offerings so far.

Last month, Penn joined with the California Institute of Technology to invest $3.7 million in Coursera, which now offers 117 free courses from 16 official partners, including Stanford, Duke, and Princeton Universities. The University of California Berkeley and two Indian colleges also offer classes on Coursera but are not yet official partners.

The online courses mimic aspects of a traditional experience by having not only video lectures, but also strict class start and end dates, homework assignments, interactive quizzes, and discussion boards for students.

"Coursera feels like a good partner for us," said Deirdre Woods, interim executive director of Penn's Open Learning Initiative, which is for now primarily devoted to the Coursera project. "Penn is about rigor . . . and [Coursera's] philosophy was very much in line with that."

Of Penn's 16 online courses, two are currently in session and more will start up in the next several months.

The focus on medicine was not deliberate, explained Coursera cofounder and co-CEO Andrew Ng. However, the strength of its medical school makes the dominance of health-related classes "an obvious choice" for Penn, which so far is the only Philadelphia medical school - and one of the few nationwide - to present its classes online.

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Valley weighs A&M option on long sought medical school

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When the mayors of Harlingen and Edinburg received invites to a University of Texas event outlining a blueprint for the Rio Grande Valleys long sought medical school, both mayors had already scheduled a prior engagement on that topic later that same day.

Edinburg Mayor Richard Garcia and Harlingen Mayor Chris Boswell were front and center at the University of Texas-Pan American on Friday when system Chancellor Francisco G. Cigarroa announced a blueprint that will graduate the first class of South Texas medical students by 2018.

Garcia and Boswell left UTs morning announcement to join other Valley mayors in weighing their options for a medical school behind closed doors, a meeting set up days before the hastily-scheduled UT news conference to unveil its own vision for a Valley medical school.

Garcia organized the meeting of mayors to determine common ground issues and affirm a shared commitment to a South Texas medical school that will likely take the combined support of Hidalgo and Cameron counties, he said.

But the meeting also exposed some Valley officials frustration with UTs slow pace to establish a full-fledged medical school here and a willingness to explore whats perceived as genuine interest from the Texas A&M system to establish its own Valley medical school.

Garcia said nothing came out of the mayors meeting attended by city, county and Doctors Hospital at Renaissance and Valley Baptist officials other than a goal to host similar discussions soon.

Theres already been an investment made here (with UT) and we want to move that forward, said Garcia, whose city would retain the medical schools research facilities under UTs proposal. But if something else comes up thats worth talking about, lets talk about it.

PLANTING A FLAG

The fight for a Valley medical school is part of an overall push between the UT and Texas A&M systems to increase their presence in one of the fastest growing regions of the state. Internal conflicts between Hidalgo and Cameron county officials remain about how the school should be funded and where its components would be located.

On Friday, Cigarroa announced a blueprint to graduate the first cohort of Valley medical students in 2018 by relying on medical school infrastructure already in place in the Valley and San Antonio. As UT pursues accreditation and funding for the Valleys medical school, students could enroll in an independent South Texas track, begin classes at UTs Health Science Center in San Antonio and complete their final two years and clerkships in the Valley.

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See why future doctors are stocking pantry shelves and tying knots in balloon strings

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GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Five days before they don white coats and officially begin their medical school education, the future doctors in Michigan State Universitys College of Human Medicine put in a day of volunteer work Tuesday.

In Grand Rapids and Lansing, the 200 first-year medical students stocked food pantries, helped with childrens and senior activities, sanitized toys and did outdoor maintenance at community service organizations.

Its a great way to kick off the year because it helps keep the focus on why students are in medical school, even as they begin a period of intense academic study, said student Ricky Rodriguez.

Its good to try to come out here and try to make a difference, said Rodriguez, who was stocking food for the pantry at Salvation Armys Booth Family Services in Grand Rapids. Getting involved in the community is important to a medical school education, said the Miami resident, who is new to West Michigan

I think its a good way to get out there and be part of the Grand Rapids community and see what kinds of volunteer opportunities are out there, said Matthew Thomas, of Bloomfield Hills.

Its a good way to embody what our school represents, added Jeffrey Sweers, of Jenison.

Community service is an integral part of the medical school. Dean Marsha Rappley has said it is critical to know the community and its needs to effectively deliver health care.

