Students take part in Summer Research Day

Third-year medical student Saad Awan discusses his poster at Summer Research Day.

The USA College of Medicine hosted its 48th annual Summer Research Day on July 23, with oral presentations through Zoom and poster presentations in the Medical Sciences Building.

The event featured Errol Crook, M.D., director of the Center for Healthy Communities and professor and Abraham Mitchell Chair of internal medicine, who presented the lecture “From Bench to Bedside to Community: The Path(s) for Medical Research to Effectively Address Health Disparities.”

There were eight oral presentations, 44 medical student presenters, and nine graduate and undergraduate research students who participated. 

Presentations covered a multitude of topics. Arcole Brandon, a second-year medical student, presented research on side effects after COVID-19 vaccination in USA students and employees; while Cade Smelley, a first-year medical student, presented research titled, “Analyzing Conformation-Sensitive Anti-P53 Antibodies in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.”

The USA Summer Research Program is a 10-week program that allows medical students to develop an appreciation of how research is needed to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Accepted entering students or rising second-year students in the USA College of Medicine are eligible to participate. The summer experience includes hands-on research related to basic science and/or clinical medicine, a seminar program that focuses on various scientific and clinical topics, and student presentations.

Welcome to medical school, Class of 2025

On her third day of orientation, Alicia Dent of Huntsville took a break from chatting with other first-year medical students at a social and explained why she chose the USA College of Medicine.

“I did a lot of research,” said Dent, who graduated from Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan, in 2020. “I knew I wanted to go to a school with a small class size. South exceeded my expectations.”

After taking a gap year, during which she worked as a medical scribe, Dent said she looks forward to the activities planned for House Mobile, the wellness house to which she was assigned by Zoom on Monday. “It sounds really fun,” she said.

Dent is one of 76 students attending orientation this week in preparation for their first year of medical school at the USA College of Medicine. In addition to attending orientation talks, the Class of 2025 toured the campus, posed for photos, learned about unconscious bias and enjoyed icebreaker sessions. This year, women make up 59 percent of the freshman class.

“USA has done a good job helping us get to know each other,” said Caroline Massey of Scottsboro, Ala. She said she connected with her fellow students through GroupMe texts and a Facebook group.

Like Dent, Massey took a gap year last year. “I shadowed, volunteered and, most importantly, I rested,” she said.

On Wednesday, the students attended a Club Fair to learn more about interest groups and other organizations they can join. Danner Butler of Mobile visited the surgery interest group table, where he practiced tying knots using rubber bands and a thin rope. “It’s a little intimidating,” said Butler, who has an interest in neurosurgery.

Butler left Mobile to attend Washington and Lee University but chose to come back home for medical school. “I look forward to learning and creating a new community of friends and classmates who can support each other through this,” he said.

Orientation draws to a close Thursday, July 29, with sessions on employee health and grading, followed by basic life support training.

View more photos from orientation on Flickr. 

Video online: 'Artificial Intelligence and Women’s Heart Disease'

Amod Amritphale, M.D., an interventional cardiologist with USA Health and assistant professor of internal medicine at the USA College of Medicine, presented “Artificial Intelligence and Women’s Heart Disease” at a recent Med School Café.

View the presentation on YouTube or below. 

Faculty Spotlight: Randall Harrison Trammell, D.O.

Randall Harrison Trammell, D.O.

Academic title: Clinical director of the Stanton Road Clinic; assistant professor of internal medicine 

Joined the USA College of Medicine faculty: I did a chief year after graduating from the Internal Medicine Residency Program here at South and was offered a position to be the clinical director of Stanton Road Clinic this past year. 

What does your position in the USA COM/USA Health entail?
In addition to having my own personal clinic at the Mastin Patient Care Center, I work together with some amazing people to improve quality measures and optimize clinic workflow for our outpatient medicine services. Most days of the week, I also serve as an outpatient attending and assist residents with the care of their patients. 

What is your favorite or most rewarding part of your position?
There are too many to count! I would say most of all, I enjoy seeing residents progress throughout their time in this program. Just watching the evolution of a resident from the time they begin up until the day of their graduation and knowing that you played a part in that transition is extremely rewarding. The same can be said for patient care. I love meeting new people, learning their stories and partnering with them to help them lead a healthier, more enjoyable life. 

What research or other initiatives are you involved in?
Late in my chief year I began working with an amazing group of people as one of the Internal Medicine representatives to help with the Primary Care Pathway Program within the USA COM. This has been a rewarding experience and I continue to learn a great deal from all involved. Dr. Brian Persing is also leading a group of physicians on a Tobacco Cessation Initiative that I hope to be a part of in the near future. I've also been fortunate to work alongside Allison Helmer, Pharm.D., for the past few months to incorporate continuous glucose monitoring into Stanton Road and we are excited to have our first few patients scheduled for their appointments in August! 

What is your advice for medical students?
MSl-MS2 years: Take some time or even meet with an advisor to determine how you learn best. Most students cannot read and remember the insane amounts of information needed, and there are many tools to help determine how you learn most effectively. In general, finding an active learning strategy tends to help the information stick so you can recall it when you need it. 

MS3-MS4 years: Try to fully understand the pros and cons of each field (specialty/subspecialty) you rotate through. Ask your preceptor what they like/dislike about their chosen field. Are there any changes they expect in their field of practice in the upcoming years? These are important questions to understand before you make your final decision. Enjoy your time on each rotation as you will likely never get to do some of those things ever again. TRAVEL before starting intern year. Planning a big trip gets much harder once you've started residency. 

What are your hobbies/interests outside of work?
If you've met me, you've probably seen pictures of my Boston terriers. You can usually find me at HopHounds playing fetch with them. Otherwise, I enjoy playing/fixing guitars, woodworking and kayaking. 

Alumnus named governor of Mississippi Chapter of the American College of Physicians

Otis Gowdy Jr., M.D., M.B.A., FACP, a 1999 graduate of the University of South Alabama College of Medicine, has been named governor of the Mississippi Chapter of the American College of Physicians (ACP), a national organization of internal medicine physicians.

Gowdy, a nephrologist, runs his own private practice affiliated with the Internal Medicine Clinic of Meridian, Miss. 

After earning his medical degree from USA, Gowdy completed residency training in internal medicine, followed by a fellowship in nephrology, at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. He received a Master of Business Administration from Auburn University. He is board-certified in internal medicine/nephrology by the American Board of Internal Medicine. 

Gowdy became a Fellow of the American College of Physicians (FACP) in 2017. Fellowship is an honorary designation that recognizes ongoing individual services and contributions to the practice of medicine. Gowdy previously served as the chair of his chapter development committee in 2018 and 2019. 

He serves on the board of the Mississippi Kidney Foundation and is associated with the Mississippi Nephrology Task Force.

The American College of Physicians is the largest medical specialty organization and the second-largest physician group in the United States. Governors are elected by local ACP members and serve four-year terms. Working with a local council, they supervise ACP chapter activities, appoint members to local committees, and preside at regional meetings.