med ed
A newsletter for faculty, staff, and students of the University of Minnesota Medical School

No. 390, March 2006

Editor: Kathleen Watson, M.D., drwatson@umn.edu

Editorial Assistant: Allison Campbell Jensen, aac@umn.edu

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Celebrate science at Student Research Day March 13

You're invited to take time to celebrate the work of about 50 budding scientists and hear a seasoned expert honor student research at the fifth annual Alfred F. Michael Student Research Colloquium March 13. Posters of student research will be on view in the second floor of PWB starting at 2:30 p.m. Refreshments will be served adjacent to the Outside In from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. At 4:30 p.m., in PWB 2-470, Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator Robert Darnell, M.D., Ph.D., will present a lecture on RNA Regulation in the Brain: Insights from Paraneoplastic Neurologic Degeneration and Fragile-X Mental Retardation. Darnell studies degenerative brain disorders that are provoked by an immune response to certain cancers.

Moving to clerkships: Briefer scheduling, better Transition Day

The Medical School seeks to ease the move to clerkships for medical students. Responding to medical students' requests, the scheduling lottery for clerkships now is considerably shorter, taking only seven days instead of 21. The lottery, which began March 2, runs through March 10. And in this accelerated process, advisors must sign off on schedules in the period from March 13 through 20. Incoming third-year students should also have Transition Day, April 7, marked on their calendars. The all-day event in PWB 2-650 includes an introduction to expectations on the patient care units, elections, many workshops on practical matters, and is capped by a reception starting at 5 p.m.

AHC Day at the Capitol March 27

The Minnesota State Legislature's session has just begun and we'll be asking you to help the Medical School, the Academic Health Center, and the U by participating in AHC Day at the Capitol March 27. Watch for notices seeking people interested in meeting with their home-town legislators and for volunteers who will help us showcase how we are transforming education, discovering knowledge, and advancing care. The U's request includes funding for a $60 million Medical Biosciences Building, as well as a supplemental funding request for equipment for our AHC colleagues in the School of Dentistry and College of Veterinary Medicine. For more information, contact Mary Kenyon, mhk@umn.edu or 612-626-1987.

Author Atul Gawande speaks March 21

Our Fairview partners have invited Medical School faculty and staff to "The Bell Curve in Medicine: Exploring the Roots of Failure and Excellence in Performance," a presentation by Atul Gawande, M.D., author of Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science. Gawande, a Harvard professor and staff member of Brigham and Women's Hospital, also is staff writer on science and medicine for The New Yorker magazine. Only 150 seats are available at the no-charge event at the University Radisson; register with your name, Medical School affiliation, phone, e-mail, and guest name (if applicable) by March 18 by sending an e-mail to sdecour1@fairview.org.

Liaison Committee on Medical Education visit April 3-4

The April 3-4 site visit by the LCME will focus on diversity on the Twin Cities campus as well as the ongoing integration of the Duluth and Twin Cities campuses. Because this is a follow-up site visit, the scope of the visit is limited to a few areas and the visitors primarily want to talk with administrators from the two campuses. The LCME considers the Duluth campus program to be a track, a concept that provides the framework to continue to build on the demonstrated strengths of that campus's work in rural, American Indian, and primary health care.

Match Day: March 16

Our future physicians learn where they will serve their residencies on March 16, Match Day. Fourth-year medical students, their families, friends, and faculty gather for refreshments in McNamara Alumni Center about 10 a.m. After a brief program, envelopes will be distributed at 11 a.m.

Minnesota Medicine writing contest: May 1 deadline

Physicians, residents, and medical students can share stories and insights gained from their education and practice and perhaps win a cash prize and be published in Minnesota Medicine's July issue. Cash prizes will be awarded for the best creative writing (nonfiction story, short fiction, poetry, or essay) dealing with the practice of medicine or the medical school experience. The contest deadline is May 1; submissions should be original, previously unpublished, and not exceed 2,000 words. Submit online to jryan@mnmed.org.

Retreat for new program directors May 5

Preparing for a site visit, building an e-portfolio, and writing a curriculum are among the topics to be covered for new residency program directors at a retreat 8 a.m.-1 p.m., May 5, at the Campus Club. Registration is required; to register or ask questions, contact Lisa Wichman at wichman@umn.edu or (612) 625-8285.

A new campus resource for teachers

The Teaching Professor, an online resource for teachers, has been purchased for our University community by the Center for Teaching and Learning Services. "Using Virtual Space to Enhance the Classroom" is one of the many articles in the January issue, which can be accessed at http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/teachlearn/resources/teachingprofessor.html. Please note that, due to restrictions on the site license, this resource can only be accessed from University computers. There are other center resources for teachers; for more information, see the Web site (www.umn.edu/ohr/teachlearn).

Kupfer lecture March 29 continues series on clinical research

"The Road to Successful Clinical Research: A case study in Pittsburgh," will be presented by David Kupfer, M.D., director of research at the Western Psychiatric Institute, at 12:10 p.m., Wednesday, March 29, in 2-650 Moos Tower, as part of the Distinguished Visiting Scholar Series. A light lunch will be served. The series is sponsored by the Academic Health Center's Office of Clinical Research. Next speaker will be Robert Brook, M.D., who directs the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program; he is scheduled for April 18. For more information, contact Sue Jackson at 612-626-6033 or sjackson@umn.edu . All are encouraged to attend. 

Hold May 11-12 for Best Practices in Teaching Institute

The Medical School and the other five Academic Health Center schools will offer a free faculty development opportunity, spanning a day and a half, Thursday and Friday, May 11 and 12. Leaders in education from all six AHC schools, as well a national education leader, will share their expertise in five plenary sessions. Opportunities for skill-building and sharing of ideas will be provided to participants in small groups. The four educational themes of the institute are: 1) Enhancing Key Teaching Skills; 2) Teaching Ethics in the Classroom, Clinic, and Community; 3) Finding Balance for Health Care Professionals; and, 4) Technology-Enhanced Teaching. Registration begins March 15 at http://www.BPinstitute.umn.edu, where final details also will be posted.

Literary inspiration

May you grow up to be righteous,

May you grow up to be true,

May you always know the truth

And see the lights surrounding you.

May you always be courageous,

Stand upright and be strong,

May you stay forever young,

Forever young, forever young,

May you stay forever young.

--Bob Dylan