February Med School Café - 'Understanding A Woman’s Heart'

The February Med School Café lecture will feature Dr. Christopher Malozzi, assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine and a cardiologist with USA Physicians Group.

His lecture, titled “Understanding a Woman's Heart,” will be held on Feb. 23, 2018, at the USA Strada Patient Care Center Conference Room on the first floor. Lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m., and the presentation begins at noon.

Dr. Malozzi will lecture on women’s heart issues. He will also discuss the importance of maintaining health and preventing heart disease.

Dr. Malozzi earned his medical degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Philadelphia. He completed his residency training in internal medicine and a fellowship in cardiovascular disease at USA. Dr. Malozzi is a member of the American Board of Internal Medicine.

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.

Med School Café is a free community lecture series sponsored by USA Physicians Group. Each month, faculty from the USA College of Medicine share their expertise on a specific medical condition, providing insight on the latest treatment available.

The USA Strada Patient Care Center is located at 1601 Center St. in Mobile.

‘Stay Tuned’

Lanette Flagge’s desire has always been to be a positive influence in all aspects of students’ lives – academically, professionally and personally.

Over the years, she has achieved success in that respect, as some students have expressed their thanks through an acknowledgment in their dissertation, through an unexpected gift, or specific words of thanks.

“My husband has always said, ‘the students appreciate you because you appreciate them,’” Flagge said.

Flagge is retiring from the University of South Alabama after 41 years of service – 24 of which were at the USA College of Medicine where she served as an academic advisor for the basic medical sciences graduate program.

Before her time at the College of Medicine, Flagge worked as a secretary in the department of housing and a credentials and degree analyst in the registrar’s office – both of which involved working with students.  The position at the College of Medicine gave her the opportunity to work individually with students and establish a relationship with each one over the five years that they were in the program.

Flagge has been the first point of contact for each student interested in the basic medical sciences graduate program. “Once they’re here, I serve as the overall academic advisor for those students for all aspects – I’m there to set up their schedules, make sure they are enrolled in the correct classes and see that they have successfully met the benchmarks to graduate."

“I will miss working with the students the most,” she said. “I’ve tried to make a positive difference in their life to ensure that they have had a good path in terms of completing their requirements. It’s a good feeling to know that I helped in whatever ways to help them achieve their goal.”

Flagge also is appreciative of the relationships she has made with colleagues.

Some of her fondest memories relate to the laughter ringing out across the hallways or over the phone during conversations with colleagues. Sometimes, the laughter has erupted over the most unexpected comments, expressions, or events.

A single memory relates to the start of each day of work. “For years, a dear friend and I would arrive on campus in the parking lot behind the Medical Sciences Building at the same time each morning,” Flagge said. “As we exited our cars and gathered our belongings, she would shout across the distance between our cars, ‘Hey there, young lady. We're ready for another day.’”

“Though she has been gone for seven years, I can still hear the inflection of her voice, emphasizing ‘young lady’ and that happy ‘ready for another day,’” Flagge said.

While Flagge’s appreciation is extended to a large population on campus, her truest and most sincere appreciation goes to her husband and children for their support of her work with USA students, staff, and faculty. “We all have been blessed by many lasting friendships formed during my time at South Alabama,” she said.

Flagge is ready to begin another chapter in her life. She said she looks forward to spending more time with family, finishing a few projects and traveling.

“My key expression has always been ‘stay tuned,’” she said, chuckling. “If I didn’t know the answer to something right away, that was my response and I always got back to the person.”

Now, as she leaves her USA family, she says “thanks for the memories” and adds her personal signature line, “stay tuned.”

“When I walk out that door, it won’t be the last time by any means,” she said. “That’s what I do – I’m always staying tuned.”

A retirement reception will be held in Flagge’s honor on Feb. 16, 2018, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the USA Faculty Club. We hope you will be able to attend as we celebrate Flagge’s career and offer her best wishes for the future.

Pediatrics Hosting Grand Rounds Feb. 16

Dallas Rabig, state coordinator for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health, will present “Help Me Grow and Other State Initiatives” for February’s pediatric grand rounds.

The event will take place Friday, Feb. 16, at 8 a.m. in the conference room on the first floor of the Strada Patient Care Center.