While some students stocked the Salvation Army pantry, a group in a nearby room tied slipknots in strings that will be used for balloons in an ArtPrize campaign by the Manessah Project. The organization, part of Wedgewood Christian Services, works to end human trafficking and sexual exploitation.

The students officially kick off the school year Sunday with the White Coat and Matriculation Ceremony.

Other Grand Rapids agencies served by the student are: Mel Trotter Ministries, Catherines Health Care, Porter Hills Village, Heartland Health Care, American Cancer Society, Clark Retirement, Baxter Community Center and Spectrum Health Care.

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UT medical school; Geo Care concerns; World-class medicine

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UT medical school

Re: Aug. 11 article "Plan for medical school unfolds."

Let's transform health care delivery by developing a University of Texas medical school and related initiatives sponsored by UT Southwestern Medical School, Central Health, the Seton Family of Healthcare and others. Working together to implement the "10 in 10" plan, we can move into national prominence by improving access to primary care, addressing the growing doctor shortage, propelling biomedical research, providing sorely needed mental health services and creating many new good- paying jobs.

If you have good health insurance, you know how important having a doctor is to good health, holding a job, being productive and leading a meaningful life. What a shame that Medicare beneficiaries have trouble finding a doctor to take care of them!

Let's get our emergency rooms out of the primary care business! Let's develop a sustainable health-care delivery system while creating thousands of new technical and professional jobs.

Charles E. Durant Jr.

Austin

World-class medicine

Re: Aug. 15 editorial, "A nickel for your health care."

I will be delighted to give my nickel to the Central Health Board to help establish a medical school in Austin! I have a brother-in-law who has multiple myeloma, a terrible blood/bone cancer, and he has lived beyond the average life span for people who have this cancer because of the exceptional care and treatment he has received at the University of Arkansas Medical School. World-class physicians move to Little Rock to teach or train at this facility, and people from all over the world spend months in Little Rock to receive mostly outpatient treatment that brings dollars to the city and provides the medical care these folks need.

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University of California, Irvine Offers Online Medical School Course for Open Enrollment

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IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

In collaboration with UC Irvine Extension, the UC Irvine School of Medicine will offer a new fully online, first-year medical school course titled, Introduction to Medical Physiology from September 11, 2012 through March 11, 2013. The course is open to all participants interested in attending medical school, earning transferable UC graduate credits, or those seeking to enhance their resume with medical education experience. This is the first UC Irvine online medical course to be offered to the general public through open enrollment participants do not need to be admitted to UC Irvine to enroll.

Students have the rare opportunity to learn identical material and take the same exams presented to first year medical students at the prestigious UC Irvine School of Medicine, said Dr. Harry Haigler, Ph.D., Associate Dean of Basic Science Medical Education at UC Irvine School of Medicine. Course participants will also receive support and guidance from medical school faculty, compare their performance with other medical school students, and obtain an advantage by experiencing the rigorous medical school curriculum before admittance to medical school. We are very excited to be able to offer this medical training to the general public.

The online Introduction to Medical Physiology course will expose participants to the classical concepts of medical physiology with an emphasis on topics that are fundamental to the practice of clinical medicine. The first half of the course will address hemostasis, blood, neurophysiology and cardiovascular physiology. The second half of the course will address topics including gastrointestinal, renal, respiratory, acid/base, endocrine, exercise, temperature regulation and sexual physiology.

For more information or to register for the course, call 949-824-0697 or visit http://www.extension.uci.edu/premed.

About UC Irvine Extension: University of California, Irvine Extension is the continuing education arm of UC Irvine. Through thousands of courses and programs offered on campus, online and on site, UC Irvine Extension helps adult learners reach their career advancement and personal enrichment goals and is celebrating 50 years of providing universally accessible, university-level learning to local, regional, and global communities. Learn more at extension.uci.edu, or join us on Facebook at facebook.com/uciextension.

About UC Irvine School of Medicine: Ranked as one of the top 50 U.S. medical schools for research by U.S. News & World Report, University of California, Irvine's School of Medicine is dedicated to advancing medical knowledge and clinical practice through scholarly research, physician education and high-quality care. The medical school nurtures the development of medical students, resident physicians and scholars in the clinical and basic sciences and supports the dissemination of research advances for the benefit of society. For more information, visit http://www.som.uci.edu/index.asp.

