41 percent of local medical graduates to stay in Louisiana

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In the annual ritual known as Match Day, when medical-school seniors find out where they will go for postgraduate training and, perhaps, the rest of their lives, 41 percent of the graduates of New Orleans' medical schools learned Friday that they will stay in Louisiana. At LSU School of Medicine, which accepts only Louisiana residents, 108 of the 171 seniors in the match -- 63 percent -- will go to residencies in New Orleans, LSU Health Sciences Center spokeswoman Leslie Capo said.

At Tulane University School of Medicine, which has no such entry requirement, 35 of the 177 students in the match -- about 20 percent -- learned that their residencies will be in Louisiana, Tulane spokesman Keith Brannon said.

At Louisiana's other medical, LSU School of Medicine in Shreveport, 49 of the 108 seniors in the match -- 45 percent -- will have Louisiana residencies, spokeswoman Meg Willett said.

In New Orleans, two hospitals offer residencies, even though they do not have medical school. Ochsner Medical Center filled all 55 of its slots, and East Jefferson General Hospital filled its seven positions, representatives of those institutions said.

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Match Day and the Long Road to Becoming a Medical Resident

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Released: 3/15/2012 12:00 PM EDT Source: Mayo Clinic Expert Available

Mayo Clinic Experts Available to Discuss Tools to Identify Medical School Burnout

Newswise ROCHESTER, Minn. Medical school students around the country will learn their fate this Friday, March 16, on what is known as Match Day. This is a much-anticipated day that reveals not only where they will work after medical school, but what medical specialty they will pursue. Match Day is filled with excitement and celebration there are hugs, cheers, high fives and tears, but there is another aspect of becoming a resident that medical schools, hospitals and veteran physicians are increasingly paying attention to: The road to becoming a resident is not easy and can lead to burnout ranging from emotional and physical exhaustion to depersonalizing patients.

There has been a growing recognition of burnout among medical students and such distress can have a big impact on their quality of life, professional development and patient care. Mayo Clinic experts have developed an index that screens medical students to identify burnout, symptoms of depression, sleepiness and fatigue. Studies using the index have provided evidence of reliability and validity using the tool to identify severe distress in medical students.

Mayo Clinic experts, Lotte Dyrbye, M.D., associate director, Department of Medicine Program on Physician Well-Being, and Tait Shanafelt, M.D., director, Department of Medicine Program on Physician Well-being at Mayo Clinic, are available to talk about the index and ways for students to identify burnout and ways to promote personal well-being and professional satisfaction to foster a high quality of care for patients and a high quality of life for themselves throughout their medical careers. Dr. Dyrbye and Dr. Shanafelt have conducted several studies on physician burnout, most recently examining the causes and consequences of prolonged stress among oncologists.

Match Day reveals the results of a two-way selection process: matching the top preferences for residency programs among medical students with the needs of residents among residency programs throughout the United States. The Match Day event also marks each participant's progression from student to practicing physician.

### About Mayo Clinic Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit worldwide leader in medical care, research and education for people from all walks of life. For more information, visit http://www.mayoclinic.org/about/ and http://www.mayoclinic.org/news.

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AMSA hosts medical school made easy event

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Published:Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Updated:Wednesday, March 14, 2012 21:03

The process of applying for medical school could seem somewhat overwhelming for prospective students. To help alleviate some of this stress and help students better prepare for applications, The American Medical Student Association (AMSA) will be hosting their second annual Medical School Process Made Easy event on Saturday, March 17 in the D.P. Culp Auditorium. This event will provide a step-by-step guide to applying for medical school. It was really a success last year, said Casey Lawson, chair of the event. We had a little over 100 students show up. This year we have kind of expanded it where its not just ETSU. The admissions director of ETSUs Quillen College of Medicine has sent out emails to neighboring schools, Lawson said. Students from Western Carolina, Virginia Intermont, Carson-Newman and King have all signed up. Registration is free and is open to all students who are interested in attending. The event is able to host up to 200 students, and spots are still available. We want to make sure we have enough resources to make sure we can manage what we need to do, Lawson said. This event will include mock interviews, a dress and appearance seminar, an application workshop, and a current events seminar. The AMSA and Captain Carlson of the U.S. Army will sponsor a free lunch for those who attend. Doug Taylor, dean of admissions, will also be speaking to talk to students about what people see when an application is being viewed. It really helped a lot last year and we got some really great feedback, Lawson said. We want to get some surveys after this time to get some more feedback and see what we can improve to make it better. Hopefully this will continue. Medical School Process Made Easy will be open to anyone considering medical school as an opportunity to see if the student is really dedicated enough to do all the things they have to do, but it is primarily targeted for people who are set on going, said Lawson. If youre serious, you need to have the information ahead of time so you can prepare. Josh Eckelberry, biology major with a concentration on biochemistry, attended the event last year and highly recommends it for anyone considering medical school. Its been a big help working on applications. It makes you realize what it takes Even if youre not premed, its really helpful for an job interview and having interview skills. They have a nice workshop with that. It was a big help, and kind of an eye opener. The event begins at 12:30 p.m. in the Culp Center Auditorium, but attendees should arrive at noon to talk to the medical schools, which will be set up at that time. Everyone will be set up in the Atrium, and the event will last until approximately 7 p.m. In the last 45 minutes of the event, a medical school committee members and staff and student will be on stage to answer questions. To register, go to http://www.etsu.edu/cas/mpa/default.aspx.

