No. 400, January 2007
Editor: Kathleen Watson, M.D., drwatson@umn.edu
Editorial Assistant: Allison Campbell Jensen, aac@umn.edu
In this issue:
NEWS
STUDENTS: Research grants -- deadlines approaching
FACULTY
EVENTS: Harambe and more
LITERARY INSPIRATION
NEWS
Gary Davis to serve as interim leader on Duluth campus
Gary Davis, Ph.D., who has led the Department of Behavioral Health for 22 years, will serve as interim senior associate dean on the Medical School--Duluth campus. Davis is associate director of the Center for Rural Mental Health Studies at the Medical School. He recently was recognized as a Rural Health Hero at a state conference because of his work developing a telemedicine network providing mental health consultation and short-term treatment in conjunction with clinics in six rural communities. Davis is a licensed psychologist with more than 30 years of experience. Dean Deborah Powell, M.D., said, "I appreciate his willingness to provide this valuable service to the Medical School." Richard Ziegler, Ph.D., who has stepped down, was honored for his decade of leadership on the Duluth campus at an event Dec. 14.
MED 2010: Two views from Health Disparities work group members
Two community members of the Health Disparities work group, Roger Banks and Gretchen Musicant, were asked recently about their perspectives on engaging with the Medical School's MED 2010 initiative to transform medical education. The University has a great many resources for the Medical School to tap, such as the departments of African American & African Studies, Chicano Studies, and other cultural studies, says Banks, a research and policy analyst with the State Council on Black Minnesotans. Students interested in medical school ought to take courses increasing their cultural knowledge while still in college, he suggests. "It's very difficult for an individual in the Medical School to really focus on cultural competency because of the mental gymnastics required...," Banks says. "One of the things that the U might consider, in collaboration with the other departments, is to provide students opportunities to become culturally competent" before they enter medical school. Those courses, he adds, could be taken into consideration when students apply to Medical School.
Future physicians need to think about the whole person, says Musicant, Commissioner for the Minneapolis Department of Health and Family Support. "If a person lives in poverty and has a family with many complex issues that they're facing, it does impact whether or not they will take their pre-natal vitamins and the birth outcomes... The deeper the understanding of the physician of that context...the better care [they'll provide] for their patients." She adds that an "attitude of continuous discovering is going to lead you into a more culturally competent relationship. Medical school is about building a sense of mastery but how do you also build an ongoing humbleness about the need to learn more?" She says that she been impressed by the genuine interest in addressing health disparities and improving cultural competencies. "It doesn't feel like a compliance activity."
Deadlines approaching on honors and awards for faculty and students
Nominate your peers, students, and mentors for Minnesota Medical Foundation honors and awards. The deadlines are approaching for many of these awards and honors, which give members of our Medical School community well-deserved recognition for their outstanding work. For details, go to www.mmf.umn.edu, click on Faculty or Students, and go to the listing of honors and awards.
STUDENTS
Advice on choosing an advisor and scheduling, Jan. 8 & Jan. 29
Prior to the Jan. 16 launch of online advisor selection for year two students, a Jan. 8 meeting will introduce how to select an advisor and what to expect from the relationship. The meeting, starting at 12:15 p.m., in Moos 2-650, also includes a panel discussion by advisors and advisees. On Jan. 29, another get-together covers scheduling matters for those students going into clinical rotations, starting at 12:15 p.m., in Moos 2-650.
