Class of 2017 Medical Students Begin Clinical Rotations

University of South Alabama medical students (from left) Shane Outlaw, Rebekah Frazier, Will Ricks, Jelaina Scott, Michael Gunter, Lauren Mann and James White pose for a photo during a tour of USA Children's & Women's Hospital June 24, 2015.

University of South Alabama College of Medicine fourth-year medical student Gabrielle Hood (second from right) talks to a group of third-year medical students as she gives them a tour of USA  Medical Center during orientation June 23, 2015.

The University of South Alabama College of Medicine recently held clerkship orientation for third-year medical students. Orientation week gave the students an introduction to their clinical years and included briefings on topics ranging from hospital policies to mini board exams.

This is the second class of students to enter the USA College of Medicine that receive the re-designed curriculum. Students receive instruction in all competencies from the beginning of their educational experience. Milestones of achievement toward competency will be evaluated and documented throughout the course of the four years leading to graduation.

“I’m excited for the chance to actually work hands-on,” said third-year medical student Nicholas Tinker of Ralph, Ala. Tinker feels that he has been given a strong basic knowledge of sciences on which he is excited to build upon in a clinical setting.

Corwin McGee, another third-year medical student from Mobile, Ala., is greatly looking forward to utilizing the tools learned in his first two years of medical school at USA. “For the past two years we have been learning mostly about the basics of medicine. We are finally able to learn about the art of medicine.”

“Our faculty is wonderful and one hundred percent dedicated to making sure that we have everything we need to be prepared. I have full faith in them,” said Sara Shields Tarwater of Athens, Ga. Tarwater is most excited to learn about the various medical specialties. At times it seemed like “clerkship would never come fast enough,” Tarwater said.

Despite the nerves associated with starting clinical patient care, the third-year medical students agree that they are excited for the transition from classroom to hospital.

Before beginning orientation, the students received their white coats at the annual White Coat Ceremony at the USA Mitchell Center. Tinker stated that the ceremony was “incredible… a big stepping stone in our medical career.”

Click here to view more photos from orientation.

Med School Café - Expert Advice for the Community

Dr. Kenneth Rettig, professor emeritus of pediatrics at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine and a pediatric endocrinologist with USA Physicians Group, presented the May Med School Cafe lecture, "Civil War Medicine."

During the talk, Dr. Rettig explored how the Civil War helped to move American medicine from a poorly organized "cottage operation" to a more modern model. His lecture coincided with the opening of the Mobile Medical Museum’s new exhibit, War and Medicine, which will be on display through Oct. 2, 2015, in the Mary Elizabeth and Charles Bernard Rodning Gallery on the third floor of the USA Marx Library.

The next lecture will feature Dr. Anathasekar Ponnambalam, associate professor of pediatrics at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine and a pediatric gastroenterologist at the USA Children’s Specialty Clinic. His lecture, titled “Celiac Disease: Myths and Facts,” will take place June 30, 2015, at the USA Faculty Club. Lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m., and the presentation begins at noon. The Med School Café lecture and lunch are provided free of charge, but reservations are required. For more information or to make reservations, call Kim Partridge at (251) 460-7770 or e-mail kepartridge@health.southalabama.edu.  

Dr. Alexeyev Appointed Associate Editor of Journal

Dr.  Mikhail Alexeyev, associate professor of physiology and cell biology at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine, recently was appointed associate editor for medically oriented papers for the journal Mitochondrial DNA.

Dr. Alexeyev’s responsibilities include reviewing submitted papers, assigning formal reviewers and making final decisions regarding the acceptance or rejection of papers for publication.

The journal is published by Informa Healthcare. The scope of the journal includes descriptive papers on DNA sequences from mitochondrial genomes and analytical papers in the areas of population genetics, medical genetics, phylogenetics and human evolution that use mitochondrial DNA as a source of evidence for studies.

Mitochondrial DNA also publishes manuscripts that examine population genetic and systematic theory that specifically address the use of mitochondrial DNA sequences, as well as papers that discuss the utility of mitochondrial DNA information in medical studies and in human evolutionary biology.

To view the journal, visit http://informahealthcare.com/loi/mdn.

