June Med School Café – Mosquito-Borne Illnesses: What You Need To Know

The June Med School Café lecture will feature Dr. Kevin Green, an associate professor of internal medicine at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine and an infectious disease specialist with USA Physicians Group.

His lecture, titled “Mosquito Borne Illnesses: What You Need To Know,” will be held on June 22, 2016, at the USA Faculty Club on USA’s main campus. Lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m., and the presentation begins at noon.

Recently, the Zika virus has received international attention. Those infected may show a variety of symptoms or none at all, but in pregnant women, the Zika virus has been linked to a variety of birth defects.

Dr. Green will lecture about the Zika virus as well as other mosquito-borne illnesses. He will discuss the history and symptoms of the viruses and explain how residents along the Gulf Coast can protect themselves from infection.

Dr. Green earned his medical degree and completed his residency training at USA. He completed his fellowship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center Children's Hospital in Nashville, Tenn.

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.

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.

Dr Green Med School Cafe Promo from USA Health on Vimeo.

First M3 Case Report Symposium Set For June 24

Third-year medical students at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine will host the first annual M3 Case Report Symposium on June 24, 2016, at 3 p.m. The symposium will take place on the 10th floor of USA Medical Center and all faculty, staff, residents and students are invited to attend.

The purpose of the symposium is to give third-year medical students the opportunity to present a novel, rare or meaningful case report to faculty, residents and peers in the form of a poster presentation, thereby gaining scholarly experience useful for development as a physician-in-training.

Throughout their third year, medical students interact with patients as a member of the health care team. Some of the patients encountered will have a lasting impact on students and potentially affect career and specialty choices as future physicians. “During the symposium, we will discuss the lessons learned from these patient experiences," said Grant Willis, a third-year medical student at the USA College of Medicine and co-creator of the symposium.

“The symposium will increase the amount of documented research experiences USA College of Medicine graduates perform," added Parker Mullen, another third-year medical student and co-creator of the symposium. "This keeps the USA College of Medicine in line with national standards and prepares medical to discuss unique clinical experiences in residency interviews.”

“We are excited to see the event come to fruition and hope it will be a worthwhile endeavor for participants, spectators and future USA College of Medicine students,” Willis said.

For additional information contact Parker Mullen at prm1321@jagmail.southalabama.edu or Grant Willis at rgw1221@jagmail.southalabama.edu.

Alumni Reunite for Weekend

Brandi Trammell (COM '02) with her son Eli at the USA Medical Alumni Association's Medical Alumni Weekend.

Dr. Kit Outlaw (COM '92) speaks at the USA Medical Alumni Association's Medical Alumni Weekend.

The University of South Alabama Medical Alumni Association hosted its annual Medical Alumni Weekend June 3-5, 2016, at Perdido Beach Resort in Orange Beach, Ala. Fifty-five registered alumni attended the reunion.

The event is a multi-day class reunion held every summer that reunites USA medical graduates on the Gulf Coast. It offers Continuing Medical Education (CME) accredited courses and an alumni dinner sponsored by the association.

Several USA alumni presented lectures during the weekend. They included a presentation on developing physician leadership through mentorship by Dr. Janyce Sanford (COM '86), chief of emergency medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and a team lecture on medical clinics in the sugar plantations and prisons of the Dominican Republic by Dr. Tom Miller (COM '81), state health officer for Alabama, and Dr. Bob Chagrasulis (COM '81), general surgeon of Franklin Health.

During the annual meeting and luncheon of the Medical Alumni Association Board of Directors, Dr. Samuel Strada, dean of the USA College of Medicine, was recognized. He will be retiring later this year after 33 years of service.

The classes of 1976, 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006 and 2011 were honored at this year’s event. The Class of 1976 is the inaugural class of the USA College of Medicine and was presented a gift for celebrating its 40th class reunion. Dr. Kit Outlaw was also recognized for his service as president of the USA Medical Alumni Association from 2014 to 2016.

Click here to view more photos from the event.

Pediatrics Hosting Grand Rounds June 16, 17

Dr. Patricia Treadwell, professor of pediatrics and dermatology at Indiana University School of Medicine, will present two lectures for June’s pediatric grand rounds.

The first lecture, “Atopic Dermatitis,” will take place June 16, 2016, at 8 a.m. On June 17, Dr. Treadwell will present a second lecture, "Acne Update," at 8 a.m. Both lectures will be held in the Atlantis Room in the CWEB-2 building behind USA Children’s & Women’s Hospital.

Dr. Treadwell will review recently discovered genetic associations with atopic dermatitis and also discuss current atopic dermatitis guidelines. During her second talk, she will discuss pathogenesis of acne, side effects of acne medications, and various treatment options available with a focus on efficacy for abnormal keratinization.

The event is open to faculty, staff and students at USA. Light breakfast, coffee and beverages will be provided. For additional information, contact Katie Catlin at kncatlin@health.southalabama.edu.

Dr. Spencer Liles Earns Board Certification in Complex General Surgical Oncology

Dr. J. Spencer Liles, assistant professor of surgery at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine and a surgical oncologist with the USA Mitchell Cancer Institute, recently earned a board certification in complex general surgical oncology.

USA Health is one of few institutions in the nation that have two or more board-certified surgical oncologists. “There are only 100 board-certified surgical oncologists in the country and two are here at USA,” Dr. Liles said.  “This essentially means that USA is one of less than 10 places in the country with two surgeons that have demonstrated the knowledge base and skillset to be certified experts in the field of surgical oncology.”

Dr. Marcus Tan, assistant professor of surgery at the USA College of Medicine and a surgical oncologist with the USA Mitchell Center Institute, earned a board certification in surgical oncology in 2015.

Dr. Liles said surgical oncologists have been trained for decades, but there was hesitancy to allow formal board certification until two years ago. Prior to this, surgical oncologists were “specialty-trained” but not “board-certified.”

“Surgical oncology board certification is a fairly new entity,” Dr. Liles said. “The American Board of Surgery (ABS) is responsible for certification of all general surgeons and subspecialty surgeons as a means of ensuring that they are sufficiently trained to provide appropriate care.”

The process of earning a board certification in complex general surgical oncology includes the completion of medical school, a surgical residency training with achievement of board certification in general surgery and the completion of an accredited fellowship in surgical oncology. The final steps of the board certification process include successfully passing the written surgical oncology qualifying exam and the oral surgical oncologist certifying exam.

Dr. Liles joined USA in 2015. His clinical interests include general surgical oncology, breast, endocrine, pathology and gastrointestinal malignancies.

Dr. Liles earned his medical degree from the University of Alabama School of Medicine in Birmingham. From 2005 to 2013, he completed his general surgical residency training at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, during which time he completed a three-year National Institutes of Health T23 basic science research fellowship. In July 2015, he completed his complex general surgical oncology fellowship training at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.

Dr. Liles is also board certified with the American Board of Surgery and is a member of the American Medical Association, American College of Surgeons, National Medical Association and Society of Surgical Oncology.

Surgical oncology is a branch of surgery that mainly deals with the removal of tumors, usually cancerous. Established to assess qualifications for the treatment of complex cases—typically seen in cancer centers and specialized institutions – the American Board of Surgery approved this certification in an effort to help improve the care of cancer patients with complex cases requiring intensive, multidisciplinary treatment.

To make an appointment with Dr. Liles or to make a referral, call (251) 445-8405.