Students volunteering at Phillips Neighborhood Clinic: A report
We have approximately 130 students currently involved in the Phillips Neighborhood Clinic, including 55 medical students, 8 from nursing, 20 pharmacy students, 30 from physical therapy, and 19 students from the School of Public Health. On a given evening, we have one student clinic coordinator, one at the front desk, one clerical worker, five patient advocates, four student medical clinicians, two physical therapy student clinicians, two student lab techs, three interpreters, two to three nutrition students from public health, two dispensing pharmacy students, two to three pharmaceutical care students, and, licensed volunteer practitioners to precept: two physician preceptors, one medical resident, one physical therapist, and one pharmacist. On a weekly basis, we began in 2003 with approximately four patients on a Monday evening. In 2004, we increased to more than six patients per evening, and by the end of 2005, we were seeing an average of seven patients per evening. We have seen as many as 18 patients in a single evening, although 7 to 10 is more common. --Travis Olives
Flexible M.D. snapshot: Meet Rob Schleiffarth
He intended just to get his feet wet by volunteering in a lab during his first year in medical school but since then Rob Schleiffarth has plunged into research. He became fascinated by a heart defect in mice and wanted to pursue the problem. So he asked to take a year between the usual years two and three to devote to research. "I'm glad I did," says the current fourth-year student of his experience. "It really solidified my desire to do research." He says he's honed his critical thinking skills while working under the direction of Anna Petryk, M.D. And he had financial support from the Howard Hughes medical Institute Medical Student Fellowship and the Minnesota Medical Foundation. Although his entering class was yet not eligible for the Flexible M.D., his pursuit of personal goals in his medical education exemplifies the opportunities offered by it. Now, after being captivated by combination of surgery and research presented by otolaryngology, Schleiffarth is applying to ENT residencies and plans to become a specialist in pediatric otolaryngology, studying birth defects of the head and neck.
Jan. 10 & 11: Deadlines for Howard Hughes Medical Institute fellowships
Funding for second- or third-year students interested in research is available through two programs from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. In the past five years, our Medical School has had five students accepted for these highly competitive programs. The HHMI Research Scholars Program (www.hhmi.org/cloister/rsp) targets research-motivated second- or third-year students who would want to spend a year with an investigator at the National Institutes of Health. The deadline for application is Jan. 10, 2007. The HHMI Research Medical Fellowships (www.hhmi.org/medfellowships/viewbook) also targets research-motivated second- or third-year students who would consider spending a full year with a faculty member at the University of Minnesota, another academic institution in the United States, or possibly abroad. The deadline for application is January 11, 2007. Please contact Charles F. Moldow, M.D., at 626-3287 for help with applications or further information about the programs.
AOA Carolyn L. Kuckein Student Research Fellowships: Deadline Jan. 15
In past years, our medical students have been awarded Alpha Omega Alpha Carolyn L. Kuckein Student Research Fellowships. These national fellowships provide $4,000 to the student and $500 for the mentor's lab. Deadline to submit is Jan. 15, 2007. For information on awards or past awardees, go to the AOA local chapter home page (www.meded.umn.edu/students/aoa/student_awards.shtml); to apply, contact AOA Chapter Councilor James House, M.D., at 651-636-0372 or house001@umn.edu.
Alfred F. Michael Medical Student Students Research Colloquium, March 12, 2007
The sixth annual Medical Student Research Day takes place Monday, March 12, 2007. Students enrolled in Medical School are invited to submit an abstract of their work. All abstracts submitted will be displayed in poster form on the afternoon of March 12. It will be the responsibility of the student and his or her faculty mentor to prepare the posters; poster display boards and easels will be provided. The student presenters, faculty and guests are invited to attend a reception in the afternoon, followed by a lecture honoring the student research experience by Robert Darnell, M.D., Ph.D. Darnell studies degenerative brain disorders that are provoked by an immune response to certain cancers. For more information, contact the Medical School Dean's Office at 612-626-3287 or rsrchday@umn.edu.
Office of Clinical Research grants for summer fellowships: Feb. 1 deadline
Most medical students are eligible to apply for 8-10 week summer fellowships that begin June 15, 2007. Fellows chosen will be matched with established investigators on an ongoing clinical or translational research project. Small group weekly seminars will also be held, focusing on research ethics, good clinical practice, grant writing, and the responsible conduct of research. For more information, go to the Web page (www.ahc.umn.edu/research/funding/predoc/home.html).
Calling all students: For future issues, we'd love to hear your news about volunteer efforts, research work, or medical experiences in new environments. Send an e-mail to Allison Campbell Jensen, aac@umn.edu.