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Med School rankings rise in primary care, fall in research

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The Alpert Medical School slid six spots in research, but moved up four spots in primary care in the annual U.S. News and World Report rankings of the nations top graduate schools released Tuesday. The report released rankings for graduate programs in computer science, engineering, humanities, medical education and the sciences.

Medical schools are ranked in two main categories expertise in primary care for patients and research. In an improvement from last year, the Med School moved from 28th to 24th in primary care. The Med School was ranked 35th in research, a drop from its ranking of 29th place last year. Under the research category, the Med School was ranked 9th in the alcohol and drug abuse research category.

Med School administrators pay some attention to the rankings, said Ed Wing, dean of medicine and biological sciences, but he added that the Med School is not driven by them. We want to pick the best students, and we dont just go by the numbers, Wing said.

The Med School works on criteria that factor into ranking decisions such as attracting high-profile faculty, seeking federal funding in research and accepting students with high Medical College Admission Test scores, Wing said, but he added we dont go overboard with it.

The U.S. News rankings place a great emphasis on a universitys financial resources, resulting in higher rankings for colleges with larger endowments like Harvard, according to Wing. But he added that the Med School has made progress in recent years when compared to larger institutions.

Were still a new medical school and still growing our research profile, Wing said, adding that the University actually outranks Harvard in terms of funding from the National Institutes of Health per faculty member. The administration is focused on attracting the best faculty members available while pushing for greater federal funding for research, Wing said.

Wing pointed to the annual variability of the rankings as proof of their role as only a rough indication of a universitys strength.

Sometimes its hard to figure out why theres variability, Wing said. Its been very widely criticized by deans of medical schools.

The report also ranked many of the Universitys other graduate programs highly, including ranking computer science 20th, economics 19th, English 13th, history 17th, math 14th and engineering 46th, one lower than its ranking of 45th last year. In certain sub-fields, the University scored high rankings, including a score of 5th in applied math.

The University does not consider improvement in rankings an impetus for changes at the grad school, wrote Peter Weber, dean of the graduate school, in an email to The Herald. He called the rankings one of many tools available to prospective students, but wrote students should focus on the individual training environments at respective schools. Weber highlighted the graduate schools close mentoring of students and described the open curriculum as key to the Universitys success. Brown has a collaborative, flexible environment with strong support and training for graduate students, Weber wrote.

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Gala dedicated to raising funds for medical scholarships

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Gala dedicated to raising funds for medical scholarships

UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and the Foundation of UMDNJ will host their annual Student Scholarship Gala, welcoming alumni and friends to celebrate and raise funds in support of medical education, at 6:30 p.m. on April 21 at The Heldrich in New Brunswick.

Last years inaugural gala raised more than $205,000 in support of Robert Wood Johnson Medical School students.

The scholarship gala will bring together alumni, faculty and friends of the medical school, to support our medical students who are being challenged by increasing tuition rates, said Dr. Peter S. Amenta, dean of Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

Three individuals will be honored for their dedication to promoting medical and scientific education, research, philanthropy, care and community health.

HarveyA. Holzberg, president emeritus at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital

(RWJUH), will receive the Meritorious Service Award for his leadership and dedication to improving health care in New Jersey. As a leader in health care administration, and president and CEO of RWJUH for 15 years, Holzbergs work laid the foundation for todays medical center.

Dr. Donald Rose, class of 1980, clinical associate professor of orthopedic surgery, New York University School of Medicine, founding director, Harkness Center for Dance Injuries at the NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases, will receive the DistinguishedAlumniAward for his accomplishments in sports and dance medicine, as well as arthroscopic surgery. He is a nationally and internationally recognized specialist in the field of dance injuries, having founded the world-famous Harkness Center.

Dr. Stephen F. Lowry, former professor and chair, Department of Surgery, and senior associate dean for education at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, will receive the Honorary Alumni Award posthumously, for his work in advancing medical research and mentoring. Lowry, who passed away in June 2011, epitomized the academic physician scientist. His research accomplishments were rivaled only by his ability to develop and mentor other physicians and scientists.

In an age of increasing tuition costs in medical schools across the country, it is more important now than ever to support physicians of the future, said Dr. George F. Heinrich, vice chairman and CEO of the Foundation of UMDNJ. This gala will provide us with a wonderful opportunity to show these future doctors that we encourage their efforts as they work toward realizing their own dreams of helping those in need.

