DEI Book Club to discuss 'Pregnant While Black'

In celebration of Juneteenth, the OB-GYN Interest Group's DEI Book Club will host a discussion of the book "Pregnant While Black: Advancing Justice for Maternal Health in America" by Monique Rainford, M.D.

The meeting will take place at 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 5 in the Atlantis Room on the Children's & Women's Hospital campus. 

RSVP on the Google form by June 3. 

Online graduate certificate in Spanish offered for healthcare professionals

The graduate certificate in Spanish for Healthcare Professionals equips healthcare providers with the skills to communicate and establish effective rapport with their Spanish-speaking patients. 

The program comprises four courses: three fully online language courses, and one practicum that can be completed remotely or in person through a healthcare facility that serves Spanish speakers. The three courses plus the practicum can be completed in a minimum of three and a maximum of four semesters. All four courses of Healthcare Spanish are offered every semester: fall, spring and summer.  

This program is offered by the Graduate School and the College of Arts and Sciences. The tuition fees for the three courses plus the practicum are based on the fees charged for all College of Arts and Sciences fully-online graduate courses. USA and USA Health employees may be eligible for an educational benefit.

Complete the survey of interest to learn more about the program. 

For details, visit the Online Graduate Certificate in Spanish for Healthcare Professionals page.

Submit 'A Note for Every White Coat' by June 7

The USA Medical Alumni Association still needs your words of encouragement and advice to ensure every student receives a personal message in their white coat!

The MAA proudly provides Whiddon COM students with their first white coats. As part of this special tradition, a handwritten note card is placed in the pocket of every white coat when they are presented to students at the White Coat Ceremony.

Please submit your own special message via email to medalum@southalabama.edu by Friday, June 7. 

Community preceptors honored at appreciation event

Medical student Paras Ahuja networks with attendees at the reception for community partners.

The Whiddon College of Medicine recently hosted an appreciation event for community partners who serve as clinical preceptors for medical students during their pre-clerkship years. Organized by the Division of Medical Education, the reception was held in the Hargrove Club at Hancock Whitney Stadium. 

According to the American Association of Medical Colleges, ”Since the goal of medical education is to enable students to perform clinical skills with actual patients in the clinical setting, patient care experiences should be employed as early and as frequently as possible in the curriculum.” 

Nia Booth, president of the Class of 2027, thanks the

community partners for their service.

Traditionally, medical students begin clinical rotations during the third and fourth years of medical school. However, through the Clinically Integrated Introductory Course (CLINIC), dedicated community partners enable the Whiddon College of Medicine to introduce first- and second-year medical students to the hands-on practice of medicine. These dedicated community partners are physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners who allow students to work in their clinics three times each semester while providing outstanding medical education. First-year students rotate within primary care, and second-year students rotate in specialties of their choice. 

“The preceptors provide not only technical knowledge and skills but also help our students develop their professional identities as budding physicians,” said Candis Patterson, CLINIC coordinator. “They are an invaluable part of our students' early medical education, and students greatly enjoy this experience.” 

About 50 guests attended the annual reception, including community preceptors, faculty, administrators and students. “We look forward to seeing the event grow as we expand our community outreach,” Patterson said.

Providers interested in joining the CLINIC program can contact Candis Patterson at cpatterson@southalabama.edu for more information.

View more photos from the event on Flickr. 

Residents and fellows compete at annual academic exposition

Liliana Arriola Montenegro, M.D., a second-year resident in pediatrics, discusses her case with the judges. She won in the Clinical Vignette poster category.

USA Health residents and fellows competed at the 2024 Resident and Fellow Academic Exposition on May 1, at the Strada Patient Care Center. Hosted by the Office of Graduate Medical Education, the annual event is an opportunity for residents and fellows to display and share their scholarly activities with the USA Health and Whiddon College of Medicine community.

Anas Khouri, M.D., an internal medicine resident, won

in the Clinical and Translational Research category.

This year, 42 highly rated abstract submissions were selected to be presented in the poster competition. The three top-rated abstract submissions were selected as oral presentations. Participants presented clinical vignettes, research projects, quality improvement projects, and patient safety, education and advocacy projects. 

Cash prizes of $300 were awarded to the winners in the oral presentation category and three poster categories:

Oral Presentation
Charu Shastri, M.D., a first-year resident in pathology, won for her oral presentation, “Racial Disparity in Clinico-Pathological Spectrum of Incidental Prostate Cancer Diagnosed Following Transurethral Resection of Prostate (TURP).”

Clinical and Translational Research
Anas Khouri, M.D., third-year resident in internal medicine, won for his poster presentation, “Effect of Computer-Aided Detection Device on the Adenoma Detection Rate and Sessile Detection Rate Among Trainee Fellows: A Single Center Study.”

Quality Improvement/Performance Improvement
Audrey Gunn, M.D., a second-year resident in pediatrics, won for her poster presentation, “Increasing Maternal RSV Vaccination and Newborn RSV Immunization at Children’s & Women’s Hospital: An Ongoing Patient Care Initiative.”

Clinical Vignette
Liliana Arriola Montenegro, M.D., a second-year resident in pediatrics, won for her poster presentation, “A Case of Relapse of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children Despite Successful Initial Treatment.”

View more photos from the expo on Flickr.