Sono Bello Appoints Michael Gellis, MD as Chief Medical Officer

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SEATTLE, Feb. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Sono Bello, a growing multi-state medical practice, has appointed Michael Gellis, MD as Chief Medical Officer.  In this role, Dr. Gellis will provide clinical leadership to the company, which exclusively performs laser-assisted liposuction in office-based centers with 12 locations in 9 states.  The appointment of Dr. Gellis as CMO (Chief Medical Officer) continues Sono Bello's efforts to elevate the quality of medical care provided in their centers. 

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120201/LA46109)

Dr. Gellis graduated from Wayne State University medical school followed by training in general surgery.  He completed his plastic surgery residency in 1976 at Beaumont Hospital.  He has a lifetime certification with the American Board of Plastic Surgery.  Dr. Gellis is an accomplished clinician and served as the Chairman of the Division of Plastic Surgery at Beaumont Hospital for 11 years where he managed the activities of 26 plastic surgeons and countless residents.  Dr. Gellis has many areas of special interest including liposuction for which he has developed an FDA approved device. 

Dr. Gellis will be involved in appointing new physician hires, proctoring current physicians and assisting with further development of the professional services for Sono Bello.  He will work closely with major plastic and cosmetic medical societies on behalf of Sono Bello to share the organizations knowledge and experience.  He will spearhead the Education and Standards committee, which is responsible for education and research to include presentations and publications.  As such he will further develop standards of practice to which all physicians associated with Sono Bello adhere.  The underlying goal is to provide the same level of excellence regardless of which Sono Bello facility or which surgeon is utilized.

Sono Bello has over 35 trained surgeons most of whom are recognized by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.  Dr. Gellis will take the helm of this superb group to provide additional leadership and oversight.  With his supervision Sono Bello will continue to set the standards for minimally invasive laser liposuction.  Dr. Gellis will promote patient safety, excellent surgical outcomes and adherence to the high practice standards expected by our patients.

Sono Bello has been performing awake laser assisted liposuction for over 3 years.   During that time some 17,000 surgeries have been performed.  Review of complications and other standard measures indicate that Sono Bello is meeting the high expectations demanded in plastic surgery.  Sono Bello clinics are accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) which is an independent not-for-profit organization accrediting outstanding medical practices.  This is an optional process confirming that Sono Bello meets the highest recognized standards in patient safety and quality of care.  Most authorities recommend plastic surgery be obtained only at an accredited facility.

Dr. Gellis is a welcome addition and further proof of the dedication Sono Bello has to their patients and the medical community.  Significant growth is anticipated in 2012 and Dr. Gellis will ensure that this is done in a manner that promotes patient safety and continues Sono Bello's tradition of excellence. 

We are pleased to announce Dr. Michael Gellis as Chief Medical Officer of Sono Bello.

For further details or to arrange an interview, please email; news@sonobello.com or call Sono Bello at 1.877.766.6235.

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Sono Bello Appoints Michael Gellis, MD as Chief Medical Officer

Top 3 Reasons Medical School Applications Are Rejected

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Most people would rather do just about anything else than go through the involved process of filling out an AMCAS (American Medical College Application Service) application. However, this is an important standardized form—as are the AAOMCAS for doctor of osteopathic medicine (D.O.) applicants and the TMDSAS for applicants to Texas schools—so to improve your chances of preparing a competitive application, it would behoove you to become familiar with common reasons many of these applications don't even make it beyond the first screen.

Completing the AMCAS application, along with applications from the other standardized application services, can seem like a mostly tedious exercise for medical school applicants. Having to send in all of your college transcripts, enter your grades manually, and describe the duties of your extracurricular activities can get old pretty quickly. However, it's a system that's not going to disappear anytime soon.

[Read five ways to maximize your AMCAS application.]

Applications to medical school get rejected for a multitude of reasons. However, there are three key reasons AMCAS (and other) applications are thrown out every year.

1. Grades: Though medical schools value individual applicants' personal qualities, the reality is that schools place great importance on your academic record.