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Medical School Tips for Success

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Considering medical school? Use these pointers and suggestions to help you determine if a career in medicine is right for you.

Smart Choices

Embarking on the path to become a doctor is a lengthy process. It takes a total of at least 11 years: 4 years of college; 4 years of medical school; and at least 3 years of in-hospital training. (Some programs require up to 8 years of residency and internship training.)

The medical school applicant pool continues to increase, up to 43,919 in 2011 from 42,742 in 2010, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). Prospective students submitted an average of 14 applications each for the 2011-2012 school year, for a total of 609,312 applications to medical schools.

[See the Best Medical Schools rankings.]

Getting In

It's important to build a base of knowledge during your undergraduate academic career. Medical school applicants should have a strong background in math and science, especially biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, and physics. Being a doctor also requires good people skills, and a solid foundation of liberal arts courses such as humanities and social sciences helps, too.

Extracurricular activities like volunteering at a local hospital or medical clinic may make your application stand out, according to the AAMC, and can also be a good way to develop professional relationships that may lead to medical school letters of recommendation.

About 90 percent of medical school applicants apply during their junior year of college and start medical school right after college. Others take time off after graduation or go through an early admissions or accelerated program while they are still undergraduate students.

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Medical interns form their own union

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Following last summer's protest by medical residents and other physicians, some of whom were not satisfied with the long-term pact brokered between the Israel Medical Association and the government, medical interns and medical school students at the end of their studies are now taking steps to organize their own labor organization. They are calling it "Asli," a Hebrew acronym for "Medical Interns in Israel."

Interns are considered an important part of the personnel that staff hospitals, but because they are not yet at a stage in their training when they are considered physicians, they are not regular members of the Israel Medical Association.

By signing up about half of Israel's interns as members, Asli has achieved official status according to labor laws. The status means that the group is recognized as officially speaking for the country's interns.

Last week Asli's chairman, Elad Ben-Artzi, officially notified the entities that employ the country's interns - the state, the Clalit health maintenance organization and Hadassah and Ichilov hospitals - that the organization will be speaking for the interns. He also asked that a meeting be set up with the employers to discuss the full range of employment terms that apply to the interns.

There are about 600 interns in Israel, working at a number of the country's hospitals. They work as interns for a year during their seventh year of medical school. The year is divided between rotations that they are required to do, in specialties such as internal medicine, pediatrics, emergency medicine and surgery, and elective specialties.

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Ultimate Medical Academy (UMA) Connects With ESOs and Partners at 2012 Council of College and Military Educators (CCME …

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TAMPA, Fla., March 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Ultimate Medical Academy (UMA) recently presented its online healthcare degree programs and military education services at the 2012 Council of College and Military Educators (CCME) Symposium, which was held Feb. 13-16 in Orlando. Nearly 900 people attended this year's symposium, including Education Services Officers (ESOs) and other military educators, civilian educators, post-secondary educational institutions and providers of education products and services.

Brian Braggs, Director of Military and Veteran Affairs, greeted attendees to the UMA booth in the exhibit hall, where he provided visitors with information about the school's healthcare programs and military education initiatives. Braggs and Cristine Kreplick, UMA Military Academic Advisor, also co-hosted a special evening reception for ESOs and military partners. The event was attended by 130 guests, who enjoyed cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, music and videos as they connected with UMA representatives and students in a more informal and intimate setting.

During the reception, Army veteran Braggs highlighted the resources and services available to military students at UMA, while Kreplick spoke about her Navy career supporting the Marine Corps as a Hospital Corpsman, EMT and medic, and explained how the military played an important role in her healthcare education achievements. In addition, Lynn Steilow - a military veteran who is currently enrolled in UMA's Medical Billing and Coding program - discussed her experiences as a military student and the support she has received from UMA faculty and staff.

"UMA has made significant strides in the military education section over the past year," remarked Braggs. "In addition to implementing numerous policies and programs to serve the needs of military students, we were approved to accept military tuition assistance benefits and were recently designated as a Military Friendly School by G.I. Jobs. Today, we have nearly 1,000 students affiliated with all branches of the military. It was gratifying to be able to share our progress and future plans with ESOs and our valued partners. Our guests were very enthusiastic about UMA's education services and online healthcare degree programs, and I found their feedback both encouraging and enlightening."

Braggs noted that UMA is committed to supporting U.S. servicemembers, reservists, guard, veterans, spouses and eligible family members who aspire to pursue healthcare education and allied health careers. He cited UMA's recent agreement with the Department of Defense (DoD) Voluntary Education Program, as well as the school's sponsorship of computer-based testing for the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) through the new UMA/U.S. Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg National Test Center. Most recently, the DoD presented UMA with a statement of support signed by Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta in recognition of the school's continued support of U.S. Guard and Reserves.