Rabig will discuss infant and early childhood networks in Alabama and identify infant and early childhood mental health professional development resources.

The event is open to faculty, staff and students at USA. A light breakfast, coffee and beverages will be provided. For additional information, contact Katie Catlin at kncatlin@health.southalabama.edu.

The Strada Patient Care Center is located at 1601 Center St. in Mobile.

Two Medical Students Match Early in Competitive Residency Programs

University of South Alabama College of Medicine students Stephen Ambrose (right) and Winston Crute recently found out they matched in early match programs – Ambrose in ophthalmology and Crute in urology.

University of South Alabama College of Medicine students Stephen Ambrose and Winston Crute recently found out they matched in early match programs – Ambrose in ophthalmology and Crute in urology.

The majority of medical students go through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) to find out where they will be doing their residency training following graduation, but students who wish to match in ophthalmology and urology participate in a separate specialty match program that takes places months before Match Day on March 16.

According to Dr. Susan LeDoux, associate dean of medical education and student affairs, both ophthalmology and urology are extremely competitive residency programs.

In 2018, there were 689 applicants for the ophthalmology match for only 434 spots. In urology, there were 436 applicants for 314 spots. “We are extremely proud of these two students and their matches into these residency programs,” Dr. LeDoux said. “It is always rewarding when we have the opportunity to witness students fulfilling their dreams.”

Ambrose matched in ophthalmology at the University of Kansas in Kansas City.

Growing up, Ambrose always had an interest in science and medicine. His favorite TV show was Bill Nye the Science Guy, and his grandfather practiced as an ophthalmologist in Florence, Ala., for approximately 30 years.

Seeing the joy and fulfillment his grandfather received from his career ultimately helped Ambrose choose his path in life. “Having that exposure at an early age helped me understand what ophthalmology was,” he said.

During his time at the USA College of Medicine, Ambrose was able to shadow and participate in away rotations to help him make his decision. “The thing I enjoy most about ophthalmology is the relationship with the patients,” he said. “To me, it’s a different relationship because you’re dealing with someone’s eyesight. Vision is such a precious gift we have that we take for granted every day.”

“I had patients tell me, ‘you can take anything else, but don't take my vision,’” he added. “Being able to play a role in taking care of something so important to individuals is very humbling.”

Ambrose said his experiences at USA will help guide him through his residency. “At South we are given a lot of hands on opportunities that allow us to be prepared to hit the ground running when we start residency,” he said. “We are given opportunities to grow and develop as leaders, and we are surrounded by great mentors we can emulate.”

Crute matched in urology at the University of Tennessee Medical System in Knoxville, Tenn.

It wasn’t until his early college career that Crute became interested in medical school; his best friend was involved in an accident that required prolonged medical care. “It was my first experience with being on the other side of a serious medical situation,” he said, “and I admired many of the doctors that provided him with care."

He later became interested in urology because it was a specialty in which he could not only diagnose and fix a problem, but also intervene surgically. “You get to take care of patients long term and establish relationships with them even after their surgery,” he said. “You also can treat a variety of diseases – from something as serious as cancer to something as benign as kidney stones.”

When Crute was choosing which medical school to attend, he was drawn to USA’s small, close-knit community. Urology is similar – it’s a close-knit specialty with small residency classes.

According to Crute, USA provided him a positive atmosphere where he could learn to build solid relationships with colleagues. “They forced me to work hard,” he said. “Residency will be tough, but I know that my hard work at USA will have prepared me for the next step.”

Crute said he is ready to begin his residency and focus on the type of medicine he is most passionate about. “I cannot wait to learn and begin to have more responsibility over my patients. It is exciting to get one step closer to being an independent physician.”

Locally, the University of South Alabama’s Match Day will be held at 10:30 a.m. CST on March 16, 2018, in the Upper Concourse Grand Ballroom at the Mobile Convention Center at 1 South Water Street in Mobile, Ala. The envelopes containing Match results will be handed out to the students shortly before 11 a.m. followed by the students’ individual announcement of the location of their residency.

Match Day will be streamed live online, and updates from the event will be posted on the USA College of Medicine's Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts. Be sure to check them after the event for our full wrap-up coverage, including details about all of the matches and full photo galleries from the day.