Faculty grand rounds to focus on appreciative inquiry

Terry Kurz, Ph.D.

The Whiddon College of Medicine’s Office of Faculty Affairs and Faculty Development will host the next Faculty Development Grand Rounds on Friday, June 13, via Zoom. 

Terri Kurz, Ph.D., assistant dean for professional development at Texas A&M University College of Medicine, will present “Exploring Appreciative Inquiry.”

This session will explore appreciative inquiry, a strengths-based approach to organizational development that focuses on identifying what works well and leveraging those strengths to drive positive change. Learn how this powerful methodology can transform teaching, leadership, and collaborative efforts within academic medicine.

Register for the virtual session on Zoom. 

For questions or assistance, contact Amanda Arnold at akarnold@southalabama.edu.

Clinical Trials Day recognizes staff, investigators and patients

The staff celebrated Clinical Trials Day on May 20.

The USA Clinical Trials Office celebrated Clinical Trials Day to help bring awareness to clinical trials, celebrate innovation and discovery, and pause to recognize the staff, investigators and patients who help shape the future of healthcare.

International Clinical Trials Day was organized by the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP) as “a joyful opportunity to pause in reflection, recognition, and admiration of all that has been accomplished thanks to clinical trials and the people behind them.” The theme for this year is “Powered By Purpose,” encouraging all involved in clinical trials to reflect on the power and purpose behind what they do.

The Clinical Trials Office team took time out to consider and share their purposes, which included ensuring patient safety, honoring the memory of loved ones, providing hope for future generations, advancing treatment options, supporting researchers, and providing evidence for evidence-based practice.

The work and dedication of the USA Clinical Trials Office is recognized throughout the University of South Alabama and USA Health. 

“At the heart of every academic health center lies a robust clinical trials program — one that not only paves the way for life-saving therapies but also offers patients early access to cutting-edge treatments,” said Christopher Davies, Ph.D., associate dean for research at the Whiddon College of Medicine. “At the University of South Alabama, thanks to the leadership of Stefanie White and her exceptional team, our clinical trials enterprise continues to thrive, expanding into new disease areas and touching more lives than ever before. On Clinical Trials Day, we proudly recognize the dedication and excellence of our Clinical Trials team, the investigators committed to advancing medical science, and — most importantly — the patients who make this progress possible.”

“The University of South Alabama is fortunate to have a dedicated, knowledgeable Clinical Trials Office team to specialize in bringing innovative treatments to our patients and ensure the highest quality care,” said Melissa Beavers, associate director of research quality assurance and improvement. “This group, along with our team of investigators and patients, work incredibly hard to help advance science and give hope for future generations."

International Clinical Trials Day is celebrated by many organizations and academic institutions annually on May 20 to commemorate the first randomized clinical trial by James Lind in 1747. His experiment aboard a British Royal Navy ship led to the discovery that citrus is a cure for scurvy. Today, Clinical Trials Day is a time to reflect and recognize all that has been accomplished thanks to clinical trials and the people behind them. 

The Clinical Trials Office is a USA Health systemwide office providing support to investigators conducting clinical studies, including industry-sponsored, investigator-initiated, and federally funded trials.

Learn more about Clinical Trials Day.

M3 Case Symposium set for June 6

Faculty, staff, residents and students at the Whiddon College of Medicine are invited to attend the M3 Case Symposium on Friday, June 6, from 1 to 3 p.m. in the first-floor conference room of the Strada Patient Care Center. 

At the symposium, rising fourth-year medical students present posters outlining interesting, rare or novel case studies observed during their third-year rotations. The event also is an opportunity for students to present independent projects. 

The case reports are judged based on originality, strength of conclusions, quality of references, overall appearance, organization and topic. 

For more information about the symposium, contact Olivia Grace Brookins at ogb2221@jagmail.southalabama.edu. 

Medical student presents research at American College of Physicians meeting

Harris Bolus presents a poster at the meeting.

By Milena Mata

Third-year Whiddon College of Medicine student Harris Bolus recently presented research on a genetic disorder at the annual American College of Physicians (ACP) Internal Medicine Meeting in New Orleans.

Bolus’ research investigated Jordan Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder affecting RNA proteins called phosphatases. People with this syndrome experience symptoms such as epilepsy, developmental delays, and are often on the autism spectrum. Currently, little is known about phosphatases and their function. 

Bolus worked with Richard E. Honkanen, Ph.D., professor and chair of biochemistry and molecular biology, to learn about bioinformatics. Bioinformatics focuses on biological data analysis and statistics. Honkanen’s work incorporates biostats and computer science. 

They used CRISPR-based technology to make models of the syndrome and create datasets to understand the models. The technology allows them to modify specific DNA sequences, ensuring greater accuracy in the datasets. 

“It was such an honor to present at this meeting because it was an opportunity to meet physicians and medical students from all over the country,” Bolus said. “I was able to catch up with a few friends who happened to be there, make new ones, and talk to faculty from multiple residency programs. I also got valuable feedback on my presentation, thoughts on my project, advocacy opportunities and career advice.”

The meeting included interactive educational sessions that proved enjoyable for Bolus. “It also added a layer of excitement to my decision to go into internal medicine,” he said. “Conferences like this are just another aspect of internal medicine that I'm looking forward to in my career.”

The American College of Physicians is a prestigious organization that recognizes specialists from the internal medicine field and strives to improve patient care. In the future, Bolus plans to apply for internal medicine residencies and is considering a specialty in hematology/oncology. 

“My undergraduate lab left me with a love for genetics and cell biology, as well as a taste of how important biostatistics could be in those fields,” said Bolus. “Programming was one of the hobbies I picked up in my gap years, and coming into medical school I was excited to find ways to apply it to open problems in medical research.”

Bolus was able to attend thanks to funding from the Whiddon College of Medicine and the Office of Student Affairs. He encourages fellow medical students to take these opportunities to attend national meetings. “If it’s intimidating to go to a national meeting where you don’t know anyone, keep in mind that medical associations often have local chapters with their own smaller meetings,” he said. “If you go to these, you are highly likely to see familiar faces at the national counterpart.”

Whiddon COM faculty and staff enjoy appreciation day

Administration and staff celebrate the end of a successful year at the Whiddon College of Medicine.

Faculty and staff at the Whiddon College of Medicine celebrated the end to a fantastic academic year with an appreciation day on May 13. 

The event included breakfast and snacks, swag giveaways, T-shirts featuring a sketch of the new Whiddon COM building, outdoor games and a photo booth. Glenda Rayburn, the dean's executive assistant, directed an art station; and Karen Braswell, supervisor for clinical education, led a rock painting station. South mascot Miss Pawla shared her art skills and dance moves with the community. President Jo Bonner and Executive Vice President and Provost Andi Kent, Ph.D., stopped by to show their appreciation and hand out the coveted Bonner buttons. 

A highlight of the event was a prize drawing made possible by supporters from the community: Dew Drop Inn, Bop's Frozen Custard, Cammie's Old Dutch Ice Cream Shoppe, Flowers by James, Geiger, Knot Just Pretzels, Maple Street Biscuit Company, Foosackly's, Dana & Friends Pet Grooming, Fleet Feet, Taco Mama, Bienville Souvenir & Gifts, The Blind Butcher Shoppe, Rich's Car Wash, Dodge's Southern Style, Scrubs by Zoghby's, Stokley Garden Express Midtown, University of South Alabama Foundation, South Alabama Softball, Jag Gals, USA Health, and USA Health Dermatology.