Class of 2017 Medical Students Receive White Coats

The University of South Alabama College of Medicine held its annual White Coat Ceremony for the Class of 2017 at the USA Mitchell Center on June 20, 2015.

During the ceremony, rising third-year medical students were cloaked with white coats, the traditional dress of physicians for more than 100 years.

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 took the Medical Student Oath, a promise to uphold the human aspects of medicine, such as sensitivity, compassion and respect for patients.

Select students, residents and faculty were also inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society at the ceremony. Inductees are selected for practicing patient-centered medical care with integrity, compassion and altruism. Election to this organization is by vote of medical students.

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

Click here to view more photos from the event. To view local news coverage, visit the following links:
FOX10
al.com

Gut Check: Pill Camera Takes Digestive Tract Tour

In 2002, a technology was released that allowed physicians to see inside a patient’s small intestine by having them swallow a pill-sized camera. At the time, it had limitations – primarily, it couldn’t reach further into the digestive system to examine the colon, or large intestine. Now, physicians with the University of South Alabama Physicians Group can visualize the entire gastrointestinal tract using a new technology called PillCam COLON. USA is one of only 17 centers across the country that offers this technology.

“Thirteen years ago we introduced video capsule endoscopy for small bowel. Amid the enthusiasm, patients also wanted a video capsule to study the colon,” said Dr. Jack Di Palma, director of the University of South Alabama Digestive Health Center and professor of internal medicine at the USA College of Medicine. “Today we can offer that technology to patients.”

With PillCam COLON, developed by Given Imaging, physicians are able to visualize the colon to monitor and diagnose disorders of the gastrointestinal tract without sedation or invasive endoscopic procedures. The technology uses a tiny camera contained in a disposable capsule that naturally passes through the digestive system.

While colonoscopy is still the gold standard for colon cancer screening, Dr. Di Palma said the new technology can be used for patients who have had an incomplete colonoscopy or for those who cannot tolerate a colonoscopy for screening.

Undergoing a complete colon evaluation is extremely important for the detection of polyps, small clumps of cells that form in the lining of the colon that can become cancerous over time. The accuracy of PillCam COLON is comparable to other colonoscopy alternatives for detecting polyps.

Similar to the preparation for colonoscopy, doctors may recommend a clear liquid diet the day before the exam and laxatives the night before and morning of the exam. The technology works like this: first, sensors connected to a belt are attached to the chest and abdomen. The patient wears the belt while it captures images transmitted from the camera and stores them in a small computer. The computer stores the pill’s journey through the gut, snapping two pictures per second. Images are later downloaded and viewed on the physician’s desktop computer.

After the exam, a colonoscopy may be recommended to remove and treat any findings such as polyps, if present.

Currently, PillCam COLON is not covered by insurance and costs $1,750. For more information, call (251) 660-5555.

To view local news coverage, visit the following links:
WKRG
FOX10
Local15

Med School Café- 'Celiac Disease: Myths and Facts'

The June Med School Café will feature Dr. Anathasekar Ponnambalam, associate professor of pediatrics at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine and a pediatric gastroenterologist at the USA Children’s Specialty Clinic.

His lecture, titled “Celiac Disease: Myths and Facts,” will take place on June 30, 2015, at the USA Faculty Club, located at 6348 Old Shell Road on USA’s main campus. Lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m. and the presentation begins at noon.

During the talk, Dr. Ponnambalam will introduce celiac disease and describe its symptoms. Additionally, he will discuss how to diagnose the disease and the types of treatment options available. Dr. Ponnambalam will also address what happens if the disease is left untreated.

Dr. Ponnambalam earned his medical degree from Stanley Medical College located in Chennai, India. He completed his residency at State University in New York-Downstate in Brooklyn, N.Y., and Madras Medical College in Chennai, India. Following his residency, Dr. Ponnambalam completed his fellowship at State University in New York-Downstate.

The Med School Café lunch and lecture are provided free of charge, but reservations are required. For more information or to make reservations, call Kim Partridge at (251) 460-7770 or e-mail kepartridge@health.southalabama.edu.

Med School Café is a free community lecture series sponsored by the USA Physicians Group. Each month, faculty from the USA College of Medicine share their expertise on a specific medical condition, providing insight on the latest treatment available.
Ponnambalam Med School Cafe Promo from USA Health System on Vimeo.