About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UC Irvine is a top-ranked university dedicated to research, scholarship and community service. Led by Chancellor Michael Drake since 2005, UC Irvine is among the most dynamic campuses in the University of California system, with nearly 28,000 undergraduate and graduate students, 1,100 faculty and 9,000 staff. Orange Countys largest employer, UC Irvine contributes an annual economic impact of $4.2 billion. For more UC Irvine news, visit http://www.today.uci.edu.

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U.S. Medical Students' Education Debt Level Holds Steady Three Years Running

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It's no secret that medical students pay a steep price for four years of education at a U.S. medical school. In fact, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), in 2011, 86 percent of medical school graduates owed a median amount of $162,000 in education debt, which breaks down to monthly payments of $1,500 to $2,100.

However, some people may be surprised to learn that education debt levels among U.S. medical school graduates held fairly steady between 2009 and 2011. Mean education debt amounts for those years were $156,500 in 2009, $157,900 in 2010 and $161,300 in 2011, according to a new analysis of trends in cost and debt at U.S. medical schools that was released by the AAMC in July. Those amounts represent a 1.2 percent, a 1.0 percent and a 2.1 percent increase, respectively, compared with the previous year.

According to the analysis, in July 2006, Stafford loan interest rates for graduate medical education were fixed at 6.8 percent; previously, interest rates were variable and at times fell to less than 3 percent. Thus, the graduating class of 2009 "was the first medical school class to face at least three years of a fixed 6.8 percent interest rate," and that was the same time the growth of debt levels began to slow.

The researchers pointed out that the costs associated with medical school attendance traditionally have been based on tuition and fees for first-year students without taking into account the living expenses those students incurred or the fact that medical students in their final two years of study often spend more on living expenses. Therefore, for the purposes of their research, the authors included four full years of medical school in calculating costs.

Notably, the authors compared costs in private versus public medical schools and noted that in 2009-10, the 75 public medical schools that participated in the study reported a combined $1.25 billion in gifts and endowment funds available to support medical student grants and scholarships; the 51 participating private schools reported double that amount, or $2.5 billion.

The authors concluded that more research is needed to identify additional factors -- aside from cost and interest rates -- that play a role in the medical school debt that students incur.

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Amid UT announcement, Valley weighs A&M med school option

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When the mayors of Harlingen and Edinburg received invites to a University of Texas event outlining a blueprint for the Rio Grande Valleys long sought medical school, both mayors had already scheduled a prior engagement on that topic later that same day. Edinburg Mayor Richard Garcia and Harlingen Mayor Chris Boswell were front and center at the University of Texas-Pan American on Friday when system Chancellor Francisco G. Cigarroa announced a blueprint that will graduate the first class of South Texas medical students by 2018. Garcia and Boswell left UTs morning announcement to join other Valley mayors in weighing their options for a medical school behind closed doors, a meeting set up days before the hastily-scheduled UT news conference to unveil its own vision for a Valley medical school. Garcia organized the meeting of mayors to determine common ground issues and affirm a shared commitment to a South Texas medical school that will likely take the combined support of Hidalgo and Cameron counties, he said. But the meeting also exposed some Valley officials frustration with UTs slow pace to establish a full-fledged medical school here and a willingness to explore whats perceived as genuine interest from the Texas A&M system to establish its own Valley medical school. Garcia said nothing came out of the mayors meeting attended by city, county and Doctors Hospital at Renaissance and Valley Baptist officials other than a goal to host similar discussions soon. Theres already been an investment made here (with UT) and we want to move that forward, said Garcia, whose city would retain the medical schools research facilities under UTs proposal. But if something else comes up thats worth talking about, lets talk about it.