ESOs and military educators will have an another opportunity to learn more about UMA and speak with Braggs and his colleagues at the upcoming DoD Worldwide Education Symposium 2012, which will be held July 23-27 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The triennial event is billed as the most-attended conference focused on voluntary education, and is expected to draw approximately 2,600 attendees. "I look forward to reconnecting with the ESOs and military partners we formed relationships with at the CCME Symposium, and I'm excited to meet many others among the large delegation attending the Worldwide Education Symposium in Nevada," said Braggs. "I expect UMA will be making additional announcements about our military education initiatives in the coming months, and I am eager to share that news with my fellow conference attendees in July."

For more information on Ultimate Medical Academy, including details on its online healthcare degree programs and military-friendly policies, visit http://military.ultimatemedical.edu.

About Ultimate Medical Academy

Founded in 1994 and located in Florida, Ultimate Medical Academy (UMA) offers dynamic healthcare training and degree programs that empower students to enter and advance within the growing allied health field. UMA is accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) and dedicated to providing a superior education in a supportive, professional and ethical environment. With locations in Tampa and Clearwater as well as online healthcare programs, UMA has helped thousands of students launch healthcare careers in Florida and beyond.

Media Inquiries: Tricia Wong Director of Marketing Ultimate Medical Academy Phone: 813-676-1646

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LSU, Tulane medical school seniors learning residency destinations

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Surrounded by relatives and friends, seniors at LSU 's and Tulane 's medical schools Friday will learn where they'll go for postgraduate training. On Friday, which is known asMatch Day in medical-school circles, LSU seniors and their entourages will gather at the Sugar Mill, 1021 Convention Center Blvd., and the Tulane contingent will be at the River City Ball Room at Mardi Gras World, 1380 Port of New Orleans Place.

Each ceremony will start at 11 a.m., the moment when medical-school seniors across the country will rip open white envelopes containing information that could chart the course for the rest of their lives.

The life-shaping aspect comes from this fact: Studies have shown that most doctors wind up putting down roots where they do their residencies.

Because of that factor, the numbers from LSU are regarded as indicators of the state's future supply of physicians becauseLSU's medical schools in New Orleans and Shreveportaccept only Louisiana residents. Of the 178seniorsin last year's match at LSU's New Orleans campus, 104 -- 58.4 percent -- landed Louisiana residencies, as did 60 of the 108 Shreveport seniors, or 55.6 percent.

Tulane does not have a residency requirement. Last year, nearly one-fouth of its medical graduates -- 44 out of 178 -- stayed in Louisiana.

This year, there will be 177 Tulane students in the match, 171 from LSU's medical school in New Orleans and 109 from LSU's medical campus in Shreveport.

Match Day got its name because it is the culmination of a computer-driven matchmaking process. After medical-school seniors interview at hospitals where they would like to go, they and the people with whom they speak rate each other. The information is fed into a computer, which produces the resultsthat go into the envelopes.

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Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Ranked #2 Medical School in the Nation, According to U.S …

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PHILADELPHIA The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has ranked second among the nation's research-oriented medical schools, according to the annual survey by U.S. News & World Report. This marks the 15th consecutive year that the School of Medicine has ranked as one of the top five medical schools in the United States.

"The Perelman School of Medicine's outstanding ranking is a tribute to the the exemplary efforts of our faculty and staff, and their tireless commitment to provide an exceptional educational experience for the next generation of physicians and scientists," said J. Larry Jameson, MD, PhD, Dean of the Perelman School of Medicine and Executive Vice President of the University of Pennsylvania for the Health System.

The Perelman School of Medicine also ranked among the nations top medical schools in five areas of specialty training, including Pediatrics (#2), Women's Health (#4), Internal Medicine (#5), Drug/Alcohol Abuse (#5), and AIDS (#9).

Established in 1765 as the nation's first medical school, Penn's School of Medicine, now the Perelman School of Medicine, continues a rich tradition of providing pre-eminent training and education. The School of Medicine is an internationally recognized leader in the discoveries that advance science and pave the way for new therapies and procedures to improve human health. In the 2011 fiscal year, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including stimulus funds, awarded the Perelman School of Medicine $479.3 million in research funding.

The U.S. News medical school rankings, released annually in the U.S. News & World Report "Best Graduate Schools" issue, are based on statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school's faculty, research, and students. Information is obtained through surveys of program directors, academics, and professionals. Criteria used in the rankings include peer assessment surveys, research activity, grade point averages, MCAT scores, and NIH funding.

The complete survey is available online, and will be on newsstands April 3. For more information on the Perelman School of Medicine, see our annual Facts and Figures information.

Penn's Perelman School of Medicine is currently ranked #2 in U.S. News & World Report's survey of research-oriented medical schools and among the top 10 schools for primary care. The School is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $507.6 million awarded in the 2010 fiscal year.