FACULTY
Boulger honored
James Boulger, Ph.D., received the President's Award from the Lake Superior Medical Society on December 14. LSMS President David J. Mast, M.D., said that Boulger "has been a superb, behind-the-scenes, positive feedback type of coach and friend for hundreds of students that have subsequently become excellent physicians." In response, Boulger said that he was extremely honored to receive the award, particularly since it was presented by Mast, a former student. Boulger pointed out that more than 200 of the students who began their medical training in Duluth now practice in the Arrowhead area. Boulger has been a faculty member at the school since 1974. In 2003, he was named the nation's Distinguished Educator by the National Rural Health Association.
Faculty development courses
This spring, two workshops in the "Help! There's a Medical Student in My Office" series will be offered: "Is My Student's Life Off-balance? How to Recognize and Assist a Student in Trouble," on Jan. 18, 2007, and on April 26, 2007, "Practical Feedback and Assessment." In February, a four-part short course on effective, student-centered teaching titled "Educational Skills Program" will be offered. The Best Practices Institute: Teaching in the Health Professions, May 17-18, will feature workshops and presentations on key teaching skills and technology-enhanced teaching by education leaders from the University of Minnesota Academic Health Center schools and colleges, as well as national speakers. In addition to plenary sessions, the two-day program will provide opportunities for skill-building in small groups and sharing of ideas among faculty who teach in the health professions. For more details, click on Faculty/Medical Educator workshops in the bottom right-hand corner on the Medical Education website: http://www.meded.umn.edu/.
Harambe, Jan. 12, benefits clinic
Harambe, an annual celebration of medicine and the arts, takes center stage at the Coffman Union Memorial Theatre Jan. 12. An art gallery opens at 7 p.m.; performances of music, dance, and spoken word begin at 8 p.m. The event benefits the student-run Phillips Neighborhood Clinic for the poor and homeless; admission is $10, $5 for students.
First Pre-Medical Forum, Jan. 11-13
"The Heart of Medicine," the first annual Pre-Medical Forum at the University of Minnesota Medical School is hosted by Student National Medical Association's Twin Cities Chapter, January 11 through 13. Registration is $50; for details, go to: http://student.med.umn.edu/snma/PMF/
Smoke Free Day at the Capitol, Jan. 30
People from throughout Minnesota will converge on the Capitol Tuesday, Jan. 30, to meet with their legislators and staffers to advocate for a statewide smoking ban. This Smoke Free Day at the Capitol is the kickoff for the campaign. School of Public Health Dean John Finnegan, Ph.D., is leading the AHC's efforts to register faculty and students to participate. To learn more about Smoke Free Day at the Capitol and to register, visit www.smokefreeminnesota.com. The event is free and registration is encouraged by early January.
State of the Academic Health Center, Jan. 31
The State of the Academic Health Center address will be presented by Senior Vice President Frank Cerra, M.D., 3 p.m., Jan. 31, in the renovated Mayo Auditorium. The talk will be followed by a reception.
Opportunities to hear from five Senior Associate Dean candidates
Candidates for the position of Senior Associate Dean of the Medical School--Duluth campus will visit weekly from early January through early February. They will spend the majority of their time on the Duluth campus meeting faculty and becoming acquainted with people and programs. There will be an opportunity to hear from each of the five candidates, 4:00 -- 5:30 p.m., Thursdays, January 4, 11, 18, 25 and February 1. The candidates in Duluth will be connected via polycom to room B646 Mayo on the Twin Cities campus. Each candidate will make a 30-minute presentation, followed by time for questions and answers.
Dean's Report available in print and online formats
MED 2010, education in global health, the contribution of imaging to understanding of mental illness, Medical School researchers' contribution to advances in genetics, and continued leadership in transplantation are among the topics in the 2006 Medical School Dean's Report. It's available online as a PDF, from a link on the home page (www.med.umn.edu). In addition, printed copies are available from Allison Campbell Jensen, aac@umn.edu.
LITERARY INSPIRATION
Eating Together
seasoned with slivers of ginger,
two sprigs of green onion, and sesame oil.
We shall eat it with rice for lunch,
brothers, sister, my mother who will
taste the sweetest meat of the head,
holding it between her fingers
deftly, the way my father did
weeks ago. Then he lay down
to sleep like a snow-covered road
winding through pines older than him,
without any travelers, and lonely for no one.
--by Li-Young Lee
Happy New Year!