PLANTING A FLAG The fight for a Valley medical school is part of an overall push between the UT and Texas A&M systems to increase their presence in one of the fastest growing regions of the state. Internal conflicts between Hidalgo and Cameron county officials remain about how the school should be funded and where its components would be located. On Friday, Cigarroa announced a blueprint to graduate the first cohort of Valley medical students in 2018 by relying on medical school infrastructure already in place in the Valley and San Antonio. As UT pursues accreditation and funding for the Valleys medical school, students could enroll in an independent South Texas track, begin classes at UTs Health Science Center in San Antonio and complete their final two years and clerkships in the Valley. That process is nearly identical to the one that has already sent hundreds of UT Health Science Center medical students to the Valley, but the independent admissions track would eventually turn into a standalone medical school. UT officials said their blueprint is part of the overall vision for a South Texas medical school that fully began in 1997 when the state authorized the Valleys Regional Academic Health Centers, or RAHCs. Since then, UT has spent $79 million building the RAHCs in Harlingen and Edinburg that focus on medical education and clinical research, respectively. UT regents have also put $30 million toward residency programs and biomedical research in the Valley, and theyve funded about $11 million annually to support the medical and research divisions at the RAHC. Boswell said UTs blueprint highlighted the huge investments its made so far and a pledge to go even further. UT has made a commitment to graduate that first class and make it a full, freestanding medical school, said Boswell, praising UTs track record of building some of the nations best medical schools. I appreciate everybody wanting to make things happen quickly, but we also want to make sure we do it right. We dont want a second-rate medical school. But some Hidalgo County officials have expressed frustration with UTs slow pace and reluctance to spend big here. UT regents authorized $30 million in annual funding for Austins medical school from Permanent University Funds in May, but they dedicated no funds for the Valleys school at the same meeting. While there is no proposal on paper from A&M yet, there is interest in seeing if they can make a better offer, said state Sen. Juan Chuy Hinojosa, D-McAllen. Hinojosa, Hidalgo County Judge Ramon Garcia, McAllen businessman Alonzo Cantu, who also founded Doctors Hospital at Renaissance, and some local doctors flew to College Station this week to meet with A&M Chancellor John Sharp to discuss his systems vision for the Valley. Although largely administrative in nature, A&M took steps this month to place its health science center under its flagship university in College Station. The move would allow its regents to expend Permanent University Funds an endowment created by mineral revenues on putting a medical school in South Texas. Hinojosa, who skipped UTs Friday announcement to campaign in Nueces County, isnt opposed to a UT medical school but said their regents lack the will or the commitment to make it happen. Weve been in line for 12 years and, all of a sudden, we get pushed back and somebody jumps in front, Hinojosa said Friday. It doesnt sit well with many of us in South Texas. We need to go where we are wanted.

INTERNAL DIVISIONS Valley officials next step may be ensuring theyre all on the same page because either medical school route would require developing a funding stream. Since laying the foundation for a medical school with the RAHCs, Cameron County officials have cultivated strong ties with UT system leaders. UT placed its School of Public Health in Brownsville and put the RAHCs medical education component in Harlingen, a centralized location that now also houses the structure for a veterans hospital. But McAllen business leaders, reflecting prior issues with regional taxing districts in the Valley, have expressed a desire for Hidalgo County to get the bulk of the medical schools infrastructure. Since Hidalgo County contains more than $30 billion in taxable property values compared to $16 billion in Cameron County, they want most of its presence in the McAllen metro area. In his speech at UTs announcement on Friday, Brownsville state Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr. tried to assuage those concerns by lauding the medical schools research component that would be located in Edinburg. Although the mayors meeting was scheduled for later at the Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance, it was also likely no coincidence that UTs announcement was hosted in its future research hub in Edinburg rather than its medical education division in Harlingen. State Rep. Aaron Pea, R-Edinburg, said Valley officials will have to rise to the occasion when determining the structure of the medical school in South Texas, the most populous region of the state without one. We all bemoan the Friday night football mentality, but now were going to have to live up to that, said Pea, an outgoing member of the Valleys delegation. It is as significant a challenge as is the funding of this school.

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Amid UT announcement, Valley weighs A&M med school option

UT chancellor touts progress on Valley medical school

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BROWNSVILLE - Graduation ceremonies are just six years away for the first class of students from the Rio Grande Valley's long-awaited medical school, University of Texas Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa pledged Friday.

"The year 2018 will be a very special year for all of us," Cigarroa said at a news conference at the UT-Pan American in Edinburg, site of the medical research component of what's currently the three-campus Regional Academic Health Center.

