USA Children's & Women's Hospital Hosts HSF Board

The University of South Alabama Health Services Board of Directors met at University of South Alabama's Children's & Women's Hospital on June 27, 2012.

The board held their regular meeting and toured the hospital.  Click here to see photos - http://www.flickr.com/photos/usacollegeofmedicine/sets/72157630318051626/show/ .

Med School Café - Expert Advice for the Community

This week, Dr. Frederick N. Meyer, professor and chair of orthopaedics at the USA College of Medicine, presented the June Med School Café lecture.

The lecture, “Nonsurgical Treatment for Dupuytren's Contracture,” had a total of 69 attendees.

During the talk, Dr. Meyer discussed Dupuytren’s disease, a relatively common syndrome that causes the tissues under the skin on the palm of the hand to thicken and shorten so that the fingers cannot straighten.

In February 2010 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved an injectable treatment for Dupuytren’s disease, and Dr. Meyer is the only physician in the area to offer the novel treatment.

The next Med School Café lecture will feature Dr. Juan G. Ochoa, associate professor of neurology at the USA College of Medicine. Dr. Ochoa will lecture on "Finding a Cure for Epilepsy." The event will take place July 18, 2012, at the Via! Health, Fitness & Enrichment Center in Mobile.

If you are interested in attending, email kepartridge@usouthal.edu for more details. To learn more about the lectures, click here.

College of Medicine Welcomes Dr. Daniel Dees

Dr. Daniel Dees was recently appointed assistant professor of neurology at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine.

Dr. Dees earned his medical degree from the USA College of Medicine in 2007. He conducted his internship in internal medicine at USA and conducted his residency in neurology at USA.

From 2010-2011, Dr. Dees served as chief resident of neurology at USA. He completed a one-year fellowship in movement disorders at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, Ga.

He is currently a member of the American Academy of Neurology, the Southern Pediatric Neurology Society, and the American Society of Neuroimaging.

Dr. Dees, who specializes in movement disorders, is now accepting new patients. For appointments, call (251) 660-5108.

USA Medical Center to Host Blood Drives

The University of South Alabama Medical Center and LifeSouth Community Blood Centers is hosting a blood drive in the Medical Center's 10th floor dining room.

The dates and times are as follows:
Friday, June 29 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Monday, July 2 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

All registered donors will receive a free meal ticket and LifeSouth recognition item. For more information, call (251) 471-7231.

Medical Students to Receive White Coats June 23

2011 White Coat Ceremony

The University of South Alabama College of Medicine will hold its annual White Coat Ceremony at the USA Mitchell Center on June 23, 2012, at 10 a.m. During the ceremony, rising third-year medical students will be cloaked with their first white coats, the traditional dress of physicians for more than 100 years.

Dr. Johnson Haynes, professor of internal medicine at the USA College of Medicine, will be the keynote speaker.

"The White Coat Ceremony marks the beginning of medical students' submergence in the clinical phase of their undergraduate medical education," Dr. Haynes said. "The next two years of their training will be vested in establishing a foundation rooted in clinical competence, the development of proficient communication skills, and the further understanding of the ethical and legal aspects of the practice of medicine."

The ceremony marks a significant milestone for these students - the point where they will begin their clinical rotations and start interacting with patients.

For students, the White Coat ceremony serves as a reminder of the importance and responsibility they take by dedicating themselves to the care of patients. During the ceremony, the students in unison will take the Medical Student Oath, a promise to uphold the human aspects of medicine, such as sensitivity, compassion and respect for patients.

Each year, the USA Medical Alumni Association sponsors this event.