Medical Students to Receive White Coats June 23

2011 White Coat Ceremony

The University of South Alabama College of Medicine will hold its annual White Coat Ceremony at the USA Mitchell Center on June 23, 2012, at 10 a.m. During the ceremony, rising third-year medical students will be cloaked with their first white coats, the traditional dress of physicians for more than 100 years.

Dr. Johnson Haynes, professor of internal medicine at the USA College of Medicine, will be the keynote speaker.

"The White Coat Ceremony marks the beginning of medical students' submergence in the clinical phase of their undergraduate medical education," Dr. Haynes said. "The next two years of their training will be vested in establishing a foundation rooted in clinical competence, the development of proficient communication skills, and the further understanding of the ethical and legal aspects of the practice of medicine."

The ceremony marks a significant milestone for these students - the point where they will begin their clinical rotations and start interacting with patients.

For students, the White Coat ceremony serves as a reminder of the importance and responsibility they take by dedicating themselves to the care of patients. During the ceremony, the students in unison will take the Medical Student Oath, a promise to uphold the human aspects of medicine, such as sensitivity, compassion and respect for patients.

Each year, the USA Medical Alumni Association sponsors this event.

Neurology Department to Host Grand Rounds

The University of South Alabama Department of Neurology is hosting Grand Rounds on June 26, 2012, at 8 a.m. at the USA Medical Center's second floor conference room.

Dr. Daniel Dees, who will be joining the USA neurology department as an assistant professor on July 1, 2012, will present "Update on Parkinson's Disease."

Dr. Dees earned his medical degree from the USA College of Medicine in 2007. He conducted his internship in internal medicine at USA and conducted his residency in neurology at USA. From 2010-2011, Dr. Dees served as chief resident of neurology at USA.

Dr. Dees is completing a one-year fellowship in movement disorders at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, Ga.

Dr. Dees is currently a member of the American Academy of Neurology, the Southern Pediatric Neurology Society, and the American Society of Neuroimaging.

All physicians and hospital staff are invited to attend the lecture. For more information, contact Nicole Laden at (251) 445-8262.

Mark Your Calendars: Blood Drive

The University of South Alabama and LifeSouth Community Blood Centers is hosting a blood drive on Tuesday, June 26, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Lafayette lobby of the USA Springhill Avenue campus.

Free hot dogs and T-shirts will be available.

For more information, call Cheryl Stricker at 434-3631.

RSVP Today - June Med School Café

The June Med School Café lecture will feature Dr. Frederick N. Meyer, professor and chair of orthopaedics at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine.

His lecture, titled “Nonsurgical Treatment for Dupuytren’s Contracture,’” will take place June 25, 2012, at the Via! Health, Fitness & Enrichment Center in Mobile. Lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m., and the presentation begins at noon.

Dr. Meyer will lecture on Dupuytren’s disease, a relatively common syndrome that causes the tissues under the skin on the palm of the hand to thicken and shorten so that the fingers cannot straighten.

The Med School Café lecture and lunch are provided free of charge, but reservations are required. For more information or to make reservations, please call Kim Partridge at (251) 460-7770 or e-mail kepartridge@usouthal.edu.

To learn more about the June lecture, click here. To view past lectures, visit http://www.usahealthsystem.com/med-school-cafe.

Dr. Bassam Appointed Supervisor of ABEM Oral Board Examination

Dr. Bassam A. Bassam, director of the neuromuscular program and professor of neurology at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine, recently served as the oral examination supervisor of the American Board of Electrodiagnostic Medicine (ABEM) oral board examination in Chicago.

Dr. Bassam was appointed the oral examination supervisor by the American Association of Electrodiagnostic and Neuromuscular Medicine (AANEM) to monitor and overlook the oral examiners’ performance and to provide supervision as needed.

In addition, Dr. Bassam is also serving as a member of ABEM’s national committee, consisting of selected members with established academic track in the field of electrodiagnostic medicine and neuromuscular disease. In February, the committee met in Hershey, Penn., to prepare the written and oral board examination. Dr. Bassam has been a member of the examination committee for the past three years.

The ABEM is the highest professional organization of neuromuscular and diagnostic medicine in the United States. It oversees a certification process that requires physicians to obtain specific training and then demonstrate competency in the electrodiagnostic evaluation of disorders of the neuromuscular system by passing a comprehensive examination.

Dr. Bassam was appointed to the committee and as an oral examination supervisor because of his lengthy academic tract in the field of neuromuscular and electrodiagnostic medicine and his many years of involvement and leadership with the AANEM.

Dr. Bassam has been with USA since 1985. He completed his training at Wayne State University in Detroit and the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., in neuromuscular disease and electromyography.

Dr. Bassam is board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology as well as the American Board of Neuromuscular Disease and Electrodiagnostic Medicine.