As has been the case for hundreds of students since the gala opening of the center in Harlingen in 2002, future doctors will spend their first two academic years at the UT-Health Science Center at San Antonio and third and fourth years completing clinical training in the Valley.

The key difference is that students will, from the outset, have applied to a dedicated South Texas admission track. Hopes are high their diplomas will carry the University of Texas Health Science Center-South Texas name.

Independent school

While key questions remain - such as accreditation and funding for the estimated $40 million to $50 million in annual expenses - Cigarroa said that by then the center will have become a more independent entity.

"We are beginning the transition of the UT Health Science Center-San Antonio Regional Academic Health Center - known as the RAHC - into an independent, free-standing, comprehensive and research-intensive regional medical school, with its own president and structure, for South Texas," he said.

Plans for a full-fledged medical school for the Rio Grande Valley have been in the works since the early 1990s, when state Sen. Eddie Lucio, D-Brownsville, began documenting how the Valley's fast-growing and historically underserved region needed to better recruit physicians likely to commit to the area.

In addition to previous infrastructure investments by the Texas Legislature and UT System, the Legislature contributes about $11 million annually to support the RAHC's medical and research divisions. In 2011, UT Regents invested another $30 million for faculty recruitment, a clinical simulation facility, programs in obesity and diabetes and education in the sciences. In May, the regents endorsed new medical schools for Austin and South Texas.

"By committing to graduating students by 2018, UT has given everyone in South Texas reason to celebrate," Lucio said Friday. "I do see a lot of light at the end of the tunnel," he said. "For the first time, I feel confident we can accomplish our goals in the next five years."

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UT chancellor touts progress on Valley medical school

Cooper Medical School of Rowan University sends new students exploring through Camden

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To acquaint Cooper Medical School of Rowan Universitys first 50 students with their new neighborhood, the charter class was loosed upon Camden on Wednesday with a series of clues in search of specific landmarks the good, the bad and the ugly.

For new students Susan Talamini and Rebecca Lee, the first and most crucial item they needed to locate was their car in the parking garage across the street from the new school.

But, like the proverbs will tell you, its about the journey, not the destination.

The women realized that sooner than later.

Talamini, 28, and Lee, 26, are both from out of town.

Complete strangers to each other before orientation at the school this week, Talamini and Lee had to learn to work together quickly as a team.

Talamini was born in Essex County in New Jersey, and Lee is from Cleveland, Ohio.

Both women spent a good amount of their lives in New York and now live in Princeton and Haddonfield.

Something else the pair has in common?

They were two of 50 students chosen out of 2,900 applicants to be the first to attend Cooper Medical School.

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Cooper Medical School of Rowan University sends new students exploring through Camden

RAHC Impact: ‘Path’ to Valley medical school announcement expected

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EDINBURG University of Texas System Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa today is expected to announce plans to expand medical education as a path to establishing a free-standing medical school in the Rio Grande Valley, a press release said.

The announcement is expected to affect all Regional Academic Health Centers in the Valley, which includes Harlingen, said Louie Sanchez, a spokesman for state Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., D-Brownsville.

Officials on Thursday declined to disclose details of plans set to be announced at 10:30 a.m. at the Regional Academic Health Centers Medical Research Division in Edinburg.

However, Randy Whittington, a former Harlingen mayor who serves as president of the South Texas Medical Foundation, said the announcement will include plans to turn the RAHC which includes branches in Harlingen, Edinburg and Brownsville into a four-year medical school.

Hes going to announce plans to convert the RAHC into a four-year medical school in the Valley, Whittington said. Hes going to lay out steps to get there and a timetable. I think everybody will be surprised about how quick it can be done.

The plans will impact the entire RAHC system, which includes the Harlingen branch, the Edinburg research division and a public health school in Brownsville, Sanchez said. Its about the entire program, Lucio said.

Officials continue to work to develop a four-year medical school in Harlingen, Lucio said. The goal we have always had is to go from a two-year operation to a four-year institution, Lucio said.

About 1,000 third- and fourth-year medical students have trained at the RAHC since it opened in 2002, said Harlingen Mayor Chris Boswell, who has called the RAHC one of the citys hallmarks.

It has built up, Boswell said. A huge investment has been made.

The Regional Academic Health Center lays the foundation to a proposed South Texas health science center, Sanchez said.

