What are you thankful for? Send us your stories!

When you reflect on your time at the Whiddon College of Medicine, what people and experiences made the greatest impact? If you were to write a thank-you note to the College of Medicine, what would you say? Now is your chance to put those thoughts into words.

Alumni, medical and graduate students, faculty, staff and retirees, we want to hear from you! Send us your stories of gratitude to be featured in Med School Watercooler’s “Thankful” feature next month. 

Please email your stories and photos to Meg Laubinger at mlaubinger@southalabama.edu.

Donations begin for Operation Christmas Child

Jessica Moore and Rachel Emig exhibit

last year's donations.

The Christian Medical Ministry of South Alabama (CMMSA) is bringing back Operation Christmas Child (OCC) for its second year. Third-year medical students Jessica Moore and Rachel Emig are collecting donations until Nov. 14.

OCC, a project of Samaritan's Purse, delivers shoeboxes packed with toys and simple gifts for children in need across the world.

For its inaugural year in 2021, CMMSA sent 60 boxes to the Philippines, Burkina Faso and the Republic of Congo.

“We would like to invite all faculty and students to participate this year,” Emig said. “It is a very rewarding and fulfilling project.”

There are three ways to help:

1. Pack your own box. Boxes can be picked up at the Office of Student Affairs in the Medical Sciences Building, Mastin Professional Building, or USA Health Children’s & Women’s Hospital pediatric student office. Here are some suggestions for what to pack.
2. Donate a monetary gift through venmo: @jmariem24 or @RachelEmig
3. Purchase from the Amazon wishlist.

For more information, email Jessica Moore at jmm2022@jagmail.southalabama.edu or Rachel Emig at ree2021@jagmail.southalabama.edu.

Register Now: Sixth Annual Conference on Ethics and Opioids

The USA Office of Continuing Medical Education will host the sixth annual Conference on Ethics and Opioids. The conference is set for 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 11, at the Office of CME Conference Center, located at 650 Clinic Drive in suite 1100.

This event provides the opportunity to learn from two nationally recognized experts in their fields while enjoying networking opportunities with physicians, licensed professional counselors, nurses, marriage and family therapists, counselors, social workers, physician assistants, mental health professionals, occupational therapists and others on the healthcare team.

VandeWaa

Elizabeth A. VandeWaa, Ph.D., professor of adult health nursing at the University of South Alabama College of Nursing, will present “Opioids and Addiction in Alabama.” VandeWaa, who is also a pharmacologist, has taught advanced-practice nurses for more than 25 years. She earned her Ph.D. from Michigan State University. Her research interests include the effects of drug abuse on various patient populations, opioid addiction, and nurse perceptions of patient drug abuse. She has also studied the drug marketing process and the introduction of new drugs to the market as well as their use in clinical practice, and how teamwork and emotional intelligence can improve patient outcomes. 

Johnson

Mita M. Johnson, Ed.D., will present “Ethics in Practice.” She has been practicing in the world of mental health, marriage and family, and addiction counseling for the past 30 years. She earned her doctorate in counselor education and supervision and is a core faculty member in the Walden University's School of Counseling. Her areas of specialization include pharmacology, co-occurring disorders, ethics, culturally responsive care, and clinical supervision. She has been an active member of NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals, for over 15 years and has served as the organization's president and ethics chair.

The registration fee is $75 until Nov. 1. Register online at CME Tracker, or call 251-414-8080 or email cme@southalabama.edu.

Hospitalist joins internal medicine faculty

Lori White, M.D., recently joined USA Health as a hospitalist at University Hospital and an internal medicine physician at Stanton Road Clinic. With a passion for academic medicine, she is also an associate professor of internal medicine at the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine at the University of South Alabama. 

For the past 10 years, White taught residents and medical students as an assistant professor of medicine at the UAB Heersink School of Medicine’s campus in Montgomery. When she and her husband moved to the Eastern Shore last year, she was interested in working for USA Health so she could continue teaching internal medicine. 

“My favorite part of my job is teaching medical students,” she said. “They are the future of our care!”

In addition to teaching, White said she enjoys practicing internal medicine because she is able to care for a wide variety of patients in the hospital and clinic setting. 

She earned her medical degree from Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. She completed her residency training in internal medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.

Board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, White is a member of the American College of Physicians and the Medical Association of the State of Alabama.

Meet a Med Student: Isabella Dinelli

Isabella Dinelli

Age: 24

Class of: 2026

Hometown: Pensacola, Florida

Undergraduate institution and degree earned: University of Florida, Bachelor of Science in economics and biology

What do you enjoy most about being a medical student at the Whiddon College of Medicine?
How nice everyone is! Faculty and students at the Whiddon College of Medicine are among the most supportive people you can meet. I know I can succeed, and even more, I am not afraid of failure because the people I am surrounded by will help me push through the unique obstacles that come in this career. 

Are you involved in any research, organizations or other initiatives at the College of Medicine?
I am part of the COM social media committee; my class's merch subcommittee, helping design class paraphernalia; Jags Against Trafficking; and volunteer at the Student-Run Free Clinic, providing care to Salvation Army residents while also serving on the fundraising board.

What are your interests and hobbies?
Any form of artistic media, but specifically, digital art and videography. I also enjoy investing (but it's a bit hard on a medical student budget).

What is something unique about you?
Before starting medical school, my older brother and I started a business in our hometown that is still running today! Also, I enjoy learning new languages and can speak Spanish and Japanese. 

Pediatric emergency physician joins USA Health

Reshvinder Dhillon, M.D., recently joined USA Health Children’s & Women’s Hospital as a pediatric emergency medicine physician. He is also an assistant professor of emergency medicine at the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine. 

Dhillon’s life journey has taken him through Malaysia, Ontario, Grenada and New York. He is excited for his newest adventure on the Gulf Coast. “The weather, the food, the culture, and, most importantly, the people attracted me to USA Health,” he said. “Being from the North, this was an easy decision to finally get some sunshine.”

Dhillon received his medical degree from St. George’s University in Grenada, West Indies. He completed residency training at the University of Buffalo in Buffalo, New York. 

During the first year of residency, he thoroughly enjoyed his pediatric emergency medicine rotation and gravitated toward the specialty. He went on to complete a fellowship in pediatric emergency medicine at John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital/University of Buffalo.  

He is board certified by the American Board of Pediatrics and is a member of the American Medical Association. 

Whiddon College of Medicine to host 'Journey to a Ph.D.'

Have you ever wondered what it takes to get into a Ph.D. program? What would you even do with a research Ph.D. in the basic sciences? 

Join the Whiddon College of Medicine for "Journey to a Ph.D." on Thursday, Oct. 27, at 3 p.m. via Zoom. The session will provide students with information about admissions requirements and program structure. Also, doctoral students in the Basic Medical Sciences Graduate Program will be present to answer questions. 

To register, contact Angie O'Neal (aoneal@southalabama.edu) or LoRen Modisa (lburroughs@southalabama.edu). This event is co-hosted by the Basic Medical Sciences Graduate Program and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.