Some schools (such as the University of California system's medical schools) screen applicants based on minimum GPA and MCAT scores before secondary applications are sent. Applicants with disadvantaged status or other special circumstances may be specially selected for interview, but they need to be prepared to address any perceived academic shortcomings, without seeming defensive.

If you had other personal circumstances occur that resulted in a dip in grades, showing an upward trajectory in GPA in later years can help that period of time be seen as nothing more than a blip on the radar.

[See three reasons to include an M.D. application addendum.]

2. Extracurricular activities: Medical schools like to see that applicants not only know what they're pursuing (i.e., the field of medicine), but also that they've demonstrated some commitment, and ideally some leadership, while they've been undergraduates.

Though applicants don't need to choose a specific specialty, they need to not only be able to talk about their aspirations in an informed way, but they also ideally need to show a longitudinal track record of involvement in activities. If not, it could lead to a "slippery slope" on your application—leading to weak AMCAS mini-statements, and even worse, a weak, forgettable personal statement.

3. Choice of schools: Unfortunately, every year, there are students who don't apply to a wide enough or appropriate range of schools for their record. For example, an applicant with a 3.4 GPA and a 30 MCAT score who limits his or her applications to Harvard Medical School, Duke University School of Medicine, and Stanford University School of Medicine may be left empty-handed in April.

Students who may not have access to premedical advising services may want to consult the AAMC's (Association of American Medical Colleges) Medical School Admissions Requirements (MSAR) webpage to get an idea of the range of schools to which they should apply.

[Learn how medical school applications are evaluated.]

Students should always apply to a few of their dream schools, but they should also consult the MSAR, or individual schools' websites, to determine a list of five to seven additional schools at which they would be competitive grade-wise. Students should also create a list of three or more schools at which their academics are on the very high end, to maximize the chance of securing an acceptance.

Applicants, if possible, should try to avoid applying to more than 20 schools (though this number is not an absolute). Schools are able to view how many and which schools you have applied to through AMCAS. They may start to ask themselves questions as to why a particular applicant feels they need to apply to so many medical schools.

With medical school admissions growing more competitive every year, it is important to be mindful of the most common and potentially avoidable reasons applications are rejected. That way, yours will be less likely to end up in the rejection pile. 

Ibrahim Busnaina, M.D. is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and coauthor of "Examkrackers' How to Get Into Medical School." He has been consulting with prospective medical school applicants, with a special focus on minority and other nontraditional candidates, since 2006.

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Top 3 Reasons Medical School Applications Are Rejected

Reapplying to Medical School: What Should You Do Differently?

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Applying to medical school can require a significant investment of time and be very emotionally and financially taxing. Going through this process a second or even third time can be a significant stressor on even the most determined applicant.

We've previously discussed the importance of avoiding five key errors when reapplying to medical school; however, you might be thinking, what should I do differently the next time?

[Learn how medical school applications are evaluated.]

There is one crucial question you need to ask yourself about your previous application before you embark on this admissions journey once again: What went wrong?

Of course, there are multiple--and sometimes nebulous--reasons certain applications are unsuccessful in every application cycle. It is always helpful to consult others regarding the competitiveness of your applications. It's also helpful to ask others whether you inadvertently succumbed to any pitfalls or committed any faux pas.

Beyond having friends, family, or others give you a second opinion on your application materials, consider soliciting feedback from the schools to which you had applied. Though many schools won't discuss details about admissions decisions, some, such as Ohio State University's College of Medicine and the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine, recommend that reapplicants call each school to gather opinions on why their previous applications were unsuccessful. (You can read more about Ohio State's advice for medical school reapplicants and University of Miami's reapplication tips.)

It appears that there is an increasing trend among medical schools toward providing applicants with targeted feedback, sometimes even with suggestions for improvement--though don't count on every school providing such advice.

[Avoid these medical school interview bloopers.]

In examining specifics of what might have gone wrong during a previous application cycle, it is important to review the following.

