USA Medical Students Find Fun Ways to Balance Academic Life

Fourth-year USA medical students, from left: Dheepa Sekar, Brandon Finnorn and Bryn Culpepper

Medical school is an incredibly challenging time for an aspiring doctor; there is competition, rigorous academics and a constant pressure to keep up with the work load. Medical students find different ways to address the stress that comes with medical school. Three fourth-year students from the University of South Alabama College of Medicine are doing just that.

Bryn Culpepper of Mobile, Ala., practices Taekwondo in her spare time. She has been practicing Taekwondo for 17 years and is a fourth-degree black belt. Culpepper is also a certified instructor and attends classes at United States Taekwondo, located in Daphne, Ala., as much as she can. Culpepper said she enjoys the camaraderie that Taekwondo provides. “Working out among peers definitely helps me to de-stress,” she said.

“Being a black belt and certified instructor, I’ve had to do a lot of teamwork,” Culpepper added. “Taekwondo requires discipline and willpower and has taught me to persevere when things get hard.” She feels that these skills acquired from Taekwondo will be useful in her future career.

Taekwondo has helped Culpepper cope with the stress of becoming a doctor as well as develop character-building skills that will be beneficial for her during the years to come.

Dheepa Sekar, another fourth-year USA medical student, has been a traditional Indian dancer for 22 years. “This form of dance is to Indian culture what ballet is to Western culture,” Sekar explained. “When I was growing up, everyone was taking ballet and jazz lessons, and I just decided I want to do this instead!”

Sekar grew up taking Indian dance lessons and now practices at home during her spare time. “It’s very rooted in ancient Indian culture. Growing up, it was a way for me to learn about my heritage,” Sekar said. She also explained that each dance tells its own story, which adds an emotional aspect to the traditional art form.

Sekar uses dance to help balance the stress that comes with her academic life. “It’s a good grounding source,” Sekar said.

Fourth-year medical student Brandon Finnorn began fishing with his dad when he was just two years old. Now 25, he has been fishing for 23 years and competes in sportsman fishing tournaments. Finnorn enjoys being out on the water and escaping from the rush of everyday life. “I like being outside, and it’s good family time for us as well,” Finnorn said. “We never know what we’re going to catch or what will happen. We always come back with some kind of story. It’s good to get your mind off medicine for a little while.”

USA Welcomes Dr. Suneet Dullet

Dr. Suneet Dullet recently was appointed assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine and will serve as an internist with USA Physicians Group.

Dr. Dullet earned her medical degree from Baba Farid University of Health Sciences in India. She completed her internship and residency in internal medicine at Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center in Los Angeles.

She is a member of the American Medical Association, the Society of General Internal Medicine and the American College of Physicians.

Dr. Dullet is now accepting patients at the Mastin Specialty Clinic. To make an appointment, call (251) 470-5890.

Mark Your Calendar: GO Run for Women's Cancer Research

The 8th Annual GO Run 5K/Fun Run presented by the Catranis Family Charitable Foundation is set for Saturday, Sept. 19, at the University of South Alabama. Proceeds from the event will benefit gynecologic cancer research at the USA Mitchell Cancer Institute in Mobile.

The 5K run begins at 8 a.m. at the Moulton Bell Tower and Alumni Plaza, located near the USA Mitchell Center on the university campus, with a Fun Run following at 9 a.m. The event includes prizes, music, vendor booths, food and children’s activities. Teams are encouraged to compete for awards in a variety of categories, including Most Spirited, Best Dressed and more. Individual awards will be presented in all age categories.

The GO Run is held each September during Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month, which draws attention to cancers of the female reproductive system. MCI is the lead site in the development of a new gynecologic cancer screening tool that targets endometrial and ovarian cancer. It is estimated that more than 98,000 women nationwide will be diagnosed with a gynecologic cancer in 2015, according to the American Cancer Society.

Participants may register at www.usamci.com/gorun or in person at McCoy Outdoor and Run-N-Tri in Mobile, or Running Wild in Fairhope. The cost for participants is $25 for adults, $10 for youth ages 10 and under, and $20 for “runner in spirit.”

USA Mourns Loss of Dr. Allan Green

Dr. Allan E. Green Jr., professor emeritus of radiology at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine, passed away on Sept. 3, 2015. He was 84.

Prior to joining USA in 1987 as professor of radiology, Dr. Green served in private practice in Louisiana for close to 20 years. From 1957 to 1965, he was chief of radiation therapy and nuclear medicine at Wilford Hall USAF Hospital at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. He also previously served as associate professor of radiology and director of radiotherapy and nuclear medicine at City of Memphis Hospitals and the University of Tennessee College of Medicine. He was promoted to clinical professor of radiology at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine in 1967.

Dr. Green earned his medical degree from Louisiana State University in New Orleans. Following medical school, he completed an internship at Charity Hospital of Louisiana in New Orleans and a radiology residency at Wilford Hall USAF Hospital at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. He then went on to conduct a fellowship in radiotherapy at University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Hospital & Tumor Institute in Houston.

In addition to serving as professor of radiology at USA, Dr. Green also served as director of mammography and adjunct associate professor of physician assistant studies.

Dr. Green had a distinguished academic career at USA. He was a pioneer in breast imaging in the Southeast region. He instituted the policy to report mammography findings to patients on the same day as their breast exam. He taught numerous residents during his career, many of whom are practicing radiology throughout the region.

Dr. Green was a member of multiple professional organizations, including the Southern Medical Association, Radiological Society of North America, Society of Nuclear Medicine, American Society of Therapeutic Radiology, American College of Radiology, and the American Board of Radiology. He served in multiple offices within the Southern Radiological Society, including past president and past treasurer. In addition, he served as president of the Louisiana State Medical Society and president of the Louisiana State Radiological Society.

Dr. Green is survived by his wife, Hertha Green; children Allan Eli III (Mary Beth) Green, Ann Louise (James) Jopling, Warren John (Cynthia Ann) Green, Douglas Edward (Annette Christine Duggen) Green; stepdaughter Lurleen Fuller; sister-in-law Martha Ann Green; 19 grandchildren, three great grandchildren and two nieces.

A memorial service will be held for Dr. Green on Friday, Sept. 11, 2015, at 11 a.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Mobile, with family and friends visitation at 10 a.m. A reception will follow the service at the Country Club of Mobile.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Animal Rescue Foundation, 6140 Rangeline Road, Theodore, Ala., 36582.