The University of Pennsylvania Health System's patient care facilities include: The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania -- recognized as one of the nation's top 10 hospitals by U.S. News & World Report; Penn Presbyterian Medical Center; and Pennsylvania Hospital the nation's first hospital, founded in 1751. Penn Medicine also includes additional patient care facilities and services throughout the Philadelphia region.

Penn Medicine is committed to improving lives and health through a variety of community-based programs and activities. In fiscal year 2010, Penn Medicine provided $788 million to benefit our community.

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Harvard, Stanford top biz school charts

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Daniel Acker/Bloomberg

Columbia was no. 8 in the national rankings for business.

Harvard and Stanford Universities top the charts as the countrys best business schools, according to U.S. News and World Report.

Harvard was also the no. 1 medical school for research, and Yale was tops for law in the 2013 rankings for graduate programs released Tuesday.

SEE FULL LIST OF U.S. NEWS GRADUATE SCHOOL RANKINGS

The U.S. News rankings weigh a school's reputation, selectivity and other factors such as graduates employment opportunities.

Columbia Universitys business and law schools were best in New York State.

SEE FULL LIST OF U.S. NEWS BEST BUSINESS SCHOOL RANKINGS

Columbia was also the best local medical school for research.

Columbia is a great and remarkably broad research university, said Dr. Lee Goldman, dean of the faculties for health sciences and medicine. All parts of the university benefit from the excellence of the other parts.

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Cooper Medical School of Rowan University receives $1.055 million gift from senior vice president of Comcast Corporation

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GLASSBORO On Monday, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University received its largest gift yet a $1.055 million endowment to the Rowan University Foundation for medical student scholarships.

Lawrence J. Salva senior vice president, chief accounting officer and controller of Comcast Corporation and his wife, Rita, of Princeton, have pledged this amount to establish the Lawrence & Rita Salva Medical Scholars Fund at Rowan.

The gift will establish a $1 million endowment to benefit students enrolled at CMSRU for years to come. The additional $55,000, and the earnings on the endowment, will provide $100,000 in scholarships for the medical schools charter class. The Camden school will welcome its first class this August.

Today is truly a great day for Rowan, the medical school and South Jersey, said R.J. Tallarida, assistant vice president for development and acting executive director of the Rowan University Foundation. Larry is a 1977 graduate, and this is the largest one-time gift by a Rowan alum the Foundation has ever received.

Rowan Interim President Ali Houshmand called the gift transformative.

Every time this scholarship helps to train a doctor who goes on to treat many ill people, the legacy of the endowment continues, said Houshmand. This will benefit many for years to come, especially in a time when student debt is such a serious issue in the country.

CMSRU Founding Dean Dr. Paul Katz said medical students face an enormous amount of debt. The average medical student graduates with nearly $150,000 worth of debt, and he said about 30 percent of the students accepted at CMSRU will be considered disadvantaged. The tuition for a CMSRU student will be approximately $32,860 in-state and $52,680 for out-of-state students. According to Katz, the average annual cost of living for a medical school student in New Jersey is $57,400.

What kind of impact does this have on career choice? said Katz. This is why positions in primary care come up short. In 2020, there are predicted to be 40,000 fewer primary care physicians in this area than are needed.

Add to that, said Katz, that most students come to medical school already bearing debt from their undergraduate years.

The impact of this gift is a multiplier, said Katz. Every patient they touch will benefit from this generosity.

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Cooper Medical School of Rowan University receives $1.055 million gift from senior vice president of Comcast Corporation

Rowan Receives Landmark Gift to Fund Medical School Scholarships

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To: EDUCATION AND HEALTH EDITORS

GLASSBORO, N.J., March 12, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- To the core, Lawrence J. Salva is a numbers guy.

So when Salva, senior vice president, chief accounting officer and controller of Comcast Corporation, heard that the average medical school student graduates with more than $150,000 worth of debt, the Rowan University alumnus decided to make a difference and assist aspiring South Jersey physicians.

Salva, vice chairman of the Rowan University Foundation Board, and his wife, Rita, of Princeton, have pledged $1.055 million to the Foundation to establish the Lawrence & Rita Salva Medical Scholars Fund at Rowan. The single largest gift to date for Cooper Medical School of Rowan University (CMSRU), the Salvas' pledge also is the largest one-time gift ever made to Rowan by an alumnus.

Their gift will establish a $1 million endowment to benefit students enrolled at CMSRU. The additional $55,000 in contributions--and the

"The debt numbers for medical school students are just so compelling," says Salva, who earned his bachelor's degree in business from the University in 1977.

"We're absolutely excited about the medical school and the promise it holds for South Jersey. This scholarship fund gives us a tremendous opportunity to help medical school students pursue their dreams as they work to make a positive impact on the lives of others."