? Academic records: It is tough to hear, but unsuccessful applicants tend to have below average GPAs or MCAT scores. For each school you plan to reapply to, you should review the range of GPAs and MCAT scores for the 25th to 75th percentile and see where you fall.

For example, no Cornell University juniors or seniors who applied to M.D. programs in 2010 with a GPA below 3.0 or MCAT below 25 received an acceptance to any medical school. That year, even Cornell students with GPAs between 3.2 and 3.39 had only a 32 percent acceptance rate, and all had MCAT scores above 30.

If you fall in this lower percentile, you might want to consider taking time off and engaging in a master's or postbac program. Rushing to reapply with a weak academic record is never good; one A in an advanced organic chemistry course won't persuade admissions committees to overlook a four year undergraduate record with a low GPA.

[Is a postbaccalaureate medical program right for you?]

? Personal statement: The only portion of the application that is under your direct control is often the section that gets applications thrown to the side. As a reapplicant, it is crucial to focus on how you've developed as a person and an aspiring medical professional in your personal statement, particularly highlighting what you've accomplished since you last applied. You also want to use the statement to give readers a window into your character; you want the admissions staff to remember you when you are up for committee discussion.

Make sure you don't reuse any statements from your previous applications; schools usually place the two applications side by side to see what, if anything, has changed. Even schools you didn't apply to the first time can tell if a statement is probably recycled.

? Extracurriculars: Many times, applicants who apply early do not have sufficient patient-related experiences to persuade committees that they know enough about the field. Use this time to strengthen your extracurricular activities--it will not only help you write a stronger personal statement, but it could also help you make your passions within medicine more specific, and thus more compelling.

? Interviews: Practice interviewing in any way you can. If you make it to the interview, you're very high on the consideration list, so you don't want an interview to knock you out of the running.

Since reapplying to medical school is a time-consuming, financially arduous venture, it is important to examine your record and your previous application thoroughly before diving into the process once again. Then, it will hopefully lead to an acceptance.

Ibrahim Busnaina, M.D. is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and coauthor of "Examkrackers' How to Get Into Medical School." He has been consulting with prospective medical school applicants, with a special focus on minority and other nontraditional candidates, since 2006.

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Reapplying to Medical School: What Should You Do Differently?

MU Medical School Forms Unique Partnership with Cristo Rey High Schools

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Newswise — The University of Missouri School of Medicine is the only medical school in the country and the only institution in Missouri to become a national partner of the Cristo Rey Network of high schools for disadvantaged urban youth. The unique partnership will strengthen the institutions’ efforts to help students with limited educational options to pursue careers in health care.

The Cristo Rey Network is comprised of 24 Catholic college preparatory high schools that serve nearly 7,000 urban young people. MU and the Cristo Rey high school in Kansas City have worked together since 2008 to expose Cristo Rey students to careers in health care. All 47 students in the Cristo Rey Kansas City Class of 2011 attended college in the fall. Of that group, 98 percent were the firstmembers of their family to attend college.

“MU’s medical school has long admired the quality of education Cristo Rey provides, and we’re excited about strengthening our commitment to Cristo Rey’s exceptional students,” said Kathleen Quinn, PhD, director of MU's Area Health Education Center. “Becoming a national partner of Cristo Rey will help MU’s medical school reach more economically disadvantaged students who might be interested in a career in health care or science.”

Since 2008, a program sponsored by MU’s Area Health Education Center has allowed students from Cristo Rey High School in midtown Kansas City to visit MU forthree days each summer for an annual Health Professions Summit. More than 60 Cristo Rey students have already had the opportunity to try on careers in the health professions through a rotation of activities and informational sessions hosted by the MU School of Medicine, Sinclair School of Nursing, School of Health Professions, and West Central Missouri Area Health Education Center, which conducts a year-long health career curriculum specifically for the Kansas City Cristo Rey students. As a Cristo Rey national partner, the MU School of Medicine will have the opportunity to host students from all Cristo Rey high schools.