Medical Students to Receive White Coats June 20

The University of South Alabama College of Medicine will hold its annual White Coat Ceremony at the USA Mitchell Center on June 20, 2015, at 10 a.m. During the ceremony, the Class of 2017 will be cloaked with their white coats, the traditional dress of physicians for more than 100 years.

Dr. Steven P. Furr ('81), chair pro tempore of the USA Board of Trustees, will be the keynote speaker.

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

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.

Select students, residents and faculty will also be inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society at the ceremony. Inductees are selected for practicing patient-centered medical care with integrity, compassion and altruism. Election to this organization is by vote of medical students.

Each year, the USA Medical Alumni Association sponsors this event. Click here to view photos from last year's ceremony.

Dr. Mark Taylor Awarded NIH Grant

Mark Taylor, Ph.D., associate professor of physiology and cell biology and director of the University of South Alabama Bioimaging Facililty at the USA College of Medicine, was awarded a one-year equipment grant by the National Institutes of Health to obtain a state-of-the art confocal imaging system. The grant award totals $394,644.

The Andor Revolution WD Confocal Imaging system purchased on the grant is a specialized fluorescence-based microscope that allows for fast-three-dimensional imaging of signaling events within live cells and tissues. The system also incorporates a novel technology called hyperspectral imaging through fluorescence excitation-scanning, or HIFEX.

HIFEX was developed by Drs. Silas Leavesley, assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, and Tom Rich, associate professor of pharmacology. The combination of scanning speed, spatial resolution, field depth, and fluorophore – a fluorescent chemical compound that re-emits light – offers a level of discrimination unmatched by any existing imaging system.

“The new imaging system’s capabilities are going to allow us to peer deeper into the inner workings of biological systems and see unprecedented detail of cellular communication,” Dr. Taylor said. “The novel high-speed hyperspectral imaging approach will pioneer new areas of research and promises to foster bold new collaborative projects within the university.”

The instrument will provide cutting-edge capability for live-cell and tissue imaging. This includes real-time analysis of the biological signals responsible for a wide range of disease processes. Experimental applications include resolving key components of cardiovascular and cardiopulmonary pathology as well as tracking infectious disease processes and mechanisms of cancer metastasis.

“This is a real step forward for the research efforts here in the USA College of Medicine and the university as a whole,” Dr. Taylor said. “Inclusion of this new system into the existing bioimaging facility greatly expands our research capability, and I’m excited to see where it leads.”

USA Alum Receives MASA Award

University of South Alabama College of Medicine alumnus Dr. Thomas M. Miller is the 2015 recipient of the William Henry Sanders Award, awarded by the Medical Association of the State of Alabama.

Created in 1966 in honor of William Henry Sanders, M.D., the award is presented to an outstanding individual who participates in full-time public health work and has served above and beyond their role.

Dr. Miller earned his medical degree from USA where he also completed his residency in obstetrics and gynecology. Several years later, Dr. Miller returned to school to receive his master’s degree in public health from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Dr. Miller has held several positions with the Alabama Department of Public Health including area health officer, director of the bureau of family health services and assistant state health officer. He currently serves as chief medical officer for the Bureau of Family Health Services, Bureau of Home and Community Services, Bureau of Clinical Laboratories and Bureau of Communicable Diseases.

He is a fellow of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and diplomate of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Miller has also served as a board member of the Alabama Section of ACOG, as well as several committees for the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs.

For the last several years, Dr. Miller has performed medical missionary work in the Dominican Republic. He currently serves as chair and physician surveyor of the Medical Association’s Foundation for Continuing Medical Education and national committee member for the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education, Committee for Review and Recognition.

USA Medical Student Tapped to Lead Regional Student Organization

Will Ricks, second-year medical student at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine, recently was elected chair for the Southern region of the Organization of Student Representatives (OSR) of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). The regional chairs serve on the administrative board for OSR and organize the OSR regional meeting held each Spring.

“I was fortunate to be elected to the regional chair position this spring at the regional meeting. I believe being the chair will offer an opportunity for developing professional skills like leadership, communication and organization,” Ricks said. “Additionally, I think it will expand my views of medicine through interactions with medical students from across the nation.”

