Whiddon COM kicks off spring semester with staff retreat: 'Turning Disagreements into Dialogue'

Whiddon College of Medicine staff members participated in a retreat focused on navigating difficult conversations. 

The Whiddon College of Medicine Office of Student Affairs, led by Associate Dean Kelly Roveda, M.D., and Assistant Dean Laventrice Ridgeway, Ed.D., started the new year with an engaging and insightful staff retreat focused on enhancing communication and collaboration. The retreat provided a dynamic learning experience for the team, featuring a special presentation on “Turning Disagreements into Dialogue,” a primer on Crucial Conversations. 

Crucial Conversations presenters Tiqueria Hall, Ph.D., MPA, education and training program manager in the Office of Health Advancement, and Marcina Lang, MPA, senior manager of COM support services, guided the staff through a two-hour interactive session designed to equip them with essential skills for navigating difficult conversations. The workshop emphasized strategies to transform disagreements into constructive dialogue, fostering a more open and effective communication environment within the Student Affairs department.

The retreat, held on a Friday morning, set a positive tone for the year ahead by encouraging staff members to engage in meaningful discussions through situational topics relevant to their daily interactions. By applying the basic tools discussed, the team explored ways to address conflicts with clarity, respect, and mutual understanding.

The Whiddon COM Student Affairs staff expressed their enthusiasm for the retreat's success, highlighting the importance of continuous professional development in strengthening teamwork and enhancing student support services. 

For those interested in a staff retreat focused on “Turning Disagreements into Dialogue: A Crucial Conversations Primer,” contact Amanda Arnold, education and training specialist in the Office of Faculty Affairs and Faculty Development, at akarnold@southalabama.edu. 

For any other staff retreat questions, contact Marcina Lang at marcinalang@southalabama.edu.

Lang promoted to senior manager of COM support services

Marcina Lang, MPA

Marcina Lang, MPA, was recently promoted to senior manager of COM support services at the Whiddon College of Medicine. 

In her new role, she will continue her efforts as a liaison for the Dean's Office, both within the College of Medicine and across the university. She will also take on additional special projects and events while placing a stronger focus on staff professional development and engagement.

“Marcina’s dedication and enthusiasm for her work are evident in everything she does,” said Maya Mirzoeva, MBA, associate dean of finance and administration at the Whiddon College of Medicine. “She is deeply passionate about the college's mission and consistently goes above and beyond to support both the institution and its employees. Her ability to manage complex tasks, lead initiatives, and collaborate effectively with colleagues and leadership has been invaluable.”

Lang, who joined the University of South Alabama in 2010, said, “It is very rewarding and brings great joy facilitating meaningful interactions, creating solutions that enhance the work experience, and ensuring seamless operations that support our faculty, staff and students.”

“I am thankful to God for blessing me with such amazing colleagues in the College of Medicine and across the university,” she added.

Lang earned a bachelor's degree in accounting and a Master of Public Administration from USA.

Register now for faculty development opportunities

The Whiddon College of Medicine Office of Faculty Affairs and Faculty Development, led by Emily Wilson, Ph.D., is dedicated to supporting faculty members in their academic research and professional growth. These ongoing programs are designed to help faculty grow as educators, researchers, and leaders in academic medicine: 

Nuts and Bolts: Research Development Series
This series is a collaborative effort between the Offices of Faculty Affairs and Faculty Development and Research. It is designed to provide researchers at all career stages with essential guidance on crafting successful grant applications. Topics covered include understanding funding agencies, developing a biosketch, structuring an R01 proposal, budgeting, writing the Specific Aims page, biostatistics, the NIH review process, clinical trials, research compliance, and more. 

Sessions are held every other Wednesday from 4 to 5 p.m. via Zoom. Register here: southalabama.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMsdu-grzktG9y8pzCXgf-TMVI7ZBrHfP

Faculty Development Grand Rounds
Grand Rounds is a monthly summit that brings together educators and experts to discuss key topics in academic medicine. Covering a range of subjects, including innovative teaching strategies, effective mentorship, medical education scholarship, leadership in academic medicine, and faculty wellness, these sessions provide valuable professional development opportunities. 

Sessions are held on the second Friday of each month at noon via Zoom. Register here: southalabama.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJckf-GgrDspHNIKtkylYmIu8VVHrtNd8CsO

Al-Mehdi recognized by USMLE for service

The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE), administered by the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME), recently recognized Abu-Bakr Al-Mehdi, M.D., Ph.D., for more than a decade of service to the program. 