“Without Cristo Rey, I wouldn’t have made the connections to MU that I have now,” said Maureen Tanner, an MU sophomore and 2010 graduate of Cristo Rey high school in Kansas City. “Because of the relationships I made with Dr. Ellis Ingram at the medical school and other staff on campus, I felt like I had a good support system at MU before I even arrived here.”

Now pursing a degree in biochemistry, Tanner attended the MU Health Professions Summit for four years before enrolling at MU.In addition to her studies, she is a coordinator for a pre-college student outreach program led by Ellis Ingram, MD, senior associate dean for diversity and inclusion at the MU School of Medicine. His office supports educational outreach programs for middle school and high school students in St. Louis, Columbia and Kansas City. At the same time, Missouri Area Health Education Centers coordinate educational outreach and professional development programs for students throughout Missouri, especially those in rural areas.

“We hope the students who benefit from our outreach and development programs will ultimately become successful professionals who give back to the communities where they were raised,” Ingram said. “When it comes to medicine, data proves that students from underserved urban or rural areas are much more likely to return to those areas as physicians.”

Cristo Rey national partners include both public and private institutions from across the country. MU and eight other institutions are among a new group of universities that are supporting Cristo Rey Network students at the national level. ?

“We are excited by the growing number of universities that want to partner with us to ensure that thousands of Cristo Rey Network graduates have access to a high quality college experience,” said Robert Birdsell, CEO and president of the Cristo Rey Network.

A complete list of Cristo Rey national and supporting university partners is available here .

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Catasauqua school board hears more of plans for medical charter school

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Catasauqua Area School Board heard more testimony in a special meeting Monday from parents and students in favor of a medical charter school proposed in the district.

About 20 people attended the continued hearing, which began in December. Craig Haytmanek, an ear, nose and throat doctor from the Bethlehem area, proposes opening Medical Academy Charter School in September to serve 100 ninth-graders and 100-tenth graders, with plans to eventually expand through Grade 12.

So far, school organizers have 120 students interested in attending the charter school proposed at 330 Howertown Road in the borough at the former Catasauqua Area Middle School now owned by developer Abe Atiyeh. The school board must approve the charter for the school to open in the district.

Mita Desai, a Bethlehem Area School District parent, urged school directors to approve the charter school, saying the program will help better prepare students for medical training.

Joe Konrath, an Allentown School District parent, said his daughter Megan, an eighth grader, was saved from leukemia by local doctors and now wants to help others by pursuing a medical career.

"We feel this is the best option for Megan to reach her goals," Konrath said.

Steve Frey, who lives near Walnutport and worked in health care for 50 years, is a strong proponent of the school.

"I can only imagine what open doors await my children and the students of the Medical Academy," Frey said.

Officials have said the school would lease the building from Atiyeh for roughly $235,000 for the 2012-13 school year, a figure that would climb to $500,000 by 2016. Organizers said that's because the school would use only 19,000 square feet the first year and 40,000 in 2016.

Howard Kurtz of Synergy Educational Consultants, who is working with school organizers, said officials have submitted a proposed budget to the school board for consideration as well as responses to the board's curriculum and support concerns. Organizers have also worked to solicit health care facilities to partner with the proposed school.

"We've really gotten a lot of institutions interested in our endeavor," Haytmanek said.

Haytmanek said his alma mater, Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, has agreed to accept students from the school. Agreements are also in the works with Penn State, St. Luke's Health System, Alzheimer's Association, Miller Memorial Blood Center, a veterinary clinic and others.

"A week doesn't go by where more people aren't coming on board," Kurtz said. "What we're proposing is a much more concentrated yet intimate program."

The school's goal is to provide students with education and training so they can gain direct-entry positions in the medical field, such as nurse's aide jobs, or be prepared to enter two- and four-year medical programs at colleges and universities.

"I think this will be a feather in the cap of the Catasauqua Area School District," Haytmanek said.

There were no comments offered in opposition of the charter. School directors plan to vote on the application at the regular board meeting at 7 p.m. Feb. 13.