The regional chairs focus on region-specific issues and serve as a conduit of information from the OSR administrative board to individual OSR representatives. They also coordinate information exchange within the region, ensuring that students in the region are informed of AAMC and OSR administrative board activities.

USA Student Health Center Celebrates Accomplishment

The University of South Alabama Student Health Center recently was granted a 3-year re-accreditation by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC). A luncheon was held May 21, 2015, to recognize the important milestone in the continuing growth and success of the Student Health Center and to recognize the Student Health Center team for their role in the process.

Beverly Kellen, practice director, speaks during the luncheon.

The University of South Alabama Student Health Center recently was granted a 3-year re-accreditation by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC). A luncheon was held on May 21, 2015, to recognize the important milestone in the continuing growth and success of the Student Health Center and to recognize the Student Health Center team for their role in the process.

This surveyor's site visit report indicated that out of 610 standards, the USA Student Health Center met or exceeded compliance in all but four of these standards, with a perfect score on overall chapter compliance level.

“I am very proud of all my staff and everyone that had a role in this accomplishment because it is a rigorous on-site survey that not all student health centers across the country can achieve,” said Beverly Kellen, practice director. Achieving this goal distinguishes the USA Student Health Center as one of only two student health centers in the state to  maintain accreditation by AAAHC, and USA joins a select group of 188 schools accredited by AAAHC in the United States.

Click here to learn more about the re-accreditation.

Medical Alumni Association Hosts Annual Medical Alumni Weekend

The University of South Alabama Medical Alumni Association hosted the Annual Medical Alumni Weekend in Orange Beach, Ala., June 4-7, 2015.

The event is a multi-day program held every summer that brings back medical graduates to the Gulf Coast, allowing opportunities to reminisce with fellow classmates and former faculty. The classes of 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005 and 2010 celebrated their reunions.

Dr. Racheal Banks, director of Health Sciences Development at USA, said approximately 50 physicians attended the event, along with their families.

During the event, Dr. Sam Strada, dean of the USA College of Medicine, offered an update on the College. Drs. Ehab Molokhia, Haley Ballard, Brooks Cash, Edward Panacek, and Sandra Parker presented continuing medical education (CME) lectures. In addition, several College of Medicine alumni presented lectures.

To learn about next year's Annual Medical Alumni Weekend, contact Racheal Banks at (251) 460-7481.

Click here to view more photos from the event.

Retirement Reception Honors Patricia Couling

The University of South Alabama Department of Microbiology and Immunology hosted a retirement reception in honor of Patricia Couling on May 27, 2015, at the USA Faculty Club.

Couling, who served as management operations specialist in the department of microbiology and immunology, was recognized for 23 years of outstanding service.

Click here to view more photos from the reception.

USA Welcomes Dr. Angus McBryde

Dr. Angus McBryde has been named professor and interim chair of the department of orthopaedic surgery at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine.

This appointment marks the second time Dr. McBryde has led the USA Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. He served as professor and chair at USA from 1991-1996.

“We are very pleased to have Dr. McBryde return to the USA College of Medicine. Dr. McBryde will help stabilize the department following the untimely, unexpected death of Dr. Fred Meyer late last year,” said Dr. Samuel Strada, dean of the USA College of Medicine. “Dr. McBryde’s extensive career in orthopaedics, involvement in residency training, and knowledge of orthopaedic specialty physicians both locally and nationally will be of immense help to the administration as we begin the search for a permanent chair to lead the department over the next several years."

Prior to returning to USA from the University of South Carolina (USC) where he was professor from 2011-2014, Dr. McBryde served as director of the American Sports Medicine Institute Ankle and Foot Fellowship at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Birmingham, Ala. He practiced at the Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center with subspecialty care delivered to competitive athletes.

Dr. McBryde received his undergraduate degree at Davidson College and earned his medical degree from Duke Medical School. From there he had a general surgery internship and junior residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. McBryde then served two years in the U.S. Navy, including a year in Vietnam as well as a year at the Balboa Naval Hospital in San Diego. He completed his orthopaedic residency at Duke Medical Center in 1971.