Supporting promising new physicians

According to Founding Dean Paul Katz, MD, tuition for a CMSRU student is $32,860 in state, $52,680 out-of-state. Including tuition, fees and living expenses, the average yearly cost of living for a medical school student in New Jersey is $57,400, according to Katz.

Medical school students often base their medical school decisions--and their choice of specialty--on their expected debt and the funding they can receive to help alleviate that debt. In the selection of the charter class, CMSRU has focused its mission to provide humanistic education in the art and science of medicine within a scientific and scholarly community in which inclusivity, excellence in patient care, innovative teaching, research, and service to the community are valued.

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Synta Announces Appointment of Dvorit Samid, Ph.D., as Vice President, Medical Affairs

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LEXINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp. (NASDAQ: SNTA) today announced the appointment of Dr. Dvorit Samid as Vice President of Medical Affairs.

Dr. Samids three decades of oncology research and drug development experience, and her relationships with leading investigators around the world in lung cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer and other indications will be a tremendous asset to us at Synta in advancing our lead clinical programs, said Safi Bahcall, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer, Synta Pharmaceuticals. From her early work as Section Chief at the National Cancer Institute, to her lead role in Medical Affairs at Roche, ImClone and Abraxis Oncology in building awareness and successfully launching certain widely-used anti-cancer drugs, Dr. Samid has built a strong reputation in successfully communicating the science and medical potential of novel, important compounds. We are excited to have Dvorit join Synta to help us in the clinical and pre-commercial development of ganetespib.

Ganetespib is a potent inhibitor of heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) that is structurally unrelated to first-generation, ansamycin-family Hsp90 inhibitors and is being evaluated in over 20 clinical trials ongoing, recently completed, or currently initiating. Over 500 patients have been treated to date with ganetespib. In these trials, ganetespib has demonstrated strong single-agent clinical activity, with a favorable safety profile, in patients with several different types of cancer, including lung cancer and breast cancer, who have failed to respond to, or progressed following treatment with, multiple prior therapies. A Phase 2b/3 trial evaluating the combination of ganetespib and docetaxel in patients with non-small cell lung cancer who have progressed following treatment with first-line therapy, the GALAXY trial, is ongoing with data readouts expected later this year. Ganetespib has also shown strong single-agent clinical activity in patients with ALK+ lung cancer, as well as patients with HER2+ and triple-negative breast cancer. A global clinical trial evaluating ganetespib in approximately 100 patients with ALK+ lung cancer, who have not been previously treated with a direct ALK inhibitor, is now initiating.

This is a very exciting time to be joining Synta, said Dr. Samid. There are very few late-stage drug candidates in the industry that have both demonstrated compelling single-agent anti-cancer activity in multiple tumor types and have such a favorable safety profile. Chaperone inhibition represents an entirely new approach to the treatment of cancer, which offers potential both in molecularly targeted patient populations, such as ALK+ lung cancer, and more broadly, in combination. Ganetespib is positioned to be first to market - the first compound to unlock the true potential of this approach for treating patients with cancer. I am delighted to have the opportunity to work with Synta and apply the experience and relationships I have developed towards advancing this program to registration and commercialization.

Dr. Samid has extensive experience in oncology drug development including clinical development, launch and life-cycle management of drugs in lung cancer (Erbitux), breast cancer (Abraxane, Xeloda), and colorectal cancer (Xeloda). Her career spans academia (University of Virginia Medical School), government (Section Chief Differentiation Control, National Cancer Institute/National Institutes of Health Division of Cancer Treatment) and pharmaceutical industry (Roche, ImClone and others).

Dr. Samid holds a Ph.D. in Cell Biology from Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., completed graduate studies in Biology at Technion Institute in Haifa, Israel and holds a B.Sc. in Microbiology from Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Israel. Dr. Samid has authored over 80 publications in oncology and holds 19 patents.

About Ganetespib

Ganetespib is the most advanced of the next-generation, synthetic Hsp90 inhibitors with over 450 patients treated to date and 20 trials recently completed, currently initiating, or actively enrolling, including the global Phase 2b/3 GALAXY trialTM in second-line non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Ganetespib has shown anti-tumor activity in heavily pretreated patients with lung cancer, breast cancer, and other tumor types and has been well tolerated with no evidence of severe liver or common ocular toxicities seen with other Hsp90 inhibitors. The most common adverse event seen to date has been grade 1 or 2 diarrhea, which has been transient and manageable with standard supportive care.

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Cooper-Rowan medical school receives $1.055 million donation

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Posted: Monday, March 12, 2012 2:30 pm | Updated: 7:05 pm, Mon Mar 12, 2012.

GLASSBOROSouth Jersey's new medical school has received a significant boost from a local couple.

Former Moorestown resident Lawrence Salva and his wife, Rita, donated $1.055 million to the Cooper Medical School at Rowan University in Camden.