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Catasauqua school board hears more of plans for medical charter school

Harvard Medical School Adviser: If you enjoy coffee, go ahead and drink it

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QUESTION: I gave up coffee years ago because it made me too
jittery, but my husband still drinks coffee -- sometimes four
or more cups -- every day. I've always been under the
impression that too much caffeine is bad for your health. Is
there harm in drinking so much coffee? Are there any health
benefits from drinking it?

ANSWER: In excess, coffee, and more particularly,
caffeine, can cause problems for some people: Nervousness,
rapid heart action, heartburn and excessive urination head the
list. But study results keep coming that suggest coffee does
have some health benefits.

Recently, researchers reported that coffee drinking is
associated with lower risks of depression, lethal prostate
cancer and stroke. There are also reports of possible
protective effects against illnesses ranging from Parkinson's
disease to diabetes to some types of cancer.

Caffeine has been studied more than any other ingredient in
coffee. But coffee contains literally a thousand different
substances. And some of these lesser-known substances may be
responsible for healthful effects in various parts of the body.

In fact, some studies show that caffeinated and decaffeinated
coffee have similar effects, which suggests that something
besides caffeine is involved.

It gets complicated, though. Caffeine and some of the other
substances in coffee seem to have their good and bad sides.
Coffee's overall effect may depend on how much the positive and
negative effects balance out.

Here's a rundown of how coffee is thought to affect various
medical conditions:

• Alzheimer's disease: Some evidence suggests protection
against beta-amyloid plaque that may have a role in causing
Alzheimer's.

• Cancer: Studies suggest a lower risk for some tumors
(endometrial, aggressive prostate and estrogen-negative breast
cancers). Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory substances could be
responsible.

• Diabetes: Regular caffeine use is associated with lower risk,
and high intake (three to six cups a day) seems to have a
greater effect. Protection may come from factors that affect
insulin and blood sugar levels.

• Heart attack: Coffee drinking increases some factors
(homocysteine) associated with higher risk. But one to three
cups a day has been linked to a small decrease in risk.

• Liver disease: Coffee drinking is associated with lower
levels of enzymes that indicate liver damage and inflammation.

• Parkinson's disease: Studies show a 25% decrease in risk for
coffee drinkers. The effect is smaller in women.

• Stroke: Three to four cups a day is associated with lower
risk. But chance of a stroke may increase immediately after
intake, particularly among infrequent drinkers.

• Migraine headache: The caffeine in coffee helps ease migraine
headache in some people by narrowing the expanded blood vessels
in the brain that cause migraine pain.

Caffeine can also be a performance enhancer, strengthening
muscle contraction and offsetting effects of physical exertion.
But, especially in the short term, it also has negative
effects, which include raising blood pressure and increasing
levels of homocysteine, insulin and possibly cholesterol.

Coffee drinkers concerned about cholesterol weren't happy about
some early study results showing that coffee seemed to increase
cholesterol levels. But the bad news turns out to be not so
bad, because the cholesterol-raising effect seems to be limited
to unfiltered coffee.

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Harvard Medical School Adviser: If you enjoy coffee, go ahead and drink it

NIH grant targets obesity and disease

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EVMS scientists led by Jerry L. Nadler, MD, chair of internal medicine and director of the Strelitz Diabetes Center, have received a major NIH grant that may lead to a way to sever the strong link between obesity and the development of diabetes and heart disease.

 

The $1.8 million grant will span five years and will involve a multidisciplinary team of investigators.

 

"Dr. Nadler and his outstanding research team have discovered a new pathophysiological pathway to better understand the relationships between obesity and inflammation as they relate to the cardiovascular complications of diabetes," says Provost and Dean Richard V. Homan, MD. "His novel and innovative research work may lead to the development of new pharmaceutical drugs to reduce heart and blood vessel disease in obese patients and those suffering from diabetes. We at EVMS congratulate Dr. Nadler and his colleagues on this prestigious NIH research award."

