Faculty Spotlight: Tyler McDonald, M.D.

Tyler McDonald, M.D.

Academic title: Assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery

Joined the USA College of Medicine faculty: September 2021

What does your position in the USA COM/USA Health entail? 
As a pediatric orthopaedic surgeon, I specialize in all aspects of orthopaedic care for children and adolescents including spine care. I see patients in the clinic, teach residents in the orthopaedic surgery residency program and perform orthopaedic surgeries.

What is your favorite or most rewarding part of your position?
Helping a child regain their function to get them playing and being a kid again.

What research or other initiatives are you involved in?
Many of my research interests involve pediatric spine pathology, such as idiopathic, neuromuscular and congenital scoliosis in children.

What is your advice for medical/basic medical sciences students?
Keep your options open and let your heart guide you. I thought I wanted to be a joint replacement surgeon until midway through residency when I started working more with kids. I knew I was called to help children.

What are your hobbies/interests outside of work?
Fly fishing and woodworking. When I’m not at work you can probably find me building something in my garage “workshop.”

Pathology resumes monthly research symposium

Bing Wang, M.D., Ph.D., from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine presents at the Pathology Research Symposium.

The USA Department of Pathology announces the return of the Pathology Research Symposium. Presentations will be held at noon on the third Thursday of every month at the Strada Patient Care Center. 

From left, Guillermo Herrera, M.D., professor and chair
of pathology; presenter Bing Wang, M.D., Ph.D.; and
Ajay Singh, Ph.D., professor of pathology.

The first presenter on Nov. 18 was Bing Wang, M.D., Ph.D., an associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine’s McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine and the University of Pittsburgh’s Vascular Medicine Institute. He discussed gene therapy combining tissue engineering for musculoskeletal regeneration. 

The Department of Pathology welcomes participation from all interested parties and individuals. For more information, contact the department at 251-471-7753 or pcarlisle@health.southalabama.edu.

Medical student chosen for national AAMC advisory task force

Veena Krishnan, a third-year student at the USA College of Medicine, is among the medical students and residents selected to serve on a nationwide advisory task force for the Association of American Medical Colleges' CLASS Project.

The purpose of the CLASS Project, which stands for Clinical Skills Assessment and Standardization, is to aid in developing new practices and national standards that will properly assess clinical skills in medical education. Previously, medical schools used Step 2 CS of the United States Medical Licensure Exam to assess whether their students were prepared for residency. Step 2 was discontinued permanently in January 2021. The task force will work to determine a national standard for equitable, effective and appropriate clinical skills education.

“It is a great honor and privilege to be chosen to represent the USA COM’s voice on the national stage about this important issue,” said Krishnan. “I look forward to learning from some of the most knowledgeable voices in academic medicine and participating in a process that strives to make medical education more inclusive.”

More than 500 people were nominated for the task force, with more than 100 of those consisting of student and resident nominees across the United States. Krishnan’s selection to join this group provides an opportunity for her to contribute to the development of clinical skills educational guidelines that will be implemented nationwide.

Foot and ankle surgeon joins Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

USA Health’s Department of Orthopaedic Surgery expands with the addition of Jess Mullens, M.D., a foot and ankle orthopaedic surgeon.

Mullens will treat patients for conditions including sports injuries, foot and ankle fractures, ligament and tendon problems, and arthritis.

He pursued orthopaedic surgery and the foot and ankle specialty because of personal and family issues.

“My grandmother suffered from Type 2 diabetes and developed several foot wounds, and I helped care for her, which led to my interest,” Mullens said. “In college, I played basketball, which led to my own foot and ankle injuries. My experiences give me a unique perspective for athletes wanting to return to performing at a high level.”

Mullens said he always was drawn to surgery and wanted to be a part of the process.

“The interactions with other surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, techs and staff was a unique experience within the operating room,” he said. “I was drawn to the way bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments work together to provide people the ability to walk, run and perform activities. I wanted to be a part of a specialty that could help those who had lost the ability to do the activities they love.”

While working in an academic health system, Mullens, an assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery, wants to broaden the study of the foot and ankle specialty.

“I would like to participate and lead more foot and ankle research, particularly in the areas of diabetic foot care and sports-related foot and ankle injuries,” he said. “I believe that resident and medical student education is the most important part of being on the faculty at USA. I am excited to be able to teach, mentor and encourage others to pursue a future in foot and ankle orthopaedics.”

Mullens earned a medical degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine in Birmingham. He completed a residency in orthopaedic surgery at the USA College of Medicine and a fellowship in the foot and ankle specialty at The Steadman Clinic at Vail Health Hospital in Vail, Colorado.

Mullens sees patients on the third floor of the Strada Patient Care Center in Mobile. To make an appointment, call (251) 665-8200.

Video online: 'Skull Base Neurosurgery and Brain Tumors'

Jai Thakur, M.D., director of minimally invasive cranial and skull base neurosurgery and neurosurgery education at USA Health, presented “Skull Base Neurosurgery and Brain Tumors: Rejecting Norms and Adapting Minimally Invasive Mentality” at the Med School Café lecture on Nov. 12.

Watch a video of the presentation on YouTube.