Announced Monday, the gift is the largest donation ever received by the university from an alumnus. It also is the biggest gift to date earmarked for the medical school.

"The Salvas' gift truly is transformative and will have a lasting impact on Rowan University, our new medical school and the entire region," said R.J. Tallarida, assistant vice president for development.

The donation will establish a $1 million endowment to benefit medical school students. Earnings on the endowment, plus the additional $55,000 gift, are expected to provide $100,000 in scholarships for the school's charter class. The first students will begin classes in August.

Annual tuition for the medical school is $32,860 for in-state residents and $52,680 for those from out of state, according to Paul Katz, the school's founding dean. Fees and living expenses boost in-state annual costs to about $57,400, Katz said. The average medical student graduates with more than $150,000debt.

Many medical students base their education and speciality decisions on their anticipated debt and the funding available to help pay their costs, Katz said. The Salvas' gift will better allow students to choose their careers based on medical interests that could include areas with significant shortages, he said.

The newly established Lawrence and Rita Salva Medical Scholars Fund is expected to provide one or more of three distinct four-year scholarships annually. They include the Southern New Jersey Scholarship for students with financial need who have attended a kindergarten-through-12th-grade school district in South Jersey; the Founder Scholarship for students in financial need who come from traditionally disadvantaged backgrounds; and the Service Scholarship, which will be awarded to students who have performed more than 200 hours of volunteer service before matriculation.

During a news conference at Rowan's Campbell Library in Glassboro, Salva talked about his opportunities on campus and expressed a desire to help medical students get their career starts.

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Cooper-Rowan medical school receives $1.055 million donation

How Important Are Medical School Rankings?

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Medical school rankings are one indicator of an institution's perceived quality; however, gauging the importance of rankings is not as clear-cut as with undergraduate institutions, law schools, and business schools.

With law schools and business schools, there is a wealth of data suggesting that the employment rate as well as the initial salary and bonus post-graduation gets higher the closer you get to the top of the rankings. This incentivizes students to attend the highest-ranked school possible.

In contrast, all medical school graduates who choose to go directly into a residency training program (which is required if you want to practice clinical medicine) make roughly the same amount of money during their training program. The income differential arises post-residency and is dependent upon the choice of specialty.

That said, attending certain medical schools can increase the chance of matching in your desired specialty choice, and the medical research rankings are arguably more important if you are an aspiring M.D./Ph.D. candidate. But your future opportunities will be more tightly coupled with your performance during medical school and your United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) scores than the name of the institution on your degree.

[Learn more about joint M.D./Ph.D. programs.]

So how big of an influence should rankings be on school selection?

Unfortunately, not everybody can go to Harvard Medical School or University of Pennsylvania. However, there are more than 100 medical schools in the United States, as well as numerous overseas, that students enthusiastic about a career in medicine can consider.

When applying to medical school, the influence of rankings on what schools to apply to should depend on your objectives. For an aspiring physician scientist, being at a top-ranked research school that has the resources, aggressive publishing expectations, postdoctoral fellows, and grant-writing expertise can enhance your academic opportunities and set you up for future success.

For the aspiring clinician, rankings should be factored in, but can play second fiddle to the geographic, demographic, average MCAT score/average GPA, and academic culture of the institution.

[Find out what looming MCAT changes will mean for aspiring M.D.'s.]

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How Important Are Medical School Rankings?

U's Mini Med School offers just a taste of medicine

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March 11, 2012

By KALI DINGMAN, The Minnesota Daily

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Sitting in a medical school classroom in Moos Tower, middle schoolers, retirees, businessmen and dozens of others listened intently to a speaker talking about the importance of the brain.

They're all students in the Mini Medical School, created by the University of Minnesota's Academic Health Center in 1999 to provide education for community members who want to learn about the medical field.

Each semester, roughly 200 students pile into a lecture hall once a week over a five-week term to listen to a professor speak about research or clinical applications he or she is conducting.

The two and a half hour long sessions include two speakers. Each speaker presents for about 45 minutes, followed by a question-and-answer session, The Minnesota Daily reports.

"Mini Medical School offers the public a place to learn about disease, physiology and anatomy by those clinicians and researchers at the top of their fields," said second-year medical student and emcee Tori Bahr.

According to a survey done by the school, 71 percent of the students are between the ages of 46 and 80, but they've had students as young as 12 years old.

"The classes bring an engaged group of people to campus who would not usually (take medical school classes)," said Steve Jepsen, coordinator of Mini Medical School.

The school is modeled after the Washington, D.C.-based National Institutes of Health's community education program, he said.

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U's Mini Med School offers just a taste of medicine

ENC facing primary physician shortfall, bracing itself for Medicaid expansion

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After four years of medical school and at least three years of a medical residency, young doctors are eager to start their journey into practicing medicine, something many have trained for most of their lives.

