Med School Café - Expert Advice for the Community

This week, Dr. Gregory W. Rutecki, professor of internal medicine and nephrologist at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine, presented the June Med School Café lecture, "The Gift of Life: Reasons to Give If You are Asked." The lecture had a total of 61 attendees.

At the lecture, Karen Braswell, secretary in student affairs at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine, shared her story about her son's organ donations and the significant impact he has had on the lives of others.

To read an article about her son's donations published in the May 8th Press-Register, click here.

If you are interested in attending next month's lecture, email kebarnes@usouthal.edu for details.

USA College of Medicine Welcomes Dr. Steve M. Cordina

Dr. Steve M. Cordina was recently appointed assistant professor of neurology at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine. He will serve as an interventional neurologist with special interest in stroke, and will be medical director for the USA Stroke Center.

Prior to his appointment to USA, Dr. Cordina was the senior interventional neurology fellow in the department of neurology at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minn., where he completed his endovascular surgical neuroradiology fellowship.

Dr. Cordina earned his medical degree from the University of Malta in Msida, Malta. He completed his residency training in neurology at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey Department of Neurology and Neurosciences in Newark, N.J. This was followed by a vascular neurology fellowship at the University of Minnesota.

Dr. Cordina was awarded the UMDNJ Best Research by a Neurology Resident Student in 2007 and the UMDNJ Neurology Resident of the Year Award in 2008. He has multiple publications and research projects related to the field of vascular neurology.

He is a diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and a member of the Neurocritical Care Society and Medical Association of Malta.

Dr. Cordina is board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. He is the first interventional neurologist to be based in the Mobile region. His area of expertise includes clot retrieval and stent placement in patients suffering from stroke, as well as aneurysm and brain vascular malformation treatment. He speaks fluent English, Spanish and Italian.

Dr. Cordina is accepting new patients. For appointments, call (251) 660-5108.

USA Medical Alumni Association Hosts Annual Alumni Weekend

Members of the Class of 1976 reminiscing with their yearbook.

Dr. Samuel J. Strada (right), dean of the USA College of Medicine, received the 2011 Distinguished Service Award at the alumni event. He is shown above with his family.

Recently, the University of South Alabama Medical Alumni Association held its 30th annual alumni weekend event at the Perdido Beach Resort in Orange Beach, Ala.

Members were treated to lectures on current medical topics throughout the weekend. Speakers from USA included Dr. Sidney Brevard, associate professor of surgery; Dr. William Broughton, professor of internal medicine; Dr. Clara Massey, professor of internal medicine; and Dr. Terry Rivers, assistant professor of emergency medicine. Some topics discussed were military medicine in response to terrorism, central sleep apnea, and cardiovascular disease.

"The event provided a wealth of continuing medical education opportunities," said Dr. Amy Morris (’93), current president of the USA Medical Alumni Association. "Timely lectures were presented by both faculty and alumni. The reunion also served as an opportunity to catch up with classmates and other alumni from medical school."

"This year we had 93 alumni that attended the reunion," said Melodie Robinson, assistant director of alumni affairs for the USA College of Medicine. "It was a great joy to see the camaraderie between former classmates and witness the re-establishing of relationships with one another. Some alumni reunite at the reunion and others interact throughout the year like the 1981 class."

Dr. Morris said the active members of the alumni association contribute to scholarships and specific projects that enhance medical education for students.

"Members of the association support students through scholarship and by enriching educational opportunities at the medical school by mentoring our current students," Robinson said. "The alumni project for this summer is to refurbish the student study and lounge in the Medical Sciences Building on campus."

USA College of Medicine Welcomes Dr. Christopher Paul Eckstein

Dr. Christopher Paul Eckstein was recently appointed assistant professor of neurology at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine. He will serve as a neurologist with a special interest in multiple sclerosis and neurosarcoidosis.

Prior to his appointment to USA, Dr. Eckstein completed a clinical fellowship at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in the division of neuroimmunology and infectious disease.

Dr. Eckstein earned his bachelor’s degree in Spanish with cum laude and university honors from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Ala., and his medical degree from the University of Alabama School of Medicine also in Birmingham.

Dr. Eckstein completed his neurology residency training at UAB and served as chief resident in neurology from 2008-2009.

He has received numerous honors, including Sylvia Lawry Physician Fellowship from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and the Samuel Clements Little Award from the University of Alabama School of Medicine.

Dr. Eckstein is board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. In addition, he holds membership in the American Academy of Neurology and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. He speaks both fluent English and Spanish.

Dr. Eckstein is accepting new patients. For appointments, call (251) 660-5108.