 

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EmpowHER Media Expands Medical Advisory Board With Addition of Doctor Seibel

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SCOTTSDALE, AZ--(Marketwire -01/30/12)-
EmpowHER, an award-winning social health company for women,
today announces that Dr. Machelle Seibel will be joining the
company's Medical Advisory Board. A star among his
contemporaries, Dr. Seibel's expertise in menopause, weight and
stress management, sleep disorders and diabetes will help to
further strengthen EmpowHER's all-star panel of
industry-leading physicians.

Dr. Seibel served on the Harvard Medical School faculty for 19
years and is regarded as a pioneer in many areas of women's
health. He currently treats menopausal women with gynecologic
disorders interfering with mental health and/or sexual function
and creates award-winning educational content for women. In
addition, he works with companies and organizations to bring
entertaining educational health and wellness content to
consumers through his ground-breaking interactive product,
"HealthRock®."

"Dr. Seibel is an impressive and impassioned addition to
EmpowHER's Medical Advisory Board," says EmpowHER Media
Founder, Chairperson and CEO,
Michelle King Robson. "The combination of his vast
knowledge, out-of-the-box thinking and dedication to educating
others about their health and wellness will add another level
to our already-stellar panel of experts, and bring even more
value to the women who visit our site."

As a member of the Medical Advisory Board, Dr. Seibel will work
closely with EmpowHER's editorial leadership team to provide
clinical expertise for the company's award-winning and
industry-leading library of women's health and wellness content
-- categorizing over 700 women's health conditions and wellness
topics and 130,000 pieces of original video, article and
user-generated content. Dr. Seibel will join his fellow board
members in ensuring that the health and wellness content shared
with the over 250 million female health consumers who will
visit EmpowHER onsite and through syndication in 2012 is of the
highest quality.

Dr. Seibel's other achievements and accolades include:

Host for PBS and NYC TV episodes, frequent media expert

Repeatedly voted into Best Doctors in America

Past Editor-in-Chief of the medical journal Sexuality,
Reproduction & Menopause

Distinguished Alumnus Award, the University of Texas
Medical Branch's highest honor, 2008

Professor, University of Massachusetts Medical School
2004-present

Director, Complicated Menopause Program, University of
Massachusetts Medical School 2004-2011

Past Medical Director, Inverness Medical Innovations (now
Alere)

Author/editor 14 books and over 200 scientific articles

American Cancer Society New England Division Medical
Advisory Network

Advisory board of Dr. Mehmet Oz's HealthCorps initiative to
fight childhood obesity

"Joining the EmpowHER Medical Advisory Board is a unique and
wonderful opportunity," says Dr. Seibel. "The Company is
revolutionizing women's health and wellness by putting the
power back in women's hands through education and advocacy. I
look forward to joining my colleagues in helping to give women
a voice for their health and wellness."

Click here to view this release on EmpowHER.com and share
it with your social networks.

About EmpowHER Media
EmpowHER
Media is an award-winning, HON-certified,
social health company for women. The Company's flagship --
EmpowHER.com -- is the third most visited women's health and
wellness destination on the Web (comScore Media Metrix). As the
online home for female health consumers, EmpowHER.com offers a
unique value proposition of a peer health community and
premium, original women's health and wellness content. Health
care professionals, brands and agency professionals rely on
EmpowHER Media for reaching the most influential health and
wellness buyer on the Internet -- women. EmpowHER reached more
than 60 million women onsite and through syndication in 2011,
and expects to reach more than 250 million in 2012.

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Leadership Lives at Dartmouth: Jessica Linden Swienckowski, Medical Student – Video

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17-01-2012 10:36 What makes a great leader? How does leadership live in our own lives, and in our universities, businesses, organizations, and communities? Dartmouth Medical School student Jessica Linden Swienckowski discusses the advantages of Dartmouth's class size in building leaders and how her clinical research experience in neurosurgery gives her the confidence to "face challenges over the next two years that I've never imagined before."

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Leadership Lives at Dartmouth: Jessica Linden Swienckowski, Medical Student - Video