As baby boomer doctors with practices in quiet, rural areas continue to retire, the newest generations of doctors arent replacing them. This is especially evident in Eastern North Carolina, as Hyde and Tyrrell counties have no physicians.

The number of rural doctors continues to drop, and health problems of rural America steadily increase and become more severe.

North Carolina has always been a medically-underserved area, something Dr. Paul Cunningham, dean of the Brody School of Medicine at ECU, said he has seen plaguing the East since first coming to the region in 1981.

What we are seeing is that and this is typical across the country there are specialties in short supply, Cunningham said. Its more acute in rural and remote areas than it is in built-up areas. Greenville, for example, has an adequate supply of all specialties and physicians, with few exceptions. But the region around it is having desperate needs for surgeons, more obstetricians and gynecologists and, of course, primary care doctors.

Primary care doctors i.e. family physicians, internal medicine physicians and pediatricians are supposed to be a leading force in prevention and early detection. But Eastern North Carolina has a long way to go before it has a sufficient number of doctors to fight the health problems facing rural areas, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

Jim Dobbins, vice president of human resources at Lenoir Memorial Hospital, is in charge of recruiting physicians to the area and reported 24 of the 85 physicians in the county are primary care doctors. A recent study showed that the number needs to double to 48 for sufficient coverage.

Medicaid expansion

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ENC facing primary physician shortfall, bracing itself for Medicaid expansion

Dr. Sanjay Gupta to speak at graduation

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Nearly two decades after he graduated from the Universitys medical school, Sanjay Gupta will return to his home state to deliver this years Spring Commencement speech on April 28 at the Big House.

Gupta, a native of Novi, currently serves as CNNs chief medical correspondent, where he contributes to various CNN shows and is the anchor of the self-titled show, Sanjay Gupta M.D., which airs on weekends. He is also a practicing neurosurgeon at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta and authored two books about medicine, and his first novel will be released tomorrow.

In an exclusive interview with The Michigan Daily on Friday, University President Mary Sue Coleman said Gupta serves as an influential example of what University graduates can aspire to become.

We thought he so represents Michigan alums and the impact that they can have on the world, Coleman said. In so many areas, he has really become a spokesperson who has tremendous influence in the country so I think for young people he really does represent a terrific role model.

Gupta was on vacation last weekend and unable to be reached for comment, according to his assistant.

Gupta started school at the University as an undergraduate in 1986, and then continued on to the Universitys Medical School, specializing in neurosurgery through Inteflex a program no longer offered at the University that granted high-school students admission to the University for their undergraduate studies and medical school.

At the request of medical school students, Gupta returned to the medical school in 2009 to deliver their commencement speech. Medical School Dean James Woolliscroft said he was pleased with Guptas 2009 address, and expects Guptas upcoming commencement speech to showcase his commitment to humanity.

He did a superb job then, and I fully expect hell do a superb job for commencement this spring as well, Woolliscroft said.

Woolliscroft said he remembers Guptas impressive academic work as a student.

He certainly was very, very capable, Wooliscroft said. He excelled as a medical student, and he also excelled as a neurosurgical resident. He has a very broad interest for many years going back to the time of training.

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Dr. Sanjay Gupta to speak at graduation

Queen of the Valley supports new medical group

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ISABELLE DILLS Napa Valley Register | Posted: Saturday, March 10, 2012 12:15 am |

Dr. Joyce Colton-House had just finished her medical residency in June 2010 when she saw a job posting with Queen of the Valley Medical Associates. Like many of her peers, Colton-House wanted to avoid the complications of going into private practice.

By joining the new Napa medical group, Colton-House, an ear, nose and throat doctor, would be free of administrative responsibilities, like billing insurance companies and hiring staff.

I went to medical school, not business school, Colton-House said. I really wanted to focus on patient care.

Queen of the Valley Medical Associates began two years ago to attract more physicians to the Napa Valley and keep them practicing locally, said Walt Mickens, CEO of Queen of the Valley Medical Center. Currently, the group has nine physicians.

Physicians employed by the medical group provide outpatient and hospital-based services at facilities operated by Queen of the Valley, but the hospital does not manage the medical group.

All administrative responsibilities are handled by St. Joseph Heritage Healthcare, a medical practice foundation operated by the St. Joseph Health System, to which Queen of the Valley Medical Center belongs.

The medical group uses fully electronic medical records, including physician notes, billing information and prescription orders, allowing the physicians within Heritage and Queen of the Valley Medical Associates to communicate and share information electronically, Queen spokeswoman Vanessa deGier said.

Before the medical group formed, the most viable local option for physicians was to join the not-for-profit Kaiser Permanente. Kaiser operates a closed-system model, offering both health coverage and medical care through its own clinics and hospitals.

Unlike most private practice physicians who operate on fee-for-service contracts, Permanente doctors are given fixed salaries.

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Queen of the Valley supports new medical group