Register Now - Conquering the Crisis: Fighting Substance Misuse in Alabama

In collaboration with Alabama Public Health, the Auburn University Harrison School of Pharmacy is hosting a free continuing education program titled “Conquering the Crisis: Fighting Substance Misuse in Alabama.” The conference will take place 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 19 at the Renaissance Battle House in Mobile, Ala.

The inter-professional program will advance attendees’ abilities to combat misuse and abuse of prescription and illicit drugs in Alabama.  The conference will provide attendees an improved understanding of the problem, enhanced use of existing tools and resources for community involvement, greater appreciation of others’ roles in combating the problem, and focused inter-professional communication about the problem.

The activity has been approved for a maximum of 7.25 ACPE approved hours with 2.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s) towards the ABME controlled substance requirement.

Registration ends July 15 at 6 p.m. To register for the conference or for more information, click here.

For any questions, contact Christina Clark at cmclark@health.southalabama.edu or Dr. Natalie Fox at nsfox@health.southalabama.edu.

Class of 2020 Cloaked With White Coats at Annual Ceremony

The University of South Alabama College of Medicine held its annual White Coat Ceremony for the class of 2020 on Saturday, June 16, 2018. During the ceremony, rising third-year medical students were cloaked with white coats, the traditional dress of physicians for more than 100 years.

"The timing of receiving our white coasts really helps you reflect on how far you have come as a student; and wearing the coat every day will remind me that I've accomplished a lot, but there's also much still to learn," said third-year medical student Malik McMullin. "The thing I'm looking forward to most in the clinical years is interacting with patients. For the first time in our medical education, we will actually be doing on a day-to-day basis what we want to do for the rest of our lives."

During the ceremony, 69 students in unison took the Medical Student Oath, a promise to uphold the human aspects of medicine, such as sensitivity, compassion and respect for patients. Dr. John V. Marymont, vice president for medical affairs and dean of the USA College of Medicine, delivered the keynote address.

"The chance to don the white coat signifies the responsibility we have to provide both comprehensive and compassionate care to our patients as well as a lifelong commitment to learning. The ceremony was special as we were surrounded by those who have loved and supported us along our journey to one day becoming a physician," said third-year medical student Patrick Young. "During the ceremony, Dr. Marymont challenged us to consider the symbolism of the white coat and to wear it with the honor and humility it deserves."

Check out more photos from the 2018 White Coat Ceremony on Flickr.

Also during the ceremony, 10 rising fourth-year medical students, three residents and one College of Medicine faculty member were inducted into the USA Chapter of the Arnold P. Gold Humanism in Medicine Honor Society (GHHS) – a national society that celebrates compassionate, patient-centered care. Read more about the new GHHS members.

Select students from the class of 2019, residents and faculty were inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society at the ceremony.

USA Health Hosts Appreciation Social for Providers

USA Health hosted a social event on June 14 as a way of saying "thank you" to all of its providers. One hundred fifty people attended the Low-Country Boil at Bluegill Restaurant.

"We hope this becomes an annual event as a way to reconnect with everyone outside of the office and hospital setting," said Ashton Hennig, manager of outreach and special projects for USA Health.

Check out more photos from the event on Flickr.

USA College of Medicine Welcomes Back Dr. Antonio Pacheco

Dr. Antonio Pacheco recently was appointed assistant professor of emergency medicine at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine. Dr. Pacheco is also an emergency room physician at USA Medical Center and USA Children’s & Women’s Hospital.

Dr. Pacheco received his medical degree from the University of East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City, Philippines. He completed his residency at the University of Tennessee in Memphis.

During his career, Dr. Pacheco has received multiple awards including the Honored Faculty award with USA College of Medicine. He also received Resident of the Year Award and Chief Resident Award from the University of Tennessee.

USA Welcomes New Physician-Scientist

Dr. Ji Young Lee recently was appointed assistant professor of physiology and cell biology at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine. She also serves as assistant professor of internal medicine at the USA College of Medicine and as a pulmonary and critical care physician with USA Health.

Dr. Lee earned her medical degree from Pusan National University in Pusan, South Korea. After completing an internship at Daedong Hospital in Pusan, South Korea, she moved to New York and finished her residency at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center in Bronx, N.Y. Dr. Lee received her Ph.D. in molecular medicine from Elmezzi Graduate School of Molecular Medicine in Manhasset, N.Y.

She then completed her fellowship training in pulmonary and critical care medicine and completed her postdoctoral research in lung biology at USA, where she focused her research on investigating fundamental mechanisms of pulmonary endothelial cell heterogeneity.

“Being a physician-scientist motivates me to look for potential research questions at the bedside and guides me to refine my bench research for efficient translation back to bedside,” Dr. Lee said.

Dr. Lee currently is doing translational research on the effect of acidosis on pulmonary endothelial cells in the context of pathologic conditions, such as infection and hypoxia. She looks forward to facilitating collaborative research between scientific and clinical departments, and to passing down the great teaching and support from her mentors at USA to students.