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RAHC Impact: ‘Path’ to Valley medical school announcement expected

Bishop Brossart trio enter medical school

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ALEXANDRIA Donning the white coats of a doctor, three Bishop Brossart High School alumni have entered the same medical school class at the University of Louisville.

Jessica Baumann of Highland Heights, James Schack of California, and McKenzie Vater of Alexandria, joined the medical class of 2016 in a White Coat Ceremony at the University of Louisville School of Medicine Sunday, Aug. 5.

The three Bishop Brossart alumni are part of a class of 160 medical students seeking to complete four years of medical school. The three were among the members of the medical class selected from a pool of 3,200 applicants, according to a news release from Bishop Brossart. Of the 160 medical students selected, 120 were Kentucky residents.

This is an extremely proud moment in the lives of these three aspiring medical professionals and their families, as well as, an incredible tribute to our wonderful Bishop Brossart faculty and staff, said Ron Heiert, director of development for Bishop Brossart.

Bauman, the daughter of Larry and Jill Baumann of Highland Heights, is a 2006 Bishop Brossart graduate. Schack and Vater are 2008 Bishop Brossart graduates. Schack is the son of Jim and Milissa Schack of California, and Vater is the daughter of Jim and Carole Vater of Alexandria.

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Southborough primate lab to make changes

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Harvard Medical School says it will start making changes at the primate research center that has come under national scrutiny following the death and injury of several monkeys in the past year and a half.

The school said it is following the recommendations of an independent panel of scientists who conducted a five-month review of the schools primate research center and this week released a two-page summary of their report.

The document recommends adding several new leadership positions and advises better oversight and more open communication between the school and the research center, which has played a key role in cancer, AIDS and other medical research.

Southboroughs New England Primate Research Center has come under scrutiny from the U. S. Department of Agriculture after several incidents that resulted in research monkey injuries and deaths.

The USDA investigation of the facility is ongoing, spokesman David Sacks said Wednesday, for the incidents of neglect over the last 18 months. The lab faces up to $10,000 in fines for each violation of the Animal Welfare Act, he said.

But an animal rights advocate who has been following the saga of the labs missteps said Wednesday the center isn't doing enough to rectify the situation and should be more transparent.

"It does not sound as though theyre taking the steps necessary to prevent additional deaths from happening in the future," said Michael Budkie, executive director of Stop Animal Exploitation Now!

The summary said the seven-member panel set out to find major themes and processes that could be improved, not to identify every risk identified in previous reports.

"I think they should give a tour of this facility to myself and news media to give us the opportunity to see whats going on inside this facility," Budkie said.

Harvard Medical School Wednesday did not release the full report "out of sensitivity to the privacy of our operations."

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UCR Medical School: Funding bill stalls in committee

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Posted on | August 16, 2012 | Comments

UC Riverside School of Medicine Research Building

Legislation that would give the UC Riverside Medical School $15 million finally made it to committee Thursday, quickly stalled, and is likely dead for the year.

The bill by Assemblyman Jeff Miller, R-Corona, emerged earlier this summer and had co-authors from across Inland Southern California. It proposed to allocate $15 million to help open the medical school from the states expected settlement of an overbilling case with the Senior Care Action Network (SCAN.)

The bill idled in the Senate Rules Committee for several weeks. Thursday, it was referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee, where majority Democrats voted to place it on the suspense file. Later, it was among dozens of bills left on suspense.

There are significant costs, the panels chairwoman, state Sen. Christine Kehoe, D-San Diego, said during the hearing.

Miller is the Republican candidate for Riverside Countys 31st Senate District, a top fall target of Senate Democrats. In a statement a short while ago, Miller blamed partisan politics for the bills demise.

It is extremely disappointing to see Sacramento Democrats put partisan politics first and block the vital funding needed to get the UC Riverside Medical School off the ground, said Miller. Its clear that the political bosses are more interested in playing political games than improving health care.

Earlier, Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, denied that the SD-31 race had anything to do with the bill.

My thoughts are it is premature and there ought to be a public-policy discussion about how to spend those proceeds, he said of the SCAN settlement. Without mentioning Miller, Steinberg alluded to legislative Republicans blanket opposition to new tax revenue.

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UCR Medical School: Funding bill stalls in committee