Al-Mehdi is a professor of medical education and pharmacology at the Whiddon College of Medicine. He also serves as assistant dean of assessment and evaluation at the college and is the executive chief proctor of the USMLE Step exams.

He has been volunteering for both NBME activities and the USMLE program since 2014 and currently serves as a member of the USMLE Pharmacological Advertisements Test Material Development Committee.  

“Volunteering for the USMLE program requires great depth of knowledge of foundational science, disease pathogenesis, illness scripts, mechanisms of drug actions, diagnostic reasoning, verbal and nonverbal communication, and psychometrics, just to name a few,” Al-Mehdi said. “As a scientist, it gives me deep satisfaction to be part of this great intellectual and scientific endeavor that only happens under the umbrella of the USMLE program successfully, year after year. The USMLE program has become the de-facto standard for quality control of medical education all over the world.”

Accompanied by a graphic of Al-Mehdi, the USMLE posted on its social media accounts: “Behind the scenes of the #USMLE program is a group of dedicated volunteers. The expertise and dedication of these individuals make it possible for the USMLE program to continue to serve medical boards, the #MedEd community, physicians and patients.” 

Al-Mehdi received his M.D. and Ph.D. from the Crimea Medical Institute, Ukraine, before practicing as a general surgeon in Bangladesh and Ukraine. He joined the faculty of the Whiddon College of Medicine in 2002. 

Rippey selected for international sports medicine fellowship

Peter Rippey, M.D., second from left, and other members of the group try out the Canadian Olympic team's bobsled on their visit to the Olympic training center in Calgary.

USA Health family medicine physician Peter Rippey, M.D., recently represented the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM) as one of three U.S. designees during a prestigious two-week travel fellowship in Canada.   

Rippey, an assistant professor of family medicine at the Whiddon College of Medicine, also has a sports medicine qualification.  

During the international fellowship, Rippey was among two fellows and one mentor from the U.S. who traveled to Canada to meet with other sports medicine specialists and observed how the provision of care can differ, including: reimbursement models, clinical practices, treatment models, and the challenges of providing care for athletes.    

The group attends a Canadian Football League

Edmonton Elks game.

“We shadow sports medicine specialists in clinic and hospital settings, tour and shadow rehab specialists, and have conversations about how provision of care is the same or differs and share ideas,” Rippey said. “We also gave lectures at various sites and acted as ambassadors of sorts to foster international relationships in the sports medicine community.”  

Sports medicine physician members of the AMSSM are eligible to apply for this competitive opportunity if they have completed their fellowship within the previous 12 years. Considered prestigious in sports medicine, the international traveling fellowship offers the chance to learn from global sports medicine experts and further their knowledge through clinical immersion at renowned facilities.  

Rippey described being selected as an honor and personally very exciting because the mentor in his group was Stan Herring, M.D., a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician considered one of the fathers of sports medicine and an expert in the field of concussions and head injury. Herring is currently a clinical professor in the Departments of Rehabilitation Medicine, Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, and Neurological Surgery at the University of Washington in Seattle.  

Herring also has served as team physician for the National Football League’s San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks, and Major League Baseball’s Seattle Mariners.   

“We had amazing conversations traveling around Canada for two weeks,” Rippey said. “We also met the chief medical officer for the Canadian Olympic team; chief medical officer for the Canadian Football League; and Kathryn Schneider, Ph.D., PT, a researcher who was instrumental in drafting the latest concussion position statement.”  

Rippey spent time in Western Canada in Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton, as well as a weekend in Banff National Park. “I would like to thank my fellow sports physicians and colleagues in the departments of family medicine and orthopaedics for allowing me to serve,” Rippey said, “and covering for me to take two weeks off in the middle of football season and from clinic duties.”  

Founded in 1991, the AMSSM provides a forum to foster professional relationships among sports medicine physicians to advance the discipline of sports medicine through education, research, advocacy, and excellence in patient care.  

The AMSSM Traveling Fellowship program encourages academic interchange, shared research, and exploration of common clinical interests with other sports medicine leaders worldwide. The experience includes the opportunity to view live patient encounters, tour sports medicine facilities, share cases, and spend time with regional experts in sports medicine.