Dr. McBryde served as team physician at the National Sports Festival in Baton Rouge, La., in 1983; the World Games in Yugoslavia in 1987; the Summer Olympic Games in Korea in 1988; and the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

From 1996 to 2000, Dr. McBryde served as professor and chair of the department of orthopaedic surgery at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, S.C. He then moved to the USC School of Medicine in Columbia S.C. to join the faculty as professor in the department of orthopaedic surgery and director of USC Sports Medicine from 2000 to 2005.

Dr. McBryde is a member of several medical and orthopaedic organizations including the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS); the Governing Council of the Senior Physicians Section of the American Medical Association and liaison to AAOS since 2014; and the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society. He is past president of the Southern Medical Association; past chairman of the North Carolina Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Health; past president of the Southern Orthopaedic Association; and on the board of directors for the American Sports Medicine Institute from 2005-2016. He was Alabama Sports Person of the Year in 2010, Distinguished Southern Orthopaedist in 2013 and received the Duke Medical School Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2014.

USA Pediatrics Patients Visit Washington D.C.

Pictured from left - Colby Sawyer, patient; Tammy Gale, pediatric hematology/oncology clinical nurse at the University of South Alabama Children's & Women's Hospital; Michael Ables, patient; and Nigeria Watson, patient; pose for a photo at Mobile Regional Airport May 1, 2015. The group traveled to Washington D.C. for a Sunshine Kids Foundation trip.

Last month, three young oncology patients from the pediatrics department at University of South Alabama Physicians Group got the trip of a lifetime thanks to the Sunshine Kids Foundation and Tammy Gale, a clinical nurse for the division of pediatric hematology and oncology at USA. The kids, along with 22 others from across the country, visited Washington D.C. for one week.

“We couldn’t do this for them if it wasn’t for the help of the nurses, like Tammy, who volunteer to go on the trip,” said Brooks Tomb, director of regional offices for the Sunshine Kids Foundation. “With their help, the trips allow the kids to bond with each other away from the hospital, and that really helps their state of mind. They get to be with other kids that they can relate to because they are all in the same situation.”

Gale said this was her first time working with the Sunshine Kids Foundation. “I was excited to take the children to experience something new they have never seen before and give them that freedom,” Gale said. “This trip was a way for the kids to escape from reality and not have to think about things like their chemo treatments. Instead, they got to go somewhere new and make new friends.”

While in Washington D.C., the kids visited the White House, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the WWII Memorial, the Vietnam Vet Memorial, the International Spy Museum, the National Archives and the Smithsonian. They also spent a day at Kings Dominion Theme Park in Virginia and cruised the Potomac River.

The main activity of the trip was their visit to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) headquarters in Quantico, Va. The kids became DEA agents for the day by participating in activities such as playing interactive shooting video games and working one-on-one with an agent. The DEA agents also took the group to a shooting range.

The Sunshine Kids Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by Rhoda Tomasco in 1982, provides many programs, national and regional events for children with cancer. These activities are free of charge to the children’s families and hospitals. To learn more, visit www.sunshinekids.org.

First-Year Medical Student Accepted into Memorial Sloan Kettering’s Summer Pipeline Program

Olivia Means, a first-year medical student at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine, recently was accepted into the Memorial Sloan Kettering 2015 Summer Pipeline Program. This program is a highly competitive medical student summer fellowship program at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.

For eight weeks, Means will conduct clinical research, shadow in the clinic and operating room, and attend weekly departmental meetings.

"We encourage our students to apply to summer research programs such as the one at Memorial Sloan Kettering to provide exposure to other institutions and research programs. This is an outstanding opportunity for Olivia,” said Dr. Susan LeDoux, associate dean of medical education and student affairs at the USA College of Medicine.

Means will be working with Dr. Bernard Park, the deputy chief of clinical affairs of the thoracic surgery service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, on a project titled “Anatomic Resection for Peripheral Pulmonary Typical Carcinoid Tumors: Is it Mandated in All Cases?”

“I am really excited about the program because I will get a closer look at cancer research and the field of surgery,” Means said.

The program will give Means exposure to experiences and various types of cancer and patient treatment approaches. She begins her project in June.